430 tranny is 15k. And they break.

 

A lot of negatives identified in this thread for Ferraris. My suggestion to the OP is, if you are seriously considering a Ferrari, go to Fchat's 360/430 subforum. You are likely going to see views/opinions that are pretty different from what this thread has produced.

 

Ferrari exhaust manifold are the worst designed ever. Even to this day they cannot get their exhaust manifolds to last. Always see Ferraris on track have to call it quits bc a manifold broke while on track. Lambo L560s on other hand you can torture test them on track endlessly and they will never break.

Even Jeremy Clarkson wrote in a piece in Top gear magazine about how unreliable most exotic cars are behind the scenes when they are filming the show and went on for an entire page about it. At the very end of the article the final sentence read: "there is only one exception ... The Lamborghini Gallardo". That spoke volumes to me which is why I will continue to own Lambos from here on out. They are simple engineered to such extremes.

After all, think about it... What other platform can handle 1600-2000whp+ with ease other than the Gallardo (and to some extent the Ford GT and GTR).

It's no coincidense you don't see high HP Ferraris, they are simply too fragile.

 

Thanks - I appreciate the response...

 

A black or grey Gallardo would be tempting... Lambos don't have to be puke green or nasty orange.
With the new Huracan coming out, with some luck the Gallardos will depreciate a bit more.
On the same platform and for a bit less money, and lower maintenance, you have the R8.

For my next car I'll probably get something smaller and lighter. Who knows.

 

The misinformation in this thread about Ferraris is impressive. If you want actual facts from owners instead of side liners feel free to PM me or ask in a Ferrari forum...

It's nowhere near 15k. Last I checked it was between 5-7k at the dealer. At an indie shop it would be a fair bit cheaper. It isn't cheap but is no more expensive than Aston or Lambo

The exhaust manifold MK1 is garbage but MK2 fixed it (warranty item) and no Challenge or Scud has this issue since the race cars are a different design entirely. The 430 engine is highly regarded as bulletproof. In racing it's also performed reasonably well

Using Jeremy Clarkson as a reference is laughable. He hated the F430 because James May owned one. Anyone who watches Top Gear regularly would know that. When he actually reviewed the F430 he said "I'm struggling to find anything wrong with it".

Here's Part 1 of his review:
Who cares about 1600-2000HP? The stock Lambo can't handle it all and the engines and drivetrains are highly customized. A tuner can do that with any car if they want. The reason you see so many Lambos with ridiculous HP is because of the demographic that buys them and they are also cheap in comparison to a 430. For reference UGR has 1350hp kit for the 430: https://undergroundracing.com/vehicl...rari-f430.html. It even comes with a 2 year warranty where the Lambo doesn't appear to have one....

 

Thanks RossL

Just to be clear, while tracking may be for a lot of people on the forum, it is not for me. I am more interested in the overall driving experience. I didnt get the aston for power, I could have gotten the Nissan GTR if I wanted performance for much less or an M3.

What the performance facts are is totally irrelevant in my decision making criteria. If I wanted a track car I would use my bike

 

If you are torn between a Gallardo or 430, I'd recommend driving them both. They are polar opposites in my opinion. The 430 is angry and tail happy (very controllable) which increases the pucker factor. The Gallardo is easier to drive giving you more feeling of confidence. It's also a little more stagnant because of this. I sum it up as if you like the feeling of control, Gallardo, if you like being on the edge with more pucker factor, 430. The both sound amazing and are both gorgeous cars.

Disclaimer: I've only driven the LP-560 pre and post 08 so I can't speak to the RWD 550.

 

I'm in agreement with most if what Ross said, and if you really want to research the 430, Fchat has enormous amount of info.
The only things I would add is yes make sure exhaust manifolds are good or have been replaced. If replaced you should be fine.
I had an 05 Spider and the earlier models are fine as long as headers fixed. The software may be a little slower on F1 tranny shifts. Really barely noticeable.
The 430 is way ahead of the 360 in terms of technology, feel, etc.

The driving sensation in a 430 is very unique in that the car drives very fast at high-speed with out the sensation of feeling fast. Hard to describe, but the car literally feels like it is flying at high-speed.

 

So you're sayings the 430 is a ticket magnet?

 

I'd love to have an F430!!

 

Next question would be how would the R8 compare. Just thinking back to top gear budget supercars in italy. I would lean towards a V8 (affordability)
Is maintenance that much cheaper?

 

I'd say I've been pulled over once or twice.....no tickets though

 

Who cares what the rest of us think? Why not just get what you want? I mean - isn't that the most important thing when we are dealing with cars in the irrational price bracket???

 

I salute you I am so totally on your side..... suppose when I get grey (and bald) and have to have my hair combed over my bald patch I will downgrade to italian .....just to get noticed

in the mean time I will just enjoy the swavvvee' that is pure Aston