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CS will be the classic I imagine...last of the curvy pretty cars from Maranello, best exhaust note this side of a 355 (don't need a capristo) and rarest. Feels raw even versus an earlier GT3, special and different whether driving 20 or 90 mph. You hear every little pebble and grain of sand skip across the carbon fiber undertray. OTOH the F1 tranny in the CS is laggy and really crude, the 3.6 feels anemic for a modern car at reasonable revs and the stock setup is a bit (too) tail happy. The Scud powertrain is a distinct improvement while retaining almost all of the raw roadfeel (and shedding the 3-year periodic belt service of the 360 based CS). And the CS buckets somehow manage to be barbaric to your lower back while doing very little to actually hold you in the seat.
Speciale is F's step away from the analog era. Up to the individual perspective as to whether its a step forward or a step back. To me Ferrari didn't quite get it right given what it is supposed to be -- in adding a healthy touch of modernity (DCT, electronic controlled dampers, in-dash screens and of couse cup holders!) it seems to have lost much more of the rawness and character than say a 991.2 GT3 RS vs. a 997. It is fast but also unnecessarily compliant and usable for what it is supposed to be. Which makes it the ideal car for some but for me its a bit too much of a step to the middle. Its still an amazing achievement for Ferrari...there is just not enough "mr hyde" at summons through the manettino. And despite a sky high redline that matches the 991.2 GT cars, the exhaust note is the least interesting of these three Ferraris. OTOH the buckets are the best.
Scud sits in between...jrtaylor said it right...goldilock's pick. F1 "superfast" tranny won't match a DCT on a stopwatch but is proper quick and the the shift has a discernibly mechanical action that manual tranny guys will appreciate (it is after all a manual transmission being shifted by pumps and pistons). In "race" mode with pedal down it snaps off exhilarating, almost violent shifts. Bumpy road mode (which the CS lacks) is the perfect balance for canyon driving. And the 4.3 is "just right" for a street car...enough grunt down low to feel quick but still revs to the sky...if you look at peak hp / torque / redline it is where the 991.2 GT3 ended up 12 years later. And the drive is magical. Doesn't offer the sensation of grip that a GT3 does (and most on this forum would find the steering unnervingly light) but the way it corners, the way it builds confidence through balance and subtlety is remarkably intuitive and fun. There is a touch of lotus in there despite its mass. The exhaust note is proper and gets even more F1 rasp with the addition of an S-line exhaust.
The reality is its hard to go wrong with any of these, but I think for people who appreciate the unique formula of a GT3, the Scud is the best starting point.
CS will be the classic I imagine...last of the curvy pretty cars from Maranello, best exhaust note this side of a 355 (don't need a capristo) and rarest. Feels raw even versus an earlier GT3, special and different whether driving 20 or 90 mph. You hear every little pebble and grain of sand skip across the carbon fiber undertray. OTOH the F1 tranny in the CS is laggy and really crude, the 3.6 feels anemic for a modern car at reasonable revs and the stock setup is a bit (too) tail happy. The Scud powertrain is a distinct improvement while retaining almost all of the raw roadfeel (and shedding the 3-year periodic belt service of the 360 based CS). And the CS buckets somehow manage to be barbaric to your lower back while doing very little to actually hold you in the seat.
Speciale is F's step away from the analog era. Up to the individual perspective as to whether its a step forward or a step back. To me Ferrari didn't quite get it right given what it is supposed to be -- in adding a healthy touch of modernity (DCT, electronic controlled dampers, in-dash screens and of couse cup holders!) it seems to have lost much more of the rawness and character than say a 991.2 GT3 RS vs. a 997. It is fast but also unnecessarily compliant and usable for what it is supposed to be. Which makes it the ideal car for some but for me its a bit too much of a step to the middle. Its still an amazing achievement for Ferrari...there is just not enough "mr hyde" at summons through the manettino. And despite a sky high redline that matches the 991.2 GT cars, the exhaust note is the least interesting of these three Ferraris. OTOH the buckets are the best.
Scud sits in between...jrtaylor said it right...goldilock's pick. F1 "superfast" tranny won't match a DCT on a stopwatch but is proper quick and the the shift has a discernibly mechanical action that manual tranny guys will appreciate (it is after all a manual transmission being shifted by pumps and pistons). In "race" mode with pedal down it snaps off exhilarating, almost violent shifts. Bumpy road mode (which the CS lacks) is the perfect balance for canyon driving. And the 4.3 is "just right" for a street car...enough grunt down low to feel quick but still revs to the sky...if you look at peak hp / torque / redline it is where the 991.2 GT3 ended up 12 years later. And the drive is magical. Doesn't offer the sensation of grip that a GT3 does (and most on this forum would find the steering unnervingly light) but the way it corners, the way it builds confidence through balance and subtlety is remarkably intuitive and fun. There is a touch of lotus in there despite its mass. The exhaust note is proper and gets even more F1 rasp with the addition of an S-line exhaust.
The reality is its hard to go wrong with any of these, but I think for people who appreciate the unique formula of a GT3, the Scud is the best starting point.
Thanks for sharing your impressions, enjoyed reading that. Those are three beautiful cavallinos! If you had to pick one, are you going Scud?
Had a 2015 gt3 with sharkwerks bypass. Ride ended up being too stiff for Chicago roads.
Scuderia rides much better, f1 sf2 gearbox much more emotional than pdk-s. Overall more fun and exotic sound/feel/seating position/looks/etc than porsche.
Do also have a 991.2s that wife and I use as more of a daily for school runs/etc.
Manual conversion for challenge stradale solves the gearbox problem. Just had ecus redone by AV Engineering in England. 1st ecu tune done for conversion by previous owner didn’t feel quite right. Aldous did great work and car now feels fantastic.
Missed out on a 997rs last year, will add one in the future. Another great analogue car.
CS will be the classic I imagine...last of the curvy pretty cars from Maranello, best exhaust note this side of a 355 (don't need a capristo) and rarest. Feels raw even versus an earlier GT3, special and different whether driving 20 or 90 mph. You hear every little pebble and grain of sand skip across the carbon fiber undertray. OTOH the F1 tranny in the CS is laggy and really crude, the 3.6 feels anemic for a modern car at reasonable revs and the stock setup is a bit (too) tail happy. The Scud powertrain is a distinct improvement while retaining almost all of the raw roadfeel (and shedding the 3-year periodic belt service of the 360 based CS). And the CS buckets somehow manage to be barbaric to your lower back while doing very little to actually hold you in the seat.
Speciale is F's step away from the analog era. Up to the individual perspective as to whether its a step forward or a step back. To me Ferrari didn't quite get it right given what it is supposed to be -- in adding a healthy touch of modernity (DCT, electronic controlled dampers, in-dash screens and of couse cup holders!) it seems to have lost much more of the rawness and character than say a 991.2 GT3 RS vs. a 997. It is fast but also unnecessarily compliant and usable for what it is supposed to be. Which makes it the ideal car for some but for me its a bit too much of a step to the middle. Its still an amazing achievement for Ferrari...there is just not enough "mr hyde" at summons through the manettino. And despite a sky high redline that matches the 991.2 GT cars, the exhaust note is the least interesting of these three Ferraris. OTOH the buckets are the best.
Scud sits in between...jrtaylor said it right...goldilock's pick. F1 "superfast" tranny won't match a DCT on a stopwatch but is proper quick and the the shift has a discernibly mechanical action that manual tranny guys will appreciate (it is after all a manual transmission being shifted by pumps and pistons). In "race" mode with pedal down it snaps off exhilarating, almost violent shifts. Bumpy road mode (which the CS lacks) is the perfect balance for canyon driving. And the 4.3 is "just right" for a street car...enough grunt down low to feel quick but still revs to the sky...if you look at peak hp / torque / redline it is where the 991.2 GT3 ended up 12 years later. And the drive is magical. Doesn't offer the sensation of grip that a GT3 does (and most on this forum would find the steering unnervingly light) but the way it corners, the way it builds confidence through balance and subtlety is remarkably intuitive and fun. There is a touch of lotus in there despite its mass. The exhaust note is proper and gets even more F1 rasp with the addition of an S-line exhaust.
The reality is its hard to go wrong with any of these, but I think for people who appreciate the unique formula of a GT3, the Scud is the best starting point.
Could not agree more about everything you said. Also, I was/am a diehard manual guy and think the superfast 2 is the best thing ever made. Like firing a 20 gauge shotgun each shift.
I did however JUST find a brand new (very hard to locate) set of 285 and 235 Pilot sport cup 2's for my scud about 3 weeks ago and WOW, it is insane! The trofeos on my scud would spin a little tire in 2nd and a lot in 1st and now nothing, and the back end would come out fairly easily. Now, it is completely glued to the ground, difficult to break traction. I have had a lot of cars and NEVER seen this big of a transformation on changing tires.
It is not quite 991.2 3rs grip but surprisingly close. and light years ahead of the older 997 gt3s with the cup 2's I had. So I can confirm tires, age, quality, etc. mean the world on a Ferrari it really is crazy. But, ultimately it would not keep up with the modern GT's with the 325's and rear wheel steer and crazy modern tech.
Thanks for sharing your impressions, enjoyed reading that. Those are three beautiful cavallinos! If you had to pick one, are you going Scud?
That's right and thank you. But recognizing people own cars for all sorts of reasons...Scud for the experience of driving. CS for collecting (TBF I sold mine to make room for a .2 RS -- decided it was too similar to the Scud and while I like looking at pretty cars I like driving them more).
Originally Posted by welikethetrack
Could not agree more about everything you said. Also, I was/am a diehard manual guy and think the superfast 2 is the best thing ever made. Like firing a 20 gauge shotgun each shift.
I did however JUST find a brand new (very hard to locate) set of 285 and 235 Pilot sport cup 2's for my scud about 3 weeks ago and WOW, it is insane! The trofeos on my scud would spin a little tire in 2nd and a lot in 1st and now nothing, and the back end would come out fairly easily. Now, it is completely glued to the ground, difficult to break traction. I have had a lot of cars and NEVER seen this big of a transformation on changing tires.
It is not quite 991.2 3rs grip but surprisingly close. and light years ahead of the older 997 gt3s with the cup 2's I had. So I can confirm tires, age, quality, etc. mean the world on a Ferrari it really is crazy. But, ultimately it would not keep up with the modern GT's with the 325's and rear wheel steer and crazy modern tech.
Very interesting. Will have to look into that. Not sure I want to give up the feel of the factory setup but makes alot of sense.
Today a Scud is $300K - $330K - same range as new GT-3 with ADM. Obviously the GT-3 is new with modern technology but for a weekend thrill car do folks still generally favor a Scud? Also, anyone have a crystal ball on what will be worth more in 5 years - a Scud or 992 GT-3? I currently have a 2010 GT-3 that I love but my car ADD is kicking in again so I'm on the prowl for a possible replacement. I'm mostly a Porsche guy but had a 458 that I liked a lot (my wife really liked) but go rid of it because it was not a great canyon carver and a red Ferrari receives too much attention. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
Today a Scud is $300K - $330K - same range as new GT-3 with ADM. Obviously the GT-3 is new with modern technology but for a weekend thrill car do folks still generally favor a Scud? Also, anyone have a crystal ball on what will be worth more in 5 years - a Scud or 992 GT-3? I currently have a 2010 GT-3 that I love but my car ADD is kicking in again so I'm on the prowl for a possible replacement. I'm mostly a Porsche guy but had a 458 that I liked a lot (my wife really liked) but go rid of it because it was not a great canyon carver and a red Ferrari receives too much attention. Thanks in advance for your thoughts.
I can't imagine a 992 GT3 ever outpacing Scud values in any world . Any given day driving around LA should prove that...it's as if the Skittles factory pukes daily ....while a Scud sighting anywhere is rarer than reported shiny objects in the sky lol .
Just out of curiosity , what tires did you run on your 458 ? It's too bad the Cup 2 R's aren't yet available in 458 Italia specs, but are if one has a Speciale because it has 305 rears , regardless, even Cup 2's would make the Italia pretty damn amazing .
08-04-2020, 09:56 PM
