looks are subjective though, and we're not talking 308GT4 v308GTB... and i thought generally the f430 was well regarded aesthetically-speaking as well as in all other regards (unlike the 360). I think the F430 is a bit of a modern classic (in as much as a modern car can be). THANK YOU!
Lucky I don't take the price too seriously. I just own the one i like for the price I'm willing to pay (and not necessarily to run) ... If the price didn't collapse I am already happy. My Audi loses me 6k each year!
Bingo. Buy the car you like, enjoy it, and ignore the rest of the BS. If you don't lose $ when you sell, then consider that enough of a win.
Never. You can import a 360 which is what drove prices down to what you see today. Almost giveaway prices for a great car. They put a stop on 'grey' imports from 2005 onwards..........which means the 430 and 599 are not allowed to be imported here so you will never see any UK cars for sale. Only privately owned 430s overseas are allowed under the private import scheme. I think I saw one for sale a few years ago. A red/black 430 that was privately imported from the UK. So not flooding the market with cheaper UK cars will not see 430 prices come down lower than that of the 360. And the way the dollar is at the moment, it won't happen anyway. +430
Yep, you only live once. Forget about buying a car as an investment, buy what you like and enjoy. If the price goes up and you make some money when you sell, then be grateful you were one of the lucky ones.
Looks are subjective... in my view the 458 is totally spoiled by its front end. The 488 is a huge improvement in this regard, and step backwards everywhere else. The side profile and rear view of the 458 is very good. The 488 nose on a 458 is the sweet spot, IMO. The newest Ferrari I would ever consider owning would be a manual F430. F1 paddles just don't do it for me for road driving so anything post F430 is automatically ruled out. Manually selecting gears, operating a clutch pedal, heel/toe downshifting... these are the fundamental factors (along with exhaust note and uncorrupted steering feel) that make driving one of my favourite hobbies.
Cars become a bit of a bore when all people want to talk about is how much their shiitheaps are worth.
Yes sir, each to their own. A manual 430 would be fun to drive, I have only ever driven a few F1 430s and they have been wonderful. Would be nice to know if the manual 430 is as much fun to drive as the F1 version. People who have driven manual 599s have posted on this forum saying they are not as nice to drive as the F1 599s. Talking about the engine/gearbox driveability being the difference.
by the time they got to the 430, the F1 g/b was excellent. I can't imagine the manual being as good, but who knows. The fact that all high end performance cars now have F1/DSG etc speaks volumes IMO. a manual, with the later F1 cars, cannot extract all the performance that the car is capable of.
I'm not doubting the technical brilliance of these later F1 gearboxes.... just saying for road driving they remove a layer of involvement which just so happens to float my boat. In my case, I'd still get an f430 of 599 manual because id personally never be able to extract all that performance on the road (or track) any way. Therefore, I may as well enjoy the physical and mental involvement of driving a proper manual. Perhaps if I wanted to be a lap dash Demi-God, I'd only consider a car with an F1/dsg/pdk gearbox. Anyway, to each their own.
In the 355 /360 the F1 is the same gearbox as the manual, just with hydraulic actuators that do the shifting. So its possible to convert and F1 shift car to a manual ( there have been kits for sale). From my observation there are a lot of Ferrari drivers that are really unskilled with their gearshift / clutch operation and the F1 shift basically limits their ability to damage the drivetrain...So it's a good thing. Also, according to B vE, the F1 hydraulics are pretty advanced, they will prevent or slow gear changes when it senses the pressure required to shift is too great (ie when the gearbox oil is cold). It doesn't just "ram it in to gear". M
Sounds like Steve is one of those. He seems to intent on defending his purchase no matter what, no matter what evidence there is to the contrary. Whether it's not aussie spec, colour, body type, shields, F1, whatever. OH well!! Some people act like it's an insult to their first born. Funny, really.