Yeti
Junior Member
- Messages
- 635
I've now been running the Stradale for a couple of weeks over three months and 4500 miles, so thought it about time to update you all on the ownership experience.
Given that my pervious car was a Granturismo S, I thought I would start with some of the major differences I've found.
Power: Strad has very noticeably more power everywhere. There's more torque, more instant throttle response, in fact it's so different it's not really fair to compare the two cars.
Handling: Again, a very different experience. The Strad has no Skyhook to get confused and whilst the ride is undoubtable firmer, it's not so firm that it upset her ladyship. The car can tend to “hunt†a little on jiggly little backroads, and this can seem disconcerting at first, but I've found that on such roads if I hold the wheel very lightly and let her have her head a little, she tracks very well. Just takes a bit of getting used to. I may even try Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's next time I need tyres because they transformed the S.
Tyres: The Pirelli P Zero is undoubtedly a great tyre when thoroughly warmed up, but through the latter stages of the winter I had to be very careful with my right foot as the rears will spin up very quickly and with little provocation. Now that the roads are dryer, less greasy and warmer, the tyres are coming into their own. I've had a couple of runs out with the Supercar Club boys and the tyres have never been the limiting factor.
Gearbox: This is the bit you've all been waiting for. The difference between the cars is night and day. I learned how to drive the cambiocorse box in the S and found a simple little lift on the upshift smoothed the change beautifully. Likewise on the Strad, if not giving it “full beans†a little lift smoothed things out perfectly. However, someone at Oerlikon Graziano has been developing the cambiocorse despite it no longer being used by Ferrari, and there's a surprise in store. It took me a little while to find out due in large part to running the car in and yucky roads and also because nowhere in the handbook does it describe precisely the difference between Auto, Sport and Race modes. It would now seem that with full throttle and at least 6k rpm the software speeds up the change. Full throttle up changes are a thing of joy, the gear slots home with a very engaging thump unlike the PlayStation boxes used in modern Ferrari's. It also pops the exhaust. A friend with a Fezza says it sounds fabulous when he follows me. I've recently been loaned a 458 Spider and a Huracan and while both are amazing in their own way, I found the gearbox strangely uninvolving – very much as if driving on a PlayStation. Give me the Cambio every day of the week.
Sound: As with the S, the sound is sublime. By far one of the best sounded cars out there. The Strad sound is different to the S, a little more Ferrari like than the S, and doesn't pop and bang as much on the downshift which I do miss, but overall still a great soundtrack.
Exterior: While undoubtedly a Granturismo derivative, the Strad is so much more aggressive in its looks. I love the carbon bonnet and am often asked to show it to people at car meets. With its huge inlet scoop and two smaller outlets it really looks the part and is beautifully crafted. I didn't take the exterior carbon pack option because it was stupidly expensive - £6.5k springs to mind, and because I don't much like carbon door handles and mirrors, but I did like the carbon spoiler I had on the S. I thought I could live with the painted rear spoiler, but in the end I contacted an outfit that does hydro-dipping and they dipped the spoiler in a carbon weave and it looks stunning – it also only cost £100!
I had PaintShield fitted to the front of the car before delivery (Bonnet, wings, nose piece, lights and door mirrors), and overall I am very pleased with it. I had a little bubbling on both front wings near the arch but Topaz replaced the shield on each wing, and as a courtesy also replaced the bonnet film which had a massive ding in it. That alone would have taken paint off, so it does work! I also had them line the rear arches with some spare material as these are notorious for getting chipped.
Internal: Internally there isn't a huge difference, the seats are a bit more supportive and it's nice to sit on Alcantara rather than leather in the winter. And the Bluetooth to my phone is still appalling, simply unusable but you can't have everything. My one niggle is that the shift paddles have some sharp edges where the chrome parts meets the plastic. I've been moaning at Graypaul since the day I got the car but I think I'm going to have to stamp my feet now. It's more of an irritation than anything else, but it's really started to bug me especially as the rest of the car is so good.
In conclusion, I am extremely happy with the car, it's a keeper for sure and no doubt going to become quite a rare beast. A friend was over in Modena earlier this week and tells me the Granturismo line has now shut down and is being reconfigured – he's been told it's to build the Alfa 4C Spider. Seems the Alfieri will be built alongside the Giblet and QP and the new GT will come to Modena in 2017. Seems rather sad that Modena will not be building a Maserati of some ilk for a couple of years, but if it helps keep the coffers full who's to say they are wrong. As for rarity value, there are currently no 4 seat Stradale's for sale anywhere I could find. No doubt a couple of dealers may have one, but there is nothing on Autotrader apart from a pair of older two seaters. Wonder when they'll start to appreciate?
Next installment soon.
Fake carbon spoiler - typically it started to rain when I took the pic!
I wanted to add an MC Sportline decal, but couldn't bring myself to cheat, so made up a fake Corse decal instead
Went for a slightly gold carbon rather than the more usual silver black carbon. Looks better in the flesh than in pics though.
Given that my pervious car was a Granturismo S, I thought I would start with some of the major differences I've found.
Power: Strad has very noticeably more power everywhere. There's more torque, more instant throttle response, in fact it's so different it's not really fair to compare the two cars.
Handling: Again, a very different experience. The Strad has no Skyhook to get confused and whilst the ride is undoubtable firmer, it's not so firm that it upset her ladyship. The car can tend to “hunt†a little on jiggly little backroads, and this can seem disconcerting at first, but I've found that on such roads if I hold the wheel very lightly and let her have her head a little, she tracks very well. Just takes a bit of getting used to. I may even try Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's next time I need tyres because they transformed the S.
Tyres: The Pirelli P Zero is undoubtedly a great tyre when thoroughly warmed up, but through the latter stages of the winter I had to be very careful with my right foot as the rears will spin up very quickly and with little provocation. Now that the roads are dryer, less greasy and warmer, the tyres are coming into their own. I've had a couple of runs out with the Supercar Club boys and the tyres have never been the limiting factor.
Gearbox: This is the bit you've all been waiting for. The difference between the cars is night and day. I learned how to drive the cambiocorse box in the S and found a simple little lift on the upshift smoothed the change beautifully. Likewise on the Strad, if not giving it “full beans†a little lift smoothed things out perfectly. However, someone at Oerlikon Graziano has been developing the cambiocorse despite it no longer being used by Ferrari, and there's a surprise in store. It took me a little while to find out due in large part to running the car in and yucky roads and also because nowhere in the handbook does it describe precisely the difference between Auto, Sport and Race modes. It would now seem that with full throttle and at least 6k rpm the software speeds up the change. Full throttle up changes are a thing of joy, the gear slots home with a very engaging thump unlike the PlayStation boxes used in modern Ferrari's. It also pops the exhaust. A friend with a Fezza says it sounds fabulous when he follows me. I've recently been loaned a 458 Spider and a Huracan and while both are amazing in their own way, I found the gearbox strangely uninvolving – very much as if driving on a PlayStation. Give me the Cambio every day of the week.
Sound: As with the S, the sound is sublime. By far one of the best sounded cars out there. The Strad sound is different to the S, a little more Ferrari like than the S, and doesn't pop and bang as much on the downshift which I do miss, but overall still a great soundtrack.
Exterior: While undoubtedly a Granturismo derivative, the Strad is so much more aggressive in its looks. I love the carbon bonnet and am often asked to show it to people at car meets. With its huge inlet scoop and two smaller outlets it really looks the part and is beautifully crafted. I didn't take the exterior carbon pack option because it was stupidly expensive - £6.5k springs to mind, and because I don't much like carbon door handles and mirrors, but I did like the carbon spoiler I had on the S. I thought I could live with the painted rear spoiler, but in the end I contacted an outfit that does hydro-dipping and they dipped the spoiler in a carbon weave and it looks stunning – it also only cost £100!
I had PaintShield fitted to the front of the car before delivery (Bonnet, wings, nose piece, lights and door mirrors), and overall I am very pleased with it. I had a little bubbling on both front wings near the arch but Topaz replaced the shield on each wing, and as a courtesy also replaced the bonnet film which had a massive ding in it. That alone would have taken paint off, so it does work! I also had them line the rear arches with some spare material as these are notorious for getting chipped.
Internal: Internally there isn't a huge difference, the seats are a bit more supportive and it's nice to sit on Alcantara rather than leather in the winter. And the Bluetooth to my phone is still appalling, simply unusable but you can't have everything. My one niggle is that the shift paddles have some sharp edges where the chrome parts meets the plastic. I've been moaning at Graypaul since the day I got the car but I think I'm going to have to stamp my feet now. It's more of an irritation than anything else, but it's really started to bug me especially as the rest of the car is so good.
In conclusion, I am extremely happy with the car, it's a keeper for sure and no doubt going to become quite a rare beast. A friend was over in Modena earlier this week and tells me the Granturismo line has now shut down and is being reconfigured – he's been told it's to build the Alfa 4C Spider. Seems the Alfieri will be built alongside the Giblet and QP and the new GT will come to Modena in 2017. Seems rather sad that Modena will not be building a Maserati of some ilk for a couple of years, but if it helps keep the coffers full who's to say they are wrong. As for rarity value, there are currently no 4 seat Stradale's for sale anywhere I could find. No doubt a couple of dealers may have one, but there is nothing on Autotrader apart from a pair of older two seaters. Wonder when they'll start to appreciate?
Next installment soon.
Fake carbon spoiler - typically it started to rain when I took the pic!
I wanted to add an MC Sportline decal, but couldn't bring myself to cheat, so made up a fake Corse decal instead
Went for a slightly gold carbon rather than the more usual silver black carbon. Looks better in the flesh than in pics though.
