Haven't tried the Evora, so I can't say that I wouldn't fit. That said, I suspect it still wouldn't have the torque/power that I want. I want a car that's quick not only in the curves, but also in a straight line, and quicker/faster than the V12V. I think the Scuderia does 0-60 in around 3.5 s, so that fits the bill. As you can see, I am a bit Ferrari biased.

Wasn't this thread supposed to be about Aston reliability?

 

I am very Ferrari biased as well as you can see. I have been in them on track. I have thought about a Scud, but if I did get one, I wouldn't track it regularly because the consumables are just way too expensive.

How tall are you? I compete in LotusCupUSA and some of my fellow racers are 6'2" and fit in their Elises and Exiges without any problem. You can pick up an Elise for $25-$30k and drop a TVS supercharger in it to get 400 hp on a 2000 lb car and I guarantee you you will blow Porsches and Vipers away in a straight line....or get a $200k Scud (but please don't put it into a wall).

 

I'm 6'2". While I could get an Elise and supercharge it, my philosophy is that if you need to significantly modify a car to get what you want (and I consider adding FI a significant mod), you should probably just buy a different car that provides what your looking for in stock form.

As for track/road, the car wouldn't really see that much track time. I'd just like to have a car that's designed with some track use in mind, so that it'll be amazing on spirited drives on the road. I read somewhere that the CS and Scuderia were designed with an 80/20 road/track use in mind.

 

I am just over 6'2". No problems fitting into my Exige. I lowered the driver's seat in order to gain more helmet clearance, but it is surprisingly comfy once you have contorted yourself through the door opening, LOL.

In my current situation I don't want the hassle of a dedicated track car that needs to be stored on site or trailered. IMO the Exige is about as good as it gets for a car that is a blast on the road but also competent on track. It is also surprisingly quick, but more importantly, unlike many heavier and more powerful cars (including V8V and V12V to a point), it is often more fun at slower (legal) speeds because of the feedback. I would encourage you to try one!

The trouble as I see it with the F-cars and P-cars - they are too heavy and parts are too pricey. If you start thrashing them on a circuit the consumables will really start draining your wallet.

 

Help a newbie out please. What are consumables? A tech told me that the clutch on the F430 needed regular rebuilding is that true?

 

I was referring to tires and brakes.

 

Understood. Not a problem for me though as I'm not really looking for a track car. Also, Ferraris are more expensive, but you get something for the expense. If saving money was the primary goal, none of us would have an Aston!

 

Bro seems like you want a scud or CS pretty bad, if so then nothing we say will stop ya...it's like when you walk into a bar with your buddy and spot a hot girl in the corner that looks like trouble but you gotta talk to her anyway, even though your buds might warn you about her lol !

I love F cars also, my next addition, god willing, will be Italian! lol!...but having been on track extensively for the past 11 yeears both racing and instructing and driven a ton of these cars on track...F cars are expensive when used on track, even a little bit, spinacho and plastiqe999 are spot on...consumables on these cars require a budget, not to mention belt service (360/CS) or chain service (430/scud), as well as other maintainance items. Parts are expensive even if you go thru Ricambi America.

Lotus is a good option, power to weight wise. If you do get the F, it's a lot to learn on track depending on your expereince level. The car is great when driven flat out, but you need to have a really good understanding of the 360/430 cars and a good bit of track experience to really feel comfortable with these cars on the circuit.

speaking fo power to weight...I am probably going to rebuild the engine in my race car at some point here...she's 2632 lbs without driver...since I am not campaigning her in the same class as before, what do you guys think...BMW M3 V8 4.0L ??? that would be crazy right!

 

Yeah, I'm thinking my next car will be a Ferrari. Just need to figure out which one it'll be.

As for your race car, I'm all for less weight and more power.

 

I loved the F430 I drove. it had a Fabspeed after market pipe system and sounded like pure excitement. I involuntarily made sounds the first time I really got on her. I was told the same things that you are hearing that Ferrari's costing more $ to keep up.

Oh well so a racing stallion is more trouble than a farm pony.

 

Hehe - do it! That would be a properly fast car, for sure!

 

Lots of good info here and I agree with spinecho and sunir.
If you want a great Track>street dual purpose car than get the Exige S (and blow all the other cars away on the twisties).
If you want a great Street>track car, then it's the Scud (I've been eyeing the Scud market closely - thinking of trading up from my 430). You can get a decent Scud for around $180-$190k. The CS's are holding value at anywhere from $130-$150k. Scud clearly has more power and more advanced technology so if you can swing the extra $40k delta or so than definitely do it.

 

I've driven my '06 V8V over 37K since I bought it (with 17K miles) in 12/2010. It's been perfect and a lot of fun to have! I've done all the maintenance myself (oil & filter changes, air & cabin filters, trans fluid, brake fluid, coolant, front brake pads and all the dash leather.) I'm seriously considering the RSCTuning supercharger & such ..

 

i am thinking about his facial expression when she preferred your car.

 

What about something like the Evora S, as a street-biased, but still track-capable choice? Obviously doesn't have the panache of a Scud or CS (or any F-car, for that matter), but I'd almost bet it's as much fun both on the road and track.

I've always been a fan of F-cars, but honestly, the reliability and more importantly, maintenance budget items, have scared me away from them.

Like Sunir, I've open-tracked, instructed and raced (regionally, Club Racing, and Touring Car Championship) for several years, but after living overseas and giving the habit up, I don't have much desire to re-build a new racecar.

I did instruct for the Ferrari Club for awhile though, and even a minor "off" can lead to some pretty expensive repair bills. That alone has been enough to steer me away from the brand, even if I can afford it.

That's part of what has me looking at the Vantage....a capable track car (even if the M3 and 911 are superior track weapons) but one that provides some great driving enjoyment daily on streets. And a level of exclusivity that one cannot get from the M3, or even the 911 (10x production of 911 vs Vantage).

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It still sounds like brakes are the critical issue for a Vantage on the track; any other reliability issues?
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Patrick