You need the J79 with reheat. That RB is like big diesel The afterburner makes it really sporty Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Imputing nefarious motivation behind Harris' reviews would seem counter intuitive to his history. He has lavished praise on Ferraris, Porsches and Mclarens as well as subjecting these brands to negative critiques. What has become clear is that he has in the last few years undergone a metamorphisis as to his super car priorities and preferences. He now longer values blistering speed or technical capabilities. Cars that exude excitement, and driver involvement are his mantra. He now longs for cars that are light, nimble and engaging with sensible useable power. High mass, overly complex, extreme HP power plants and nannies that have been transformed from driver aids to obviating driver capabilitiy and input are anathema to him. Harris is simply not enamoured by the evolutionary trend of modern super cars and perhaps that is his only motive.
No doubt that is true but this kind of story has always been with us - 70’s styling, 80’s styling, AWD, F1 gearboxes, flappy paddles, targa tops, shooting brakes, hatchbacks, turbos, hybrids, BEV and even hydrogen! Everyone has a reason to love or hate something new. I get that weight is the enemy but there already exists brilliant, light, manual transmission cars. Great news - they’re not even expensive! I’m up for something new, innovative, clever. All such technology brings with it a compromise but that doesn’t defeat the object, if you don’t like the compromise buy the older technology. But for something new and interesting to exist, why do people carp about it? We all know why the SF90 is as it is, let’s celebrate that it is great and they have done an excellent job. Who knows, maybe in time we’ll come to love it, just as we did the 458, itself originally moaned about because it was too computer-driven, not analogue enough and had a strange steering wheel.
Well said! Harris even says that the newer cars are just not tickling his fancy as much as before. I just think he's become jaded. (perhaps too many new supercars to keep track of?) To my mind, no different than if you worked in a bakery and someone brought you a freshly baked cake. It could be the greatest cake ever. You will be a bit blasé towards it.
My point about Harris is that his integrity is not the issue, but rather his personal predilections have been clearly enunciated and his reviews must be viewed with that lens.
1. You are correct the Walker case is highly unique and is not representative of a normal scenario. Reckless driving is largely frowned upon in the US. Had the driver of the car survived, he likely would have been charged with negligent homicide or 3rd degree murder and sued for the wrongful death of Walker. In that scenario, Porsche likely would have never been involved. Since the driver died and Walker was famous, someone had to be blamed and that’s where Porsche entered the equation. I do not believe car makers should be concerned about issues such as this and the setup of a car should not be predicated on avoiding future lawsuits, at least not to this degree. 2. I’m all for a US setup vs Euro; however, not with regards to the drive. Instead, setup all the cars like lunatics and give the US an exhaust that sounds like a real Ferrari. We aren’t subject to those asinine laws limiting exhaust noise.
Typically I would take half of what he is saying as something he may actually feel and the other half dictated by the shows producers. Top Gear always has some agenda. I would also say they favor McLaren however I believe he said he preferred the 720S over the new 765LT, so... Not exactly sure what TG are playing at however it’s something because that lap time doesn’t lie. NO it’s not ALL about numbers however they ARE part of it. It sounds like Harris simply wants a GT4, well I’m sure he can find one....
For a while the criticism was Ferrari had no answer to the competition's numbers. And now? You have Bugatti battling performance for nearly 5.6x less! {Chris Harris voice ON} 5.6 times less! {/voice off} The other thing, unlike some cars, the performance is deployable by mere mortals and repeatable. Maybe it won't be everyone's cup of tea. That's what makes it interesting. We all enjoy different things. I am fascinated with SF90 and can't wait to drive it!
So from what I can gather Harris drove a non AF package car, and possibly the stig too. imagine the AF package would be good for a faster lap? Also for those of you actually buying this car are you opting for the AF package or not? If not is it because of no lifter? Selfishly asking because I can’t tell if I want the af package or not.
I ordered normal. Mainly because more track forcused means less fun. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I think the Stig lap was with an AF car? CH drove a non-AF car though he must have driven the other too.
Harris reviewed a non-AF car. Then after the shoot, he had a go in the AF car. The stig lapped the track in the AF car. Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I am quite astonished by the reaction to the SF90 so far...If Ferrari launched an old style V12 flagship that was lapping a circuit 3 seconds slower than a McLaren 720 lots of people would write here that history and character are important but Ferrari needs to deliver the numbers too. The way I see it Ferrari have launched a supercar that demolishes pretty much everything on track (I think the 765LT will be faster than the Pista’s 1:12.7 around the TG track but I doubt it will go faster than 1:11.3), is easy to drive so anyone can exploit the performance and costs well under half what a LaF cost when it was new. Whether it is faster than LaF or not is irrelevant; it is less exotic for sure but nothing comes close for this sort of price. For just over 500k EUR you get a car that is as fast as the last batch of hyper cars and certainly more usable than a Valkyrie that will cost 7 times more. Ferrari have achieved the unachievable. And still we hear that it doesn’t have a V12, it weighs too much, it is too easy to drive...Perhaps the critics can try a 512BB. It has a V12 (180deg), it is lighter, it is not easy to drive and no one wants one (as I found trying to sell mine). Or buy an Aventador SV (have you tried one? I have) and see if you feel you have spent your money better Reality is that none of us have driven the car yet. What I hear from the test drivers who have is that the car is amazing, almost too fast and handles perfectly. Let’s wait until the first customer cars are delivered and then hear what the people who paid for the car think. No disrespect to Chris Harris, but most of us don’t have his driving ability and definitely plan to use our cars more, so our objectives are very different. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
Can you give me some more details to what you mean by less fun. Trying to understand your perspective a little better.
I ordered my car with the AF Pack because I want further differentiation from my Pista. Its an extreme car and I want it in its most extreme flavor. I almost never use the lifter on the Pista- and my car is 10mm lower on factory springs. By the way, when you raise the front, the rear goes down. Pista is easy to scrape the rear diffuser and I would imagine the same here so you should keep that in mind when using lifter. If its possible, I think Ferrari has a sleeper hit on its hands here. Just like with the Roma people initially dismiss it, and then they drive it and say WOW. (I recently drove a Roma and it is a blast!) Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
This helps a lot. I was finalizing yesterday and we hit a hard spot on AF or not. I love aggressive cars, not looking for a GT but since no one I know has driven the AF/Non-AF I have nothing to go off of. I just keep asking myself is it worth the 56k. If it’s going to make me feel like I’m sitting in a race car I’m ok with that. But if it’s all show no real improvement then I’ll forgo. The one thing I cannot do is that stipe just looks like a big arrow to me. But black roof with that aF carbon tail looks awesome
Me too - and the interior spec of the AF pack will make it a very special place to be - not to mention the car is better looking from the outside too with the AF pack. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
The only way the 765LT can beat that time is if McLaren bring in a Ringer. Like Harris said, he had expected the SF90 to be faster, but not to blow up the lap board like that. It is also interesting to see in relation to the LaF. The Fiorano times is one thing, and a bit of a marketing tool for Ferrari, but the TG laps are quite interesting. These laps are probably a more clear indication of how much faster the SF90 is in the real world. When Ferrari brought in the LaF, they brought in their A game. When they brought in the SF90, they brought in their A game. 1:14.3 to 1:11.3 just goes to show how much development happens in 7 years. The only way McLaren can beat that time with the 765LT is if they bring in a car with the boost turned to 11. Even if they raise the power so that the cars have the same power to weight ratio, the 765LT only have the rear wheels to put the power down, and it does not have the instant response of the hybrid system. Will be interesting to follow, I'm sure McLaren will do everything to knock the SF90 off the top spot, even if it means using a car with well over 850 hp.
When I asked about how "raw" the non-AF car would be compared to a Pista, I was told at the atelier that when the car is in RACE/CT-OFF/ESC OFF, it will be slightly firmer than a Pista in the same settings, and when in SPORT, it is slightly softer than a Pista in SPORT. To me that means that even in a non-AF config, the car is far from a GT felling car. Problem I think with the feeling of sitting in a race car, is that it's a street car, and it will never feel like a race car. To me a sportscar that goes from slightly softer than the Pista to slightly firmer, is perfect. More than that, and fast drivability on the roads are compromised. I worry that AF will be so firm that like a GT3RS the car will be so firm that it gets too nervous on the normal roads. Very firm is great for a smooth track, but it gets troublesome on the roads as the car starts jumping all over the place. To me, the AF with its lack of settings becomes a bit of a one trick pony and that's just not my thing. It needs the ability to run a handful of trackdays per season, but also do a fast fun run through Europe, do a couple of ring laps, and go back. As for how the interior looks, what exactly is the difference? Been a while, so what makes an AF interior more special? If you get a non-AF car with CF and racing seats, what exactly makes the AF interior different? I agree with the stripe. I don't see it as an arrow though. I see it as a stripe that ends in lipstick on the car lol. Sorry, but that's what the colour around the front intake makes me think of
It's been awhile so I cannot remember. But exactly what difference is there between an AF car interior, and the interior of a non-AF car if the non-AF car has all the CF options and racing seats? I don't recall anything particular, and if it was matte CF, to me that's not a plus.
I am more into sideways I just like the car that can dance into mid corner. Take Porsche for example. GT3 I can slide all day long. With GT3 RS, it gets harder and margin gets slimmer because RS just don’t want to break tracktion. Downgrade tires 2 steps down, then I can slide all day. Also, with GT3, getting the car straight again after sliding is easier than RS. Softer suspension is better for me. So engine should conquer the chassis and suspension setup which SF90 will do I hope, and then suspension setup should help the sideway action by breaking grip with minimal input. CH reviews with ESC off worries me by saying it is tricky to judge how front and rear balances when trying sideways. This is what I do with my cars. Not for everyone’s taste but it is my thing. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
