Crown

keithos27:

I would have imagined the Speciale would be louder...

Actually, what I heard is that italia is louder than Speciale at full chat, from outside because of the strict noise regulation at some of the tracks in Europe.

458 "service optional" sports exhaust is not as loud as stock exhaust for the very same reason, either. Genuiene Sports muffler is louder than stock at idle and before the valves are open on stock muffler but when the stock system opens the valves, it is louder than sports system.

But inside the cabin, Speciale is louder because of less insulation and thinner engine wall.

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ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

Would be interesting to know the Decibel - currently I run a Superleggera and it has a embarrassingly loud registered 109 db on tab

Whoopsy:

Heavy doesn't means good feel.

While the 12C do have a lighter steering wheel than the Speciale, it has more feedback.

I can feel the paver stones on my driveway in the 12C, not on the Speciale, and through the steering wheel I can feel the caster working on the front suspension geometry in the 12C.

Feel also doesn't sharpness, the Speciale has sharper steering, could be because of the quicker rack, it just feel more eager to turn.

I suspect McLaren dialed in more positive caster than the Ferrari. 

Nick,

Personally I don't like to feel the pavement through the steering wheel in the car but when pushed, I like to feel what the front suspension and the tires are doing in front. I don't like the feel the first one, because it makes me tiresome in the car. This is very obvious between my 2 cars; italia and 981 Cayman w/base steel suspension. I feel every rawness in the Cayman but 458 rides like as if it is riding on oil, on daily basis. But when put on track, I can feel the weight transfer, front geotmetry, how the suspension works and what the tires are doing through the italia's steering wheel.

Therefore, I'm curious how your feel of the car through the steering wheel will change once you track your speciale and push it to the limits.

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ONUR

THE BEST CAR EVER 

11 E92 M3 CP - 09 Audi TTS Coupe - 07 997 Carrera S - 05 M3 Coupe - 03 M3 Coupe - 96 M3 Coupe EVO (PASS TIME HISTORY)

The engine soundtrack is lower pitched, thus "meaner" and more aggressive, although maybe a few decibel less loud - which is good for the use on European racetracks, where noise is becoming an issue more and more.

http://www.carverse.com/news/ferrari-458-speciale-a-tale-of-an-owners-love/

The cure

REALZEUS:

I think that people confuse feel/feedback with lightness...

That is not my complaint - I have no problem with light steering (I prefer it over heavy like a Daytona), as long as it coveys the tactile information.

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73 Carrera RS 2.7 Carbon Fiber replica (1,890 lbs), 06 EVO9 with track mods. Former: 73 911S, Two 951S's, 996 C2, 993 C2, 98 Ferrari 550

I remember reading a review of a mid 80’s 911 Carrera and it always stuck in my head when the guy said you could drive over a quarter and tell if it was heads or tails… Medium light and as much feedback as possible for me please. That you can’t feel cobblestones through the wheel is shocking. 

Past-President, Porsche Club of America - Upper Canada Region

Having driven both, I think either one is a great choice, there is no wrong choice.

They have different feel and feel is a very subjective thing, there is no right or wrong feel, some like stiffer so like lighter. About the only universal thing is my G63 has zero steering feel.

Overall I don't really have a preference, they are just different.

Oh here is a pic of my old car and new car at dinner last night, raining too.

The bare metal floor is definitely slippery, but the rubber pad on it helped immensely. I however like the single wiper in the 12C more than the double. Seems to do a better job at clearing water.

There must have been hundreds of people taking pictures of the car during dinner, didn't help that we parked right in front of one of the busiest Starbucks. I pretend to be one of the onlookers earlier in the night and whip out my cell phone to join the fun.

Whoopsy:

 

There must have been hundreds of people taking pictures of the car during dinner, didn't help that we parked right in front of one of the busiest Starbucks. I pretend to be one of the onlookers earlier in the night and whip out my cell phone to join the fun.

 

It would have been fun, or enlightening, to stand around listening to the comments.

JoeRockhead:

Whoopsy:

There must have been hundreds of people taking pictures of the car during dinner, didn't help that we parked right in front of one of the busiest Starbucks. I pretend to be one of the onlookers earlier in the night and whip out my cell phone to join the fun.

It would have been fun, or enlightening, to stand around listening to the comments.

Now that's something I would enjoy thoroughly too. 

JoeRockhead:

Whoopsy:

 

There must have been hundreds of people taking pictures of the car during dinner, didn't help that we parked right in front of one of the busiest Starbucks. I pretend to be one of the onlookers earlier in the night and whip out my cell phone to join the fun.

 

It would have been fun, or enlightening, to stand around listening to the comments.

Trust me it was haha.

Most identified them as 2 Ferraris. Or a Lambo and a Ferrari, no one really get the McLaren yet, still not too well known. Even when the name was spelled on the ass.

Some do recognized it's was a Speciale and drool over all the carbon fibre. 

Also opened the door and let a kid get in so his dad can take a picture. It was right after I parked before a crowd gathered. Made his day. 

Nick, get used to the attention. It will never let up. Wait until they begin to ask you personal question like what do you do, how much do you make and how much did the car cost? Hell even after being nice, they ended up stealing all four of my Ferrari tire air caps. 

Is the Speciale a lot longer than the 12C or is it just the angle of the photo?

BTW, what's the story behind the CF lower side panel? Is this a reference to something? Never understood this trend.

Overall, it's about the same size of the 12C, my garage is tiled with 1ft squares and they occupied just about the same space.

My Turbo S is parked right beside it and both the Speciale and the 12C is within an inch or 2 of the length of the Turbo S, but both are wider by about 6 inches or so. 

The longer look is probably more due to the angle of the photo. 

As for the carbon fibre side panel, I don't think Ferrari has any history about it, it's just another part for Ferrari to ding customers for more money. The vertical fin is a separate part than the lower side panel, so one can have the fin in carbon and the side panel in body colour. Mostly I think it's just a showcase of the car's lightness. 

They did went to quite a length to lighten the car, door feels super light when trying to close it from the outside, the side glass are thinner than normal too. Rear hatch is Lexan, quit a bit lighter than the glass cover of the 12C, first time I open and close it I was surprised by the lack of mass to it.

Congratulations on a beautiful car .

I just came back from a track day. There were 2 Speciale . Talking to one of the owners who had a Scuderia before said that the Speciale is very easy to drive in comparaison . You can make many mistakes, likes coming way too fast into a corner, or entering with a very wrong line, and you will be able to put the car back on line with no problems .

It is very forgiving .   Most modern cars seem to be that way nowadays . They are all so good that ' tamed' that no one will scare themselves with them . Makes they approchable .

 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm

Gnil:

It is very forgiving .   Most modern cars seem to be that way nowadays . They are all so good that ' tamed' that no one will scare themselves with them . Makes they approchable .

I find this to be a negative point to the Speciale. If I remember correctly much of the praise the Scud received was exactly because it was a modern Ferrari that had an edge to it, it was reminiscent of when sports cars were all about the drive and the aggression. I'm not saying the Speciale should be a "difficult" car to drive, but it shouldn't soften the experience its predecesor was so highly acclaimed for. 

Noone has ever said that the Speciale is tame, quite the contrary! A good car, even a race car, is obedient and good natured, yet quick and responsive. 

Gnil:

Congratulations on a beautiful car .

I just came back from a track day. There were 2 Speciale . Talking to one of the owners who had a Scuderia before said that the Speciale is very easy to drive in comparaison . You can make many mistakes, likes coming way too fast into a corner, or entering with a very wrong line, and you will be able to put the car back on line with no problems .

It is very forgiving .   Most modern cars seem to be that way nowadays . They are all so good that ' tamed' that no one will scare themselves with them . Makes they approchable .

Someone actually dare to show up in a Porsche Club meet with a Ferrari? Haha. That's funny.

While I have never driven a Scuderia nor a current gen GT3, I have driven a 997 GT3 before, and the Speciale is less 'raw' than that. I have already commented the Speciale is more civilized than I had imagined.

More forgiving is a good thing, car makers don't really want to produce widow makers, keep the owners alive and they will buy more cars in the future. 

And forgiving cars will be faster around a track, which is a good thing, who wants to go slower on a track?

Anyway, I had originally planned to buy a Cup car to keep at the track next year, but with the Speciale purchase I may not now, might keep the Speciale there instead.

reginos:

Whoopsy, now with the Speciale you will not want the 918 anymore. A lot of  money without much tangible benefit. 

Perhaps, you could sell your 918 slot at some premium.

See my post above. The Speciale pretty much took the place of a car that I planned to buy in the future. 

The 918 is 'Special', nothing really will make me not want one. Maybe if Ferrari suddenly offer me a LaFerrari..........

Having driven both, I still like the 918 better, they are just different purpose cars, one is a do it all, the other is a civilized track car.

While I haven't took the Speciale engine all the way up the rev range, I have heard plenty of 458 at redline. I think the 918 has a better exhaust sound from the outside and quite possibly on the inside too. Most here haven't heard the 918 in full bark, trust me nothing compares, especially when the exhaust is 2 feet behind my ears.

There are times it seems I am egging on Porsche in public on purpose just to show them I am quite displeased with the delays on the my 918.  First I took the 12C for a publicity Rally, then I bought a Ferrari and praising it while waiting for my car.

@ Porsche: If you guys are reading this, I WANT MY CAR!!!!

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Whoopsy:

And forgiving cars will be faster around a track, which is a good thing, who wants to go slower on a track?

Anyway, I had originally planned to buy a Cup car to keep at the track next year, but with the Speciale purchase I may not now, might keep the Speciale there instead.

Yes, more forgiving is a good thing. Who wants to crash his $$$ car or get injured ? 

Whoopsy, don't fool yourself, the Speciale is not a Cup.......... by very far ! Get the real deal 

Buy a car managed by a team. You get to the track in your Speciale, or Panamera , plane or helicopter . Then you gust sit in the car, the guys do it all for you ( tires , clean etc.. ) , they have your telemetry and will help you better your laps . Once you have a foot in there , all the rest feels like toy cars .

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 997.2 C2S, PDK, -20mm

Gnil:

 

Yes, more forgiving is a good thing. Who wants to crash his $$$ car or get injured ? 

Whoopsy, don't fool yourself, the Speciale is not a Cup.......... by very far ! Get the real deal 

Transporting it would be a bit of a problem, at least I can drive  the Speciale to get serviced. :)

My track will be 5hrs away from where I live.

But trust me a Cup car is still on the radar, I have been told many times if I really want to hone my skills, get a purpose built race car, then I can properly learn all the setup and stuff. Or perhaps a Ferrari Challenge car if Porsche doesn't give me my 918 soon.......................

The 458S ain't no 918. 

So someone on Fchat weighted their Speciale with full tank and pretty much everything at 1506kg. Without driver.

On my air freight declaration the car was listed at 1310kg for flight purposes.

Ferrari listed the car at 1290kg dry.

One other thing I have noticed, the Ferrari seems like it doesn't know what to do in stop and go traffic, after about 3 or 4 creeps, instead of continuing modulating the clutch engagement, it would engage fully all of a sudden and the car lurches. 

My Turbo S and the 12C doesn't do that, they both can put around stop and go all day smoothly.

Or maybe it was giving me hints that it doesn't like that and wants me to go somewhere and open it up.

Whoopsy:

Or maybe it was giving me hints that it doesn't like that and wants me to go somewhere and open it up.

It is italian after all 

2014 991 Carrera 4S | Dark Blue Metallic | PDK | S-PASM (-20mm) | PSE

2010 Audi S5 cabrio | Ibis White

Finally remember who bought the 1st Speciale here.

igirl, our French member, has the 1st one, also in white too.

Re-read the EVO article and paid a little bit more attention.

Speciale :1395kg kerb weight

991GT3: 1430kg kerb weight

650S: 1370kg dry

My air freight declaration listed the car as 1310kg for flight purposes.

Whoopsy:

Gnil:

Whoopsy, don't fool yourself, the Speciale is not a Cup.......... by very far ! Get the real deal 

 

Transporting it would be a bit of a problem, at least I can drive  the Speciale to get serviced. :)

My track will be 5hrs away from where I live.

But trust me a Cup car is still on the radar, I have been told many times if I really want to hone my skills, get a purpose built race car, then I can properly learn all the setup and stuff. Or perhaps a Ferrari Challenge car if Porsche doesn't give me my 918 soon.......................

A purpose built race car is the only way to make you a much better driver on the track. That and shunting even a nearly new cup car Into to the wall or your new speciale...one I'll make you pissed and annoyed, the other will make you sick. If you track enough and push yourself to be better and faster, you WILL go off and one of those times you WILL hit something. 

There are two types of really fast track drivers, those that are going to hit the wall and those that are going to hit it again. 

The speed isn't really comparable either. The speciale is fast but there are dozens of $30k race cars that would eat it for breakfast. 

Past-President, Porsche Club of America - Upper Canada Region

650s coupe weights 1330kg dry or 1301 kg dry with light weight options according to Mclaren. The kerb is anyone's guess 

Mithras:

There are two types of really fast track drivers, those that are going to hit the wall and those that are going to hit it again. 

Mithras:

 

There are two types of really fast track drivers, those that are going to hit the wall and those that are going to hit it again. 

 

You forgot the 3rd kind. I went so fast around a track I am not going to tell you the time one.

Took my Turbo S for a drive after almost 2 weeks not touching it as I was on the Ferrari the last few days and the 12C the week before.

There is really no substitute. It might not sound as good as the other 2, but it's just as fast, as stable. More comfortable, roomier cabin, much better visibility all around. While it's not much smaller, but it drives a lot smaller than the dimensions would indicate, the missing inches from the width department really shows. Then there is the ground clearance around town, didn't need to wait 5 seconds for the lifter. Perfect calibration of the gearbox. Great traction on all conditions.  It even has the best infotainment system. 

For sports cars that see daily usage,  there is 911 and there is everything else.