How's the luggage space in the R8? Can't imagine there's a lot.

 

There's not. There is the front boot and also a parcel shelf behind the seats. It takes a little thought, but we still packed for a week without too much trouble.

There's also companies that sell luggage to conforms to the boot. Pricey.

Still, a great GT car. Very comfortable while being exceptionally sporting.

 

'08, so the 4.3. I added the RSC exhaust/air filters and was thinking of adding the tune to get it more like the 4.7. However after talking with some members and my mechanic, it seemed that most of the gains are at the higher end of the curve with the tune (factory or RSC).

Would have been happy with keeping the Vantage, but prices on the 430 are pretty good now.

 

I was curious due to your comment about it not being as quick as you'd like. The 4.7 is quite a bit quicker, but especially it is much torquier. Congrats on the 430 -- fantastic car.

 

I have a 4.3, so maybe if I had a 4.7, the itch might not be so bad :-)

I may be adding the R8 back to the mix just given the price point, especially the v8. Although I might just be hungry for more power in a few months.

I know nothing about Ferrari's so researching the F430 and knowing what to look for should be a fun new task. Particularly with 6speeds, since they are so rare.

Seattle - any must have options you had on your list?

 

For me (like most people), I had to like the interior/exterior color. Don't like the tan interior (a very popular Ferrari color), so that weeded out a lot of cars. The car I ended up is Grigio Silverstone with black interior, red stitching, red seat inserts, red tach, and carbon fiber. I loved the look of the car and it was super clean.

For me,there wasn't any must have options. However shields, ceramic brakes, and Daytona seats were definitely at the top of my list.

In my research, found that the headers were prone to failure, so if you can find one with replaced headers, that is a plus, as it would usually be fixed with the 2nd generation headers and new brackets.

FWIW, I talked to a lot of dealers. Ferrari of Silicon Valley and Exotic Motors Midwest were the two best I worked with.

Good luck looking! I bet some will start trickling into the market as summer starts to wind down.

 

They all have their place and highs and lows. I went from 360 to 07 vantage to Challenge Stradale, to Porsche TT to GT3 to C63AMG and now back to N420. Each one had a sweet spot and each a drawback or two.
One of the differences, imo, between the AM and the Fcar is attention. Fcar gets quite a bit more and not always positive. Seems Ferrari brings out some haters (except if its older) or jealousy where the AM just brings appreciation and curiosity without the attitude.

 

Agree with above...I have an 05 and made sure the headers were replaced. There is an 8 year factory warranty on this.

As far as options, the Shields and Daytona electric seats were a must for me. I also wanted CF upper and lower interior zone (CF steering wheel, dash, center console, etc.). Also got CF door sills. Be sure to get skid plates too.

You can't go wrong with the 430, such a blast to drive. I haven't experienced any negative comments from outsiders. Mostly "thumbs up."

 

Pretty sure you see an AM much more often than an R8

 

^^^Haha, yours doesn't count!