Tired of whiney 3 pedal-ers

I agree and ditto for the SLS. Its box is a complete letdown even though the mechanicals are the same as the 458. In the 458 it is way better I think because somebody said the lower rotating mass allows for shorter shifts without sacrificing reliability. Now in 10-15 years time what kind of transmission will a new Ferrari have? I don't know but for sure it will be so lightning fast that even the 458 feels slow, although that is hard to fathom at present. Maybe it will be some sort of CVT if they ever get that right. The counter argument is that with the DCT and perhaps the Scud, too, the gearboxes are finally 'fast enough' that they will always be a joy to drive even when compared to the latest and greatest. If we do go to CVT, maybe instead of 3-pedal manuals guys will be saying geez I really used to enjoy when the engine had to climb out of 1000 rpm where you had no torque and then the power came on, etc. Instead of just having the engine at max power available all the time.

 

Maybe transmissions of the future will manage various forms of KERS in concert with the gasoline engine: seamless and speedy transitions of high performance hybrid powertrains.

 

I agree, the Mayor is always the first one to post whenever I ask a question about my future purchase of the 458. Even nice enough to go through the trouble of posting the interior of his 458 since I am going to copy the color. He has been a great help to me and I am sure a lot of other people as well.

 

I assume we are headed that way. The hypercars from Ferrari, Mac and Porsche are all implementing KERS and the Audi that won OA at LeMans was hybrid and Quattro, not to mention diesel. Then you have Jim talking about the KERS being triggered automatically via GPS on track. Any way you slice it increasing levels of performance probably means taking more and more control away from the driver as the human is the weakest link. Call it lamenting or whining or whatever you want but I predict much more of it as we go. Btw regarding the driverless car I was only half joking. Google has a bunch on the road legally already in Cali. Once the benefits of safety and traffic relief are demonstrable how quickly will the legislation evolve? I don't know but let's hope they grandfather our old sports cars with steering wheels or else the track may be the only place to enjoy them. Though I could hardly blame them if they don't. Once you finally get everyone moving safely and efficiently on the highway the last thing you want is some azz in a supercar weaving and messing it all up.

 

Two points on technology and driving.
1. With the capability of modern sports cars and knowing what is in the pipeline, it is probably a good thing that the technology is there. Otherwise more of us would end up in the ditch at night instead of in our garages. Having said that, the 458 was the first car I had driven in which the technology actually makes for more fun.
2. I agree that the long term outlook for high performance road cars is dreary as governments continue to exert more control over our lives and intrude on our preferences. And technology is an enabler of that.

So technology is a two edged sword. As always.

 

We already have motorcyclists that do this. surprised more of them aren't killed riding between lanes and weaving in and out.

 

I love Boston. My favorite album is Carry On Wayward Sun.

 

I think that band was Kansas...

 

Do Fchatters bring their Fcars or what's the get together all about? Sorry but I've never heard this mentioned before.

 

Dear TheMayor,

I'm a long time user of the forum (registered in 2007 and visit almost every day) but never written here before, I'm a reader.

I live in a third world country (Brazil), and most of my reading I do on american websites. Generally on blogs and forums like FChat, when someone posts something like "Look at the new SL65 AMG" there are always comments like "not buying if it doesn't come with a manual".

Well, in Brazil, automatic gearboxes are still not a reality because of the market (not even 10% of brazilian cars are automatic)! Believe it or not, people still think they break easily and are expensive to maintain (well, don't try to understand a country that still sells the VW Type 2 Van for $25k dollars).

Of course I only had money recently to buy high end (and automatic) cars, so I had to go through my whole life driving ****ty econoboxes with crappy manual gearboxes. When your ONLY option is a manual your perspective changes a lot! hahaha

Honestly, when I see people complaining the lack of manual gearboxes in cars I look at the streets in Brazil and think PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT! LOL

*** disclaimer: although information is true on this post please take it lightly I am being humorous ***

 

LOL, I'd be down with all of that. Can you send me details?

 

I'll try to do so

 

I agree with The Mayor that the 458 with paddles is a complete package. It is a car to drive with your hands on the steering wheel all the time. The 458 is a sophisticated computer and I can't imagine it with a stick shift. Just doesn't mesh...
While I love the stick shift on my other sports car (Atom) I equally could not imagine paddles (or any other driving assistance) on such a analogue beast.
I find a fundamental weakness in the argument of the stick shifters who argue that only with 3 pedals do you get the full driving experience that real car enthusiasts expect. If that is the case, why don't they disable the ABS, throw out the ECU, traction control and while they are at it the radio, aircon and everthing else that can get between you and the enthusiast driving experience? Why stop half way?
Finally, I want to confess that I long for the days of cranking the windows. I would install this system in the Atom, except it doesn't have any windows...

 

Everyone is different, clearly, however Saturday morning I went in to the garage to take one of the cars up in to the mountains for a nice spirited winter drive.

The Ferrari didn't even come to mind for one second.

I grabbed the keys to my 911 Turbo and had a blast.

Why?

Because the paddles are boring. Plain and simple.

The car is beautiful and a technological marvel. That's what keeps it in my garage.

For pure driving satisfaction on mountain roads, I personally require a manual transmission.

 

Sounds like you need to pick up a pristine F430 3-pedal -- linear and exciting, drivng satisfaction guaranteed.

 

You may be right.

 

I assumed you currently own a 458. Trade it for a Carrera GT, the pinnacle of 3 pedals with a Ferrari sound track! The best of both worlds for your preferences.

 

NJ? Where do you have to go to find mountain roads?

F1 works fine in the Rockies. Actually works better than my Pcar manual. 458 I drove even better than the 360 F1.

Fun? Boring? Our 3 other cars are sticks so the F1 is a nice change of pace. Fun. Not boring.

 

I do have a 458 but my wife drives the 3-pedal F430 (she refuses to be converted to paddles but she does let me drive it). Of course the 458 is much more capable but I really couldn't say which is more fun -- it depends on the day.

 

Wow, female usually prefer auto, your wife is an exception!

The performance level of a car is only one factor on how fun a car is, it depends on the location and moods..........3 pedals certainly makes it a much more engaging drive. I like them both.

 

My wife will only drive a stick. thus, we have 3 cars with sticks and one F1.

Life is good.

 

There is really no right or wrong, having both is best.

Congrats on your good life!