Sold my 360 3 pedal and bought a Scud

I had a 360 3 pedal for 8 years, and loved the car and recently sold it to buy a Scud. I never thought I'd own an F1 car, because I really enjoy shifting, and was nervous about maintaining one, but I love it now. I thought about a 430 manual, as well as a 458, but the Scud was an easy choice for me. I couldn't be happier. I've had the car since February, so here are my impressions:

I'm tall, so I was never really comfortable in the 360 seats. The pedal placement is hands down better than any other car I've driven for heel and toe, and the small flywheel spins freely. The downside is that the classic gated shifter is very slow and doesn't match up with quick revving flywheel. You have to feather the throttle on upshifts to be smooth.

I took it to the track a few times, and I was never comfortable with the high oil temps (and probably high transmission temps), and the brakes were weak for track work (on the road the brakes were terrific, with great feel). The chassis balance was very neutral and easy to drive. In general the 360 is a great sports car that does everything well. I think it's the bargain of the Ferrari world at the moment.

The Scud is an entirely different experience. More of everything. Speed, noise, composure, road feel, cost, etc. It's kind of like an onion, and took some time to get to know it's little nuances. I liked it when I got it, and I love it now. The transmission can range from buttery smooth to violent, and can be precisely controlled by your right foot. The chassis is still just as balanced, but far more taught and confident. The brakes are amazing on the street. A friend test drove it for me out in CA, and the his first comment was on the brakes.

I haven't had a chance to really try it out on track, but the 430's I've driven ran much cooler. The standard 430 always felt heavier to me, but with more power compared to the 360, but the Scud feels light with a lot of power. The 430 platform is also quicker to get to operating temp in normal driving.

It's still just as comortable on the road, maybe more so. The seats are excellent, and actually fit my tall frame much better than the standard 360 or 430. I have much more headroom.

A long time ago, I had an '88 911 and then went to a 993 911, which was the final evolution of the same basic platform. I felt like the 993 perfected all the little things that bothered me about the earlier car, while maintaining all the good. The 360 to the Scud is the same kind of leap.

I also got to drive a friend's 458 extensively, and it was an amazing car. Great power, better front end grip. Subjectively, I liked the looks of the Scud better. I had more headroom and space in general in the scud. I prefer the more analog gauge setup of the Scud (I did like the turn signals on the wheel; in the Scud, they sit far away on the column to clear the paddles). Also, against the majority, I preferred the transmission of the Scud. The dual clutch setup is a little too good, and my tendency was to leave it in auto. I still feel like I'm driving a manual with the F1. I liked it better than the Porsche pdk's I've driven, but a little sterile for my tastes. The F1 is a little cranky on really slow speed stuff, though, and it doesn't do stop and go traffic nearly as well as the 458. The 458 is a brilliant car. To me the Scud was just more lustful.

I enjoy doing most of the work on my cars myself, so the similarities between the two platforms was a plus. I really liked the idea of having a late car in the evolution of the two platforms, and that shows in the Scud, as you'd expect. They figured out a lot of things since the 360.

Thanks to everyone who I asked questions of about their Scuds, and a special thanks to Fraser at CNC for providing me with a great car and an easy and very professional transaction from afar. For me, the Scud is really a dream come true!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Thanks!

I did take it to the track the second week I had it, but got some air in the master cylinder changing the brake fluid over, so the car wasn't 100% Still had a blast. The most nerve racking part of the whole thing was trailering it. I have a 24' enclosed trailer that I tow a race car with, and there is only 3"s or so on each side between the Scud and wheel wells. I've had cars shift a little in transport, so the width of the car and narrowness of the trailer is no fun.

Yes, she's a sweetheart. If you'll look really closely, you might see there's a baby seat in the passenger side. My babies love to ride, and the airbag defeat switch is another plus of the 430 platform.

I hear ya on the experience. I tend to keep cars for a long time, and definitely see this as a long term car. There's just not anything out there I think I'd want more. The F40 is the only thing I'd want more but that car is way out of my league.

Enjoy your cars! I'm driving mine atleast once a week!