Why I don't care about new Ferraris

Because you can't get a manual transmission. I'm not interesting in arguing the merits of one versus the other. From purely a personal perspective, I enjoy doing a "heel and toe" while driving a sports car, even if it is not necessary. To me, this is part of the fun of driving.

I also followed a new car home the other day. Maybe it was a F12? Not sure. Damn, my 2003 Toyota Highlander with 170k miles was louder than the Ferrari. What's up with that? Are Ferraris no longer bad ass?

 

You are a dinosaur. That simple. I thought the same as you not to long ago. Still a 3 pedal guy, but I can indeed embrace change and understand the new machines are simply far superior.

 

Tex, i'll trade you my mint 308 for a F1 430 Spyder

 

I don't deny the newer Ferraris will blow the older ones off the road, but that's not my point. I don't drive cars on a race track. I drive cars on public roads. In fact, it is getting harder and harder to drive on public roads. I have to get up before dawn on Sunday to hit my favorite back roads.

Also please understand. I don't expect Ferrari to accommodate me. Ferrari could care less about my demographics. More power to em. However, if I was to buy a newer sports car -- it would have to be a Porsche by default.

 

I agree. And the more I think about it the less it matters to me.

Not manual trans that is but new Ferrari's.

Perfectly 100% happy with my 355. If Ferrari never builds a car I want to buy/drive again, does not matter as I'm already good to go

In reality, there are still many other things I dislike about the newer cars. Tech overload is one. And big gains in overall proportions is another.

If Ferrari built a small simple manual trans car again I would be blown away. Not holding my breath however.

 

BLASPHEMY!! Comparing a Ferrari to a Toyota.. my dad always said they you could get him into a Toyota, but it did involve a gun to his head..... manuals are Sh**t, a paddle and a Ferrari automatic is better than you and I will ever be.. just get over it and embrace technology. Color TVS are not a fad!!!!!

 

Better at what? An irrelevant lap time? Yippee. ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

 

New Ferraris are very quiet toodling along, but get into the go pedal and they open up.

I love manuals. My first three cars were manuals. So I had to have a manual Ferrari... or two. That said, I believe I'd enjoy paddle shifting a Ferrari (Never driven one... yet). My primary objection to F1's is that the early ones are prone to a host of problems, so I'd never consider an F1 355 or 360, for example. The F1/a in the 612 and the newer dual clutch transmissions are another matter. Especially for a touring car, having the auto option makes a lot of sense. As much as I love manuals, they can become a drag in stop-and-go traffic. I'm still going back and forth on an F1/a or manual 612 - yes, I'd pay the premium - for that reason. I have a couple years to decide.

My main gripe about the cars after the 599, 612, and 430 is that I don't get a thrill from how they look. If Ferraris were people, an FF/Lusso would be embarrassed sitting next to a 612, and would run and hide if parked next to a 456M. The biggie is the headlights. I think they will age like square headlights, which strike me as eyesores now. The other thing is that the designs are too busy.

At this month's FOA meeting, an older gent who just bought his first Ferrari, a 458, looked at my 360 and said, "I like this design better." I was shocked, but I agree.

 

Bbbbut bbbbut at the cars shows superior Nurburgring lap times are Golden !!!

 

I agree.

I’ve driven pretty much every car from vintage to modern and have come to the same conclusion. The new cars are amazing and technologically staggering but I dont feel the same “connection” as I do to the older, slower cars.

I love them both but I would pick vintage over modern any day of the week. As cool as a LaFerrari is I’d still rather take a 250 SWB.

 

In Europe most regular cars have manual transmission, so there is not this association of manual with exotic and most people value the better technology.
The "popularity" of manual sports cars has been fueled by speculators helped by some journalists.
My humble daily driver has a manual gearbox and I do not feel a purer driver for that; my Ferrari has a DCT and I admire it.
For nostalgia, an old car (I also have a '71 Citroen) is better than asking new cars to be designed like old ones.

 

While I personally agree with your statement, I think it comes down to personal experience. If someone's personal experience is enhanced by paddles, then so be it. If it's a gated stick shift, then same. Vive la difference. We're all mostly limited by the laws of the roads ....and our own inflated perception of our own driving skills
For me, as someone who doesn't care about track times, the extra complexity leading to various issues, along with drive ability issues in traffic, hills etc deterred me from an F1 in THIS car. But I've nothing against a more advanced design of paddle shifter in another car.

 

A car with moderate power is more fun and usable on the street, for me.

For example, with the 355 I can heel toe into 3rd diving into a one lane off ramp -hold- and squeeze it wide open throttle pulling through the exit. If it steps out, correct with a little countersteer but generally can do this and feel your foot planted to the floor with a redline 3-4 shift right as you merge onto the next road. Exhilarating but no near death experience. Aggressive fun driving but not instantly at warp speed

Try the same in an F12 with the stability control off. It can still be done but you will have to be precisely breathing on the accelerator pedal in order to avoid massive tire spin and a huge slide. Great fun on a wide race track but kind of nerve racking on a single lane off ramp. Having to be extremely careful with throttle application can be kind of frustrating when you just want to hammer down and hear it sing without blowing yourself off the road.

Which of course is why you really need the computers to help you on the new cars. With active handling you can be aggressive with the throttle on corner exit and the car will save you. -Except, the feeling and sound of the car pulling power in and out fighting for traction and the e-diff steering you is a lot less satisfying. Sure you got around -faster- but it feels synthetic.

The new Ferrari's (and many other supercars) have become so ridiculously fast they really are more at home on a race track than the street. There you can really open them up and feel their potential.

If Ferrari builds a small proportions/light car with a high rpm naturally aspirated V8/V6 and a manual trans count me in. I don't need to put golf clubs in the car, don't want navigation, power seats or a bunch of video game screens. Just a basic purposeful sports car.

So yeah, I'll just be keeping the 355

 

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To me, a manual allows one to commune with the car in ways no F1 can.

As to the faster argument, I generally pas cars twice in a 25 minute session that should be 5-8 seconds a lap faster than me in my F355 M6. A faster car with a slower driver is still slower.

 

All a matter of opinion I don’t care for the looks of the 360 at all but the 458 is gorgeous. I do like the 355 however.

 

Next car?

http://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/first-drives/a33462/2018-porsche-911-gt3-first-drive/


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Texas Forever, you post a lot of great stuff but why did you have to beat a dead horse again lol?

LVP488 made a really good point; if most daily drivers had a stick and my special car was DCT, maybe I wouldn't care. Even then though, a manual offers an extra connection.

Some people value that more and others value the technology more, different strokes. I've been in an F12 and while very fast I wasn't as excited as in my 355. Could be that the F12 had the stock exhaust. In addition, the crazy speeds it was reaching are just scary from a law enforcement perspective. Getting pulled over doing 120-130 while in the 355 I'd be doing 80-90 doesn't sound like fun.

 

Texas Forever will correct me if I'm wrong, but this is a stand-alone thread admiring the involvement and engagement of working and finessing the clutch/engine actions yourself, rather than another "Which is better?" thread. To argue that is completely missing the point of this particular thread. That's certainly my take.

 

So, performance don't matter anymore?

 

It does, but that's the polar opposite of what this thread is about. The cars will have good/great relative performance, but fast, high-performance appliances aren't terribly engaging, thus, the appreciation of the Anti-Appliance, Non-Video-Game antithesis that is an engaging car that requires more involvement than a Playstation.
You are, embarrassingly, missing the point of this thread. That's what matters.

next, you'll argue that we've moved past enjoying convertibles because a closed coupe is more aerodynamic and faster around the 'Ring.

 

The people that prefer paddle shifters with 'auto mode' so their girlfriend can drive their car wearing high heels probably never grew up with cars that took actual expertise to drive. They don't know what it was like to go from second to third with a gated shifter at the perfect RPM to lay a little rubber on the ground and get their heart racing. Soon they will get their programmable sports car that will take them to their destination automatically and they will look damn good getting out of their Ferrari when they get there!

 

Not missing the point, just living in the 21st century and believe Ferraris should always lead in thechnology and performance like they have always done. No real reason to stop now!