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Very nice spec. Let's meet up in South Bay. Just took delivery of my touring last week, too!
Congrats! Hope you love yours as much as I do mine. Would be happy to meet up. Feel free to DM me. Username Chris88 also seems to be in the area and has a beautiful white GT3T I have admired here...perhaps get a group of GT3T owners together for a skyline drive?
Didn't buy a 458 yet lol, but OP would love to hear your comparisons between the two as I am researching making the opposite switch (.2 GT3 to 458)
Enjoy the touring, very nice spec
I do not consider myself an expert reviewer, so please Sam, take my impressions below at best as one layman's opinion, less than a grain of salt.
Ferrari 458:
- What I loved: Amazing engineering overall - but too much engineering for me, even just looking at the steering wheel. Amazing sound (screams) with that V8 right behind you. Amazing acceleration and top line speed, no body roll EVER even at very high speed. Styling is a work of art as is the engine, the handling, and even the interior. It can also be quite civilized driving around town (that is, quiet and comfortable especially in the soft mode).
- What I didn't like: The crazy level attention everywhere. A few times some people on the freeway in their quest to take photos or just egg me on or give a thumbs up or whatever almost killed both of us catching up, swerving, etc. Several times people were leaning against or even once ON the car taking photos. Also, the way it was set up (transmission, etc.) made the thing go really fast really quickly. I did 130mph in it almost always on the freeway and it felt like I was going 80. Without really trying actually (I swear, I'm not usually that reckless). To make it fun, the car would be going way over the speed limit (even in low gears) and would literally alert the world that you're around - loud as all hell (both good and bad, tbh). I learned that there is such a thing as too much power owning this car, and now, unless I want something for track use, a **** ton of hp, wings, etc., actually turn me off if my intent is a car I can use and have a blast with on roads. The car also never felt like it was mine; I can't explain it. Just too exotic and over the top in every respect. So I never felt right being seen in it, didn't want to drive it to work (and I didn't) so it was this weekend take a loop around and bring it back kind of car. I never gained a connection to the car. So it ended up being kind of useless actually and collected a lot of dust as a trophy or something. I'd marvel at what it could/would do and how it looked (though the catfish looking front spoiler never did it for me nor the ultra modern headlights - that's the other thing, Ferrari while an amazing company doesn't, at least imo, really have any distinguishable identity to their cars as the iconic 911 does). But given all the above, I didn't really use it all that much, felt weird in it in some ways, other people made me feel uncomfortable (and sometimes even unsafe) and so overall, it just wasn't very fun to own. If I had the roads and parking lots of the world to myself, I would enjoy having one probably on some levels.
GT3T:
- What I love: I drive it everywhere and while i wasn't sure it could, it has become my daily driver. It makes stop and go traffic even more fun than before. The looks are so understated and iconic, yet exciting (not boring) and stealthy too. You still get attention, but it's a lot more subtle and civilized. I never feel like a douche driving it. The sound is different - throaty and growling, which I LOVE. The handling, steering, suspension all feel a LOT more old school and connected and mechanical to me than the Ferrari that seemed far more engineered and modern to me. The third pedal helps with that feeling a lot too, as do all the mechanical sounds. It just has an old school vibe to it that takes me to my teen years when I first learned stick shift and cars were all mechanical - even though I know this one isn't really, they did such a nice job making it feel as though it is. I love the interior more, too - the plain, no control small round steering wheel is such a joy to feel and look at. And then there is the German engineering- 'nuff said. It just feels and looks right to me, like a finely tailored, timeless British 2-button suit versus a flashy 3 or even 4 button Italian one; both fine products but for different strokes and one more timeless to my eye. BTW, for anyone wondering if they can daily drive this or do so in buckets (granted I am very slim and avg height), have no doubt - the seats are my favorite in any car I have owned, which I could have them in all my cars (and I did a long road trip this weekend) and the car overall is fantastic as a DD, just makes everything more fun and smile-inducing. Also then there is also the fuel economy - so good, especially relative to the 458 and all my other cars; almost like a small japanese car, amazingly.
- What I don't love: The torque on the car could be a little more thrilling BUT I have not broken in it yet (just under 1k miles now) so am not going past 4k on the tach. I assume I will feel better about this but the published spec torque numbers do seem relatively low for a car of this cailber. That's it, really. You could offer me 3 458s or 1 GT3T and I would pick the latter every time (unless my main interest was in the financial aspect of the deal).
I do not consider myself an expert reviewer, so please Sam, take my impressions below at best as one layman's opinion, less than a grain of salt.
Ferrari 458:
- What I loved: Amazing engineering overall - but too much engineering for me, even just looking at the steering wheel. Amazing sound (screams) with that V8 right behind you. Amazing acceleration and top line speed, no body roll EVER even at very high speed. Styling is a work of art as is the engine, the handling, and even the interior. It can also be quite civilized driving around town (that is, quiet and comfortable especially in the soft mode).
- What I didn't like: The crazy level attention everywhere. A few times some people on the freeway in their quest to take photos or just egg me on or give a thumbs up or whatever almost killed both of us catching up, swerving, etc. Several times people were leaning against or even once ON the car taking photos. Also, the way it was set up (transmission, etc.) made the thing go really fast really quickly. I did 130mph in it almost always on the freeway and it felt like I was going 80. Without really trying actually (I swear, I'm not usually that reckless). To make it fun, the car would be going way over the speed limit (even in low gears) and would literally alert the world that you're around - loud as all hell (both good and bad, tbh). I learned that there is such a thing as too much power owning this car, and now, unless I want something for track use, a **** ton of hp, wings, etc., actually turn me off if my intent is a car I can use and have a blast with on roads. The car also never felt like it was mine; I can't explain it. Just too exotic and over the top in every respect. So I never felt right being seen in it, didn't want to drive it to work (and I didn't) so it was this weekend take a loop around and bring it back kind of car. I never gained a connection to the car. So it ended up being kind of useless actually and collected a lot of dust as a trophy or something. I'd marvel at what it could/would do and how it looked (though the catfish looking front spoiler never did it for me nor the ultra modern headlights - that's the other thing, Ferrari while an amazing company doesn't, at least imo, really have any distinguishable identity to their cars as the iconic 911 does). But given all the above, I didn't really use it all that much, felt weird in it in some ways, other people made me feel uncomfortable (and sometimes even unsafe) and so overall, it just wasn't very fun to own. If I had the roads and parking lots of the world to myself, I would enjoy having one probably on some levels.
GT3T:
- What I love: I drive it everywhere and while i wasn't sure it could, it has become my daily driver. It makes stop and go traffic even more fun than before. The looks are so understated and iconic, yet exciting (not boring) and stealthy too. You still get attention, but it's a lot more subtle and civilized. I never feel like a douche driving it. The sound is different - throaty and growling, which I LOVE. The handling, steering, suspension all feel a LOT more old school and connected and mechanical to me than the Ferrari that seemed far more engineered and modern to me. The third pedal helps with that feeling a lot too, as do all the mechanical sounds. It just has an old school vibe to it that takes me to my teen years when I first learned stick shift and cars were all mechanical - even though I know this one isn't really, they did such a nice job making it feel as though it is. I love the interior more, too - the plain, no control small round steering wheel is such a joy to feel and look at. And then there is the German engineering- 'nuff said. It just feels and looks right to me, like a finely tailored, timeless British 2-button suit versus a flashy 3 or even 4 button Italian one; both fine products but for different strokes and one more timeless to my eye. BTW, for anyone wondering if they can daily drive this or do so in buckets (granted I am very slim and avg height), have no doubt - the seats are my favorite in any car I have owned, which I could have them in all my cars (and I did a long road trip this weekend) and the car overall is fantastic as a DD, just makes everything more fun and smile-inducing. Also then there is also the fuel economy - so good, especially relative to the 458 and all my other cars; almost like a small japanese car, amazingly.
- What I don't love: The torque on the car could be a little more thrilling BUT I have not broken in it yet (just under 1k miles now) so am not going past 4k on the tach. I assume I will feel better about this but the published spec torque numbers do seem relatively low for a car of this cailber. That's it, really. You could offer me 3 458s or 1 GT3T and I would pick the latter every time (unless my main interest was in the financial aspect of the deal).
Thanks zroom, you still have more experience with the 458 than I do! Appreciate the write up it and detail, seems to fall in line with what I've already found/researched on my own. Seems like the attention part was a big negative for the car, and I'm not a big fan of attention either. Thankfully for better or worse in LA I think I'll be able to be left to my own devices in a 458, but who really knows. In either case don't want to take your thread OT, happy for you and your awesome new car. Thanks again for the input
The torque on the car could be a little more thrilling BUT I have not broken in it yet (just under 1k miles now) so am not going past 4k on the tach. I assume I will feel better about this but the published spec torque numbers do seem relatively low for a car of this cailber.
Nice writeup.
Just some thoughts about the torque...the 458 has about 60 lb/ft more torque and 300 lbs more weight. You also haven't gone past 4K, so give it some time before you compare...
Researched for a year and especially learned so much here (thank you Rennlisters!), waited almost a year after putting down a deposit and finally have my first new Porsche - a GT3 Touring.
I couldn't be happier, the best car I have ever owned in terms of everything really. It doesn't get unwanted attention. It doesn't have "too much" power for the roadways - even in stop and go traffic or going 40mph on windy roads, it is an absolute blast in terms of feel and sound (the Ferrari wanted to go really fast all the time and all the attention...not for me). It looks so timeless and right - I don't ever get out of it and not look back. The throaty sound of that engine and the stiff suspension, the gear box and third pedal (god I missed that)...just such a special car.
And a special shout out to Garry at Classic FX who made the beautiful 911R fabric houndstooth inserts for me - flawless and so easy to put on; another shout out to Ed (all class, this gentleman) who made the gorgeous bolster protectors I hardly notice are there; and to Chris at Renndecals who made me fantastic two-tone matte Singer style side decals. And again, thanks to all of you for all the learnings that helped me make the perfect choice (for me at least).
09-17-2018, 02:32 PM
Would be happy to meet up. Feel free to DM me. Username Chris88 also seems to be in the area and has a beautiful white GT3T I have admired here...perhaps get a group of GT3T owners together for a skyline drive?
