Great car. Those are on my list too. Congrats. Need to form a club of Scud, Ford GT and 997 GT owners so we can all swap back and forth. Seems like all of them are constantly being chased by the same group of car people.

 

I just sold my 991.2 RS.....think im going to chase buying a scud

 

Had a CS, didn't bond with the car as the buckets didn't have enough lumbar support, and even after adding padding, the seat back was too curved in for me.
The brakes were no good until you have lots of heat in them. I killed a bunch of cones in one event as a result.
The car moves around way too much at the limit, to a point where I even miss hitting the shift pedals at times.
I owned the CS at the same I owned a Lotus w/ standalone ECU and a turbo system and a Ford GT w/ supercharger and suspension upgrades and the CS had no chance next to these two so sold it and never look back.
Wouldn't mind trying a Scud though.

 

The Ferrari is an emotional car. the sounds, the feeling of seeing that prancing horse, the story of Enzo, Schumacher, etc. If you've never had a Ferrari before I would say do it, its an automotive bucket list item (especially a special edition Ferrari like the scud).

I had a 458 for the last 4 years. it was a fun thing to experience. But i'd prefer something german built that can take a beating and doesn't have simple parts that cost a crazy amount to replace.

 

Go for it. I think it’s a car to experience at one time if you can swing it.

Brakes can need some heat in them, but that was pretty typical for ceramics of this time period or earlier; not really a CS/Scud specific thing (and yes, CS was even worse and makes sense given age difference and how ceramics were developing back then). Ferraris tend to dance around a LOT more than the “planted” feel of Porsche. First time I took a CS on track, I couldn’t stand it, but then realized it just slid around a lot more but still stayed “under control”. Scud similar, I think you can have a lot of fun in it tossing it around compared to a P-gt that is pretty glued to the ground all-things-considered. But it did take some getting used to after almost exclusively driving p-gt cars at track. I think scud, at is limit, is one of most fun cars I’ve ever owned. And, yeah, it screeches and slides and drifts pretty easily; but again, stays pretty composed somehow despite all that. If a scud comes loose, it’s part of the experience. If a p-gt comes lose, you have done something wrong and probably in trouble

 

I've owned an F430 for over 2 years and drove the Scud twice on the track, once before buying the F430 and another a few years later.

The Scud's value comes from the fact that it's a special series Ferrari and limited production, imo the regular F430 is more beautiful and offers 99% of what the Scud offers for half the price. 20hp and 200lbs isn't a crazy difference, I think most of the performance gains came from going from OEM Bridgestone Potenza's to Pzero Corsas to be honest. Take the difference in price and buy a dedicated track weapon like a formula ford or something.

Problem is that most F430's aren't well taken care of and turn many buyers away. Once I got my car I had full paint correction, full PPF and ceramic coating done. Had the shiny seats scrubbed with leather cleaner to bring back original look, and bolster wear touched up with bespoke leathering dye. Fresh AGM battery, Scud Inc. F1 relay, Pilot Sport 4S tyres and an exhaust valve remote. Looks and drives better than the day it rolled off the production line.

The F430 is peak analog. The car gives you so much feedback that you know exactly what everything is doing; you feel so connected. That feedback translates to confidence and encourages you to go faster. Exceptional steering response and unreal throttle response. The engine note is characterful, making different sounds and different stages, multi-layered and organic, a pure mechanical symphony. The F1 gearbox while not as fast as modern dual clutch gives you a satisfying kick when changing gears, but can be smooth if you want to lift off before shifting. It is fun to drive slow, an important characteristic among most modern cars that are numb until you are at 9/10ths. The lines of the car are timeless, you'd hardly think this is a 15 year old car. It is a sense of an occasion, something special every time you get in and drive.

 

.2 GT3RS works better on everything but the exotic looks and sound, and for exotic looks, Lambos look more exotic than Fiats. For sound, the Dundon headers and muffler fix it.

For C&C use, even a 348 is reliable. Once you start using these street Italian cars on mountain roads, sustained throttle/brakes applications on a racetrack, they start to show up their weaknesses.

If I were to buy a Strad or Scud today, it would undergo surgery and get converted to a 6-speed manual with F430 hardware, I would also replace the e-diff with a conventional 360 Challenge diff or one of the Aussie made Drexlers. Cut off all the hydraulics related to the e-diff, F1 actuators, and absurd clutch control on moderate driving by these SuperFast algorithms, and live a happy long term experience. Given that both the Scud and Strad are not Turbo/Mega HP monsters, the manual transmission would make them even more enjoyable.

The CS and Scuderia use a manual transmission, but it is shifted by these weak by-design Magneti-Marelli actuators system built initially for the Maserati 3200GT, and never improved on its design. Through the years, they just added beefier pumps, copper washers to replace the aluminum ones and reduce heat cycles deformities, some cooling fins, but the foundation was flawed by design. The e-diff is marvelous, but unfortunately it shares the hydraulic system with the actuators shifting system (what they used to call F1), so that's the reason the defects on the shifting mechanism would also affect the electronic differential control. When the e-diff malfunctions due to a leak or pressure difference with target, it defaults to full lock for safety, at T10 in Palm Beach Intl Raceway, I could not get a F430 to go faster than 22mph, the car would go straight at any speed above that. A former race shop in Riviera Beach found the problem: $1300 on parts: e-diff valved and e-diff solenoid, both burned from Florida heat and light track use.

I tell everyone, go with any Ferrari with a Getrag DCT, this is when they started to get dependable. The F430/Scud have a dependable engine, the same engine in the F430CH cars ran 200+ hours before a refresh, the 360 and any V8 before were fragile and expensive to maintain. There was a F430 manual, that's the one with hardware needed (except transmission) to make the Scud (or the Strad) manual transmission.

The 458 is the car, just look for one with Carbon buckets, and lots of carbon interior trim, so it has more feedback (sound and noises). It only needs $300 on stiffer springs, some cooling ducts (Speciale parts) for the brakes, C7-ZR1 brake pads, decent brake fluid, done. The Speciale is the nice 458, but its price tag doubles the Italia and that double money doesn't provide twice the experience. Likewise, my HGTE was 1/3 the price of a GTO, and the few mods I made (headers, 2nd cat delete, Tubi muffler, stiffer springs, F12-spec Michelin tires) made it better to enjoy and drive than a GTO, my former neighbor still has his GTO and he liked the sound and dynamics on my 599 better.

The sticky buttons, worn-out clutches every 5k miles, overheated brakes, limp modes, that's just normal, but the later cars (458, F12, 488, etc.) are better on this regard.

Sub $200k, 991.2 GT3RS it is. If you already have the RS, then 600LT or 720S.

 

^^^ Pretty good summary. But would point out Scud F1 system is not the F430 system. Runs at double the psi, pump, hydraulics etc. beefed up to professional grade and the transmission itself also has beefier synchros.

Don’t really hear of a lot of problems with Scuds. That said, if I lived in mountains or was at the track all weekend would take a PGT car over the Ferrari.

 

I've been looking for a Speciale for about a year now as my first F car. Before beginning my search I spent much time contemplating between a Pista and Speciale. Ultimately decided to pursue a Speciale and made an offer recently on the one at Lambo Palm Beach. My decision was based upon wanted something more raw. Simply put I'm a 997GT3RS > 991RS kind of guy.

Wow, after reading this thread though Im seriously considering an about face! Never been in a Speciale or a Scud but it sounds like the Scud might be more up my alley! Great thread

 

That would be a HUGE mistake. The superfast F1 transmission in the Scud is the most incredible thing to experience. It's not just about how quickly it shifts, it's about the kick in the back it gives you. That is probably one of the things I miss most about the car. Don't think any other car gives you that type of experience.

 

^^^ I had 2 cars with the SuperFast F1, and all my sport cars go to racetracks, hill climbs, time trials and autoX. Part of the rawness people praise about the Scud, HGTE and GTO is exactly that, the violent gear shifts at high rpms and full throttle, nothing a PDK-S or a modified PDK+DSC can do. But it comes at a price, and if the car is going to be frequently enjoyed, the price to pay includes the F1 actuators and hydraulic lines, clutches, e-diff sensors and F1 solenoids. Over the years I had to cover some of those bills, it gets annoying. Very few people truly drive these cars near their limits, and they are the ones that find these defects. Most people treat them as ornaments, C&C, garage queens, and even on a track day, they barely keep up with well driven miatas and civics.

The Getrag DCT in the newer cars is not as exciting as the latest SuperFast and SuperFast2 single-clutch adapted manual transmissions with actuators to simulate a true sequential, but the peace of mind on longevity, if one intends to use the car for what it is supposed do, means either a newer car with the DCT or an older one with the manual transmission is the sane way to go.

Performance-wise, the SuperFast vs. the Manual 6-speed (same transmission, different add-ons) is such a small difference, than it is up to the driver and skills, rather than the car.

The Speciale is overpriced, the Pista is soulless and overpriced, drove both already. After the 430 and 599, they lost the emotional factor, (except the TDF, that one is still raw). The best car for the money from Italy is the 458, and the best emotional car for the money is the Scud, $13k fix the Scud deficiencies.

Not a fan of the Strads with their weak performance engines, but they are prettier than any 430. One of my favorite cars driven on a racetrack on straight sections is the Aventador, it does this brutal gear changes, fun, but it's another single clutch money eating setup.

 

I have owned both, CS and Scud. The Challenge Stradale is the rawest car and more fun driving experience of all them. The beautiest car too. The ultímate pure car of Ferrari, a legend.

 

^^^it is beautiful. And it is a ton of fun. Its Achilles heal is the tranny at anything other than WOT. Once it has some decent momentum, it’s magic. At cruising speeds, you need motion sickness tabs. It is a clunky disaster at cruising speeds.

Along with CGT, it’s one of those cars that blows my mind that a manufacturer made for anyone to walk in, order and drive off the lot. The CS is a no-compromise design from a different era when car manufacturers had the ***** (or lacked sense?) to build such a singular purpose car. I think the average person that drove a CS (or CGT for different reasons) would wonder why anyone would want to drive the car, voluntarily, for fun. For that reason, I love the CS; again, it is a no-compromise design that doesn’t try to be anything other than a wild-animal, track-oriented street toy. It is a beautiful, HORRIBLE road car. A downshift at WOT is intoxicating. I love it. I miss mine at times for sure. Ugggh, your pics make me want one again.

 

You knew your words, you are right... The CS is simply what a street racing car should be: simple, hard, responsive, addictive, and of course its sound, which is the best-sounding V8 in the history of Ferrari in my opinion. I recommend anyone who has never driven it to try it and then present your feelings here. They are unique, no car of the 7 Ferrari I have had has moved me so much.

 

Are the CS shifts still really clunky / harsh if you lift up while pulling the paddle?