I am back in a 360 ChallengeStradale!!

I did get my new Stradale replacement from FoS today! – a real customer satisfaction story - pictures of the car at http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=12887

I did have one of the first CSs that came to the US before - unfortunately it developed gearbox problems - FoS did get me into a new CS!!

here is a list of the changes I found so far, which might interest you:

- Ferrari F1 World Championship Badge includes 2003 – we did know that
- The center consol has a new badge – Ferrari & US flag – (see attached picture)
- The exhaust has additional heat shielding left/right! – (see attached picture)
- The carbon break disk have a different design!!!!!! – compare http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2236 to the attached picture

 

Is it me or are a bunch of members picking up Stradales?!?

I need to jump on the boat sometime!


Nice to hear that you got treated well and are back in a new car. Looks fantastic!

 

jump - it is the only car to go for - as fallback if the FoS guy would not get me a new CS I looked into a P GT2 again - fast, very fast, but what a b_itch of a car; drove a GT3 for a day - very nice but no match in drivability to the CS; modifying a Modena using Challenge parts - too expensive copmared to a CS

and yes considering the money we are talking about you better have a good dealer - don't bet on FNA

 

Don't understand how you can get 2 and Brian cannot get any ... ?

Pete

 

dealer? - they did get out of their way ...

 

Thomas, WTF!!!

I have been wondering where the hell you have been and I was ready to send you a PM. I have been having "thomas b post withdrawal" for about a month now! Did you ever inform the board about your problems with the gearbox? If so, I must have missed it. You get my vote for MVP (most valuable poster) here! Anyways, good to hear about your fortune with the new car.

Is the difference in the brake design limited to the center-section (hat) or are there other changes? As far as the exhaust, I see the shields for the pipe exits affixed to the muffler, were these the only changes? Anything else you can think of?

I should have my car by the end of this week, can't wait! You mentioned a problem with rock chips with your original CS a few months ago. Where would you recommend that I add 3M shield to besides the front? The entire wheel lips, front and back? The sills directly before the rear wheels? The lower bodywork behind the rear wheels?

And anything new with the exhaust research?

Thanks

Paul

 

It helps when you want the typical Stradale color (Rosso Scuderia).
If you remember, I was offered a Scuderia car, a Silver car, or a reorder... I chose to reorder what I really want... Titanium.


Thomas, when's your dyno of the new car scheduled!?!?? Hopefully your disappointing dyno numbers of last time were just part of an overall "defective" car. Hopefully this one works far better for you!

 

Cool.

Is that the "50" emblem? The pic has to much reflection on the left half, but the right half looks like a solid flag, rather than a hollow one forming a zero

I think I see what you're talking about... but do you have a similar picture of your earlier Stradale to compare??

Paul already asked... but its really hard to see the delta from the pic... the coloration of the center construction is clearly different... but more than that, it looks like the whole construction of the center might be different... but can't really tell. Description of the diffs?

 

Great stuff Thomas. Bet you're grinnig from ear to ear. Mine is being shipped right now and I should get it by the third week of April. I have roll bar and 4-point harness. I heard roll bars are prohibited in the US. Is that true?

Will post photo when mine arrive.

 

beautiful car. I really want one of those now...grr.

 

Brian -

Your patience is simply remarkable. Everytime I see a new CS posted here, I think of your car as it sits in the paint booth, at the dock, on the ship, etc. It would drive me bonkers to see these other folks get their cars, while you are forced to wait. Maybe SpA mistook your order, and they're fabricating the enitre car from real titanium? Crazy italians.

Hang in there.... I'm sure there will be a worldwide sigh of relief when you press your "start" button for the first time.

-Daniel

 

The collective gasp will be audible in the next Solar System.

 

I wonder if that'll drown out my "yeee hawwww!"

 

Sadly, yes... no rollbars and harnesses for us.
At least not from the factory.

 

Hi Paul, yes I have been in hibernation

the changes I have listed are the ones I have found so far - the exhaust & brakes are big ones – F also changed the heat shield under the engine cover to some flexible material; this might prevent the rubbing on the challenge rear grill with subsequent paint damage as on my old car

as of the breaks – I will have to take the wheel off to take a more close look – but so far it looks like that the way the carbon disk structure is mounted onto the center section has changed

the new car has the plastic film paint protection from the factory as my Modena had (but much nicer looking) – problem solved – I am not a fan of the plastic film, but if I would do it I would add it to the front bumper – it can be done pretty invisible by tucking it into the gap between bumper and frame – although the more complicated shape of the CS bumper might be a showstopper

yes; I have to re-start my carbon airbox and exhaust projects – status is that I have a spare airbox and Challenge air duct as master and a design for the exhaust with cross-over and silencer …

 

>Is that the "50" emblem?
tried to take a better picture

>... but do you have a similar picture of your earlier Stradale to compare??
see attachedpicture of the old version

>Paul already asked... but its really hard to see the delta from the pic...
I'll take a picture over the weekend - it is to hard to describe

 

Congrats on the new car. Can't wait to get mine next week.

 

Congrats to a beautiful car.

One day, one day I will have a Ferrari...

 

Thomas: Great to have you back in your *new* CS and online again. I still need that ride in the I90 tunnel! Tim

 

Is it just my screen or is the colour of the calipers now rosso scuderia rather than corsa? it looks better matched now. Maybe it's just the angle of the photo

 

look forward to see your new car!!

 

Congrats thomas_b on your new Stradale,

What month was your car produced in, Feb or March???

 

Welcome back Thomas,

Now, are you delibrately holding back on us about your previous CS problems or is it me. Did I miss something. PM me if you don't want to go public.

I've now done about 3500 miles in my CS and no problems.

As for your spec changes.
The exhaust differences look very different and would love to hear your thoughts in more detail on the new design if you have a moment.

As for the brake discs. you now have the same fittings as I have on mine.
Bear in mind that my CS was one of the very early UK deliveries.

BTW.

I took my CS on it's first track outing today at the Silverstone National curcuit
here in the UK.
Did more than sixty laps in the CS in total and also did about forty laps in a Challenge for direct comparison of the two.

As soon as I can get my head around everything I'll post my findings.

I would say at this stage the Strad did very well indeed.
Some significant trye wear but not unexpected.
The compound was much softer than I had been expecting but had very good grip.

Brakes also performed very well. More than the usual amout of brake dust from the shoes but no problems at all with the discs.
And absolutely NO FADE at all.
I think the carbon cermic discs seem to be harder on the shoes and I can se myself replaceing the shoe alot more than I expected but it seems to be a small price to pay for the extra performance.
But same goes for the tyres I expect to be replacing them more often but again a small price to pay for added performance.

All in all the combination of the two worked very well together and made an extreemly enjoyable day.
Race mode was exceptional on the track but more on that later.

See yer later

Wazza

 

Congrats, beautiful car, I love the Stradale...I'm extremely jealous!

 

Rosso Scuderia is now an optional brake caliper color.