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Hi guys, here are my two cents. I've always lusted after a scud. Raw, pretty, exotic and really fast. But I never thought I'd get one since they are so expensive and I tend to rack up miles on my cars and was worried about the dreaded Ferrari depreciation. So when I came across the high mileage BAT example, I knew that was my chance LOL! (even though it was risky given the lack of records, extensive track usage, etc...). I'm glad I took the plunge (even though mine needed a crap ton of tlc, and still needs a lot more). I have had several Porsche gt and turbo cars (all mezgers) from several 996 gt3's, to a 997.1 gt3, and have significant seat time in two different 997 4.0 builds and various 997.2 gt3's and a 991 gt3 (best friend has had basically every variant). However, I've never driven a 997.2 gt3 rs so I can't directly compare to that model (also never driven a 991 era rs so can't compare to these either). With that said, here are my thoughts on the scud.
Pros: Very fast. Feels faster than 500 hp and punches above its weight in that regard. GTboard has lots of good head to head rolling race videos and it puts a surprising amount of distance on a lot of cars with similar power. Like a gt3, its no torque monster but its better than a 997 gt3 and still satisfying on the street and pushes you back into the seat even from low revs. Short(ish) gearing helps in that regard, but the short gearing is not a liability at all like super short gears on a manual car because the shifting is so fast that its no big deal that you are shifting earlier/more frequently. I know of a scud owner with exhaust and headers only and he claims it is just as fast as his stock 458, and is also on par with his stock 991.2 gt3 (manual). That's saying a lot for a car that came out in 2008. The scud would wipe the floor with any mezger gt3 I have ever driven (and I'm a definitely gt3 fanboy having owned 4 and will never sell my current 996 gt3). My 996 is lightened up, 997 gt3 exhaust, re-geared, and its feels nissan sentra slow when I drive it back to back with the scud (yet the 996 feels fast to me any other time!). The scud is also very nimble feeling. Not gt3 precise as mentioned above, but definitely not lacking in this department. Turns great, amazing throttle response. I spent years trying to make my 05 manual gated gallardo (which I just sold given the addition of the scud) feel more nimble (200lbs weight reduction, exhaust, air filters, lowering and corner balance, rwd conversion), and it still drove like a truck compared to the scud...night and day. Still love the gallardo platform (especially in manual), and would like to own another some day, but the scud feels so much more responsive, and in my opinion and based on my experience, is as close to a gt3 as you can get in terms of precision without it being a gt3. When I drove my gallardo and scud back-to-back the gallardo felt so much more plush and hefty. Soundi-wise the scud is really, really, good. I recall seeing an article that a 430 scuderia is the second loudest stock car ever tested by motor trend (thankfully the oem system is valved so its easy to keep things civilized when needed). Its amazing at full throttle. The car is also very, very spacious inside. Better than any 911 I have ever driven and better than any lambo I have experienced. If you are tall this is the car for you. I'm 6'4" with a long torso and have literally several inches above my head with no modifications to seats or rails needed. The car is also very, very raw and visceral. This is a pro in my opinion, but can also be a con (see below). Interior definitely feels "special" and interior finishes (as they are) feel very high end. The carbon fiber is everywhere and holds up well (unlike early Porsche carbon fiber). I also love that its so rare (1500 units world wide is what I have heard). I've never seen another one "in the flesh" on the road (just c&c events). I also believe them to be fairly reliable (with some notable exceptions discussed below) and robust, with one caveat: garage queens (which most of them are), tend to have problems, primarily with the complex f1 systems. All cars like to be driven, but this is especially true for the f1 era ferraris. The engines seem dead reliable. You hear very few stories of failures. My car has literally 50k track miles (it was a track day fleet car for the first 50k miiles of its life), and the engine pulls strong, runs cool, doesn't smoke or burn oil, and throws no codes. Treat them right, drive them, stay on top of maintenance (and in fact exceed factory intervals), and I believe the motors are every bit as reliable as a mezger. Finally, the transmission. Its just bonkers. This is a pro and a con though. You kind of have to be in the "mood" to drive this car because like many other single clutch systems, its not great at low speed/low rpm/auto mode. But for "spirited driving" and beyond, its hard to beat in terms of fun and feedback and experience. And at full tilt it iis straight up, slam you in the back, holy-crap did something just break, bonkers. Its what is missing in every 991 gt3 or gtr I've ever driven. Those cars are almost too good as the sensation of speed and risk is lost in the "clinical" way the speed and shifts occur.
The cons: First, before I go here I need to caveat my remarks by saying that my example is not exactly the best out there. In fact, for cars that have not been in an accident, it could be the roughest example! But with that said, they simply do not feel as well "put together" as a Porsche. I heard a joke once that Ferrari is an engine company that also builds cars. It is truly as though the factory during this era (I think it is different now) focused on the motor and then slapped the rest of the car together as an afterthought. The window switches feel more "rickety," the doors do not shut with the same "thud" as a Porsche, and there are definitely a few gremlins that the factory never seemed to be able to figure out. For example, stock headers will fail (f430 will crack, and the scud headers will likely warp (requiring some machining to flatten the flanges, then it won't happen again). Its just a fact. And the rear muffler will likely crack too given enough mileage and heat cycles. Scuds fare better than f430's, but they all have the same weaknesses. And don't get me started on the sticky interior surfaces. If they aren't sticky yet, its only a matter of time. Such a shame as its so unsightly and expensive to take care of properly. Second con is that the scud feels very complex compared to a mezger gt car. There are so many additional sensors and pumps and valves and systems... there is just a lot going on. If you value simplicity you won't find it here (although I guess you could say a scud is "simple" compared to modern supercars like anything from the 458 and beyond, McClarens, etc....). Third, the parts are so damn expensive. I'm fine paying a lot for expensive parts but so much of what I have to buy just doesn't feel like a good "value." I can afford a $190 part but when that part is a stupid plastic interior cover of some sort, it just feels like you are getting violated. And the used parts are really not much better as the breakers know very well how expensive the parts are new. Bottom line, when stuff goes wrong its going to be costly. I diy A TON and if that was not my plan, I would have been better off buying a pristine example. And the dealers...holy cow...like prison rapists. An extra key is a grand, and they charge like 4k for a valve cover job (I diy'd it...not easy, but not 4k in labor either). Finally, this is a pro and a con, but you really need a drive one to appreciate just how raw and visceral a scud is. People always describe gt3's as "raw and visceral" but they are not even close in terms of "visceralness" and rawness to a scud. Its like when you get in a stripped out street car that has been track prepped and hear every pebble hitting the undercarriage, every vibration, and every tick and buzz from the engine. Again, my car was ridden hard and put away wet, but even after motor mounts, shock mounts, and lots of other tlc, my car still feels way more "raw" than any gt3 I've owned. But that's a plus too. There are no carpets or sound deadening, and its hard to convey what that truly feels like in a street car. Yup, its "raw." But its also an event and memorable every time I take it out, which is why I will continue to improve and refresh and drive the snot out of my scud for years to come.
Oh, one last thing. I think they are very pretty (imho, better than the overly curvaceous 458 and 488 era cars, but that is just me).
man if that's rough, I'll take rough! beauty for sure, love the color!
10-22-2020, 01:33 PM
