LOL. I'm 31 years old. How much experience do you expect me to have in all these cars? Didn't you get your first exotic in like 2015? The great thing is Socal, you and I are both probably ****ty drivers, but I have no problem admitting it
Since the thread is back on topic (kind of) vs. meaningless bickering here is my analysis. For reference I have had multiple Ferrari's and Porsche's but never owned a Mac prior tot he 720 or a Lambo. I have had extensive seat time on the track in a std Huracan and Aventador and Porsche 911's starting in the late 90's. I personally never cared for the Mac's mostly because I didn't like the looks so didn't look any further. Before buying my 720 I was dead set on a 488. The plan was to buy a used one while waiting for my order. I went and drove the 488 not too extensively but enough to get the feel. Initial impression is that it was much faster and tighter than the 458 and I thought the sound was actually pretty darn good, much better than expected given some of the negative reviews on this site. I was essentially sold. For whatever reason I ended up at the McLaren dealer and saw the 720 for the first time and was blown away by the styling, interior and exterior. After a similar drive I was even more intrigued. The exhaust sound not as good as the 488 until you get it over a certain RPM but the cabin is muted. Performance-wise it is apples and oranges to the 488. Forget about speed and handling, it is almost like a go kart in that the driving is so intuitive kind of like a 911 where you just feel at home behind the wheel. I got this same feel in the Huracan. Some of the preferences/differences are purely subjective which is why there is no wrong answer. You can also argue at this level of performance unless you are racing is irrelevant however I personally love the performance. I figure I will take advantage until I am too old to really enjoy and use it. Build Quality - Ferrari has has the advantage here even though I have had my share of problems with all of my F cars, anything from stickies, suspension to rattles, etc. Fortunately never anything too serious. Being that McLaren is relatively new in the market they have a little ways to go but they arent too far off. Every new model seems to be improving from the previous. Also, the Ferrari just feels more substantial, perhaps because of the extra weight and use of metals vs. carbon. Styling - Purely subjective and love them both but as Luke pointed out I wanted something different and newer knowing I could step into a 488 anytime if I didn't like it. I could get into the details but it comes down to personal tastes. Technology - I give the upper hand to McLaren when you consider how the car is built (carbon, aero), technology interfaces, suspension technology, etc. Some may argue but this is what I see. Ferrari has improved especially in the UIX but only because they have to and I imagine they will continue to do so. Engine and suspension of course are top notch for Ferrari. Performance - 95% of buyers wont notice or care because they barely drive their cars and when they do it is not near the potential. For those who do care and want the highest performing car out there today in this category -straight line, track or whatever the 720 wins hands down and this is not subjective. The 720 has taken down the 918 and other hyper cars way beyond its price range. It punches way above its weight. Turbo lag is almost non existent in both cars, I dont see too much of an advantage either way. The rush of power in both cars is linear however the 720 just has that much more power pushing lesser weight which may give the false impression of lag. Engagement - Purely subjective and I will argue that both cars are similar in that you dont get any real engagement until you push them. Again purely subjective. Sound - 488 wins this one and this is the only real knock I have on the 720 but coming from some obnoxiously loud Ferrari's (I modified) it is not so bad being able to take a call in your car. Knick Knack things - I dont have enough time in the 488 to pick things out but with the 720 I had some small issues that the dealer resolved in short order. Things like some wind noise from a small gap underneath the car, pebbles that would collect in the door skin and a sticking door. In my other F cars, I had various little things that may or may not exist in the 488 so cant comment. Heritage/History/Racing - Ferrari clearly owns this over all marques IMO but this only matters so much to me. They still have to be on top of their game, this obviously goes for any company. Value - Again subjective, both cars can be had new in the low 300's and way up depending on options. Depreciation % will likely be comparable. So far the 720 has held up very well. The 488 is no different than past mid engine Ferrari's with the exception that there are so many for sale these days (100+ in the US). Time will tell on the 720 but if this is your only knock/concern then you probably shouldn't be in this game. Service - Ferrari is a more mature company with a more robust dealer network and many independents. This will hopefully be remedied for McLaren over time as the brand grows. Ferrari has a much better maintenance program which provides a lot of value to the owner and I believe helps with resale. Dealer Experience - My F dealer has always been straightforward and tremendous to work with, same goes for their service dept but I am a bit turned off on the whole Lusso for a Pista bit. Especially when you have been and will continue to be a loyal customer. It just seems short sided to me. To date my McLaren dealer has been top notch and no complaints. As I have said before there is no right or wrong answer it just depends on what moves the needle for you. Next cars for me is the Pista and the LT version of the 720, I dont know which I will keep. Would love a shot at a GT2RS but I am not paying $100K over for that car. I dont have any emotions for a certain badge so I can look objectively and make a decision based on what I want/like at that time. I do however root for Ferrari in F1.
Certainly I am not getting the most anyone can get out of the Cali T but if it's the most for me then that is the objective point of comparison between the two cars. That is how one determines their ownership satisfaction and mine is higher with the 488 than it's been with any car so far not including the McLaren because I haven't owned one or driven one. If a person has driven both of the cars on the identical course tells me one is better than the other then I will probably be interested to know in what ways. I do see that some have driven both and reported on which one they preferred. I ruled the McLaren out because I don't like the styling or the interior layout of the car. Same for Lambo but less on the styling and more on the interior layouts. So I never even got to the driving consideration because the styling of the Ferrari is more appealing to me. That is totally subjective but it's also measurable and Ferrari wins on that measure.
Now that everyone realizes I have never tasted chocolate or vanilla ice cream, I will lie and say I did sample chocolate but it barely touched my tongue. But since I seemed to like it, it must be better than vanilla. I hope my credibility is now restored. Furthermore, I will tenaciously continue to simply disregard all the criticism of me and pretend that I don't see it. That way I can continue to ramble on and on about everything I gleaned from reading magazines. I think I might be able to get away with it.
It would be pretty hilarious if wrs has more track time in a Cali than you do in your Performante. Can you share some of your lap times and track experience in it? Can you really feel the ALA system working?
"Furthermore, I will tenaciously continue to simply disregard all the criticism of me and pretend that I don't see it. That way I can continue to ramble on and on about everything I gleaned from reading magazines. I think I might be able to get away with it." Image Unavailable, Please Login
Gh- Your comments about the 488 today are not consistent with what you have stated in the past. Today you say, " I was essentially sold". A few months ago, in a reference to the 488, you stated" it did nothing for me". Now you seem to be trying to be too agreeable on this forum. I prefer the real you.
Oh I see the criticism. FYI, I don't think your experience in any car you own is even remotely valuable compared to something like AMS. I don't think you've ever offered even the slightest bit of new insight into a car you've owned that wasn't already stated in a magazine. I'd love to see your 488 odometer pictures BTW.
You have shown indication that you could actually drive a 488. Good luck conning someone else into letting you drive their car but feel free to guess away at my mileage.
Yes you are correct, it did not motivate me to pull the trigger that day which is how/why I ended up at the Mac dealer and up until then there was nothing else on my radar. At the time I was jonsing for a new sports car and the 488 was at the top of my list but my experience wasn't enough to write the check that day but I figured I would be back but that didn't happen. Yes I was initially sold I didn't know there was a viable alternative for me. You should know by now I dont placate others I state what I believe.
Thinking back for some reason I didn't consider the Performante which could have been a mistake - IDK. I've never driven one, each time they've asked I have declined I dont want the temptation. Maybe one day, who knows.
After driving the 720S, I was ready to place an order. This was the car that fit my priorities more fully than any other. I drove the 570 previously and while I admired the overall competence of the car, it did not evoke the thrill and excitement I require in a super car. The Huracan was similarly too civilzed and easy to drive. Up to this point the 488 was at the top of my list but I had reservations about the engine note, and the clumsiness of the interior. The speed of the 720S was spell binding. It was hard to fault on any level of performance with the exception of the sound. While I was mightily impressed, I harbored a scant feeling of inspite of its many excellences, for city driving the car was a tad too compliant and comfortable. I then decided to drive the Performante prior to putting a deposit down on the 720S. After 5 minutes in the car, I knew I had finally found the car that I have been longing for. It had the rawness and hard edge handling and suspension and steering feedback that engendered the sensation of heart pounding exhilaration. And that NA engine with its melifluous symphony of sound was in a class of its own. The linear response up to 8500 red line with the absence of any vestige of turbo lag was intoxicating. Whether I was driving on a city street, isolated country roads or highways, that intangible but omni present feeling of commandeering a super car was abundantly evident. I put a deposit on it and placed an order. My dealer was so gracious and accommodating, that I was offered the car for a weekend on one occasion and for another 3 day period in the next 2 months while waiting for delivery of my car. This is the first time I had this amount of driving time in a vehicle prior to taking delivery. Each drive more forcefully reinforced my admiration and excitement of the Performante. I finally received my car 10 days ago and the love affair continues unabated. If it was not for my curiosity about the Performante, I would be driving ( and I am certain happily) a 720S.
Coincide well said. My Performante spider is nearly built and will be on the water soon. Can’t wait....think the 458 spider will be sold.
I really like the whole idea of the Perf, I would say this car is certainly more extreme than the 488 and 720.
FWIW I drove the new Lambo Aventador today. What an animal. Don't want to own one as the transmission is so outdated, but fun car for cruising.
I had the privilege of driving an Aventador S recently. Transmission wasn’t that bad, but. not great. The thing is so amazing looking though I’d forgive it for any faults.
Single clutch transmission that is there only because there is insufficient space in the engine compartment for the DCT.
This thread is so worn out I’d rather eat a contaminated romaine salad than continue to follow it! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
