355 F1 gearbox question

355F1 is awesome, I cannot compare it to a CSL, or in fact any other paddle gearbox.

In it's own right, it is an excellent set up that provides a full driving experience and allows very quick changes, maybe not quite as fast as a 360 (?) but with the extra good looks of the 355 over the 360, it’s an easy choice.

BTW for a fraction more than I paid for my 355F1 I could have been driving a 360, it comes down to which look suits your needs, and for me the 355 is that much better I would have probably paid more for it than a 360.


I dont think the gearbox will be the deciding factor for many people, F1 to F1 that is.

 

Love mine--No problems...I have driven several 360's with F1 and it is not much difference in the 2...

 

I too love mine and have driven 360s with F1. I can't tell any difference.

 

i have news for you, my wife's F1 drives much smoother and better than all the early 360's i ever had.

 

Never drove the 360F1...but loving every up / down shift in my 355F1!!! Just in case there's some doubt, watch this:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=KDEeoYwt3Qc

 

No question about it; despite many purists' posts to the contrary, my 1999 355 F1 is great! I woud not have purchased the car without it. By comparison, I had a 2004 Maserati Spyder with essentially the same F1 paddleshift and it was much slower and coarser than my 5-year-older 355. However, the Maser did sell me on the concept, so when I purchased the 355, it had to be F1.

 

I have a 360F1 and a 355F1. The 360 is slightly faster shifting at wide open throttle, but they are very close. Whats funny is the 355 is better around town than the newer 360. I sometimes wonder if peaple that knock the F1 system have ever driven one for any length of time,you still have to drive it with some sort of care, like you would a stick.

In the end I would highly recommend the F1 in any Ferrari and would not want it any other way.
Just my preference.

 

Mine has been nothing but a pleasure to drive/shift.

IMO Ferrari had done a very good job with 355's F1 system considering it's their first and let alone industry's first.

 

My F1 transmission has been just fine. I made sure I had it serviced right after the PPI checked out and that was the best thing I could have done. No problems whatsoever.

 

Those that knock the 355F1 have not experianced driving one that is PROPERLY set up. They are a pleasure to drive and are extreemely reliable.
Personally I prefer the 355 F1 system over the 360 as I enjoy working the throttle myself rather than having the TCU do it for me. Down shifts on the 355 can be a real hoot once the technique is mastered.

Dave

 

I am on my second 355 GTS F1 and havnt had any problems what so ever with the F1 system. I love it and would not go back to a 6-speed. One advice though, take your time to lern how to drive it. It took me a while before I could really appreciated all the advantages and I feel I am still learning

 

thanks for the video link,good to hear the f1 is as reliable as the 6spd.how many miles are you guys getting out of your f1 clucth on the average?

 

my car has 12k on the stock clutch so far

 

That's excellent, I'd be happy with that. Luckily it's a fairly straight forward DIY job and not too expensive.

Last week I finally did my first F1 burnout, always was afraid of cooking the clutch. Finally said what the heck...engage 1st, lift off brake and hit the gas, WOT. Engine revs quick and seemed to engage the clutch around 6k, with plenty of wheelspin...the crisp smell of burned rubber and burned clutch in the air. Not something I'd do weekly, but was worth a few hundred (thousand?) miles off the clutch life!

 

I essentially leave mine in "Sport"!

 

actually sport isn't needed for that; in certain conditions the ECU will command a fast shift regardless of mode selection. On the street at WOT above a certain RPM the faster shift speed is always used. I don't think my sport mode even works, still need to dig into that one (light never comes on, not even during startup).

 

Certainly, at above 7K rpm shifts will be faster regardless of sport mode or not....but to induce that wheel spinning burnout at standstill from 1st gear sport mode needs to be activated.

 

It is possible that my sport mode is working, just the light is burned out. But when I went from a standstill to wide open throttle the revs went up pretty quick, so I may have been above that 7k before it dropped the clutch.

 

Are you sure of this? I sense a shift change between the different modes at lower rpms.