Italian Day

[bobfair]

I had a very enjoyable day to day in that I was able to drive 4 Ferraris back to back. It was meant to be the complete range but unfortunately F12's are still pretty rare and couldnt make it so they subsitututed another 458 instead. So drove an FF, a California and 2 458 spiders.









So what were my impressions:

First the FF. V12 monster engine, fast, endless power and smooth to eat continents with but not for me. I felt slightly underwhelmed. This must be a very niche market

The California. Good fun but not really that big a step up from the SL I arrived in. Its a Ferrari and is multipurpose easy to use every day but I could not see me buying one

The 458. Wow totally orgasmic, a wonderful driving experience. Great noise, great balance, handles like a dream, very comfortable yet so positive. In race mode the gear changes are a joy very rapid with a real kick in the back. I loved the little window behind the driver that you can lower to hear the engine more, my kind of feature. I would simply love to own one of these cars you can poodle around in auto if you want to or drive like a hooligan. So the big question would be a new GT 3 or a 458 for 80k more?



I loved the white car until I heard Biannaca Italia is a £15k option!!

Car comes with 7 year servicing included in price and 4 year warranty which makes Porsche seem a bit mean



Still need to drive that F12 one day

 

[pwebb]

That green Italia is truly eye popping! Thanks for the write up Bob, but have you booked your test in the new GT3 yet?

 

[bobfair]

No I have not Peter. Do they have one at Silverstone yet? Obviously virtually impossible to do that at a dealer.

Has anyone here driven the new GT 3 yet? It would certainly be a lot cheaper. All the press reviews have been very positive Autocar saying it is a direct competitor with a 458 and quicker than a MP12 round a circuit.

We must compare property notes one day. I am almost exhausted with the problems old houses throw at you. Fancy a trip to rural Devon next year?

 

[944s2]

The green 458 I had to look twice at what it was

Unusual but nice

 

[Lancerlot]

The worrying thing about the 458 is residual value - there are currently 83 available on Pistonheads - so a lot for sale.

Also, I found the 458 to be rather anodyne in comparison to the 430 Scuderia I was driving at the time, which in turn was light years better than the standard 430.

From my Frankfurt Motor Show visit last week, I would say it will be the same with the 458 Speciale. There are many small redesign features that in total will add up to a completely different and more rewarding car, IMHO.

It will be dearer certainly, but maybe only £20K or so - so small beer if you're thinking of buying from new. Then again, when you get the Ferrari option list in front of you, you can easily spend a further £20K there. []

It's quite wrong to compare it with GT3 - it's much more of a heart/head decision than that. [8|]

Regards

Clive.

 

[bobfair]

I wasnt seriously considering buying a Ferrari but when you are offered the chance to drive 4 of them back to back you cant say no. There are 140 458's on Pistonheads (including spiders) so that must apply downward price pressure.

In a recent article the guys from EVO said the new GT 3 was so good it can be considered as an alternative to a 458. If you go for comfort spec and adaptive sports seats to make it more road orientated its something to think about and its £80k cheaper!! Trouble is its difficult to get to drive one and it is very different to the last car

 

[Lancerlot]

ORIGINAL: bobfair
I would simply love to own one of these cars you can poodle around in auto if you want to or drive like a hooligan. So the big question would be a new GT 3 or a 458 for 80k more?

Sorry Bob, clearly have misunderstood. [8|]

Regards,

Clive.

 

[grover]

I drove that green one and have no regrets losing my turbo s for the 458 spider.....it's not just a depreciating decision buying these cars. 1000 miles on the clock, European roads next weekend.....happy days. D