Another F1 vs. 6-speed Testimonial

My Ferrari friend (Testarossa, etc.) mentioned to me today that he talked to a Doctor friend of his who has been driving his new Modena F1 from hospital to hospital (I guess that's what he does). He said that the F1 transmission is *horrible* around town, and that he would not buy another F1 again.
Just passing the information on.


Mike
http://northwest.nsxca.org/mike.html

 

Thanks for the insight, but I don't think anybody here buys a F1 360 for the convenience of city driving.

 

Not much of an insight or testimonial. No specifics reasons cited. My F1 tolerate traffic just fine for those rare times I actually drive it into Seattle. Short jaunts in the city is not what these car's built for. He's better off driving a Mini Cooper S in the city.

 

Can somebody explain to me how and why the Mini Cooper has become such a popular sports car alternative daily driver? I'm personally not a fan, but am willing to listen to reason. If you really want a small beemer, why not just get a 3 series? That's just an example... there are countless options out there.

 

matterhorn, the cooper has a better Power/weight than all but the most expensive 3's, comes with their warranty, has super tight steering, just awesome all over to drive, when other cars "dont fit" (tiny backroads, etc). very useable performance...and they look cool! good for winter too, fwd.

 

A few Ferrari owners around here also own a Mini Cooper S.

 

Its called the "search" feature... There is probably 1000 replies to 6spd vs F1. Just look for 6 speed vs f1 and you'll be a happy camper.

 

"A few Ferrari owners around here also own a Mini Cooper S."

Yup, I'm one.

Great car but Mini dealers have absolutely the worst customer service that I've ever experienced.

 

So what would you say was its main appeal to you? I saw a Mini S at a Ferrari dealership the other week and thought that there must be something that I'm missing here...

Sorry if this is getting off-topic.

 

"So what would you say was its main appeal to you?"

Yes, it's OT so I'll try to be brief...

It has an excellent combination of quickness and agility. In the S model, which is supercharged, you get a 7 second (approx) 0-60 which sounds much slower than it feels in a Mini because of its small size. It has a great suspension which combined with its so-called bulldog stance gives it exceptional handling. It's just a lot of fun to drive - you should give it a try! (Plus, it's cheap!)

To stay somewhat on topic... The Mini's small size is one reason it's so much fun to drive. It would be nice if Ferrari made a smaller sports car. Coming from the 911 world, my 360 felt absolutely HUGE! (It still does.) I much prefer the feel of a smaller sports car. btw, that's one aspect of the Gallardo I really like.

 

Personally, I feel that the reason a person buys a Ferrari is........ is whatever reason they purposed to buy a Ferrari for. Some people buy them to track them. Others for spirited driving. Others just for in town cruising to look good. Perhaps the latter should be driving only the 6-speed. And perhaps the former should only be driving the F1.

Personally, I HATE shifting. I'm not very good at it. When I purchase my F355, it's either going to be in the mountains or on the track. Therefore, perhaps for me the F1 would be a better choice. But not the beter choice for everyone.

Finally, a question for the ferrarichat veterans. If someone has new information on an old topic, should they search for that old topic and paste their comment on the end of that old thread?

Thanks!

Mike
http://northwest.nsxca.org/mike.html

P.S. If I owned a Ferrari and a Cooper, the only way I'd drive the Cooper was with a bag over my head...

 

both work. Pasting in a thread makes it easier to follow. Most threads are still open. Welcome to the site!

 

The main reason that I am going to look for a 6 speed is all of the horror stories of the high maintainence f1 transmission. The cool thing is that my wife can't drive stick and she says that she is not interested in the Ferrari. Belieive it or not she wants a Lexus LX470. Go figure.

 

Over the years I have owned 4 Fcars with 6spd and 2 with F1.
I enjoy the driving experience of the 6spd a lot more than the F1
I am forcing myself into sticking with F1 for future cars because
of two reasons.First its where tech is leading us.Second I would
like to learn to develop my skills with F1

 

"Second I would like to learn to develop my skills with F1"

Practice makes perfect. You'll be doing perfect shifts before you know it!