Any regrets?

Why not a Scud?

Anyhow, I have a black 430 Spider. I was searching for months for a white one to no avail. That's the only minor regret.
Sometimes wish for a wee bit more power - that's where a Scud or 16M would come in.

 

A Scud would probably be better suited to my desire for more performance but.....

I sat in one and thought the racing seats were very uncomfortable. Could not imagine spending any time in them on the road. I can barely tolerate the Daytonas. The seat bolsters on this car are absolutely obnoxious. Also I really hated the interior carbon door cards and the alcantara interior. I admire the way in which the 458 has both better performance and a more luxurious interior. That's the car I should have gotten but I didn't know any better. Now if I traded it in after only a few months I would take tens of thousands of dollars in penalty. Not willing to do that so I'll just have to put up with the 430 for a while longer unfortunately. It does look and sound good, I have to admit that much. I do admire it for those reasons. But from a performance standpoint the 430 is a joke.

 

After sitting in Elise seats for too long and prior to that a variety of racing chairs in various vehicles... I wanted a departure from the previous! I have to agree with that. As for the 430 seats... if they are like the 360 daytona seats I always feel like I'm sitting in them wrong. Like the size of my posteriour is just not the intended size. But they do embrace you in that warm italian leather.... mmmmm....

But why everyone wants racing seats, i'll not understand.

 

Holding the tongue.. How shall I put this..

A really good driver can beat the $#@$! out of me on the road in their honda Civic, because they know how to leverage their cars abilities. That's a good driver.

A mediocre driver is that guy who buys the fast car and is a good driver because of the nannies in the car. In essence, he needs the car to make him the "good driver" that he "thinks" he is.

You take the former and put them in the 458 and they can extract world class performance out of it. The latter just whines that "it's a really nice car but it could use some more power". So for those who need everything spelled out.. even a 458 or F70 won't cure the problem.

Lastly.. apologies for veering from the intention of the thread. Again after a few days of driving this weekend... no regrets only smiles.

 

no regrets at all. I love my 2009 Scuderia. Truly an amazing piece of art and an engineering marvel.

 

No regrets whatsoever. Maybe not affording a newer one (due to taxation) is the only regret.
Otherwise, pure pleasure on all aspects and standpoints.
And all this joy from a humble 11year old 360 Spider

 

You say stuff like that and wonder why there's hostility toward you?

 

+1. Not to derail the thread anymore but idk anybody that talks that bad about an F430.

Why do you still have it? There is no way you lost "tens of thousands" in depreciation just in the last few months.

 

2008 F430 F1 Coupe Red/Tan/// Black carpets. No regrets

I have had my car for 16 months and no issues. I have opted to extend the Power Normal warranty which I have not had to use but it provides security if something big goes wrong.

I hope to upgrade to a McLaren MP4-12C or 458 coupe (most likely the Fcar ) by the end of this year. I love my 430 but look forward to the latest in technology with a better gearbox and more speed which never hurts in a sports car....

I think any car lover should own a RED Ferrari if they are able, at some point in life!

 

No regrets here ('07 F430 manual). Though I've had faster cars, I think the 430 has plenty of speed. It may not have a ton of low end torque, but I find the engine's torque very good for its size, it pulls fine. You don't have to wind it up for it to move. If I ever traded my 430 for another Ferrari, it wouldn't be because I wanted more speed.

Handling? Again, plenty for the road. Some may prefer the Scuderia's sharper, tighter feel, nothing wrong with that, but its higher limits are not needed for swift road work. The 430 corners very quickly and feels beautifully balanced doing so.

Ferrari will continue making better, faster models, but that will never change the fact that the 430 is one heck of a car and more car than most drivers will ever need.

 

Just friendly advices.

1. just b/c some members on Fchat is hostile, not all will be hostile. Some might be outright nice. I like to look at people as basically nice; life looks sweeter that way.

2. if you dislike Fchat so much and you think any "one of you" is not worth meeting, why do you keep posting here? Life is too short to look for confrontation.

3. I don't see the replies to your "slow F430" as hostile. Folks are trying to be helpful. Why do you attack them?

 

Im still miffed that anyone considers ANY of the Fcars "underpowered". These are feats of amazement and even my 360 has ample power for driving on the road. If you need to extract more power from the car I understand, but 400bhp is pretty nice if you ask me (from my 360).

Sure, the 430, CS, Scud, 458, etc have more power... but we are comparing the best of the best and calling them "underpowered". Its kinda silly.

You asked if any regrets? No. My 2004 360 Spider has PLENTY of power, great handling, and looks sexier than a supermodel. I could have pushed for the 430 but with the savings alone I can vacation all over the place and be out of any debt. My only regret is buying a Lotus before the Ferrari

 

ps... I think ALL of you are worth meeting My experience on Fchat has been good, even with the occasional "RTFM" comment or "maybe do a search there are 16,438 posts on this already... here is a link:" I still feel like there is some community here

 

An honest Ferrari salesman would tell you that if you want a stoplight racer, rubber burner, or 1/4 mile car, a Ferrari isn't a great choice. The Dodge Viper, Z06/ZR1 Corvette, or Shelby Mustang Cobra will give you greater thrills in that department for far less money. They are muscle cars with oodles or torque at low RPMs, which Ferrari's generally don't have.

A Ferrari is meant to be a good GT car and a great track car. On the track you keep the engine running near peak HP as much as possible, which is where a Ferrari will sing. Sorry to be off topic, but even the guys at the Ferrari dealer said don't buy a Ferrari if you want a stoplight racer.

But yes, a 458 will give you a great 1/4 mile time and also handle well. So you could get what you want out of a Ferrari (for a whole lot more money).

And to get back on topic, I am too new to my car to have any regrets yet. Hopefully I don't develop any!

 

Blasphemy! How dare you
I have to say the Lotus is still the most visceral car I've ever driven.

 

Purchased mine in September. Besides some paint imperfections and ****ty Corsa tires, overall I'm happy and no regrets.

 

I secretly loved that car... My wife hated it. I guess what I should say is I'm sad I don't have the garage space for both :/

 

Ahhhh....all makes sense now - secret's safe with me

 

No regrets.

Bought a year 2000 360 used to see if I wanted to F-Car lifestyle... loved it. Kept the car for a couple of years and then bought a new F430 coupe. Kept it for 4 years and just recently bought a 16M with 563 miles on the clock and love it the most.

No regrets anywhere along the way.

These cars are awesome.

Find the one you want... don't compromise (there are a lot of cars out there) and you'll be a happy owner.

 

I got a F430 spider F1 from pictures having never driven one. Still think it's the most beautiful car in the world and don't have a single regret. I did my research for 6 months and got a car with the exact specs I wanted. Had I given in a few places I may have some.

 

One has to wonder why any criticism of these cars elitcits such a visceral response. It's merely a car; nobody's mother has been insulted.

Engage in a little introspection and ask yourself why so much of your self-esteem is seemingly tied up in some inanimate object.

 

One word: Passion.

 

Well played.

Babyboo, I think it has less to do with our "self esteem" and more to do with your incessant criticism of your 430. We get it, you hate it and feel like you made a mistake w your purchase. I, for one, feel sorry for you. Of course everyone is welcomed to voice their opinion but you're starting to sound like a broken record. You bring a lot of negative energy to this section of fchat and I feel most of us are tired of it.

 

I think the 360 is a POS. Under-powered, not very stable at high speeds and can kill you in the rain and the F1 is terrible in lower gears. It is really dated now but I admit it was a first regarding the f1. Basically it is a car designed in the 90's so cannot grumble too much but I would never ever own one again.

To quote Pablo Montoya

“The Ferrari 360 was a piece of ****. It was an understeering pig . I bought one, put 200 miles on it then sold it.”

 

LOL. I think the 360 is an awesome value on the used exotic market and a blast to drive. (mine is a classic gated 6-speed manual). Slow, hell no... But i agree they are not the fastest thing on the planet either. I own faster cars but thats not the point. A POS? Please... get a life. Some of us are having a lot of fun beating up 360s as a "starter Ferrari" and I don't think JPM is the authority on road cars. A great driver and nice guy, I have met him numerous times, but race car drivers are not the end-all-be-all on road car reviews.