Buying a 360: F1 or stick????

please please search the archives, there are a plethera of threads about this specific topic.

 

probably not the kind of thoughts/suggestions he was looking for.... AML355 welcome back and good luck in your search. I am also looking to move from a P-car to a 360 as a fair weather daily driver so I too would be curious to hear from other about the F1 vs 6 sp price differential and reliability issues (especially after warranty is up).

 

From what I hear there is not much difference in price, especially for cars out of warranty, because of reliability concerns, valid or otherwise.

Gary

 

From what I gather after searching for a 6spd spider recently.........the manual trannys are getting very hard to come by...........and when they become available they usually don't last long.

 

Make sure to check the clutch wear on the F1 - they can wear out in 4k miles or 15k miles depending on usage plus the rev/matching can put more wear on a car then a normal manual driver.
Either one is fine. F1 is good if you drive it a lot or if you plan on tracking it, the downshifts are fantastic and easy driving in the city.
6 speed is nice if you're just driving it occasionally. also depending on the person, sometimes i got annoyed by the F1 cuz it took too much of the control away from you and its hard to do a decent burnout with it.
make sure if you're getting a 99-00-01 it has updated ECUs because it was pretty horrible those years with jerky shifts and terrible neutral-first gear transitions.

 

agree. welcome AML355. i, too have been in the mkt for a newer 360i couple or an 01 360 spider. this would have been my second 360 in less than a year should that make feel more comfortable about your choice of vehicle.

like you, i have had my share of failed PPI so we share mutual frustration. about price discovery, i think 145k is "about" in line retail for a clean and low mile 02. frankly, if we take your time, i think we can pick it up cheaper into the winter months or early 06...esp. as more 430 are becoming more available. my preference would be a manual six but it's a matter of taste, personal preferences and of course availability. best of luck to you.


rgds,

 

Its nice to get all these great comments and recommendations from our group.............but the only "real" way is for you to go drive both F1 and 6spd. Then you can make up your mind with a clear conscience that you chose the correct one for YOU. Good Luck, and keep us posted on YOUR thoughts on either.

 

If you're keeping the 911 then I'd get the F1. I prefer it for "hands on the wheel" driving. If it works for F1 drivers then it works for me I've got a stick P and 360F1 and feel it's a perfect combo. Let us know what you decide.

 

srfcity is right,1 of each is the go or grab the F with the stick , enjoy it for 12 months on the road then go and track it. it's very hard to change gears quickly on the track then you will switch to paddles and never look back

rock on

 

I have had both and would say drive both and decide then. Drive the 6 speed first since this will be familiar to you. If you get in the F-1 and say "wow, this is more than I thought". That will be your answer.

I enjoy the F-1 and have no complaints with it. Driving through twisties (off-track) there is nothing as quick or precise.

If you were to live with one car for the next 3 years, I would probably suggest a 6 speed.

What ever you get, it will be 100% more inspiring than your Porsche..(Owned more than one as well...they just don't have a soul !!!)

 

I recently went from '04 996tt cab to '02 360 spider. F is, imvho, much more fun and engaging to drive. Feels faster because of the torque and the exquisite sound. Handling is more like a 993tt - quicker, more tossable. The P car drove itself - with the F car, you drive it. The P was enormously fast, but the lag and disconnected/heavy feel didn't get my motor running.

 

I really disagree with that statement.

Gary

 

The only reason you wouldn't be able to shift the 6 speed fast on the track is if your not used to the gated shifter. I also disagree with that statement, I am no Andretti, but I can shift my humble manual pretty fast.

 

Get the stick!

Why would you want an automated Ferrari??

 

According to a Ferrari dealer, the 360 was designed to have F1 as the primary transmission. By the way, do not confuse Tiptronic with F1, as F1 is not an automatic gearbox (it is a manual gear box with automatic clutch), though it could be driven in the similar fashion. F1 system was much improved from 355 as the engine is blipped at shift-down for smoother gear change (fly by wire). This is a useful feature as majority of drivers cannot heel and toe, it also sounds great too. F1 gives more control as both your hands are on the steering. As has been mentioned, the gear change is faster than human drivers. Now the bad point. Depending on your driving style the clutch need changing much more frequently than the MT. I understand the average seems to be about 12k miles.

I have the MT on my 360 as I enjoy changing gears myself. I track my car often and I must say the second and third gears give problems when the transmission heats up, but with precise rev matching, this can be sorted. Therefore if you intend to drive the car fast into bends, it it vital that you can heel and toe properly. You just have to be more conscious when changing gears. Once you are used to the gated shifter, the speed to change gears should not be too much of a problem. However, there are situations when F1 is easier to drive on the track such as, through a complex sequence of bends in which the gears need to be changed a few times very quickly.

 

Make sure you drive the F1 in Sport mode - it'll do the auto matic "blipping" for you. It is difficult to compare the two on a test drive, the F1 does take a bit of getting use to but I love it - it's the way forward.

Rick

 

Manual transmission all the way, you won't regret it.

 

agreed. I've heard the manuals have slightly better resale too.

 

It's nice to have choices....