Ode to the 430 Scuderia

Dare I say it. The Scuderia is a brilliant car even after 1200miles in my Speciale. Two weeks ago I bought a pristine 2009 Scuderia(Black Grey Stripe 2800 miles) This is my third Scuderia. I had almost forgotten how truly raw the Scud is and how it sounds and shifts. The transmission bangs into gear like a hammer striking metal. And the sound---from the moment you start the car the exhaust note bellows. While the Speciale is like a fine knife the Scud is a sword slicing through space in a grand but skillful way. While it lacks the speed and precision of the Speciale it rewards with a visceral feast of sound and road feedback. I don't feel deprived getting into the Scud after driving the Speciale. Its a different kind of friendship. Honest, unadorned and demanding. There is also the fact that the Scud is the last of the almost fully hand built Ferraris---Few robots, mostly human hands. On another note, economically, the Scuderia is a relative bargain. Pristine cars are selling in the 175-190K range(not bad for a car that stickered for 300K or more).

 

Nice description. I can accept that the Scuderia is the optimum combination of raw performance and traditional analog edginess.

 

A nice pair you have. In the UK rhd cars are about £160k Plus with miles. At 100k in Europe as a lefty they make sense.

 

Nice right up, and having just ordered a Speciale, my Scud has to go :-(

 

Is yours the Abu Dhabi scud David ? It's stunning, been admiring it.

 

Im in that position too Foxmod! I should probably sell my Scud.. but Im finding Im quite attached.

 

Traded my Scud for my Speciale which is yet to arrive. After reading your post I hope I am not let down by the less raw 458.

 

It's just different. It's not really less raw. It's different raw.

 

Another important fact about the Scuderia is that it was developed in close collaboration with Michael Schumacher.

 

Great write up by the OP... I can't imagine getting rid if my scud... Ever! I can add another one to the stable but this one is not going anywhere!!!

 

the specialè is quantifiably less raw, and not just because of the lack of cabin insulation.

 

I feel exact same way.

 

From Autocar:

Maranello, 17 October 2014

Ferrari’s 458 Speciale has come out on top in an annual group test run by Autocar, one of the most important motoring magazines in the world, to find “Britain’s Best Driver Car.” This essentially means it’s the best car as far as the demanding palates of drivers in the UK are concerned, a country that has always appreciated fine automobilies.

Maranello’s V8 won over the eight judges with its amazing performance, setting the fastest lap time at Castle Combe circuit, beating a McLaren 650S and a Porsche 911 GT3, combined with the thrills it provides at the wheel. “Everyone who climbed out of the 458 Speciale wanted to climb straight back in and do it all over again” said Autocar. “For a car to make you feel like that when it is that quick, is a very rare thing indeed”

Apart from showing off all its dynamic qualities on the race track, it also delivered in the English countryside, dealing with the always-entertaining B roads, whose lumps and bumps, stop-start corners and narrow lanes can be a stern test of the most sporty cars. Its 8 cylinder engine has won the “Best Performance Engine” award three times and this was just one of the factors that made for an extraordinary consensus when it came to the Maranello car. Also taken into account were its overall balance and the ease of driving on the limit, thanks to the advanced electronic control systems such as SSC (Side Slip Control.)

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http://auto.ferrari.com/en_EN/news-events/news/everyone-uk-goes-crazy-458-speciale/

 

A speciale or even a 458 is technologically superior to a SCUD. But a Scuderia has surpassed most expectation about it since it was released. Its not the fastest, but there are only a few modern cars out there that would give you the satisfaction of a thrill everytime you drive it.

I thought about a speciale but trading my scud for it, I am not sure it was the right decision for me. I wanted a new toy but not at the expense of my SCUD. Here comes a GT3, now thats a good combination, which makes more sense to me. The GT3 arrives in January and that would be a very happy new year.

 

I dont think you can be wrong getting a speciale. It would have been better if you kept it. They are two different cars. You will miss it.

 

I'm also considering adding a GT3 to my scud for DD/track use. May go with a 997 tho to avoid the depreciation hit.

 

I purchased a 997.2 gt3 early this year. It is a good complement to the scud very fun to drive, great stick shift and quick. The scud is more exciting to drive and goes fast very easily while the gt3 takes more work to go fast. Both fun cars.

 

A GT3 would be a great partner for a scud as a DD/track car. I thought about a 997 GT3 but the price difference is not to wide, especially if you can order one which I did.

About depreciation, before you get a 997, look at 2014 991 GT3 right now, selling 10 to 15k above MSRP, its Crazy!

 

Actually, at today's current depreciation, the MP4 is getting more and more attractive as a dd/track companion. Seeing 4-5 examples in the $150-160s, talk about bang for the buck!

Oh to add another Scuderia tidbit to this thread, it is aptly named "Scuderia" which stands for "Team" in Italian, after the Scuderia Ferrari F1 race team and is the the last of the winning lineage of Ferrari F1 in the last decade.

All the tech from the Scuderia is a direct derivative of the 2004 car development driven by Schumacher, and won both the WDC and WCC yet again, with Schumacher winning a record twelve of the first thirteen races of the season, only failing to finish in Monaco after an accident with Juan Pablo Montoya during a safety car period.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGwX1SWhtJE[/ame]

 

Great video! Lucky and fortunate scud owners that had the opportunity to ride with Michael.

 

True, the MP4s are a heck of a deal. I'm trying to be good though and not spend over $100k.

 

Thanks a lot for the video. In case anybody hasn't seen any one of these, here are a couple of others in my Scud playlist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYDY-1RAFrk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBnPr4lraBI