296 VS

Jo STA7 - I never knew you owned an Aventador and a Huracan. What year was that?

 

never a Huracan. But been in plenty. A very good friend picked me up from the airport in a Huracan spider last year and we went around for for the day. Both 6’3. No one looked less cool than us getting in and out of this thing than us.

I remember sitting in a used perf at my local dealer and actual not being able to fit. Comically. Which is frustrating as it’s a car I’d have loved to take out.

I had a AV S Roadster in 2018 and this year bought and quickly disposed of an Aventador coupe. It’s such an interesting ownership experience. I really didn’t like the car in 2018 but I was living in a condo and the parking situation was awful with the width and visibility. I also had much less experience in general with super cars. It was my 3rd sports car at the time (458, then i8, then that). With this Aventador I’ve had much more experience coming in. But it’s more of the same. Great to look at. People go crazy for it. Not great to use.

 

I always loved the 288 GTO. Never seen in person and never driven, but I would take it in a heartbeat. To my mind when I first saw it I thought - they totally made the 308 a masterpiece!! They were all unobtainium for me at the time. And the turbo nonsense is silly. Everyone is gaga over the F40 which was turbo as well. But when turbos are offered on a car the rest of us can buy (488, F8) it killed the “soul”. Gee whiz.

I do understand the sentiment that the more the car is driving for you, the less involved you feel. I get that. Drove the Ford GT today. Oh how much fun it is to drive and it is just a different experience altogether from the F8/812 drive. Now, I did get to drive a genuine muscle car from the early ‘70’s. Yeah, a trans-am. I remember that being the coolest car ever and in my memory it was fantastic. However, driving it was, uh, well it was nostalgic, but not good. Suspension pretty lame, brakes were OMG scary - a long way from the giant carbon ceramics I have grown to love. In reality, today’s pickup is a better drive than that car. Does it have character? Yes in spades.

Lot’s of opinions on cars which is awesome!

 

Quite a story going on there - pity it doesn’t correlate with any of the thousands of posts youve made here (and elsewhere) - confirmed after doing a search applying your user and typing Aventador as the key word. Seems your neighbour had one or two going by your postings, but identifying how you mainly post to brag about what you have, or have had (along with pics) im less than convinced youve ever owned sadly to say. But it doesn’t surprise me.
Derailing the VS thread never made any sense to me either - was unlikely to end well given the obvious bull ( pardon the pun).

 

How cute.

 

A friend of mine had an S, went through a similar process! I remember him saying the fuel consumption was absolutely insanely bad and sometimes was getting less than 100 miles to a tank!

 

My 296 is not comparable to the Apple Watch. I assume that you object to an iPhone and have a rotary.

 

I owned a new 288 GTO in 1985. One of the prettiest ever to come out of Maranello. Despite its current value it is a dinosaur compared to the performance and capability of most of the modern mid engine Ferraris. Still an epic machine though at 272 examples.

 

For all those who always talk about exhaust sound and emotion, I heard a 296 GTS as well as an SF90 XX and an SF90 Stradale today. The most aggressive sound was definitely that of the SF90 XX, a big difference to the standard SF90. I don't want to leave room for speculation but for facts, and one fact is that an SF90 XX sounds really good from the exhaust (it sounds different to a 296 but not quieter), but the road presence of the SF90 XX and the type of sound are significantly better than the 296. We will then see what the difference will be between the SF90 XX and the 296 VS. But it can be assumed that the 296 VS is significantly better in terms of sound and handling etc. We will see. But to say that an SF90 XX is not a big difference to the standard SF90 or even compared to the 296 is simply wrong.


Times are changing and yes a 458 Speciale can't be beaten with the sound but an SF90 XX scores points at performance and road presence and accelerating out of corners and you still have a good exhaust sound. They are two different cars with different strengths. A 296 is a mass produced car that simply lacks that certain something. Let's see if this is not the case with the 296 VS

 

Do you use its performance on the open road ?
What's quite funny is that customers want 1200 hp for the road while the professional drivers I talk to find that 600 hp is already too much for the road...

 

I can't "compete" with that pairing, but I certainly agree with the sentiment. I get a lot of enjoyment from driving my 296 ... and I get a lot of enjoyment from driving my Cerbera.

Perhaps I'd say the Cerbera has more "soul", though that could be as much about the fact that I've had it for 20 years longer as its lack of driver aids.

(hope it's permissible to pollute Fchat with TVR talk )

 

i read the last 10 pages. and no news since my posted video.

2026 will be a blast!
I will get a 296VS. Which should be presented in Q1 or Q2 2025 and i will get it a year later. (after all the VIP´s)
The 992.2 GT3 RS with around 650hp 3,6l bi-turbo (no e-turbos) will be presented a year later - but i will get it probaly just 3 months after presentation.
So this will become a shot out in my 2026 garage!

Like (not love) my 296GTS (which i have to keep until the 296VS will arrive at my dealer it seems)
How to bridge the time?
What would be the best suspension for the 296? my (non AF) is too soft.
Fastest rubber? i guess still the Cup2 R. anybody knows other compounds for 2025? Will follow the Trofeo RS in fitting dimensions? https://www.pirelli.com/tyres/en-ww/motorsport/car/trofeo-rs

 

Well if you don't use 1000hp why on earth would anyone buy one -
Picked up 296GTS today -15 degrees wasn't able to do much but great looking machine.

Seen renderings 296VS from what those that have - pretty cool car!
Also heard more limited than Pista coupe / Spider

I like 200hp cars and the way they drive - going the speed limit feels fast.
It's not just the hp - it's the engineering to handle the hp. Today's tires engineering brakes suspensions are fast and capable. Don't get me wrong - it's fun to drive a slow car fast, but it's also fun to drive a fast car slow and fast. Engineers work their butts off to build these cars and we work our butts off to own and enjoy them.

 

Yes, it gives you the extra boost, what its experience is worth.

 

Im sorry- this is false. At my dealership there wasnt a single owner whose first Mclaren was a 765. Did some dealers give 765 allocations to first time buyers? Im sure of it. But that was the exception, not the norm.

as far as depreciation- all cars depreciate- no need to dwell on that factoid. If you cant handle depreciation, dont get into exotics. Its just part of the game and some folks seem to get in over their heads on losing money on cars and its the world to them...others shrug their shoulders and move on.

 

Ive seen his cars in person. He has posted plenty of pics - By no means is he bragging. All he has done is add the fact the he has real world ownership experience to back up his opinions- I take it as a positive.

 

Yeah, i doubt anyone got a 765 without at least buying a 720 prior. These cars were in such demand building on the success of the 720 that it was very difficult. Keep in mind these are numbered and roughly 200 in the US, maybe less.

 

Not half as cute as the front desperately being put up during the thousands upon thousands of posts with big noting clearly the key priority.
The real “tell all” was how “neighbours” and “friends” Aventadors suddenly became your ownership experience right after your lambo comments were put to question. Even another member here appears to have called you out i note. Having a couple of buddies now ride in to defuse the situation doesn’t wash. I honestly no longer care for any further “bull” stories and wish for this thread to return to the topic, as it was, prior to being completely and unecessarily derailed.

 

Obviously your post is being directed at me?

Maybe what you report was the case in US, but keep in mind US isn’t representative of the entire worlds mclaren dealership network.

 

Please refer my reply to member gh21631 re your 765 assertions. Im not into making up fanciful stories like a certain individual ive come across. Ive got nothing to prove to anyone here. Take my word, dont take my word - its of no consequence to me - your choice. I know who i am and thats all that matters to me.

Directing your depreciation commentary at me is also inappropriate and out of context with my comments on the subject matter which incidentally correlate to “brooks”s comments on the matter. Perhaps take your suggestions to him as well and see how he responds?
But on that subject is relevance regardless of financial position as its continually bought up in conversation by many wealthy members on this board. So i fail to see why i am being singled out and basically attacked for stating the obvious. Having the means to absorb the considerable depreciation on these hybrids may be an issue for some - i cant answer for everybody here and elsewhere. If i opt to buy a car with known high depreciation then thats a decision I take after giving the appropriate due diligence, which in my case am still progressing my order. So i fail to understand the directIon of your post toward me. When i buy a car i buy it to enjoy and desirably without losing my shirt in the process. But again, im my case i have many other eggs in my basket, some appreciating, some with depreciation. Eitherway it will all wash out and wont detract from my enjoyment. But am i ecstatic about depreciation? Not really. But then im also not that affected so im not that bothered.

 

I did not buy a 720 - offered and received 765LT Spider 000 carbon car shown at Monterey from the facotryI did own Senna XP! Brazil and MP4-12C in 2012.

Anyway - drove 296GTS. The seating area being smaller than SF90 makes a great almost center view.
It sounds better than SF90 and fun car in every way. Prefer the larger roomier powerful SF90 but the 296GTS is one hell of a true sports car. In some ways it reminds me of 765LT Spider - these cars being produced are out of this world impressive.

 

Thank you. Shows not to believe everything you get told by your dealer as some appear to do and put up as their gospel.
Getting a 765 was pretty easy and straightforward. I even got a discount, because i asked. Plenty may not have, but thats their problem.

 

Every McLaren is easy to get. They can’t give them away. The exterior design is weird and passionless and the interiors belong in a Korean hatchback. McLaren never designed one good car interior in their entire history. And that’s where owners spend 95% of their time with the car.

 

Im sure if you drove one you’d change your tune pretty quickly.
The looks may not be for everyone, but its a sharp looking car from certain angles and certainly gets a lot of thumbs up out in the real world. I understand this is a Ferrari forum and McLaren is an adversary brand, and opportunities are taken by Ferrari loyalists to throw off about the looks, reliability and resale values, but Ferrari is now in this same boat so its a little rich for the Ferrari loyalist to lay the boot into the brand now imho. Anyway if you get the opportunity to drive one you’d should take it and see what you think. It will change your perspective on the brand im sure of it, as it has with me. Never say never, plus variety is the spice of life!
But yes i agree with you their cars are easy to get and are negotiable which is a good thing. Id be happy to see the same with Ferrari rather than having to go through hoops at times. So unecessary imo.
These are all such great cars and should desirably be made accessible to whoever wants one.

 

Let’s see a photo of your 765lt? Do you still have it? If not, what number was it?