RumorDudes SF90 impressions

One of THE best reviews I have every read! Thanks!

 

Today I drove a 296 for the first time and i noticed a few big differences from the sf90.

* the "passenger display panel" in the sf90 is closer to the driver. not that i use that when i am driving, but it was out of reach in the 296. there were a few other minor differences in the interior - like the dashboard display felt closer.

* there is definitely no torque vectoring going on. in the sf90, while i drive down a road with 'channels' in it, i feel the car jerk back and forth a little bit - nothing big, but noticeable. the 296 obviously didnt have any of that.

* the car feels faster in full electric. i don't know if it is - though it'd make sense being lighter, but it felt like it actually moved alright in electric mode.

* the 296 felt a lot more playful. i am sure that's not just from weight - but also the rear wheel drive - but i would actually call it more of a drivers car and less a gt car while the sf90 feels more gt-car like than a playful, agile toy.

* there is much better rear and side view visibility in the 296.

 

How did it compare performance wise?

 

well, I was not really able to get on it as this was like a 15 minute skirt about town, so hard to say with respect to acceleration, but it was definitely not a slouch! the electric seems to kick in at low rpms to get things moving "more suddenly" than a 100% ice car - this is similar to the sf90. it did feel a little bit more spirited around bends, probably due to the rear drive only. I havent actually hit ABS on the sf90 so I can't compare with the 296 fairly but for the small jaunt i did, again it didn't seem like a slouch.

I can say I prefer the 296 to the 488/f8 without a doubt though, both in terms of sounds as well as overall car drive/feel.

 

Seems strange to call the SF90 a ‘GT’. Admittedly ours is an AF pack car but it’s no GT. It’s not uncomfortable but it’s in no way cosseting and it’s the fastest car around fast roads that we own. I had a couple of Astons, including a 2009 DBS. They were true GTs, quick but very comfortable, on the limit favouring comfort over incisiveness. I don’t find the SF90 like that at all. It’s sheer pace across ground is absolutely brutal.

The SF90 surprised me when I first got it, its chassis felt like it was tuned very similarly to the Speciale - the most playful Ferrari I have ever driven. So I probably don’t agree that the SF90 is not playful and is more GT-like.

i haven’t driven the 296 and Ferrari are talking about fun-to-drive so I’m gathering from your report that it is very much as described and even more ‘playful’ than the SF90.

 

I have found that the definition of playful car by many drivers is a car that breaks traction/oversteers easily, thus a car with lower limits might be called "more playful".

 

the 296 is more playful because it feels way easier to throw around - manages it's weight really well. for sure the oversteer situation - from rear wheel only adds to this feeling of agility. the steering is very fast and nimble.

since i need a lift kit for my driveway, i do no have the AF pack on my sf90. it is definitely a softer, comfortable ride. i am saying it is more 'gt like' because of this general softness and friendliness - but also as i noted previously, it is really easy to drive spiritedly. you could throw someone who doesn't know wtf they are doing into the sf90 and they would have a blast! i think the 296 would be more dangerous to an inexperienced driver. the 296 felt very 458ish to me, and i liked it better than the 488. the sf90 is in a league of it's own, but definitely is easier to drive.

while we are talking about 'faster', there is a very interesting video floating around showing straight line speed comparison and you will see they are not worlds apart:

 

Great write up with very useful insights. Congrats and enjoy the SF90

 

What kind of test is that.. I own an AF SF90 and I’ve driven an AF 296 GTB.. AF SF90 clearly faster, shouldn’t come as a surprise. Liked your reviews but lost me with your GT comparison.

 

lol, fair enough. my point is just that the sf90 has the smoothness of a gt car as compared with the more 'darty' feel of the 296.

 

That comparison video has the SF90 in race mode and the 296 CT OFF, not really a fair assessment nevertheless I have driven both quite extensively, SF90 road and track and 296 track, the SF90 is considerably faster, the 296 doesn’t have the explosive acceleration the SF90 does, which is expectable.

I do get your comment about the GT feel of the SF90, I like to cruise in electric and it’s so comfortable even though my car has the AF pack.

 

Totally different price range but the SF90 is a much more desirable and capable car than the 296. V6 no thanks!

 

I can personally attest that the back of the SF90 comes out very easily. Not always when required either.

 

man, it feels lik these reviewer people keep reading my thread for their insights. note this came out yesterday...

"The SF90 Spider is as much the ultimate grand tourer as it is an out-and-out hypercar hooligan. "
" It might be a great GT car when it comes to compliance, performance and refinement"
https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/ferrari/ferrari-sf90-stradale/358349/new-ferrari-sf90-spider-2022-review

 

had this beauty pop up the other day. drove to the gym, did gym things, got back in. car off / door open/close / car on didn't clear it out. just about one year, 3k miles. needs it's annual service and it's snowing now so... ho hum. will update whenever i'm told what's up.



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I'm curious. I think we're all curious. Cryin' shame. GL

 

Hope it works out.



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I had a similar issue the other day, ran very low in fuel quite a long story, check your fuel level as soon as I filled up the car everything went away.

 

I, too, have something going on. Dealer picking the car up on 12/12. This occurred after the car had reset itself to metric settings and the haptics and screens vanished when starting the car in a parking lot while running errands. It went to the dealer for weeks and the software was flashed (again). It came back and was driven twice without issue. Then, this:

 

Hey,

I got the same error, dealer told me it is a mistake of the exhaust flap. I pushed them to investigate more because the technician just wanted to delete the mistake and give me back the car. So Ferrari directly was involved and factory asked for more driving data.

The final response was, "it is an software error, we are working on software update (earliest February)".

So the service just deleted the error and gave me my car back.....[emoji53]

Btw the mistake appeared when I was driving in hybrid mode and when the comp. engine was started while driving.

Tibor


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Is that a turtle icon?

 

Same issue for me today. Car was not driven and left on the charger for a couple of weeks due to inclement weather, and I took it out today for a drive and got the engine control system error. I dropped the car off at the dealer and will await word on the issue. It’s curious that multiple SF90 owners (and now me too) received this fault within the past few days.

 

Indeed. Cute little guy...just missing a smile. Perhaps it's intended to be a whimsical reminder of how the owner has won in life, despite being honked at while puttering along the freeway shoulder, praying to make it past the downtown exit where the majority of carjackings occur...

 

I was laughing with you until the last part. It can be scary times thats for sure.

 

Drive either qualifying or electric is the only way I guess… I never touch perfomance or hybrid mode.


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