2006, assuming similar mileage and condition. Which would you pick and why? While I love the gransport, I would really like a true 6 speed (gt). Is the handling that much better in the GS? Any insight (especially from those that have owned/driven both) is appreciated.
For reference, I have driven multiple CCs, but not the Gransport. The F1 in the CC's seems quite clunky, yet I hear it's markedly different in the GS. Is the GS a different level entirely than the CC in a way that would make me NOT choose a GT for the 6 speed?
Finding an actual 6spd might be hard. AFAIK there were two different CC. I don't know when that happened. The earlier ones, just like Ferrari's, had mechanical sensors issues which caused them to get confused too easily, fault lights. There was a software update for that that made this much better. The later ones supposedly fixed this. I don't know about the software updates for those. I drove a 2002 spyder for a couple of days, not a terribly well taken care of car and it wasn't that bad. I wouldn't want one for commuting in heavy traffic. For that I like an automatic anyway. I've never talked with an 6spd owner so I'm still curious. These cars in good condition are a bargain now. The gransport is tuned better suspension wise, exhaust ... etc. But I'll let an owner sell you on that.
There's a 6 speed for sale right now. 2006 Coupe, 40K miles, looks to be in good shape. Mid $20s. I don't see them come up often and was thinking about jumping on it, but that's also GranSport money, which is why I started this thread
Most nice GSs I see are in the mid $30s. I don't think you'd want to touch a GS that's in the mid $20s without a *very* careful look by a shop that works on them regularly and has the right tools (e.g. SD3). Deferred maintenance and other issues can cost you the difference in a heartbeat and start your ownership experience off badly. Third party dealers and non-enthusiasts are great sources of cheap cars with no records and loads of baggage. Caveat emptor. Regarding the F1, I believe the GS was programmed to have faster shifts that the Coupe CCs. Of course that won't matter if you go with the stick. It's true that they can be clunky if you drive them like an automatic, as many likely did not understanding the new technology at the time (I would wager that this is where a lot of negative opinions of F1 transmissions originate). If you drive them like a stick, sympathetically, then they perform very well. There is a reason that Ferrari changed to F1.
Sorry, I should have been more clear. The GT I am looking at is $25K, and most GS (as you say) are low 30s. But that's close enough that makes no matter, and keeps them comparable. In my experience with the CC (F1) I certainly drove it like a stick and didn't think about auto mode. That said, I still found it a bit clunky. Thanks for the comment!
I have a 2002 GT, it's what I wanted and I love it. I like the simple elegance of the early design..everything is there for a reason and no visual gimmicks. It's the logical extension of the Ferrari 365 GTS. The trans linkage has to be properly adjusted otherwise 2nd can be hard to get into. It's not two-finger shifting so you've got to have some hair on your arm. I bought it because I like a manual and live where the roads are clear to the horizon (Alberta). If you follow the forums the CC really doesn't work for daily driving and requires the SD systems which means repairs are expensive and sadly too frequent. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Last Spring I picked up a GranSport. Actually wanted a paddle shift since I have other manual cars - something a bit different. Looked a few GranSports, a coupe, spyder, and GranTurismo's, but settled on the GS. It had a more sporting feel over the GranTurismo - felt smaller and more nimble. My car has the FD springs(lowered about 0.75"), the FD DBW(major difference on shifts - so much faster), and the Fabspeed secondary cat delete. These cars overall seem fairly DIY, but I wouldn't want to depend on a dealer. I've found I can do most work(including the F1 work) but had to buy a spare key which did require going through the dealer. The GS also has a different dash which doesn't have the big screen. However, this makes the change-out of the radio much easier. I added a fairly simple Pioneer unit and will soon replace the old speakers. I almost-daily drove the GS from about March to November and overall put about 6k miles on it. Included 1 long trip and also a rainy autocross: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co9dz2uNJyo Definitely get a PPI done on any car you're looking at. I had someone come out and meet me at the buyer's house. We did find a few issues but that mostly helped with negotiating. A bit of DIY after getting it home and all was well again. They're fun cars that are somewhat rare and don't stand-out - but have that road presence that shows it's something different.
I expect that clutch wear ought to be more a function of the driver and how the car is driven than on software differences, if there are any. The FD DBW unit seems to help too. I'm getting about 1% clutch wear per 1000 miles driven. This is likely due to my driving habits, the DBW unit, and the PIS setting I use (likely in that order).
Spot on with these reasons for better clutch life. Driving habits, the DBW, and the PIS setting should all help bring the clutch life closer to what people expect on a clutched car. I also have my PIS set aggressively and I pay attention to what the car is doing regarding clutch slipping to avoid those situations. Overall I don't think it matters whether it's a 4200 or GranSport, especially if you pay attention to what the CC/F1 system is doing.
While I haven't driven the manual 6 speed, I owned a Gransport for 3 years and covered some 45,000 kms. Fantastic car - still wished I'd kept it. I found it a much better drive than the regular coupe. With the GS, they really improved the suspension and it feels much more like a sports car. Good luck with the search!
Again, these are the most overlooked cars on the market. Aston Vantage has nothing on it power to weight or performance wise or looks wise. Not a single thing. These are bargain by every account. It's a 430 engine and tranny at a tremendous discount and killer looks.
I've settled on the CC, now looking at price differences between coupes and GS's. Leaning towards a GS, but it's hard to pass up a sub 20K mile coupe for under $20 grand.
I think these are the best cars for the value available. I am personally amazed that a car with an F136 engine is selling at these prices. But here we are. Ours is a 2004 Spyder GT, and I think its perfect. It has about 23K miles. It's understated yet exotic, and it is a total driving experience. The 6 speed may be hard to find, I think only a few hundred were made if that, but when they do come up for sale, I don't recall them being that much more. With no CC issues at all (obviously), I would suggest maybe its worth the wait for a GT to pop up? Good luck, can't go wrong!
