458 Speciale vs. CGT - Owner's *UPDATE*

So in my previous thread, "Shack" had asked me to report back once I'd properly "thrashed" my 458S. So I have, and I'm back, and here's what I thought:

Went way upstate to farm country. Great variety of roads with every manner of turns and lots of visibility and almost no traffic in middle of week.

I've driven the CGT up there on the same roads. Net result: there are two major areas of difference between the two cars which became wider when at the limit:

1) Cornering. As I had stated earlier, the CGT, as a high downforce car, is nervous at the limit and can feel fidgety if you have to hustle it into a relatively tight turn especially as you approach the apex. It takes concentration to make sure you can catch it or the back will keep coming around very quickly. My initial impression of the 458S was that it felt more predictable in the turns. But I felt like there was a lot more to be had.

Now, after this thrashing, I can state categorically that the 458S has the ability to balance itself in a wide variety of turns in an extraordinary way.

One of my favorite racing venues was Watkins Glen. I just love that track. On the short course version (without the dog leg), I believe it's Turn 9 which is immediately after the long back straight. It's a 90 degree left hander that in Formula Atlantic, with all that downforce, you can take flat out full throttle with just a light breath of brake IF the car is set up perfectly. It used to feel like the car "dug in" as if digging ruts into the track. That's the best way I could describe it. Then you knew the car was set up properly for that critical turn.

What amazed me about the 458S is that when you're blasting through corners I get that same feeling of the car "digging in" and just holding you through the corner in perfect balance, again as if perfectly set up. I haven't felt that in years. It was a wonderful shock. But the bigger picture is that the 458S feels this good in MANY different kinds of corners. It feels like the car is adjusting itself to the "perfect setup for Turn 9" all the time. It's amazing. The CGT, like older race cars, having a passive suspension, must by nature always be a bit of a compromise that you must drive around and compensate for. Don't get me wrong, it's a damn good compromise, especially compared to any car of it's time, but it increases your "work load".

The 458S uses enough whiz bang active adjustment that it "sets up" the car for you on the fly. Which is why I think some posters have commented that it feels like the upper limit on the 458S is "too high". What I think we react to is that our brains are screaming "this isn't physically possible" and we're perfectly correct. Without active controls, what we're attempting to do in certain corners would be impossible.

Does this take away from the driving pleasure? I don't think so. I think Ferrari struck just the right balance here (say compared to the 675LT for instance, based on some reviews). You just have to get used to the fact that the car is working in your favor so you can be "reasonably" more aggressive.

2) The Brakes: I know I was gushing before, but now I've tested the limits and I'm even more impressed. The gulf between the CGT version of carbon ceramic and the 458S (10 years of progress) is staggering. I did several "launches" up to triple digits and then hauled the car down as fast as possible without setting off the ABS. With the CGT, the initial lack of bite would make finding the 10/10ths limit before setting off ABS difficult to nail. With the 458S I could repeatedly brake within an inch of the ABS going off, even getting the tires to "chirp" slightly (meaning I'm right at the limit) every time. It was glorious. Compared to the 458S, the CGT brakes can feel "wooden" at the limit, and as I've described, they're not much fun when cold.

Are 458S brakes as good as Formula Atlantic brakes? No. FA was known to be a vastly "overbraked" race car. It could generate 2G's+ during braking and the first time I drove one I laughed because it actually felt like my eyes were bulging out of my head. The greatest "bragging point" about FA cars was that they could go from 0-100-0 in 6 seconds. But for the street, I'm totally happy with what I got.

So there you have it. Only one minor issue I have when "cruising" in the 458S. While you're puttering along on the highway, even in Sport mode, you can hit a certain RPM range where the exhaust hits a resonant point and the cockpit is filled with a low frequency "booming" which is not the most pleasant sound. But 90% of the time, it's a *****cat.

Enjoy your weekend. F1 is back... YAY !!!

 

Thanks Gene. I enjoyed the read....the CGT was always one of my fantasy cars. What a good investment they were at msrp back in the day compared to what they sell for today.

 

Well it was definitely a rock 'n roll ride there for a while. I got mine below MSRP and watched it drop ~another 35% and stay there for 6 years before finally coming back up. And I demanded to test drive it first (which most dealers just said "no" except for one, and they got the sale.) So I got it for the drive, not to "collect" and now it's like "one of the kids" that's moved away. Something you never forget.

 

458S is a miracle.. after several years of driving a 430, 458 and FF.. I took delivery of the Speciale last weekend and I'm at a loss for words over how much better it is.. I really thought all the reviews, videos and articles were pointing out nuances that only a professional driver would pick up on.. WOW was I surprised..

This car is simply the best machine on the road.. I've done some hard core track time in a Huracane and Aventadore.. they have nothing on the Speciale. wow.. just wow.

 

Do you ever travel to Saratoga Springs ? The Wine & Food fest is at SPAC on 9/12. I will be in the concours for fun and VIP Food&Fun ticket...PM me if you are going. I live three miles from the venue.
Saratoga Wine & Food and Concours d'Elegance - SEPT 11-13

 

It's so great to read your enthusiasm... as I said in my original review... you get out of the car and want to jump up and down and demand "more - more"

 

Awesome review and thanks. I still need to get a bit quicker in the 458S and hope to do so in October at the track.

 

Perfect dichotomy these two, CGT and Speciale. The CGT being on the super analogue, feel everything, work at it spectrum and the Speciale being perfectly balanced with its power to weight and nimble agility.


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Okay Eddie...resurrecting a couple old threads here and there and “you’re on the hunt.”
What are you up to, hmmmm??

 

Working on it [emoji51]


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More details please! oh and good luck!

 

I "Second That Emotion"...
Nice to see readers after these years. BTW I still have my Speciale and still get a charge out of it every time.

 

At Watkins, most every turn, and fact the entire track flows nicely. Turn 9 is a very late apex, and T7 is also a bit awkward due to the abrupt elevation change.

If you enter Turn 1 too early at Road Atlanta, you’ll get spit out like a pea shooter.

At VIR, if you lift midway through the Esses, trouble may find you.

Kudos for running the 458S on the track.

 

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Oh man! White no less. You are good.

 

SWEET !! Never saw a white CGT ! "Best of both worlds."

 

WOW OH WOW! Congrats, but need more pics of that white unicorn!

Seems like the CGT needs its own version of the tricolore (black, red, yellow) to properly fit in with the rest of your collection