CarAholic

Now I don't want anyone to take this thread in the wrong way. I absolutely love the GT4 and would have kept it if I could of had both. You guys have magnificent machines that are so damn reliable and capable. I have a quick comparison between the two cars below and these are only my personal feelings and someone else could feel entirely differently. I hope this is at least entertaining to some if not helpful for other that are feeling the same way I was.

I ended up going with an F430 with an OEM scud bumper Rosso Corsa over Tan/Black leather. She just got delivered last night after a arduous 1 week delivery wait and all I can say is I could not be happier. I am so glad that I choose the F430 over the Gallardo there is just so much more brutality and emotions with the F car.

Now I know I have only had the car for under 24hours but I am currently feeling this is the best car I have ever owned. The main reason I was wanting to get rid of my GT4 is that it was to similar to my S2000 and in day to day driving I would always rather be driving the S. I owned my GT4 for almost 2 years and put over 16,000 miles on her. While I loved the car she was just very anemic and not very exciting driving around city streets. In the mountains she was a blast and just infallible to be hones just to easy to drive. Anything you could throw at her she would just take with little thought. Now this was a blast at first but overtime this also took some of the excitement out of it. I was never able to take it to the track but I know this is where the car would shine.

Engine/Performance:
For the Ferrari it is just perfect words can't really describe it but I will do my best. Where the GT4 was anemic on the street the 430 feels like its cranked to 10 all the time. I have never owned a car that felt like it kept edging me on to keep giving her a little gas. Power wise and power delivery are just leagues apart. The F always wants to jump ahead no matter what rpm you are at and don't even get me going on the crescendo of sound to red line. The GT was ver flat until about 5.5-6k rpm's and that is where she really opened up, but still no where near the pull of the F. While headers helped the GT with the low end it still doesn't compare. The also GT4 sounded amazing to any exhaust/header configuration. I currently have an S Line exhaust on the way but I am not sure I am going to keep it. The stock car sounds so good and is a lot louder then I was expecting. I will install the exhaust to see how I like it just not sure how much better it could get.
Point: Ferrari

Suspension:
The GT4 was more like an NFL professional line man, very hunkered down and perfect at its job. While the F430 is more in the likes of a College Wide Receiver, still very competent and always on its toes while at the same time isn't perfect. Now I haven't had a lot of time in the 430 (no mountain runs yet) so this won't be a 100% accurate. Like i stated earlier driving 8/10 up in the mountains in the GT4 is very easy and can take anything you throw at it without a hiccup. The F430 to me feels like its on its tip toes the whole time while still being very competent. Its very nice to get back into a hydraulic steering rack just can't beat it for out right feel though the electronic rack in the GT4 is very good. As for road feel the Ferrari just edges out the GT. The steering is sharper and lighter in the 430 while the GT is very direct and heavy. Turn in is pretty comparable between the two but the 430 just kind of dances in while GT just plows through. Another thing is the 430 currently has Michelin PS A/S3 so the tires are not in the same category as the CUP 2's or Super Sports I had on the GT4. Currently debating going for RE-71R for the 430.
Point: GT4

Transmission
The 6spd manual in the GT4 is pretty damn perfect and the only car that I have driven that would best it is the S and its not by much. The F1 gearbox I think is amazing I love the quickness and brutality of each shift just brings so much of an occasion to the car. Know I am a manual lover through and through but currently I have 3 manual transmission cars with no automatic in sight so the addition of the F1 is a god send for me on those days I don't feel like driving a stick.
Point: Ferrari

Looks:
While both are gorgeous cars i think the 430 just has a certain elegance to it that the GT4 did no posses. The Scud Bumper and stripes to just push the looks department a little further in my favor. I have gotten used to involuntarily ignoring the road attention so I can't say for sure which one gets more. Not that I could care one way or the other here.
Point: Ferrari

Interior:
It is a tough call for me as well. The Ferrari once again brings more of an event just sitting in the cabin while the GT was more comfortable with a lot more amenities. I would say for me its very close but for what I am looking for the Ferrari Takes the win here. Depending on the individual this could go the other way.
Point: Ferrari

Conclusion:
At the end of the day the Ferrari just elicites so much more emotion from the day to day driving. I haven't been able to get rid of the **** eating grin/smile off my face whenever I am in the car, I just can't help it. I was very upset when the GT was taken out of the garage but after my first night with the 430 I know I made the right decision and have 0 regrets right now. For anyone looking to get into a GT4 it is a fantastic car and is damn near perfect. Technically speaking it is the superior car and is more competent on the track compared to the 430 but thats not always what everyone is looking for.

Buteo

Congrats on your purchase. The 430 is a wonderful car and I agree with your comparison.

It is a future classic F car and I would love to own one someday. I'd probably due my best to hold out for a scud, but all of them look and sound amazing.

More pictures please!

paradocs98

Congrats. Beautiful. Two very different cars for different purposes. Enjoy it--all car people with the means should probably have a Ferrari at some point.

Alpha.GT4

Congrats on your new car! I personally love the F430 as well. It's a modern classic to me. Would love to own it one day too

funnt how you mentioned the GT4 felt like the S2000. I have said that before to others before as that's how I felt, and people looked at my funny afterwards. Lol.

CarAholic

Yea I was talking to one of the service advisors at Porsche and mentioned that and they looked at me like I was crazy. GT4 for me is a more comfy S2000 just cranked up to 11.

VLJ

Comparing the GT4 to S2000 is something I'd never thought of but now that you've pointed it out it's spot on. I had an S2000 back in 2005 and ever since I sold it I've regretted it, until I got the GT4 that is... it must be scratching the itch.

Ynot

F430 is still one of my favorite Ferrari's. I had thoughts of owning one but never pulled the trigger. Congrats and thanks for the write-up.

konaforever

Never driven a Ferrari, but congrats! I'm sure it's great!

Shockwave

F430's are pretty much the only Ferrari's that are affordable to me. Love the car.

Please post more pictures.

gmgracing

The car looks great with the Scud front bumper. While I respect the 156 holes on the standard f430, they just don't work with the sharp edges everywhere else. Great comparison between the cars, may your ****-eating grin be forever present behind the wheel.

Back when I was studying automotive design, a few of my instructors were working on the Scud. Great memories.

-Andrew

bhk1004

Congratulations! Looks great!

I am also in the s2000 camp as well but don't think they are all that similar. Rwd both handle well and 2 seater is about all I can really think of. Ok both great gear boxes. But is that a reason to get rid of either car? Upgrading and wanting something more is fine. But I don't really see the overlap.

nova996

When I passed on my GT4 order (because Porsche took my LWB's away), I bought an F430 also. It's a very different car and a completely different feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I even look at it. Bringing it back home after a track day or spirited drive, my son always exclaims "yay, the garage smells like Ferrari!"

Yes, even the smells are special.

Congrats and enjoy!

jmartpr

Beautiful car and one of the cars I was looking prior to the GT4...congrats!


The only thing that kept me on hold on any modern F car was the maintenance as I knew I would be putting a lot of miles (street and some track)... and then the GT4 came along and decided to go that route, fit more the bill for the type of use I was planning. If I could add an F car now with the GT4 the F430 would be perfect but not sure how my wife would react to that.


Your S2K comparison is a valid one. I had one of the originals in 2000 and a S2K race car later that year that we raced in a limited modification class similar to IT. Car ran like clockwork, just like the GT4 on track. On the early 2000s the S2K packed a lot of performance for the money in a easy to live package and the GT4 is exactly that taken to a much higher level.

CarAholic

I was saying the cars are in the same vain they provide the exact same sensations on the road. Yes the GT has a nicer interior, faster, and more capable then the S. For daily road use though the S was more fun to "me" also took more concentration to drive at 6-7ths on mountain roads. Interior wise to be honest I could care less as long as the seats are nice. There is nothing wrong with the GT at all but for lower speed driving it is not very exciting. Unlike the S where it feels like your going 90 when your only doing 45. For me the GT was perfection when pushing it but doing that is few and far between on the streets. Where in the S is so low on power you can beat on her all day long without destroying the speed limits. They both corner extremely flat so you still get the superb handling at normal speeds. If you push it the S also gives a little more adrenaline in the fact that you know the rear end can snap back at you at anytime. For a track car there is no comparison the GT is leagues and leagues beyond the S. If I had time to track the car more often I most likely would of kept the GT but when I only go maybe once a year it just wasn't making sense to me anymore. Once again the GT is the far superior car but for street driving "I " prefer the S. Not trying to sway anyone from there cars because I still think it's the best one on the market just trying to better explain my decision. The Ferrari was purchased because I always wanted one as a child and it provides an entirely different driving experience then the GT4 and S.

CarAholic

I share your sentiment with the maintenance part of the equation as it is one of my concerns. However the more research I did from actual Ferrari owners (not just ones with problems) I found out that it's not nearly as bad as you think. Plus I will be doing all maintenance and repairs other then the clutch as I do not have the equipment to set the parameters.however I will not track it as I am a little to paranoid about it. S will see all track time now also giving me more relief that if I total it I only lost 10k instead of 100k GT4.