Ferrari gearbox question: I've only driven one Ferrari and that was a (borrowed) 348 at my local racetrack back in 1995. Being both a Ferrari and track newbie, I was a bit overwhelmed (so I don't fully trust my judgement from back then), but the car was great in every aspect except for the gearbox. It sucked. Then hearing about the CS gearbox in this thread makes me ask: Is this a common issue with Ferraris of all kinds?

Cheers,

 

The CS is an F1 gearbox (paddle-operated manual), so it is something of a special case. I owned a 3-pedal 360, and currently own a 3-pedal F430, and both gearboxes are superb, very similar to Porsche in operational feel and a joy to drive. Incidentally, the F430 was the last model with a true manual gearbox option, all Ferraris going forward (unless something changes in the future) are paddle shift, although they have gone to dual clutch which by all accounts is better gearbox than the F1 style in earlier models.

Gary

 

Thanks for the info, Gary.

 

Yeah, the F1 transmissions are not "bad" gearboxes, I just think that most sporting drivers would prefer a true manual system.

My other Ferrari is a manual and I always considered it "clunky." But on the track the gated shifter actually makes sense.

My choice would be a manual box, but with this particular special edition it was not available that way. Ultimately in the grand scheme of things that was okay as you can see by this Sunday drive today:

 

I think Ferraris are pretty cool and you'd look good even being towed in one.

Enjoy!

 

the stradale is very special. one of the very few ferrari i like.

 

I had the honor of driving a friend's 430 Challenge and I really liked the paddle shifters. It was new and something fun to try. It definitely has pros/cons.