F8 Drove the F8

I don't think the factory spec allows for 1" lowering though. I think if you want to do that then you should look at replacing springs.

 

I dont know for sure but it sounds like the dealer is saying they can do it. Even adding lowering springs isn't a big deal. The car will sit better and turn flatter. I would do it for sure, it sits really high. Looks like its 4wd.

 

Awful autocorrect gets me every time. I meant to say I wouldn't rip out the stock suspension.

 

Dealer lowers the suspension upon request when the car arrives. Clearly it has to be beneficial since it slightly lowers the center of gravity resulting in more precise handling and is an aesthetic enhancement.

 

In all honesty, I read your post too quickly and missed the sentiment. Pretty sure I recall you not being the 488's biggest fan, so was just expecting it

 

Car suspension is a real art. In general most manufacturers allow for some variability in their settings. You are right there are some benefits, you are also taking 1" away from the ride height, thus reducing travel, and there could be some other consequences we haven't accounted for. Its a really involved art and science. Think of it like a math equation that has to remain in balance, when you change one side, something on the other has to change. I'm hardly an expert, but it seems to me 1" is a lot to lower the car on the stock springs. Companies like Novitec have gone through the trouble of figuring out a good spring rate for a lowered car.

 

When I saw the F8 first get released, I immediately wanted to order one. Thought it looked good and finally Ferrari made something that would beat a 720s. I contacted a couple dealers and got one spec'd out and was going to put a deposit down. Then I started to think if it's going to be really that much better than a 720. So I told the dealer I wanted to wait and get more info about the F8 in terms of performance. And I'm not talking about Ferraris numbers they released about the car, im talking about real world performance. Car manufactures as of the last couple years seem to have the theme of "fibbing" a bit on performance numbers and the cars are actually faster than the numbers they claim (Mclaren is the prime example of that on all their vehicles) which is not a bad thing to be complaining about at all! But I wanted to see if the F8 maybe was faster in real life than Ferrari was saying, if you catch my drift. So after watching multiple videos and reviews of the F8 over the past month. Ive come to the conclusion that the car doesn't appear to be much faster than ferrari numbers claim and they appear to be pretty spot on from the reviews and videos I've seen. So ive decided not to purchase an F8 for mainly a couple reasons, and all of them are performance based. Mclaren came out with the 720 for the 2018 model year since then, that has been the benchmark performance car for the money. Suspension rides unbelievably smooth, active aero works great, carbon fiber tub that is light and safe, dihedral doors, brake steer, weight which is about 200-300lbs lighter than a 488 (depending on options), and last but not least, it is stupid fast and beats almost every other supercar minus a couple hypercars. So Ferrari has had a couple years to study the 720 and make a car that should beat the 720 you would think right? Well I hate to say it, but the F8 seems to not be that car. Now remember im talking in terms of straight performance, not looks, styling, brand history, etc... In terms of straight performance, the F8 seems to not be better than a 720 plain and simple. 720 is lighter, more horsepower, more active aero, better ride, and just seems to be an all around better car for the money than an F8. I was really hoping Ferrari would have set the bar higher for the F8, but it appears we just have a refreshed and slightly faster car than a 488. And I hate to say it, but when Mclaren releases the LT version of the 720 at their winter ball event soon, the F8 is going to be like an 1980 Pinto in terms of performance compared to it. I know I sound like a huge Ferrari hater right now, I just think that with Mclaren making all their cars ridiculously fast right now, all exotic manufactures are going to be forced to step up their game in a big way. I wanted the F8 to be a game changer, but I just don't think Ferrari did enough to keep up with the 720. Now the SF90 is a different subject and "should" be better than a 720 performance wise according to the numbers Ferrari has released. Problem is, the car is going to be $200-300k more than a 720 it sounds like. So my thoughts are this, if you are loyal to the brand Ferrari, why not buy a used 488 that have been nose diving in value over the past 6 months, save a load of cash, maybe throw a tune and exhaust on it, and have a stupid fast car that with a tune and exhaust would be close to the 720. If you are not loyal to Ferrari, buy either a used 570s or 720s from Mclaren. The 570s is Mclarens baby car and is faster than a 488 in case you guys didn't know... I can't predict the future (if any of you guys can let me know lol) but I don't think the F8 will do all that well for Ferrari. I think people wanted something radically different than the 488 and while it updated and faster, still extremely similar looks both inside and out. I really do hope the SF90 is the sweet spot for Ferrari and can be something to finally compete with Mclaren. But time will tell. Ok rant over, go ahead and give me crap Ferrari lovers haha.

 

I think you make some valid points but you are wrong on one thing. Ferrari will sell every last F8 that they make. Its a refresh but its miles better than the 488. If I still had my 488, im not sure I would upgrade or wait for the full replacement but the F8 is a better car in every measure.

With regards to performance- yes, Mclaren has done a great job with that but I think Ferrari has their own plan and its a good one for their brand. I personally love the F8 and how it looks.

 

I sold the 720 after two months because I found it to be a boring drive. No life. Pure numbers.

Lest you think I am a McLaren basher, I have five in the garage (P1, 675 LT coupe and spider, 600 LT coupe, Senna GTR).


As this post was about the F8, can’t wait to get it in March! Meeting tomorrow about it as well: SP48.

 

Exactly.

 

Except that repeating something ad nauseam does not make it true...
Around the Le Mans Bugatti track, with the very same driver (a professional driver able to make the best of the cars) and semi-slick tyres on both cars, the 488 achives 1'44"28 and the 570S achieves 1'47"18 - almost 3" more for the "faster" car.
And on this compilation of performances for both cars one struggles to find where the 570S is faster: http://www.zeperfs.com/duel5623-5721.htm

 

06Viper- You seem to be fixated on speed over every other performance metric. While going fast is a component of the super car repertoire, there are a myriad of other attributes that are essential to creating a compelling, engaging and highly capable vehicle. You are missing the point as to what the F8 can and will contribute on a subjective level as well as in a quantifiable technical basis other than a simple laundry list of specs. The sensation engendered by driving a high performance sports car is what makes the experience so special. Analysing a spec sheet in order to make a purchasing decision is anathema to the joy and enhancement of life derived from these magnificient machines.

 

Correct! As I stated in my previous post, I was talking about the pure performance of the car. Not the looks (Which the F8 does look great in my opinion), styling, reliability, brand history, etc. I was just talking about the pure performance of the cars, nothing else. If we want to get into detail about other things, Ferrari has Mclaren and other brands beat on many other subjects.

 

But you are not talking about performance. You are focused on specs which in your mind defines performance. 0-60 or 1/4 mile times are indicative of
acceleration and speed. But it reveals virtually nothing about how a car handles, the intimate connection between car and driver, the steering feedback created when changing direction, the suspension tuning which determines the degree in which the car isolates or connects the driver to the road surface, the engine note which heightens the sense of drama or is so muted that the exhilaration of speed is minimized. I could go on and on. Ultimately, what makes a super car special can only be revealed by actually driving the car.

 

It's getting deep. Too much waxing poetic. It's just a car guys.

 

seriously. Buy the car. if you dont like it, sell it and buy something else. Some of these discussions are as if this is the last and only car the person can experience and if you make the wrong choice you have to live with it for the rest of your life

 

I have always preferred spiders, but the F8 may be the first Ferrari where it legitimately makes no sense to get a spider. I prefer spiders because they lend themselves to a more visceral experience. Namely, you can hear the exhaust better. In fact, I would give up the structural rigidity of a coupe just to be able to roll down the tiny rear window that lets you hear the exhaust with the top up. It just makes driving that much more fun... at least it does for me.

With the F8, it seems they have solved the sound issue inside the cockpit of the coupe with this “hot tube.” Those who have driven it seem to agree that the car sounds good, if not better than the 488 from inside the cockpit.

This is all fine and good, but a major component of the Ferrari experience has been forgotten... the exhaust note. We all know that car “sound” is a culmination of factors. There’s the induction noises, the sound of gas igniting within the cylinder heads, the mechanical noises of all the metal bits and pieces grinding on each other up to redline, and finally there’s the exhaust note. All of this combines into the aural symphony that only a Ferrari can create. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you take away any one part from the equation, the experience is ruined as a whole.

Have you ever heard a saxophone or trumpet mouthpiece being played without the rest of the instrument attached? One sounds like a screeching animal as it dies and the other sounds like a duck call. However, when attached to their respective instruments and synchronized with complimentary notes conducted at exactly the right moment, these sounds can culminate into a beautiful symphony.

So while some maybe be satisfied with the quick fix Ferrari has come up with in the “hot tube,” I still desire a Ferrari that begs me to drive through tunnels in low gear. I want to hear all the pops and bangs ricochet off the trees and rocks on a back country road. This is the true Ferrari symphony and I am afraid it has been lost with the F8.

Regarding the spider, unless you just love being out in the elements or being seen in your Ferrari, why would anyone buy one? You can’t hear the exhaust any better, as there isn’t much to be heard. In fact, the hot tube is probably more muffled due to the wind noise, so the overall experience likely involves less sound that the coupe. It’d be like if Tesla offered a model s p90d convertible. What’s the point? It’s not like you get a better experience taking the top down to hear a whole lot of wind and tire noise?


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I think I found a solution. I turned it into a simple math equation:

Buy car + like car = keep car
Buy car + don't like car = sell/trade car

 

First off no one has instrument tested an F8 so to say the 720 is faster just in straight line numbers is unknown. Also there have been no road course tests between the two so I think you are jumping the gun again on that.

Then take in everything else such as the 720 looks awful from the front (sides and rear look great), Ferrari mystique and history, the gorgeous shape of the F8 from any angle in my book the F8 wins by a landslide.

However as has been said buy what you want and if you don’t like it sell and buy something else.

 

New math
Buy car + like car = keep car
Drive car +don’t like car = leave car at dealer $ loss 0
Buy car + don’t like car = sell/trade car - lose tens of thousands $

 

It's not always possible and/or practical to do that on a newer model. You'll only get so much test drive and seat time. Once you've purchased and lived with the car for X amount of time and the new car bouquet/euphoria has worn off. It's possible to realize the shortcomings or the car wasn't ultimately for you. On a 488 it would not be a problem. You can rent one for a day to really judge if need be. Not so on an F8.

 

The F8 has been available for a test drive and forthcoming regular production cars will be as well.

McLaren and Lamborghini dealers always have demo cars in stock for test drives.

 

Big difference between a test drive and living with a car is my point (think significant other).

 

Agree....his point on the 570s being faster than a 488 is simply not true. Not once have I ever seen a time where a 570s has outperformed a 488. I've personally driven 570s on circuit now twice and it's not better or faster than 488 at doing anything. In fact 570S felt very very second rate in comparison....so much so I couldn't get back into my 488 fast enough... 488 is just soo much better and more accomplished as a car on every metric.

I think he makes a good point on 720s's performance though and no doubt the LT version will be one to keep watch for. On this point I would agree that it would be a miracle if F8 or Pista is able to match it. But again at this stupid high level of power and performance - where most the time it cant even be accessed anyway - certain things can take priority for a lot of buyers, such as the look and the feel and the way the car delivers to the senses and, so long as the car is close in performance to the rivals then being on top in the numbers game isn't everything like it used to be when all the performance could be used most of the time.

 

720S may be slightly quicker than the F8, probably is, but who cares. These aren’t drag strip cars, although both are capable, they aren’t race cars, although both are capable. They’re road cars. You won’t notice the performance difference on the street. Buy what you think looks better and gets you more excited.