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??!!

pics :

Great owner report.
Of course, have to disagree that the 458 is better in everyway - you say yourself 'thrills per mile' go to the Scud.
"the pure sensation of driving the scud thru my favorite mountain twisities can not be beat by my 458"
Lovely pictures.

yea, but thrills cant be quantified.
"better" need numbers to back it up.
and 458 definitely got better numbers on all accounts, gotta give credit where credit's due.
but the scud is really something else.

Scud is more exciting than 458 until the new scud comes. waiting....

I personally don't agree with your personal report.

For one, other than the lack of sound proofing, the Scuderia is just as comfortable as the 458...they both use the same race seats & setting the suspension to soft in the Scud achieves the same level of compliance as the 458.

The random unpredictable-ness you experience seems more attributable to driver error than the car itself. I personally know my car well enough and I can point it whichever & however way I want to in any condition within the limits of my driving ability. Tires and getting temperature and the right pressure in them is safe driving 101.

The other thing I disagree with is ppl who get a Scuderia expect the rattles and hearing ever rock & pebble through the cabin; it's a street legal race car, so it is a completely different mindset for anyone looking at either cars...one's more like a GT and the other is raw race car. So, it's not a question of upgrading, instead it's more of a question of what kind of driving experience one is looking for. Personally, coming from a Scuderia and having the expectation of wanting and driving a Ferrari race car, the 458 switch would be a downgrade. If I wanted to just go fast, I have my MP4 to do the job and it will leave the 458 in the dust.

Also, the 458 has no exhaust note in comparison / context to a Scuderia, period. When I drove the 458, I felt more like I was driving a lowered, lighter version of an E63 AMG and from inside couldn't get any "passion" or grunt.

And aesthetically the 458 and Scuderia are equally as different as how they drive; the 458 is elegantly beautiful like the curves of a woman and the Scuderia is flared and aggressive with racecar exotic written all over it; feminine vs masculine aesthetics.

The 458 needs to be pushed hard to get the fun and adrenaline going, I am pumped even at 50mph in the Scuderia but maybe that's because I drive with all nanny controls off, and only set the manettino to race or sport when conditions are cold & wet.

Excellent review John. It's always very interesting to read an owner's user experience especially when you own both cars Thanks for sharing and your Scud looks in awesome condition!

Thanks for the write up John. I have had my Scud for just over a year and have really enjoyed her. Every mile so far. I have been thinking about "upgrading" to a 458 at the end of this year but after reading your report I think I might take a test drive in a 458 just to make sure that it is what I want. I'd hate to lose the feeling of butterflies right before I drive it like I always get while heading to the Scuderia.

Bruno

Thanks also for the nice write up. i cant say you are biased because you own them both from new.

I totally concur with you Alwin. They are different animals.
Not everyone likes a striped out road racer as some like creature comforts, as in leather, sound proofing and carpets etc.
I like the rawness which excites me with every drive I do in the Scud.

Very useful guide. I will get a CS....

Another great drivers car. Raw and exciting just like Scud and 16M. Can't go wrong with any of them unless smooth and quiet is your thing.