hi Riv,
I also have a 550, and I'm looking for a v8 ferrari to go with it.
I was thinking of a manual 360, Is your 430 f1 ?
If it is, is the 430 as much of a rewarding drive as the 550 ?
cheers
m
Sounds familiar - although I went at it the other way around as I bought the 430 first.
Comparing those 2 cars is like trying to compare a single malt Scotch to a gin and tonic. I absolutely love both but they are completely different.
As you know, the 550 is superb in terms of refined sportiness, pure class which will go as quick as you want but delivers that speed linearly and without so much drama. As you very well know, it’s effortless, incredible capable and so direct and connected for a GT.
The F430 - which I think shouldn’t bought in manual - is more raw fun. Incredibly fast and brutal, the sound is absolutely incredible above 5000RPM, especially if you upgrade the manifolds (a must on this car as I am sure you’ve read).
Its light and agile, so responsive and playful.
The 430 is a relatively cheap to maintain, and given the cost to get into one today, I’d say go for it.
I toyed with the idea of getting a manual 360 when I was looking for my first ferrari, but if you have a manual V12 w the 550 already, I’d skip the 360 manual box and go straight with the faster V8. The 360 although light and fun, lacks a bit of oomph imho.
It might be strange to a lot of people, but after trying a 458 too, I still prefer the rawer experience of the 430, and its single plate clutch - I prefer the brutal gear change at high RPM over the linear double clutch. Anything sub 4sec is quick enough for me.
If you can stretch to a 430 scud, then that’s a diff story, I’d go for that.