Would you take a CGT, or a Ferrari 430 spider plus a GT2. Yes, I'm contemplating a move to the dark side.

 

For me, the 430 and GT2 would be tempting except I wouldn't have the garage space for 2 toys plus the daily driver.

As it is, I'll stick with my CGT.

 

Here's the POV from a certified Ferrari car nut. I would not trade my CGT for a 430 Spider plus a 430 Coupe. It's kinda like saying "would you trade a Prime ribeye at Morton's for a couple of Deluxe double Cheeseburgers from Red Robin"?
The total cost would be the same, approximately. The Cheeseburgers would make you feel sick after eating them and you'd long for the Ribeye everytime you bit into the cheeseburger knowing it was you that made the awful choice in the first place.
This kind of thinking leads to long term therapy and eventually curling up in a fetal position in a fleabag motel somewhere at the edge of the bad part of town.

 

Ribeyes have too much fat, I stick to New Yorks..and hamburgers are a no no!

Do you own a 430?

 

Colm,
Have you been in a CGT yet? Its like going into that first strip club at 18 or your first Snap-On truck at age 30, just do it...

 

Talk about fat! The 430 is a tad pudgy for my liking. I have a CS (and an F40) so the 430 really doesn't appeal to me. If they offer a 430 CS, I'll be a taker.

 

I have spent a lot of time in the car

 

I have 2002 996TT X-50, and a Stradale. Love them both, but can't drive them at the same time. I have decided to consolidate and will be picking up my CGT next week. I ran all the permutations of this car, that car, 4 cars vs. 1 etc... For now The CGT is the best out there and I will enjoy driving it more than driving the other 2 combined. Plus the roof comes off so you have your spider experience also. I still want an F40 though, and will look to add that to my collection in a few years.

 

Colm,

You know how I voted <grin>. At the risk of upsetting the CGT owners out there, I'd wait a year or two when low miles CGT's will be available for the same price as the F430.

 

What's the logic behind that? The CGT is obviously better than the F430 (power, exclusivity ... etc etc), and better balanced than a GT2, yet they all are extremely focused sports cars. Two inferior (but similar in definition) cars can't make up for a better one, can they?

Now if you'd said a 360CS (or 430CS) and some GT (such as Bentley GT or some similar porker ...), it would have been a different story. Not as good, but they cover different uses for a car, which can be a positive point.

 

LOL!!!! SOOOOOOO true!!!!

 

Well as much as I like the CGT as a performance car and you all know I am a Ferrari owner and enthusiast, if I were to chose it would be very similar to eating Sushi/Sushimi. The Ferrari would be a Blue Tail Tuna and the CGT would a puffer fish. Both are relatively rare and exotic. The tuna has a mild sweet taste and the puffer fish a sharper full flavored taste.

The puffer fish is a delicacy cherished by many sushi aficionados. Unfortunately, most will also tell you eating puffer fish is playing Russian Roulette with your life.

 

Unless you find a chef with built a built in safety device

 

Sushi, cheeseburgers, puffer fish?????

There are only two kinds of supercar owners/drivers in the world.
Those that have actually owned and driven a CGT and those who will own and drive one in the future. LOL

Spend an afternoon driving a CGT and everything else is just waiting until the next time you can drive the CGT. The car is that good. And the best thing about a CGT IMHO is not everyone with a fat wallet can drive it well. When one observes a CGT being driven well one observes the interaction of man and machine both working together, both needing the other to flourish. Watching a CGT being downshifted properly is to watch poetry. Watching a 430 with the F1 trans being downshifted is like watching a soul less robot dance.

Is there not some attraction to owning a car that requires you to be as good as the car? I just think that to own a CGT is to appreciate the lost art of driving. The art where the driver and machine must interact to create a suitable result.

I think Ferrari builds beautiful high quality works of modern automotive art. I think they are exciting and anyone who can afford one can own and drive one reasonably well. But the only Ferrari I would consider as an alternative to a CGT is the ENZO. However the Enzo lacks a removeable roof and a radio and therefore lacks some of the amenities a 430 would have. But the 430 lacks the HP but provides you with an option for an F1 trans which to me is only enjoyable on a track? IMHO when considering a 430 I might also consider a Mercedes SL 65 rather than a CGT.

Practically speaking CGTs prices are dropping faster than the Titanic so unless you feel it necessary to be the original owner there is no reason not to wait.

 

Les you failed to mention those that owned a CGT and sold or trying to sell the car. There are over 30 "previously owned" CGT's in Autotrader for sale. Several new ones are for sale from dealers.

No doubt many present owners appreciate the finer qualities of the car and I do not disagree. One thing is clear; this car is for a very select few. You and other posters on this site will never sell the car. That is as it should be.