n2cars

My Ferrari dealer may be able to get you one. I will talk to them tomorrow. Then if you want to talk to them I'll pm you with the salesman and phone info. I have no affiliation with them but I've purchased numerous Ferraris from them and they are good friends.

n2cars

Riz,
I sent you a pm. My dealer can help you.

Riz

thanks n2cars - I tried sending pm but did not work.

dsu - it is the dealer in central NJ, that is the exact response I received several times.

OldGuy

With All due respect to Bob R. I cant imagine driving a manual now. WHY? The AMG 7 speed Speedshift auto that in sport mode is just absolutely fantastic to drive and shift. Its SO much fun that I am wasting gas at an alarming rate. I wondered why the Fcars were going to F1 boxes and leaving manuals behind.
But now I know. This is so much fun pretending to be Lewis hamilton shifting like a F1 guy its hilarious.
The AMG blips on downshifts too and it makes you sound like youre a freaking pro.
I would love to drive a GT3 with a box like this. WHats good about the AMG paddles is the right one is for UP only, the Left is for DOWN only and I dont get confused. My wifes 08 BMW 335i has paddles but its pull for up and push for down and it can get confusing driving hard.
The only issue is in an adaptive learning transmission it takes awhile for the tranny to learn the driver and awhile for the driver to learn the box. In AMGs that is- but I dont know if Fcars are like this or PDK's. Once that happens and you know what RPMs its best to shift at look out! off you go!!

PogueMoHone

With all due respect to Old Guy, since I have a foot in every camp (including an AMG). The Manual F430 is much better than the F1. I did Ferrari's Pilota program(s) at Fiorano in Italy, and found the F1 to be boring. Unfortunately it is impossible to get a new manual allocation from Ferrari at the moment, I know some that have been working on this for quite a while without success.

My summary is:

The F1 is great for those who can't shift

The F1 is great (but expensive) for the "super" fast (but they should be in race cars not street cars)

The manual is great (and cheaper to maintain) for an "accomplished amateurs" who enjoys driving and putting all the pieces together.

So for "***** to the wall" speed F1; for enjoyment and technical driving the manual.

So pick your driving style, budget and aspirations and make your choice.

Bob Rouleau

Colm, my sentiments exactly. Oldguy once the new wears off the paddle shifter you might find yourself missing the satisfaction of a properly executed heel and toe downshift. At first I was thrilled with the F1, but it gradually wore off and I found myself driving my GT3 more.

That being said, soon my daily driver will be a 997.2 C4S with PDK and snow tires for winter. The RS and the Ariel Atom will remain track toys to enjoyed with a manual gear box.
Best,

Sun Ra

jesus bob, and colm

old guy is on to something. he can shift and so can i

5 am or 10 am driving down my mountain off camber corners blip, blip in an F1; PIA stick

stop and go 405 carpool lane on the way to futbol practise in newport... no clutch BS.

manual is great if you live in the boonies, PDK anywhere else

and you contradicted yo' self w the PDK. mine arrives monday

oh, and anybody can buy a 430 window, just go order what you want, car is not in demand

OldGuy

Great Point Watt - I am driving myself down on
2 Dec for spinal surgery I wont be driving myself back.

Bob Rouleau

Hey Watt, nice to know you're still around. I did not contradict myself. I drove the PDK and loved it for a daily driver. Around here, every major road is under construction. Many will be out of service for years. Traffic is horrible. Under those conditions the auto mode of PDK is nice, far better than auto mode in the 430. I guess you know that. I am a little annoyed that the C4S with PDK will not be built for another month or two. The 4S is essential around here if the car is to be driven in winter.

So, I'd rather drive a 911 than a Benz. I have something else for carrying passengers. With traffic, PDK allows me to enjoy driving a 911. When the occasion presents, it is fun to drive on winding roads too. I will not set it up with seats, roll bar etc. I have other toys for that. Those toys will be manual shifts as long as they exist. I am a bit concerned that dual clutch manumatics will eventually eliminate the manual box. CAFE will have a big impact. I was very upset when I discovered I had to pay a $3000 gas guzzler tax on my wife's Cayenne GTS with 6 spd manual. The Cayenne S is $1,000 and the Turbo is $2,000. Why? The inherently superior manual box does not fare as well on the EPA test since it does not automatically shift to a higher gear.

I guess we'll see what happens. Who knows I might end up liking PDK even for track. I doubt it, but it could happen I suppose. Meantime it is a great compromise. Stuck in traffic, I'll tune in the CNBC and let the box worry about shifting.

Best,

cobrien

I'll chime in again....first off, everybody should obviously get what they like and what they're most comfortable with. That said, I absolutely prefer a manual to the F1 box in the 430....on the street or on the track. For me it's much more fun and engaging to drive. I don't want the computer nailing a perfect downshift for me; I want to do it.

Yes, in theory on the track the F1 will be faster (provided you don't blow it up, which I've seen 3 people do in the past 2 years). But I like to drive the car; I'll take being a second a lap slower if it means I'm having more fun . And in reality I have no plans to track the 430 anyhow.

As for driving in bumper to bumper traffic, personally I think the F1 is horrible. Even Ferrari suggests shifting the trans into Auto mode at that point. Whereas I have no problem with a standard manual transmission....at this point it's second nature, regardless of how much traffic there is.

Again, this is all IMO. Others may have different opinions. For someone contemplating buying a 430 and trying to decide which transmission to get, the best bet (if you can find a way to do it) is to test drive both. And keep in mind that the novelty of the F1 will wear off, as will the novelty of the gated shifter on the standard trans . So decide based on how you think you like to drive. In my case, I ended up with the F1 because at first I thought it was cool, it was easier to get, has better resale, and I have other cars with standard transmissions. But after spending time with it, I prefer a standard manual transmission. For future P-cars I have no interest in PDK....I'll stick with the standard trans for as long as I can.

allegretto

I'll echo that.

Had a 360 w/F1 and after a few weeks I thought it kind of silly and resented it. Bought a 430 S w/6-speed and liked it better. I know some of it was 430 vs. 360, but for a driver, the manual is better. Not in traffic, but who likes to drive any exotic in traffic?

OldGuy

Bob the only reason I have the AMG is because of poor flexibility in my back I could no longer get in or out of the 911 without a great deal of pain. Hopefully with all of your prayers to the Automotive Gods I will get that back and another 911 is in my future. Turbo or GT car either or at this point if I could get in and out of a Cayman I would be really happy.
Colm since my perfect heal and toes were so far and few between its pretty cool to do one (downshift blip) perfect every time
Cobrien as Watt pointed out you can go to your dealer and order up a 430 however you want it right now.

So Allegretto are most of the Ferrari 430 owners NOT drivers? whats the ratio of F1s to 6 speeds in a F430?
Whats in a Scuderia?

cobrien

Thanks OG, but that sounds too much like work . Seriously, I still really like the 430. If I were to get another F-car I'd get a manual. But I'll stick with this one for now. If nothing else, it gives me the option to drive a sports car even if I happen to break my left ankle....

PogueMoHone

For those of us who don't have to commute on a daily basis, the "automatic" in any variant is not a (valid) consideration. That said, the Black Series smokes the PDK for a daily driver (yes, I have had a few days with the PDK (and the TT) and I am a Porsche nut)

But back to topic and this was about the merits of the F1 versus the manual, and the related opinions.,

mooty

which atom do you have?
pls PM me.
have you driven S240 exige? how's that compared to ariel?