Pista-STO- 765LT- AMG Black series

"Harmonically pleasing" even without Neil Young?

 

Congrats sounds like you love the car! So many great choices out there and seeing as the world is going electric this will be a forever keeper!

 

Young contributes a slightly nasal, edgy tonality.

 

This noise thing. I love the sound associated with exotic cars. But so many people associate volume with great sound and it’s far from it. I loved the noise our Speciale makes when I drove it from the factory. I’ve driven many miles in it but much less over the last couple of years. I took it out the other day with my wife and found it a bit too much. On track obviously no issue but it droned terribly around 3-4K rpm under mild load. Made me wish I had taken the 812 because the Speciale on our nice night out developed a different kind of noise from the passenger seat…. These days, cars are so fast for the road that in Europe you have to be very careful where you press on and I am even more conscious of that feeling in a loud car. It’s at the stage where I feel I have to drive loud cars slower in most places. It feels antisocial, and ultimately less enjoyable on all but the emptiest of roads. The new GT3 is a great case in point. I love driving it, most of the miles are on track but I also enjoy its noise on the road. It’s scintillating and feels more honest. Quieter outside but louder inside, inspiries me to drive (and I think that’s part of what I’m paying for). But there has been criticism of its sound. Why? Because the volume is less. Same with the GTS v Superfast. My argument though, is if a thing sounds good, less is not always less and more is not always more. But good is always good. And the 992 GT3? It sounds good.

The Ferrari V12s are somehow different. The Pista with its lower volume has no problem here either but is not really a sweet sound like the 812 (which is a symphony on any occasion at any speed, just wonderful - no unwanted booming anywhere). I just bought a beautiful 1989 930 Turbo. I love it, quiet car but really engaging and interesting sound. No problem driving it as fast as I like in most places and definitely does not feel anti-social. I don’t actually think it’s society that has changed but the cars - they have been getting much faster and much louder. Our F512M has a Tubi on it and little has a sound to touch it, it’s reasonably loud, not too antisocial but hard to beat - certainly no turbo has a chance. The Car Guys did a video on our very car and you can hear exactly what I mean in it. Wonderful sound, loud but not really feeling antisocial.

I think the quest for power selling cars has also been matched by noise, and I’m beginning to think it went too far. The implication being all this noise is race-car inspired (Speciale, LT even Pista all have to be louder than their donors to match their track personality). Many race cars are pretty quiet, they at least don’t have to be noisy to be fast. So my conclusion is that synthesised noise (the blare and drone of a Speciale, LT etc.) is just marketing. It’s not needed and it’s not really aurally that pleasing if you’re honest. If a car is just louder, you can reasonably conclude that the maker is just trying to remind you that you paid for the uber version. Many people buy the track versions because they are seen to be the best and hardest to get. Obnoxious volume suits that buying theme because it announces your arrival like nothing else. It’s not sweeter, or better, just louder. And it doesn’t need to be (unless you are part of the announce-your-arrival crew). What it needs to be is better, more interesting, more mechanical, sweeter. Some mix of those things is always a positive. The F12s/812s are so sweet (and therefore the TDF, Comp having a bit more volume has a better purpose and is welcome or even wonderful). But the 930 Turbo, a quiet car, is also really interesting. Do I think this 33 year old turbo has better sound than our majestic Ferrari n/a V8 track special? Well I think it has more integrity, it’s more mechanical and is less exhaust (marketing) driven for sure. And as a road car (which, let’s not forget, the Pista, Speciale, LT and STO’s all are) it doesn’t leave you feeling like you’re disturbing the peace when pressing on or deaf from sonic boom when you’re not.

Don’t get me wrong, the Speciale is one of life’s best driving experiences. I think I prefer it to the Pista which I’ve written before is brilliant but much more business-like at the task of going fast. Quicker than the Speciale for sure but the Speciale has a unique feel that perhaps elevates it. The SF90 chassis responses feel more like it than the Pista, even the LaF has some of that influence (or is it the other way around?) I just don’t think the exhaust boom really needs to be there. It’s never bothered me before and you could say I’m just getting older (early 50’s) but these days I like cars that are better because they are better and more interesting not because they are just more.

 

Big congrats! What would be super cool is to take each one, together with the STO, on a track, and lap it for a session. I know it sounds risky, but in the afternoons, many events often clear out, leaving the tracks wide open.

No need to run 10/10 (none of us here can), but it provides the opportunity to use many of the features and capabilities not possible on a public road.

I plan to run my STO and eventually the F8 on one of the elevation tracks here out east - VIR, Road Atlanta, or possibly Watkins, where I’m currently at with the 458.

Just concluded the Empire State Region’s FCA event, and I wished I could’ve trailered the STO here. I had the track to myself on Day 3 in the afternoon!

But………I am wondering if each of these (STO possibly excepted) is too fast for even a track for us non-pros.

 

I don't think the F8/Pisa/765 are too fast - one just needs to build up confidence (and leave the nannies on to start).

I also ran at the FCA event Glen this weekend, the conditions were great (I was in the red Praga). It was good to get out after a nearly 3 year sabbatical.

 

Lol, you took the great weather with you! Poured yesterday and socked in by fog today, so not a lot of seat time at Watkins now.

You guys are nuts in those cars, it was a pleasure running with you. Next year I’ll being the STO and run as you suggested.
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If you find a car too fast, you shouldn't be driving it.

 

epic write up Sam, congrats on your stunning 765!!!

 

If you live on Isle of Man or a race circuit, yes. Otherwise almost all modern supercars are too fast for public roads, but we (I) still enjoy them for reasons other than speed..

 

FIFY

 

If you find a car too fast, you shouldn’t be driving it since you don’t know how to drive.

I assumed that when I posted my original comment. Thanks for the clarification.

 

A lot of people think they’re better drivers than they actually are. I wouldn’t assume someone knows how to handle an 800hp car just because that’s what their brain is telling them.

 

Haven't you had a volcanic 765 for a while? What is your take away from all that power?

 

Exactly, it's all about the total package. The 765LT is a car focused on maximum sports car efficiency, light, stiff, agile, fast, reduced, highly efficient in everything. Currently (probably forever) benchmark for all super sport cars. The next step is a real race car.
What I really think is stupid are electric vehicles that drive like a battleship but accelerate like a supercar with 1000hp and more. I consider such a combination to be completely senseless.

 

Those who are not highly skilled drivers and push their cars beyond their capabilities will be punished with a crash or worse.

 

There are many on these forums that own a plethora of super cars and rarely if ever drive them but are highly verbose offering countless posts about their driving dynamics.

 

The car is ballistic but manageable once you get acclimatized to the power delivery. I drive in ESC dynamic mode which allows a degree of wheelspin and slip, otherwise the traction control is constantly intervening.

I sent it to California last month for car week - it felt right at home on the Angeles Crest hwy.

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No top down?

 

Not during that excursion. It was 38 degrees C.

Drove top down the entire way from Monterey to LA however.

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The SWAMP isn't just in Washington.