Really liked but didnt love. Thats my new criteria for keeping, otherwise just takes up space and mental cycles to keep up the stable. I like the 2016 Spyder a bit more because of the manual. SRS handled well, drove great, precise, P build quality,and super noisy which I liked. But still missing engagement.
296 is much a better drive- more nimble- engine sound is better too- IMO and many others. The 296 is almost as fast as the SF90- and some tests equal. I would not buy an sf90 at the same price.
I own a 991.2 Speedster. Why do you like the SRS more? I asked my salesman how they compared and if I should get one. He told me to keep the Speedster.
My 2022 296 GTB AF does not have a laggy interface. The more I use it the faster it seems to be. Interestingly- the first week I had it was actually a little “laggy”. That quickly dissipated. Failure rates in most if not all existing hybrids is quite good- well over 100,000 miles. I can see this being a total non issue as Ferrari has more sophisticated cooling (major point of failure) and cars are not driven anywhere close to this mileage. On the other hand, problems do seem to occur if the car is not used and not plugged in. Time will tell- and my bet is, if properly used- one should spend their hard earned money on life insurance.
The SRS is far more of a sports car. The Speedy is a GT car. Drive the SRS and you will probably agree. Both are unreal cars. I prefer the SRS to our (sold) 2015 458 Spider if that tells you anything. That said, if I were in the market for a sports car today, c8 Z06.
Should have mentioned....991.1 GT3s...with the replacement motors...are being totally ignored. Perfect entry into the GT Porsche world.
IMO- There is no “interface” issue. I love the interface. Is it perfect? No. And it’s the coolest of any car I own and makes my 812GTS feel old. Software can also be updated. Ferrari has already corrected the haptics on the steering wheel- And I may not upgrade because it’s only occasionally an issue, and it’s a cleaner look. Imperfect and not a deal killer. Later iterations will be better. Most iterations improve. That’s called progress. You can wait forever because there will always be a better future iteration. Why live- as we are all going to die too. The battery in a performance hybrid is used as a torque filler- outside of occasional bursts of power. In other words, with the tech cooling technology I wouldn’t be surprised if people NEVER have to replace these batteries as long as they are properly maintained. Cars that sit unplugged and unused will likely have battery problems. In my book, those don’t count. And if you use and maintain the car improperly- good luck with that unnecessary (IMO) warranty.
I agree the interface can be updated and it would be wise to take the upgrade but life is personal opinions also. It is definitely keeping with current tech getting rid of buttons and using the touch / haptics. I disagree about the battery, there will be failures even if plugged in, used and maintained regularly. It's just the current battery tech. Batteries have never been used in such high capacities so the technology hasn't fully developed / needs more development. Solid state could be a better change but will likely raise prices. I agree the 296 is a great buy, great price, great performance and does not compare to any Porsche or Mac. I do think in many cases the car will be very good. I would not deter someone from buying one it's just not for me. The shape, those humps, the silver engine bay that is difficult to see. I much prefer the SF90 shape and with the Assetto Fiorano pack with lexan is that much more Ferrari and special. I would look into it in say 2 or 3 years when I decide to sell my F8. Sadly what puts me off the SF90 is the limited frunk space. The 296 is more practical no doubt. I do see the appeal of the 296 but I would not buy one. There is currently an SF90 2020 12,000 miles with Assetto Fiorano Pack for £269,990 on autotrader.co.uk which is approx £50k more than I paid for mine. I don't think it's that much more but I'll wait for real world data on the battery packs. It will be interesting to see what happens to values also. Will they drop more? You have a huge choice of 2023/24 296's for £200k or a 2025 with 100 miles for £269,995. I just can't get over the shape, humps, silver hidden engine bay with smoked glass screen! Still an amazing vehicle, it has the name and performance. Out of the 2 I would take the 2020 SF90.
I would tend to agree- in that a manual is simply more engaging that the best paddles. Interestingly- I wouldn’t want the 296 with a manual- it’s just too much faster than it could ever be with a manual- probably in a meaningful way. Of course I doubt any manual could be reliable with that much power either.
I don’t think this is a fair comparison because the dealer marks up the car $100k to the first owner. So, the car isn’t really $100k above sticker, it’s actually right at sticker figuratively speaking.
What moves the needle? For me not a whole lot. Im keeping my 812gts, srs and 765, everything else is not so exciting. At this point I'm more interested in older models. Perhaps something is introduced that I have to have but so far nothing. Ive been waiting on my Revuelto forever but honestly Im not excited about it. Im gonna shoot my focus to a 40' cc with quads.
Agree totally but this has brought the Porsche brand down. Can buy a used one for £2k easily. Much jealousy in the club's, 80% of club atendee's drive boxsters or caymans who look down on cayenne's or taycans! Cayenne has different usage and taycans because they are quicker. I like cars but the only boxster and caymans that are good are GT models and I still wouldn't have one. Drive around and you litterally get no attention from anyone except other porsche drivers. Dealers wear sparring equipment and you need a carbon fibre helmet to deal with them. In over 20 years I fell out with 3 dealers over relatively small issues because they don't deal with their customers well. Dealers act like Porsche's are Ferrari's. Ferrari is now numerous levels above. Too much attention everywhere and everytime I drive it. Time will tell for me with dealers but I start by telling them openly i'm just not rich so don't waste too much time on me, I don't wish to give false expectations. I have still had great treatment so far from Ferrari club, 3 dealers and a few staff in those dealers and managers. Offers to go out on test runs despite saying I'm just not in the league of their other customers. Car is away for a service, everything so professional so far. Fell out with porsche who kept my car for a week on the last service and told them i wanted a 992 turbo s. I was told to top up the ad blue to avoid them charging me too much, they drained it and charged me for 30 litres! Then flagged all brakes and changed brake fluid when if they called I would have told them to change all discs and pads also, so brake fluid charge was a waste. When I spoke to them they did nothing, came to my house to take back the car they left when they collected mine and kept my car for a week. Ended up writing to Porsche UK, got my car back and they cancelled the entire service bill. Within a couple of weeks I bought the F8. Now want to sell both my porsches and buy another ferrari. F8 was trailored by Ferrari (Brian James type trailor) yesterday, had to drive it 30 metres due to limited access / space at the front of my house, a young boy runs out of his house in his socks with his mums phone to politely ask to take pics. Let him sit in it, he even says he doesn't want to dirty or damage the car with his socks! I tell him he wont damage the car with his socks! I take some pics but tell him to hold the steering wheel and look at the camera and he was in so much shock he forgot to look at the camera instead of the car. This excludes everyone walking past. Everything is an experience on another level. Porsche is in the bin for me, may replace cayenne with Urus until I can justify a Purosangue / prices come down. No one cares about them, brand has become like BMW or Merc, they are everywhere and most owners of low cost porsches are very big headed.
Read Porsches quarterly reports…in trouble. Prices have to increase a lot as sales are down double digits. More faux limited models coming (to be fair, not unlike Ferrari non limited models).
I feel I have hijacked this thread somewhat. I do write a lot - please accept my sincere apologies. I will try to give it a rest, maybe it's the new ownership excitement and amazing treatment and attention I have had. Some of you have really uplifted certain aspects of my view of the 296 so you have done well. There will be battery issues no doubt more than some people think but this is expected on hybrids despite low, medium or regular usage. Rechargable batteries are a problem in any device, Ferrari's use of cells are extreme compared to other hybrids. Some will have very little to no issues and be lucky but ownerships are only for a few years. By year 10 most will experience some issues. I don't think the costs to replace cells will be as high as some people think though. So price, performance, practicality etc it is a great car but it's problem for me is the SF90 with Assetto Fiorano Pack & extended pack. I am sure owners will be thrilled with the 296 and in most cases owners will not regret buying one. Thank you all for your input and opinions. I have a great deal of equal respect whether we agree or not. There is also no intention on my behalf to be disrespectful to anyone ever. I have enjoyed being part of this discussion / thread. The fact we can have a difference of opinion and remain respectful is a true credit to your attitudes. Peace and Love...Always.
My dear friend Dustman, Please don't get me started on the Porsche 'faux limited edition' models! Well, what it is, is... !!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll say this, I drove the 458 Speciale and 296 back to back this weekend, and I’m not sure which is better. The sound of both at 5k is insane.
Any thoughts on Seats and how it might affect resale? My thoughts after doing a lot of reading and talking to one owner is this: * assumption the car isn’t being tracked * - Racing seats - uncomfortable and difficult to get and out (lift option helps a little) - Standard seats - ok - Full electric seats - better - Vented Full Electric - best as apparently the venting is very good and then car has appeal in warmer climates Lastly, I was advised to not get a car with the Assetto Fiorano package as it makes the car too firm to enjoy daily (person mentioned above is considering selling his car due mainly to this; no mention of haptics being an issue).
Im race seats only or pass. Easy to get in and out and very comfortable. I find Daytonas lumpy and dated.
