Stradale prices?

Guys, I need help. I am in the process of buying a 355 berlinetta which, for all purposes, is my dream production Ferrari.

I was seriously considering a 360 for a while but went back to the 355. I would have put in an order on a Challenge Stradale but did not as it is not available in manual transmission. I am quite happy to be getting the 355.

Having said that, I got a call today from a friend and there is a possibility that I can buy a Stradale that is pretty new. I am worried that if I buy it, I might not like it and I would like to get out of it quickly. To that end, what do you think are going prices for a Stradale these days and, furthermore, how easy do you think that it would be to get out of one at those prices?

I suppose that I am just a little concerned, given how little I enjoyed the short drives I had in an F1 360, that I might not like the Stradale. However, everything else about it I truly love (other than the cheap carbon fiber). And I really have not built up the money tolerance to have such an expensive car in my garage. I have only recently been able to justify having the 355.

FWIW, I will not be selling the 355 to have the stradale. If anything, I will own both until I decide which one I like more.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Ryan, every hot shoe that I have talked to says that the F1 in a 360 is the way to go. You can do things on the track with a F1 that even the very best drivers can't do with a stick such as down shifting while catching air over a hump.

For the open road, though, I prefer the stick because it is such a big part of the driving experience. Shifting smoothly in a Maranello takes a steady hand.

I guess that it boils down to how you are going to drive the car. However, any car is gonna feel like a brick after your Duck.

As always, keep in mind that the rubber side goes down and the shiny side goes up, Dale

 

I can only say that you will have to get the car you really want.
Why get a car that you will never have the passion to drive?

The 355 is a great everyday car, if you can call it that.

As for the Stradale, the carbon brakes alone would stop me from buying one. Too expensive for me.

Good Luck in your choice...

 

That's the other part. It's one thing to afford the car. It's another thing to cringe every time I have to take it to the shop. I suppose it's not as much a money thing as it is a money tolerance thing. I don't know if I have built up the tolerance to own such a car.


Dale, thanks for your advice. By the way, I need a good CPA in Colorado for one of my new ventures. Know anyone?

 

I assume you can drive the CS if you're serious about considering it? I think you owe it to F-chat to post your driving opionions, its always interesting to me to hear why someone made their personal choice.

My CS comes in April and I'm trading from a stick 360. I love the stick, but for the CS I love the mini-enzo F1 aspect of it.

Its nice to have the tough decisions!

 

There is something to be said for the warranty on a new F-car, net net maintenance on a 360 vs 355 won't be much different, and I'm also pretty confident that as a road car the CS brakes won't cause any problems.

If you're tracking it alot, then maybe thats more of a worry...

 

Depends upon your definition of good, ha! But yes, PM me and I'll help you out when I get back from Lost Wages after the weekend.

Dale

 

i am probably biased because i've owned three 360 F1 modenas, and i thoroughly enjoy everything about 360s with the F1 gearbox. i have driven 360s with a manual gearbox only on the track, and i have to admit that shifting manually is also a lot of fun. BUT i find i have even more fun with an F1 gearbox (around town and on the track).

i'm just the opposite of you in that if the stradale had only been available with a manual gearbox i probably would not buy it. i like the F1 gearbox that much.

just a side note. i have a friend who has a friend inside ferrari. this ferrari insider guy is primarily involved with the technical/mechanical aspects of 360 challenge cars. he drove the stradale at fiorano about six moths ago and he was TOTALLY IMPRESSED. and this guy does not get excited easily. he told my friend that this was going to be a limited production car (i think we've all heard about 900 worldwide production so i'd guess about half that number will come to the US) and it is a VERY special car. he actually said the stradale was the best car ferrari has ever made (his words...not mine), and that this was a car to buy and keep...do not sell it.

i talked to another ferrari insider i know who was also heavily involved in ferrari's racing programs for many years. this guy has driven almost every ferrari ever made. he also drove the stradale at fiorano recently and said that it was the first car fince the F40 that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up!

i'm not trying to complicate your decision, but i wanted to pass on the kinds of feedback i've heard that made my decision to buy a stradale an easy one i ordered a yellow stradale with black alcantara seats with yellow trim in august. i checked the status today, and it is at stage 85 in the production process. FNA told me that this means that the fabrication of the car has been completed and it is now in the process of being scheduled for shipment to the US. they estimate i should have my car here in los angeles in february. i can't wait!

 

I too was a little uncertain last year when I changed my order from a 6 speed spider to the Stradale having thought that 6 speed was the way to go. However, after having the Stradale for a few weeks, there are no regrets at all. It is amazing what you can do with the Stradale F1. The shifting is seamless, and the extremely quick shifts on race mode and the downshifts are amazing.

I am having a lot more fun with F1 than would ever have had with manual.

As for the financial aspect, the enjoyment you will get out of this car is priceless. If you can afford it, go for it! The fact that it is a limited production Ferrari and the possibility of seeing higher USA MSRPs in the next year due to the dollar weakness(see other thread) may give some downside protection. However, how much demand there will be for this car and whether it will hold its value as well as the 360 spiders remains to be seen.

 

Hi guys. I am new to the site. Sherpa, I cannot understand your dilemma. You are telling me that you are uncertain as to whether you should buy a 355B or a 360CS? I mean P-L-E-A-S-E! YOU HAVE GOT TO BE JOKING! I have driven the 355 (extensively) and the 360CS(in fact I am expecting delivery of my stradale in June) and there is no comparison. The 355 is OK although I feel it is a little...soft. It also feels significantly slower.

I also feel the same way about the ordinary 360. However the CS is another matter completely. It is altogether crisper sharper,louder and more alive. If you drive both and tell me afterwards that you are still not sure then I am sorry but you are not of the faith.
Of course the fact that one is about twice the price of the other should should also, in most peoples mind at least, help them decide. If you can afford the CS then I cannot understand why you would even want to contemplate a 355. Sorry for rambling on a bit but it is something I feel strongly about.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Regards

 

Why would you have owned 3 360 F-1. The car came out just a few years ago ?

 

If you want to play a video game, buy an F1 gearbox. If you want to experience the true thrill of being a pilot of an amazing machine, go with the standard gearbox.

I've had extensive experience with both types of gearboxes. Yes, the F1 gearbox changes gears faster, but I can change gears myself just as smoothly.

I don't think any of us are going to make our living by racing our Ferraris. In that light......you should drive the car that allows you the most involvement possible. That is a manual gearbox.

Anyone who is convinced that they need an F1 gearbox to be as fast as they can on the track, really needs to learn how to drive....or they should already be a sponsored driver!!

Just my jaded opinion.

 

I am sorry but I disagree. All this macho rambling about only being a truly great driver if you buy a manual gearbox really IMHO is nonsense. Before ever using an F1 gearbox(in a 360) I had read all the reports from various sources suggesting that it was good but not a substitute for the manual gearbox. Most writers went so far as to suggest that if you bought a 360/355 you would be wise to buy manual. I was therefore prepared to hate it. Up to that point I had been a hardcore racing enthusiast and always drove(and still drive!) the pants off my cars, including at track days. However when I drove the F1 I was hooked! Having driven one regularly since I cannot imagine going back to manual. I have on occasion since, driven 360 manuals but never really felt the desire to convert back. Yes the upshifts can be jerky, however downshifts are perfect(no matter how good you are or think you are, you will never be as consistent in downshifts like the F1 tranny). Furthermore on fast shifts the metal gate on the manual cars can occasionally hinder the changes(small notches in the metal develop where the lever is banged through which can lead to a less than smooth gate).
Sure changing gear is part of the whole interactive driving experience, But for me it is a means not an end. The end for me is the feedback I get in controlling, adjusting, refining the cars handling, steering on the edge of the chassis ability.Getting just the right balance. And the satisfaction is being able to achieve that balance over and over. I just feel the F1 gearbox helps me get to reach that point much more effectively.
Anyway my two cents worth.

 

i usually buy two ferraris at a time. not sure why i do this. maybe therapy will help

 

"If you want to play a video game, buy an F1 gearbox. If you want to experience the true thrill of being a pilot of an amazing machine, go with the standard gearbox."

If what you are saying is that you prefer the standard manual, I can't argue! If you're claiming that the standard manual is the best gearbox for racing applications, I disagree, I'd take a sequential every time.

 

how do you feel about other technology that aids drivers such as traction control, ABS brakes, power steering, etc.? should we eliminate these technologies so we can "experience the true thrill of being a pilot of an amazing machine"?

what about modern manual gearboxes (fully synchronized) versus the older gearboxes that were not fully synchronized? i'm not an expert on this topic at all, but i believe modern manual gearboxes do not require nearly as much driver involvement as the older non-synchronized gearboxes, right? it would seem that the vast majority of us will never "experience the true thrill of being a pilot of an amazing machine" since most of us tend to use and embrace advancements in automotive technology.

 

Thanks for the advice guys. I bought the 355 and I will see how things play out with the Stradale. I'll keep you updated.

 

I can't say that I have ever heard anyone describe carbon fiber as being cheap!

Nonetheless, I am a 6-speed fan myself, but I could easily live with the F1 in the Stradale. It's the "race" mode that just blows me away. Someone in another thread described it as being a "baby Enzo" - that is exactly how I would describe it myself. As far as I am concerned, as fine a car as a 355 is, there is no comparison with the latest and greatest Stradale. Just drive one and I think you will see what I mean.

 

I honestly couldn't imagine owning any other 360 now. If you can, get one.

 

Well, I have a bit of a carbon fiber background as I worked for the premier carbon fiber bicycle craftsman in the world. The carbon that they use for the Stradale and Enzo is little more than pretty plastic. It is the typical wet lay-up, goopy carbon that is cured at little over room temperature. What's bad about it? It's heavy, the outer layer can possibly melt if the car is left in the sun, and the quality and weight is going to vary from piece to piece because it is impossible to regulate with those parts.

I have been looking into commissioning some real carbon fiber parts that would blow the doors off the existing Stradale. And it would drop the weight of the car another 50 lbs. I could possible drop another 50 on top of that but I am still investigating. And it's not that expensive. Anyways, not to get off topic but I wanted to address your comment.

 

Ryan,

I wouldn't worry about the cost of maintenance on the Stradale because it is new and you may not have it after the warranty expires. The point is that you do not have to remove the engine on a 360 to do a belt change as you do with the 355. My dealer told me that a lot of 360 production is being moved from the 360 coupe to the Stradale and that the Stradale should be viewed as a speciality car that will not have the same appeal as the regular 360 has.... We will have to wait and see what effect this has on prices.

Scott

 

I'd be interested in knowing what sort of costs would be involved in this "real carbon fibre" stuff. Very interested if as you say it would knock another 50-100lbs off. Let us know

 

Stradman,
PM me and I will fill you in.

 

I would also love to know more about this

 

No problem. Just email me at pointsracerATaolDOT.com and that way, I can send out all the info in an email.