New Daily Recommendation (F8 or 296)

Isn't the 911 S/T a turbo?

 

Admittedly, I'm not a Porsche enthusiast, I assumed the abbreviation meant 911 turbo S. That's why I asked the question.

 

I would say 296 only because of the newer technology, if I were going to daily one, I would prefer the newer tech.

 

458

 

I'd say exactly the opposite; an F8 is an evolution of the 488 and should be technically more or less bullet proof.
As an occasional car the 296 offers more performance, more technology, more novelty... but as a daily it's very likely it also provides less reliability.

 

Owning an F8 and having driven both on track I can easily pick the F8 over the 296 for daily driving. The 296 has well documented electrical issues. It also doesn't look very good in my opinion. That's what stopped me from ordering one. The technology inside is certainly better and it's faster but from a looks and reliability standpoint the F8 is the clear winner.

 

Seems like an honest question from Kent no need to call it silly. From the cars you listed seems like they would all make great dailies. I have a Huracan and could easily daily it.

This sub forum is obviously going to lean F8. Post in the 296 forum as well if you want both sides. I would say if you have driven both extensively and can't decide go for the cheaper one. If you have not driven them extensively get more seat time.

 

The 296 has the big advantages of sounding better stock to stock, and EV mode for pulling out of the garage quietly without disturbing anyone, plus it is a bit narrower and shorter I believe.
The big downsides for me (anecdotal unreliability aside) is the all digital dash (you completely lose the rev counter when in CarPlay. On a Ferrari!) and the infuriating haptic touch controls on the steering wheel, which are a complete dealbreaker for me.

 

how much seat time do you have in a 296?

 

Quite a few days in both GTS and GTB. Never got used to the haptic controls.
Probably the best car I've ever driven in terms of sheer driving though. The forthcoming VS will be amazing I'm sure.

 

LOL...I was going to post to the OP's post...nah just wait for the 458 guys to arrive...LOL... this thread will be de-railed for sure...HA!

 

I'd rather daily a 812 or Puro... F8 and 296 too small for everyday comfort. If I was in my 20's-30's again then yeah maybe daily a F8 or 296 but 296 is too small for me, no headroom or shoulder room.

 

Both are pretty tough to daily in my opinion. But if you have to do one of them: the F8 for sure. And for the afore mentioned reasons of reliability and aesthetics. And as far as price goes, they’re getting pretty darn close to each other as the 296 continues to come down. It won’t be long from now when the 296 is the cheaper choice even though its performance is outstanding in my opinion.

 

Yesterday, I had the chance to take the 296 GTS for an extensive test drive (full spec – carbon everywhere, even carbon wheels). It was my third time driving it on the road, but this time without an instructor distracting me.

To wrap this up for myself, here are my impressions from the drive:

• Although they look great, I find the racing seats too uncomfortable for longer distances compared to the standard seats. The car had size L seats installed, and I still found them quite tight – even though I’m not tall. You sit very low – which I noticed immediately when I got back into my F8 Spider (standard seats).
  
  
• Showstopper #1: I like shifting manually, but I didn’t like the click sound or the feel of the paddles at all. Compared to those in the F8, these paddles felt half as high-quality. That really bothered me. Also, the turn signal sound is way too loud – although I’ve heard it can be adjusted.
  
  
• Showstopper #2: The wind noise, especially when only the rear window is open. In my F8 Spider, I can open the rear window and still drive pretty fast without any annoying extra wind noise. Not possible in the GTS – much louder. In general, I found the wind noise with the top down to be more noticeable as well. Overall it seems to be more windy in the GTS, no matter the side window position.

• I liked the sound – maybe a bit metallic, but overall very well balanced.
  
  
• The build quality is excellent – feels very cohesive. No rattles (although my Spider doesn’t rattle anymore either).
  
  
• Driving electric is great – totally silent in stop-and-go traffic, and that was genuinely fun.
  
  
• The door handles are impractical. No need for such design experiments.
  
  
• Regarding the digital cockpit: Works for me. I’m also okay with the touch-sensitive steering wheel – I think you get used to it quickly.
  
  
• Feels more nimble due to being shorter than the F8.
  
  
• The car looks noticeably lower than my F8.

I had actually been considering whether to trade in the F8 Spider for a 296 GTS. Prices for the 296 GTS have clearly taken an even bigger hit.

Here in Germany, prices start at €320,000 for a 2025 day registration with good spec.

The issues being discussed, especially with the battery, are known to me firsthand.A friend of mine had these with both his GTB and GTS.

After my third test drive, I’ve decided against trading the F8 for the GTS, for the reasons I’ve mentioned earlier. The GTS is undoubtedly a beast on the track (drove it twice) and a fantastic car overall. However, the price still feels too high for a V6 when compared to the F8, there’s no real emotional upgrade, and the battery concerns could become a serious issue in the future.

 

you just summed up very well why the 296 will be cheaper than an F8 quite soon.

 

I owned a 458 spider and drove her 145,000 miles
There were a number of expensive repairs over my 10 years

I have an F8 spider which has 52,000 miles and she has been very reliable and without any major service issues.

All i do is change oils every 6,000 miles, change DCT fluids (2) every 40,000, use Chevron gas and warm up the car.

No experience with the 296. I Don't trust Ferrari with electric anything. Prefer the looks of the F8 and 458

Replacing the 296 battery is probably very expensive with no good reason .

 

F8 all the way..

 

F8 100%

 

IMO your wife has the practical everyday car. All your other cars stand out. IMO unless you are in Monaco where there are every exotic car imaginable that are regularly seen, you will stand out.

 

Having all the NA cars and collectible 458, why not have a modern car like the 296? I drive it frequently in daily use since 2.5 yrs and i like the different options the hybrid system offers you, it is actually kind of entertaining to have a broader variety of options especially in city traffic and on speed limited overland roads.The modern Display gives you much more information. Of course the haptic control is not worth a nobel price, when i haven‘t driven the car for a while i curse it in the beginning, when driving more often you get used to it. Sound is good, performance is without a question superb. To add, coming from a similar porsche history, i found the 296 was the the first modern Ferrari that reminded me a bit of a porsche gt3 in terms of directness and predictability of handling.
Compared to the F8, which i owned for a couple of month, i liked the looks, realky a pretty car and best evolutionin exterior design, didn’t see a big progress to 488, it lacked sound, so i sold it pretty quickly and bought a used Pista, much happier with for its purpose.
Concerning value probably the F8 is the much more predictible car, but for driving and everyday use i would prefer the 296.
In the first year there where some issues with the electric system,warnings after longer periods of not using it, since the last updates no more issues…

 

Hi oo7ml,
I had the same dilemma as you. I’ve just sold my 2019 720s spider, which I loved and I used as a daily driver….but it was out of warranty and I live in an impossibly difficult place to get anything serviced without involving a day journey on a ferry. So I wanted to get a newer daily driver that I could rely on. I test drove a Mclaren 750s and Ferrari 296GTS in Manchester. I loved both of them. The 750s fixes lots of the niggly issues with the 720s and 296GTS was fabulous albeit maybe a little sterile to drive. But ultimately for me it came down to money and reliability….the 296GTS price, in the UK at least, has been dropping like a stone and the complexity of the tech in the car scares me, particularly living a day away from the nearest dealer…having been a Mclaren owner, I love the cars, but hated the aftercare and how useless the dealer network is for Mclaren in the UK (Amongst other amusing adventures with Mclaren, they once refused to ship a new key fob to me on the basis that it contained a small lithium battery!!!)…so the bottom line was that I didn’t want another Mclaren, but equally I wasn’t convinced by the 296GTS, so I decided to stay old-school and have opted for a 2022 F8 Spider instead. I haven’t test driven an F8 side by side with a 750s and a 296GTS, but I did drive one a couple of years ago and liked it a lot…so fingers crossed the f8 spider I have just put a deposit on (in Rosso over a Crema interior), is going to become my new daily driver for the next couple of years.

The, in a couple of years, when hybrids of stopped dropping their value quite so horribly, I might move into the new world of hybrids and EV supercars…maybe…!

Best
G.