What do I crave? 1) Eliminating the pre-cats and replacing the cats... I envy the better Euro sound, the increased Euro HP, and the decreased Euro weight. 2) Reduced weight... euro weight... I wish Ferrari'd just tell me exactly what the extra weight on the US cars vs. Euro cars comes from. 3) Reasonable prices on the AWESOME brakes... I love the brakes and love to use them... however, the joy would increase if I wasn't hearing "cha ching" every time I use them. 4) Better understanding of the use of launch control... there's no reason it has to be horribly damaging to the clutch... depending upon how its really designed to operate... however, I lack documentation that explains in detail what its doing... it could be a toy that's great fun. 5) After-market rollbar and harnesses option... that's well-sorted out. Even if Ferrari can't actually do #1 and #5, they could certainly support the after-market tuners to provide it more effectively, with availability of Ferrari parts and know-how. And Ferrari can solve the others, so to speak. I'm intrigued by Imola's gasoline cooler mod that runs through the CS's extra-capacity AC... I'd love to see independent proof that it works as well as they claim.
my pads came in today and i just wanted to correct an earlier mistake i made. the $325 to $350 (including silencers) for CGT pads is per AXLE not wheel! so, the total with labor is in the $500 range making the CS front pad job 100% more for the same sized carbon pad!
Ben, What is the cost of the pad job on a Stradale, for I am a little confused? Is the CS pad job a $1000 = 100% more then the GT or is it $5000 = 1000% more expensive? Thxs
CGT is $500 and the CS is $1k (does that $1k even include labor?) making the CS 100% more than the CGT.
Ben LJ, one more question if you will, from Cavallini about your CGT. I have yet to see one in person, and it will probably be at least six months before I do and a year before I'm in the market, but I have seen a few videos and I wonder if the CGT has the same or a similar rawness, for lack of a better word, that the CS has? When I say rawness, I mean sound and feel. Many thanks again, Cavallini
that's a very tough question to answer because it's so subjective. the CS feels more a go kart while the CGT more solid and "one" (though you can toss them both around similarly). the sound of the CS is more raw and exciting until the CGT is above appx 4k and then either car provides a (pleasant) overload of sound. however, when it comes to power, the CS just feels so underpowered (especially at lower RPMs where torque is AWOL) where the CGT will blow your mind (especially with the tops off). the brakes in both cars are fantastic with the nod going to the CS for slightly better feel. as for overall "feel" with respect to driving, they're very close but the CGT seems easier to control because it communicates more near the limit. this could just be a product of the pilot sports on the CGT vs. the corsas on the CS. iow, they are both raw and exciting with an abundance of feel. however, you will be instantly bored by the CS once you drive the CGT in a similar manner. while i know it wasn't part of your question, i thought i'd add that the CS is almost always "raw" while the CGT is civilized whenever you want it to be. for example, you can carry on a passenger conversation at most RPMs with the tops on in a CGT (phone included), but that's all but impossible by 4k in the CS. as well, going in and out of your neighborhood and/or any other place you don't want to attract any attention is better done in the CGT than the CS (mainly owing to exhaust volume). bottomline though, anyone who is satisfied with the power of the CS, does not get bored or annoyed with the F1 in town (particularly in traffic on the annoyed part), and doesn't care about having an open top should have all their needs and wants fully met in the CS for under 1/2 the price.
Ben LJ, many, many thanks. I think I'm sold, on the CGT that is. I'll keep you posted as the time approaches. Forza, Cavallini
Ben, I was under the impression that the CS brake pads last substantially longer than the PCCBs, can you comment on that?
I've no idea re: their relative wear. FWIW, the CS's produce NO brake dust while the CGT produces plenty but still less than steel Porsche brakes. So, that dust may represent more wear, but I can't be sure. To be fair, someone told me the PCCBs don't need cool down laps and I was dumb enough to believe them. The need to replace at 2500 was due to damage from extreme heat rather than wear - 50% of the pad was left but they were cracked and slight chunking had begun. It's also very hard to generalize my experience because a great deal of the miles are from VERY tight mountain driving which is subtantially harder on brakes than any track of which I am aware.
Interesting that you say that... I went through my first set of pads much quicker than my second set... but there was a lot of mountain driving... one of my theories was that hard mountain driving might actually be harder on the brakes than track.
i definetely think it is and not just because one way is all downhill (more brake demanding) and one uphill vs. slightly varying elevations on a track. it's more that there are very few if any straights, they're very short straights, and it's mostly non-stop tight corners where as there are a variety of corner types in terms of tightness on a track seperated by brake cooling and resting straights. the mountains are also harder on tires.
as for clutch wear, at 9000 miles mine was 6%. the car is as solid as a porsche, you can pound on it quite hard and it goes
I really enjoy the CS for its lightness and precise directionality. It's very different from the CGT on the track. The sheer "oomph" of the CGT accelerating out of a corner is unmatched by anything else I have ever driven, but I feel more in control of the CS on a track, especially the tight infield at PIR in Phoenix. The CGT's front plastic lip is a featutre the CS should have. It warns you when you're in danger of getting too close to the ground with the tub bottom. I'd also appreciate at least one closable storage bin in the CS. The CGT has spring loaded compartments in the door which are large enough for my radar detector. a neat feature! Having said all that, I enjoy them both for different reasons.
