I'm going to SF to pick up the F430 right now!

I'm a little confused by this statement? What exactly does the F1 gearbox not do that a manual geatbox would?

Jacobfox: The car is amazing. You sir are a lucky lucky man

the joy of heel and toe and perfect downshift. words can not describe how great it feels when you get everything right. every upshift and downshift is like an mini orgasm, especially in a Ferrari :)

In a true manual gearbox, you have to do everything manually, hence the name.
Pressing a button that tells the computer that you're ready to change gear, is not the same.
But again, it is an amazing gearbox and on a track under racing conditions, it's unbeatable.

And unfortunately, I won't be able to drive it for a while. My dad wants to get the hang of it before he lets me behind the wheel.


true, 100% correct, on a race track, the computer does all the gear change for you, making you focus more on the actual racing line and braking, which is nice. But lets face it, 99% of ferrari owners are going to spend more time on the road than race track, its mainly the open road, the twisties, highway and country roads. And his dad sounds like one of those 99% Ferrari owners, e.g the car will go on a race track like once in a year at the most, its a very expensive car after all, i dont think anyone would want to damage their supercar, therefore a manual gearbox would be better in terms of teh ultimate driving machine (i sound like a bmw salesman :(). If his dad was thinking about taking the F430 on the race track only... then he should have got the F430 CS, in that case.... sequential gearbox FTW!!!!

Having said that, its probably a good idea to get the automatic gearbox anyway, when your dad is done with the F430, more buys will be interested at buying an auto F430 rather than a manual one. But hey! To each's own, at the end of the day, its his ferrari not mine. Kudos for the car though... great choice of colour, ive seen enough red ferraris, good to see your dad choosing a non main-stream colour.
 
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There is no 430 CS yet.
The percentage of owners choosing the F1 gearbox is approximately 90%, so it seems that the F1 gearbox is finally good enough that it's worth choosing over the manual.
 
the joy of heel and toe and perfect downshift. words can not describe how great it feels when you get everything right. every upshift and downshift is like an mini orgasm, especially in a Ferrari :)

but does the performance of the transmission differ greatly from a "proper" manual. what i mean to say is it shifts faster and better than a human can. It does it when you want to not when the computer decides its a good idea. you don't need to heal toe because it blips the throttle on the downshift basically matching revs. sure i suppose the arguement could be made that it is less engaging but then it gives you more concentration for the road/track ahead and keeping on line
 
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but does the performance of the transmission differ greatly from a "proper" manual. what i mean to say is it shifts faster and better than a human can. It does it when you want to not when the computer decides its a good idea. you don't need to heal toe because it blips the throttle on the downshift basically matching revs. sure i suppose the arguement could be made that it is less engaging but then it gives you more concentration for the road/track ahead and keeping on line

Would you rather drive a F430 around a track in real life or in GranTurismo?
 
the joy of heel and toe and perfect downshift. words can not describe how great it feels when you get everything right. every upshift and downshift is like an mini orgasm, especially in a Ferrari :)

I think, the f1 gearbox is the way of the future. heel and toe.. is overrated, ive been doing it in every single corner where I don't have to stop for a few years and its become well just like any other shift. In fact it gets tiring after a bit. Sometimes I feel like those that stand by and state that that there's nothing like rowing your own gears, say it because 1) they are old fashion or 2) its still a challenge for them. If someone has been doing it for years, they probably would much rather have the compromised comfort and precision of the F1 superfast box, that way you can enjoy the corner and brake later while not get tired doing heel n toe down the box earlier on. Besides, if they want a manual people who buy f430's.. can buy an m3 or S2000 beater...

Would you rather drive a F430 around a track in real life or in GranTurismo?

Around a Track, nothing like feedback in your hands and the inputs to correct, the vibrating engine, the direct sound. Its more of an experience. Its crazy to think that GT4 is even remotely comparable to lap on a track pushing to the limit. Wringing out times out of a laptime is what a race car is for and the F430 is supposed to translate Ferrari racing for the road. Oh and GranTurismo can't afford ferrari.
 
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I like using a manual gearbox because I get bored driving auto's, and I wouldn't say it's a challange for me in the slightest (I usually drive for about 3 hours in heavy traffic each day)
Heel and toe... yeah I'll give you that, I can do it but don't bother 99% of the time.
 
Around a Track, nothing like feedback in your hands and the inputs to correct, the vibrating engine, the direct sound. Its more of an experience. Its crazy to think that GT4 is even remotely comparable to lap on a track pushing to the limit. Wringing out times out of a laptime is what a race car is for and the F430 is supposed to translate Ferrari racing for the road. Oh and GranTurismo can't afford ferrari.

My point exactly. You start taking away from the driving experience, in return for faster times, etc. What if they came up with throttle control or steering control, that was faster and more accurate then any human? What if the car could drive around a track by itself, so you can just chill in the passenger seat and drink a coffee? It's just no fun. Faster. More technologically advanced. But still less fun.
 
While the case can be made that a sequential manual removes some communication with the road, think of it this way. When you're shifting a manual on the track, no matter how skilled you are, you still run the risk of fluffing a shift, or dropping a gear because you screwed up or were focusing on other factors. While it is an absolute joy to heel and toe properly, such motions distract you from putting out a fast lap. The F1 gearbox is quicker, more accurate and loses only a small amount of involvement. I don't know about you, but I'm personally willing to lose the small bit of involvement in the pursuit of faster laptimes. And it's damn good on the street as well, whether or not you believe the invective aimed at paddleshift boxes these days.

Oh and btw, there are gearbox settings that allow you to heel and toe if you are so inclined by not blipping the throttle on downchanges, but allowing you to do so if you want.
 
I agree with you completely. The F1 gearbox is unbeatable on the track and fine for the road.

It's just the other 99.5% of the time I'm behind the wheel that I'm concerned about.
I would never race a F430 if I owned one. And I wouldn't thrash it around on the streets either.
But I would like to do some spirited driving on the closest set of empty twisty roads.
And in those circumstances, I'd want to enjoy the experience throughly. You paid enough.
 
There is no 430 CS yet.
The percentage of owners choosing the F1 gearbox is approximately 90%, so it seems that the F1 gearbox is finally good enough that it's worth choosing over the manual.

im sure there is.. vicky even did a review on it for fifth gear.
 
My point exactly. You start taking away from the driving experience, in return for faster times, etc. What if they came up with throttle control or steering control, that was faster and more accurate then any human? What if the car could drive around a track by itself, so you can just chill in the passenger seat and drink a coffee? It's just no fun. Faster. More technologically advanced. But still less fun.

I agree with you completely. The F1 gearbox is unbeatable on the track and fine for the road.

It's just the other 99.5% of the time I'm behind the wheel that I'm concerned about.

:clap: Well said - just because they're faster, doesn't mean they're better.
 
I agree with you completely. The F1 gearbox is unbeatable on the track and fine for the road.

It's just the other 99.5% of the time I'm behind the wheel that I'm concerned about.
I would never race a F430 if I owned one. And I wouldn't thrash it around on the streets either.
But I would like to do some spirited driving on the closest set of empty twisty roads.
And in those circumstances, I'd want to enjoy the experience throughly. You paid enough.

thats exactly what im talking about. actually my post earlier on have explained this clearly already. its not all about the 0.000000001sec on the race track. its all about how you feel and thats the most important factor of driving.. how YOU feel. And i feel better with the good old manual. why?? cos its fun, its raw, its all about you, and the car. fuck the 5 way traction control and sequntial gearbox when you can have all the fun in a manual. i am not saying that autos are bad, because my post earlier on have already stated the purpose of the auto, and the very fact that i have a bloody flappy paddle gearbox on my 130. Im just saying, since you did not buy this car for the race track, or even prepared to take it on the race track frequently, then why the hell do you need an auto?? if its for re-sale purpose then i can agree no more, if its for the easy going, relax and precise driviability then i still cant argue, but if you are buying it because 99% of the Ferrari buyers have that and you are just blindly following them, then im afraid its rather stupid.

ive said it before and i will say it again. Its not my car, and honestly i dont care if the bloke have a gearbox or not. Im just saying, if given the opportunity, i would take the manual over the auto, everytime without any hesitation.
 
but does the performance of the transmission differ greatly from a "proper" manual. what i mean to say is it shifts faster and better than a human can. It does it when you want to not when the computer decides its a good idea. you don't need to heal toe because it blips the throttle on the downshift basically matching revs. sure i suppose the arguement could be made that it is less engaging but then it gives you more concentration for the road/track ahead and keeping on line

i dont want the computer to do that for me, i want to do the actual gearchange, cos i like it. thats bascially stealing the fun of driving away from me. Do you want your computer to drive your car or do you want total control???

I think, the f1 gearbox is the way of the future. heel and toe.. is overrated, ive been doing it in every single corner where I don't have to stop for a few years and its become well just like any other shift. In fact it gets tiring after a bit. Sometimes I feel like those that stand by and state that that there's nothing like rowing your own gears, say it because 1) they are old fashion or 2) its still a challenge for them. If someone has been doing it for years, they probably would much rather have the compromised comfort and precision of the F1 superfast box, that way you can enjoy the corner and brake later while not get tired doing heel n toe down the box earlier on. Besides, if they want a manual people who buy f430's.. can buy an m3 or S2000 beater...

I can never get bored of heel and toe, and i have been doing this ever since i learn how to drive properly, and im glad to say that im addicted to it and will never get sick of it. Hell even professional driver can mis-shift and fuck up on shifts. And all those late braking and stuff... its pointless because you are not on a race track, besides who the hell said that you cant brake late in a manual car?? Read my above post, i said if the car was bought for the race track then the sequential gearbox would be the best, but his dad didnt... so why not get a manual and have all the fun??

My main reason for a manual gearbox is the total control of the engine, i can rev the fuck out of it and make it bounce off the limiter if i want. cant do that in 80% of the autobox out there. I dont want computer to tell me when to shift, and help me to shift, cos i didnt ask for any help. This sequential thing is just a better system when compared to the traditional autobox, it makes the autobox more flexible, but it still cant beat a manual in terms of driving pleasure. lets face it.. you cant even bring out the full poential of the manual, so the F1 gearbox wont help you shit. All it will help you is to look like a cock saying "ZOMG PEOPLE! LOOK AT MY F1 gearbox, IM SCHUMACHER!" I can take both F430 on the race track, and i can gurantee you that at the end of the day, my result are gonna be similar, and the only thing that will change the time will be my mistakes and not the gearbox.

Finally, incase some people who cant read. let me put this in a short easy way of reading it.

FUN FACTOR : Manual > Sequential > Auto

LAZY FACTOR : Auto > Sequential > Manual

Wanker Factor (IM SCHUMACHER MODE!!!) : Sequential > Manual > Auto
 
Alright ! we get it and FFS Jacobfox has already given a reason on why he picked the F1 gearbox over a regular manual gearbox and it's not your car so stop whining and STFU !
 
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^Dude, you're not a mod.

I've suddenly realised how much nicer this colour actually looks than the usual red. The red seems to be a bit typical now-a-days, nice to see another colour chosen. Must be said I'd got for a manual but for re-sale value, the sequential's probably going to better... Gotta weigh up the options I guess.
 
^Dude, you're not a mod.

I've suddenly realised how much nicer this colour actually looks than the usual red. The red seems to be a bit typical now-a-days, nice to see another colour chosen. Must be said I'd got for a manual but for re-sale value, the sequential's probably going to better... Gotta weigh up the options I guess.

Just because he's not a mod doesn't mean he can't complain about this stupid manual vs. sequential pissing match that's going on. Seriously, I'm almost afraid to ask them their thoughts on power steering.

All in all, it comes down to personal preferance and opinion, and people seem to be on the verge of flaming over this stuff. Come on, MadCow already called his dad a wanker...
 
^Dude, you're not a mod.

I've suddenly realised how much nicer this colour actually looks than the usual red. The red seems to be a bit typical now-a-days, nice to see another colour chosen. Must be said I'd got for a manual but for re-sale value, the sequential's probably going to better... Gotta weigh up the options I guess.

Man, Watto, for once he does something right and you still diss him!
All that gearbox talk without 99.99% of the people in here having actually driven the car makes me sick as well... Totally useless...
 
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