have my scud since new for 3.5 years and 11k hard but no track, no city errand running miles.
own 458s since it came out and now the spider, 10k hard fast miles total on them.
first lets get one thing straight, the 458 is the "better" car.
its faster, smoother, easier to drive fast or slow, much more comfortable, more convenient to drive, never disappoints, and better in every which way you can come up with, plus its NEW, latest and greatest.
I driven the MP4 on numerous occassions, quit saying its a threat to the ferrari, period.
my scud like all ferraris and my 458 has a "soul". but the scud seem to have more of it. By that, i mean it drives differently almost everytime i start it. It needs time to get used to changes, like tires : i did corsas, s001s, pss, re11, etc... The battery likes to be fully charged, otherwise it hiccups and puffs.....
Alignments..... Everytime i did something to the scud, it behaves differently, which i find very interesting.
At times, its frustrating, like when i realize that s001s confuses the crap out of the traction control and abs systems.
The bump steer of the scud is laughable compared to the 458, the steering needed tightened up very early on.
it feels more like a living being than the near perfect 458. Scud has terrible shock rattles and other non-pleasant ambient nosies. Its almost like a human being having faults and character, or you can look at it as a POS.
The 458 always feel perfect no matter what i do to it, whether its tires, rims, spacers... It just becomes faster and smoother.
However, one thing that surprises me with the new ferraris like the 458, its the feel after you change the oil. The car always feel faster, pulls more eagerly to redline, and sounds even louder after an oil change. I do that at the dealer with their new, i think its 10w60 or 50 shell oil, and its amazing. I always joke with the tech that they put indian secret oil in my car. It might be psychological.
But i change my oil every 3-4k miles, so its not that long at all.
back to the scud.
you really DONT need to upgrade to a 458.
of course my 458 is better in everyway, but thrills per mile still goes to the scud. Im more of a lunatic when im in the scud, i do crazy things in it that i dont in the sophisticated 458. I get into trouble with the law more in the scud, i found myself becoming a hooligan a-shole running away from traffic, the pure sensation of driving the scud thru my favorite mountain twisities can not be beat by my 458.
Sure, the 458 is the best, but it doesnt make me feel tired, or concentrate like the scud. And thats the single biggest negative of my scud, it makes me exhausted after a drive.
My 458 spider was much more sensational than the italia but thats another story, but if i didnt have money for my italia, my scud is more than fine.
I ordered my scud, so its pretty much the perfect spec for me, and i need some hard convincing if i ever going to part with mine. Im still observing its reliability after warranty, but besides that there is not much reason to fault it.
for those looking for a scud, go ahead!
for scud owners stressing for a italia, dont worry, ur not missing much.
for 360/430 owners, what are u waiting for??!!
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