Any regrets?

Ahhhhhhh..... Another non-owner expert. Perhaps when YOU buy any Ferrari YOU will then be able to make an accurate observation, instead of blowing hot air and wasting band width on a car forum. In the meantime... silence is golden.

 

Spend some time in an F40 or a CS, if you want visceral.

 

Careful now. You don't want to offend the delicate sensibilities of 360/430 owners.

Remember that many on here define themselves by their possessions.

 

My favorite Montoya quote: " you eeeediot!.. You're an eeeediot!"

Try turning off PASM and lift the throttle in a corner at speed in the wet in a 911.. Then tell me about a car that wants to kill you. BTDT

 

Yeah, I had 997.1 GT3. That car had no PASM and was very neutral.

It wasn't until I was on the track with that car that I realized that the Carrera PASM is highly sophisticated, that the Carrera has a large amount of understeer built in, and that I was a ****ty driver

Had the F430 out on a skidpad and autocross. Not the best car for autocross , but was surprised how fun it was in the corners. That Ediff thing really works! Fun to be on the skidpad and test out it's limits.

 

Good point, Curt. My last sports car was a big hp 930 Turbo. In the 80s they earned the nickname "widow maker" for a reason.

 

you must be a lot of fun at dinner parties huh?

 

Yes I am a lot of fun to be around.

But I do avoid hanging around with people who lack a sense of humor.

 

Guys it's getting a bit personal.. this is the Internet and so much can't be conveyed in text... Im sure that Babyboo and you guys are good guys to grab a beer with.. even if we differ in our opinions..

 

I own a Porsche 997 Turbo and a Scud.
I feel the Porsche as my wife, reliable, neutral, and always there for me and I can be with her every day, and be happy.
The Scud is my beautiful Italian lover, crazy, dangerous, fun... will take all my money on a heart beat, but you know what ? I can't wait to be with her again...

 

German wife, Italian "gumar.'

 

You're an ER physician. Why would you be fun to be around!!!!!!!!!!

 

me thinks she doth protest too much....

 

Regrets...

Waiting too long to buy one and enjoy it!

08 Scud. Had heard that many felt it was too harsh in terms of ride quality and noise, not in my book. If I want to ride on something that feels like a cloud, I will hop in my DD. I enjoy the F1 as I still feel connected to the car and it works so well in this complete package.

Black/black, wouldn't change the color as it is my personal preference, but, black is a love/hate relationship

 

Hey you ass I'm an ER doc!
Love you guys... And I'm fun... Seriously!
Even you, spitfire

 

So my 430 is gone now, traded in for a 911 C4S. In reference to the OP, I wouldn't say I have any regrets about buying the 430, as overall it was a fun year with an amazing car. I do have some post-mortem thoughts though:

I will miss:
- That wonderful exhaust note @8k RPM
- Standing in the garage eyeballing the beautiful curves of the body
- The visceral feel while driving fast on a nice day with the windows down
- Owning one of the most beautifully designed mechanical objects in existence
- The smell of the leather
- The museum piece engine bay

I will not miss:
- Being tailgated daily while people shoot videos with their camera
- Having a car that I can only drive when the stars align (weather, passengers, destination)
- Having a car that goes through headers every 6k miles
- Having a car that I am worried about backing up my driveway
- Having a car that makes me worry about the $/mile depreciation (I ended up leaving the trip computer on so I wouldn't know what the actual mileage was on the car, so I would think about this less)
- The somewhat clunky and cantakerous transmission... don't downshift to first!
- The endless clutch wear discussions. Put it in neutral at lights! Don't put it in neutral at lights!
- Trucking my car 100 miles to get it serviced
- $1k oil changes
- 12 mpg
- Uncomfortable seats... is 'Daytona' Italian for wood?

In the end, I still love these cars. There's nothing like a Ferrari... but unfortunately... there's nothing like a Ferrari.

Honestly, I expect more out of a car that has a sticker north of 200k. If you want one of these, you need to be fully prepared to have a car that is going to experience down time, and be ready to foot some hefty bills when it happens. If that trade-off is worth it for you, then by all means go for it. I think I'm just a bit too practical for these cars, at least at this point in my life.

 

I owned Porsches for years and then got a F430 a few years ago now. I agree with your "Missed" and "Wont Miss" items....spot on. Did you get a new 991 C4S or a previous model? I checked out a brand new 991 C4S a few weeks ago at the dealer and it made me miss my Porsches I owned in the past.

Good luck with the Porsche, sounds more livable for you than the F car. Enjoy!

 

Great list of pros and cons, I think most will sympathize with both of them!

 

Any one who thinks that an F430 has "beautiful curves" will definitely be happier with a Pcar.

 

My only regret in purchasing my 430 is I wish I would have waited a bit to experience the price drop that these cars are now experiencing. It's the law of the masses and a terrible economy.
I believe the 458 will hold up better in resale value. We shall see. Other than that, great post by Nashtyboy on pros and cons.

 

Personally I think the 458 is likely to be worse over the same time period. The 458 was a large price hike over the 430, both are great cars but the hike gave the 430 wiggle room, the next model with present economic climate/competition might struggle to have a much higher base price which will then impact on 458 used sales from day 1. Only time will tell.

 

It's been almost a month since I've had mine. I smile from ear to ear every time I take her out for a drive.

There are brief moments where I have "what if" thoughts about a 997 GT2, but those moments quickly go away when I press the button that says "Start".

 

The 430 started with the voluptuousness of the 360 and took it up a notch. The front and rear fenders are just sexy.

I will admit the biggest design cue that was somewhat warped when going from the 360->430 were the lines from the door handle to the air intake. The 430's are bigger intake "nostrils" so the door handle doesn't flow as nicely.

 

Splitting hairs here?
You like the 360 or F430 in looks. Drive the two and you will go for F430 (not looking at price).

J m 2 c.

 

THIS ^^^^^^^

I've been waiting for years to buy a 430 and the major thing I worry about is the above misses. I come from 911 Turbos as daily drivers. The problem is that 911 Turbos as a DD ... became ...."routine" and "non-inspiring". My biggest concern with the 360/430 is the ongoing pricey maintenance. Maybe the 6 speed would be less maintenance than an F1. This forum has mentioned many times that .... on average .... expect $3000-$5000 per year in maintenance. I can handle that. It's the BIG $ issues that I worry about. I still want one. Not as a DD, but as a weekend car. I guess I just need to buy the right car and take my chances.