I'm getting the idea people think that I disliked my test drive of the SF90. I didn't. I loved it. I was surprised by the quality of interior and how good it actually looks. The ride quality and comfort. The amazing tech this car has. The let down was that I thouth the car would be more visceral. To me it was more like a comfy and very fast and capable GT car. But again, the weather played a role and to me my Pista is my daily driver, so I like having virtually no comfort!
Semantics, I meant that this was a first report with not only heaven-high comments but also less-good remarks. So: don't worry ...
If the weather is poor I can't think of many cars in 2020 that would be visceral. Maybe a 765LT, but that's just based on user reports I don't have personal experience yet. Certainly a Pista wouldn't feel visceral if the weather was too poor to push it. I thought the Pista felt pretty refined and comfortable.
Ingesting review - when I drove it, it made my Pista feel average. The acceleration was incredible and the power felt limitless. I’m have them Side by side soon enough...
I know this may sound a bit lame but even watching these cars in the youtube review vids in the hands of professionals scares me a bit. They are all so fast, I try to imagine driving them and even in my mind I don't see myself turning the manettino all the way to the right . This wasn't the case even till like 3-5 years ago. The top gear lap times have entered stoopid territory.
I don't think you're wrong. I keep saying it, but it's more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow. These current cars are so fast that even well over license losing speeds they feel like you're just cruising. I think peak Ferrari is 458 Speciale (speaking strictly mid engine cars now). Excellent gearbox, great noise, great looks. I defy anyone that would call it slow. Maybe on an empty airport run...but who does that for fun? And if you do that, why do you have a Ferrari? Buy an underground tuned gallardo instead. I love speed but seriously... My initial take on the SF90 is that I love it, especially in all black/black it looks badass. But allow me to choose between a Speciale and a brand new, to my own spec SF90 (AC even)....hands down I'd go Speciale, every single day of the week...and weekends!
As always its interesting to read real world impressions and compare them to people like Chris Harris, what is interesting is there do seem to be common themes between real world and for want a better word, professional impressions. The fact its staggeringly fast is not a surprise but does it perhaps lack enough theatre? Surely you want feel special at 60 km/h, does the SF90 really do enough to make you feel special? Again I cannot help thinking the SF90 is Ferrari's version of the Porsche 959, a technical marvel but famed only for being just that, a technical marvel.
Would a 959 not be a great ‘classic’ car to own though, if you could afford to run/keep it? Its significance is probably more than one of my favourite Ferraris - the F40. I only say that because it was a true portent for what was to come. So many cars from so many brands have followed its lead, still today, 30 years later - twin turbos, 4wd, 4ws, electronic damping, electronic power distribution and brake control. Amazing vision and engineering for the 80’s really. The SF90 is a bit different. It is not the first hybrid. Its significance is that it is the first mainstream model from Ferrari that is future-proofed, at least to some degree. There will be more cars from this one brand like this. Its significance is no less and no more than that. If you couldn’t afford or didn’t like the 959, no worries, Porsche sell a n/a, manual transmission car even decades later. Ferrari will be selling very few cars unlike the SF90 inside this same decade! The 959 was 1980’s unobtainium and if you didn’t like it or couldn’t buy it, what did that matter - ‘normal’ 911s would still be available easily. The SF90 is much more attainable but a car that will influence almost all of Ferrari’s production from now onward. You just won’t be able to buy new 458s or cars like it anymore. Different consideration is therefore required for the SF90. ‘Check out if you don’t like it’ is the basic option you have. Some will no doubt do that, but my guess is there will be enough people to take their place to keep Ferrari happy.
I so long for a simpler version of SF90...less hp, less battery (but still some)...more engaged driving experience...MANUAL... As I have many cars with automatic and/ or paddle shift gearboxes (PDK 911, New Defender, F12, FF, AMG GT) I have noticed that for a pleasure drive I leave them parked in the garage and take my manual GT2 991.2, Lotus Exige V6 or Donkervoort GTO-RS...all of them are manual, 'light', blindingly fast and offer so much driving-pleasure. Got my racing license in an well-prepared BMW e30 325i and absolutely loved driving it. So my money in 2021 will go to 'manual' and pure driving experiences. Unfortunately Ferrari has nothing new to offer...so far for the 'most inconic sportscar brand'.
If you drive a 1000hp car in the rain or wet conditions...traction control will absolutely hinder it delivering full power. Did you dare and try switching all electronic support off? If not you have not experienced its full acceleration potential.
For me the comparison is purely based on the tech which as you say will filter down the future Ferrari's, whether that is a good thing I have not yet decided but like the 959, for Ferrari it is a car which will set a template of cars of the future. It could be said the SF90 is the first "volume" hybrid car from Ferrari. Arguably there has never been a Ferrari as full of tech as the SF90 is. But and its a big but, will customers take to the "new" driving experience or as you say "check out". I believe our mutual friend is expecting his SF90 fairly soon so I will be interested in his thoughts, especially compared to the Ford GT he has, not to mention the Pista. Broadly speaking Ferrari will need to appease customers more than ever in an ever expanding segment so my guess would be while we see more SF90 type cars the formula itself will be tweaked as they go along.
I love the look of the SF90 Spider. Beautiful car. I do want one. I have one hesitation though. It seems like getting a slot for the first run of this model is a bit too easy. I would think an allocation would be very hard to get ahold of this soon into the model. Any thoughts on that? For my Pista, I had to give a kidney and a first round draft pick.
I guess it depends on what you are after. No hoops for the 812 and F8 in our garage and it doesn’t detract one iota from the pleasure of driving them. I’ll be ordering the SF90 spider when I have a bit more comfort about the economy. Well, also I don’t really want the first year model in case there are gremlins... Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I think at least one factor at my dealer was recent purchase history, they offered the SF90 to their best clients first (ones that buy everything) and worked down the list (people like me who buy what I like), not sure about the guy off the street but imagine there could have been some. They said a lot of the best clients had hesitation with the car as they did with the Monza - looks, performance, drivability, exhaust sound (458 guys), EV etc.... Fast forward to today after seeing it in person and some having driven the car, those same clients are asking for the SF90 but no allocations available unless additional are given by FNA (I'm sure they will). Another thing is that some Fcar owners are priced out, others have the $$ but also have other options that might be more appealing. Several people I know held their money to buy into the market in March and in hindsight that was the right move.
Well, the 959 set the blueprint for the next 911s too: 4WD, less scary, electronic aids, and so on... Today most 911s are turbo and 4WD and the manuals are just a niche market, I suppose those will disappear soon too.
I guess the lesson is that one needs to see these Ferrari cars in the metal before passing judgement on looks...The SF90 - in the right colour - looks stunning...Same with the Monza...Remember how many people didn’t think the car would be a success? Now that the first ones are on the road, most people I know consider the SP1/2 a modern work of art and demand is high. Once production is finished and the car gets “show and display” in the US, it will only get more sought after... Many people do not rate Manzoni, but he has delivered a few hits recently (Roma included)...and before that we got the Pista, TDF, Lusso, LaF all of which I consider design successes. I am a big Pininfarina fan but I have to admit the last 10 years under Manzoni have given us some wonderful shapes Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
I think everyone agreed the monzo was a pretty car, I just think people were disapointed (especially considering the gigantic price tag) at it not being much lighter when for ex the 'windowless' version of the SLR was 200kg lighter etc.
I have said it a few times, Manzoni is probably the most underrated designer here on the boards. The number of unique looking cars he has delivered given the design and time constraints that he operates in is just amazing. And as Ferrari moves away from its older platforms the cars designed by Manzoni from the ground up have become more and more cutting edge, interesting and beautiful. Just look at what every other car company does at the moment: they all have one design language that they shoehorn on every model they produce whether or not it works. Every model that Ferrari produces is distinct. It's easy to criticise individual models but when you compare the current Ferrari lineup to that of Aston, McLaren or Porsche the true genius of Manzoni emerges. I for one am a fan and this is despite that fact that I did not like how he started with the Stradale (all those gills and flaps were just trying too hard imho) but as he gained confidence and settled into his own style I have liked the designs more and more. Another point to note are the SP cars and how well they have evolved under him. Prior to Manzoni, SP cars were usually a hodgepodge mess but under him they have steadily gotten better and better. He really is great at reinterpreting classic design elements in a modern form. Also his Instagram is really interesting, it well depicts the breath of his artistic talents and the passion he has for design.