gotta say the 430 has been doing a good job at being a daily this week. not as comfortable as the 456 was, but makes a decent ride to get around in sporting style. for those of you hesitating, go ahead. dont bother saving it for whatever reasons.....life is short
I agree in theory but in reality, if you live in an area with mountains and snow I'd suggest a reality check before leaving the house. I happen to live on an island paradise south of Houston and enjoy driving in excellent weather 95% of the year.
well yes.....i was not suggesting that you toss out all reason and logic and drive a 430 in a foot of snow over a mountain pass....and just for good order and to cover all bases, i am also not suggesting that one attach a hitch and use the 430 to haul pigs to market.... but for certain times of year, and/or in a temperate climate, the 430 can make a decent daily driver.
Good for you....! I live in South Florida, and could drive mine every day but the main reason I don’t is I’m hesitant to take it to the office where all of my staff can see the car. Call me odd, but I don’t want them all to see it. Funny thing, is my daily driver, a 2019 AMG 63S. cost $20,000 more Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
funny.. my cousin also lives in south florida and has a pair of 430s he wont drive to work for the same reason but instead drives an SL63
Glad you mentioned it Ross. In about a year I'm going to have to decide whether to keep it and make it my daily if I downsize, or sell it until I'm done with the next part of my plan. There's a high probability of being in Houston during this phase, so I don't mind daily driving it there since it blends in with all of the nice cars in the city. There are other places, such as where I am now, where I hesitate because it's too noticeable. Only two things have me hesitating. The first is clutch usage with stop and go traffic. The second is that I used to have a Porsche Cayman S (slightly lowered) when I last lived in Houston. I practically destroyed the bottom on the Houston roads (I think I even caught air once), and I once escaped having the car flooded out by a hair when I was caught in a severe thunderstorm near the Menil park and the water rose before I could get out of the neighborhood. At least there have been some roads improvements, as I see even Afton Oaks finally got Richmond repaved (until you hit the rail road tracks), but still it can be pretty rough. @cole328 - I can relate!
i did in fact once own a 348ts. a car that i will forever regret ever buying....it was the single worst automotive experience, including the '77 MGB that i still own. that car was cursed by the devil. i will not say more for fear of alienating all those ardent 348 supporters, but suffice it to say that the 430 is a most excellent example of a supercar daily.
wow I had no idea. I owned two 348s and both were relatively problem free, other than a T/O bearing and a fuel pump.
To add.. gorgeous day here yesterday, so dropped the top and took her out for a nice 50 mile drive to stretch her legs. Many (many) shifts at 8500 rpm. Never fails to put a phreaking smile on my face Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
yes especially with a valved muffler its 100 percent usable. i put a pioneer flip stereo and people dont complain about my BT calls...
I have used my 430 spider as a daily for the school run for a few periods of time in summers. Girls at my daughter’s school ignore it. Boys at the neighbouring school think I’m a superhero. Van drivers, people in souped up hatchbacks and working class people in general let me in and give me thumbs ups. Middle class people in hybrids cut me up, middle class cyclists swear and spit at me. it’s also true that the swearing spitting cyclists think it’s a multimillion dollar exotic that destroys the planet. (I also cycle and have nothing against cycling, just some of the cyclists) It’s fun to drive even in urban environments because it’s from the era when Ferraris were fun without having to go at supersonic speeds. It’s a gated manual, so far from ideal in heavy traffic though, which limits its attraction in town, although the shift and clutch are easier than my gated 575 and much easier than the F512M. You can also place it easily in flowing traffic, visibility is decent and you know where your ends are, unlike some exotics. the low gearing and torquey engine make it very zippy without having to wind it up. Ride is good. I agree with Ross, 430 is a surprisingly good and easy daily.