Good Morning, Hoping to tread lightly here, and avoid ducking under my desk. The last time this comparison was discussed in its own thread was May 2020, and it did not go well…LOL. Quick history, own a ’99 Diablo Roadster and a ’05 Ford GT. Have driven plenty of Ferraris but have never owned one. Have not driven a turbo Ferrari. Thinking about adding another car (probably next year). Want something 4-5 years old, not interested in the GT type cars (like Roma). The budget is the sticky wicket. Anything over $250k will get problematic, unless something just knocks out everything else. The initial list of possibilities are the 720S spider, Huracan EVO, Maserati MC20 (concerned about the falling off a cliff depreciation, already 19 with asking prices below $200k, most with less than 3,000 miles just on one site), and GT3. I have previously been anti-McLaren, based on perceived reliability and iffy dealer network (even here in Houston, the standalone McLaren dealer sold out to the Lamborghini dealer), but seems like these issues have improved in the 720S era. Currently, there is an approximate $100k difference between same year F8 and 720S. So looking for opinions from anyone with good seat time in both 720S & F8. Any aspect is fair game. Thanks
You’re going to get some very long-winded, objective and subjective responses. I’ll keep it simple - for many (present company included), Ferrari is magic, McLaren is not.
If you're Un-American, go for a McLaren or Lambo. Get yourself a man bag and nail polish while you're at it.
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/720s.676176/ https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/f8-spider-vs-720s-spider.674238/
Have you driven any of the cars you've listed? I know you have not driven an F8 (you said so), but what about the others? The best way to decide is to decide for yourself. And the best way to do that is to drive these cars, yourself. Don't listen to us, or any Youtubers out there, or some influencer on IG. Get behind the wheel, fire her up, start burning some dinosaur juice, and buy the car that speaks to you the most. Enjoy the process and let us know what you decide. Good luck.
Have not driven anything yet…..trying to first establish a budget, then shortlist to maybe 3 cars, then drive.
Having driven all of them The f8 is the best all around in my opinion. Owned one for three years , traded up to a pista, which is my favorite overall but do miss the spider and the everyday drivability of the f8 Currently I have an evo spider ( it is really fun and my first Lambo), the pista and a new turbo s Considering going back to an f8 spider because it is just lights out all around Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
+1 gotta go drive them first. That is good advice in general but based on the cars you have it seems like you are not the "latest-greatest" type but someone who needs to connect with a car. so all you are going to get here is useless information that cannot really answer your question.
I agree that you should go drive them and see what you like the best. No offense to OP whatsoever but this question is like asking the group if you should get the sea bass, Peking duck or steak. Some people are going to say they had all 3 and the steak is the best. Others will say the duck is the best in the world. There is no one size fits all answer to the question. for what it’s worth (and it’s not worth much) I’ve had an F8, 2 720s, evo and GT3. All have their strengths and weakness. Each is very different and it depends on your personal preference. For example, the EVO sounded amazing, had the quality, fit and finish of the German pedigree. Some people love it and swear by it. I had mine for 60 days it was just not my cup of tea. Too much of an attention getter. I found that to be a weakness where others feel it’s a strength. I’d try to get some good seat time in each and make the decision on what brings you the most joy and puts the biggest smile on your face. That’s why we all drive these anyway.
I was recently in the market for a new car and almost pulled the trigger on a couple 720s spiders. Amazing car, diabolical performance, amazing steering and chassis feel - great all around and I even love the way they look. In the end though I just couldn’t pass over the F8 for one. Ferraris are just special (to me) and I’m ok giving up a couple tenths for the way that the Ferrari lights up a smile on my face. Btw the F8 is also ridiculously fast and has great feel and balance too.
If we read his original post, he can’t have an F8 because it is ‘problematic’ to go over 250k and there definitely will not be any F8’s for under 250.. not next year and surely not ever so… enjoy your 720S Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Problematic from the standpoint that I would either have to wait another couple of years or sell something.
I would suggest including the 458 in your search so that you have a modern but non-turbo Ferrari in your review Would also include the MC20. They are very fun and as you noted the depreciation has hit them, so bought right they are a pretty good value IMO. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
He could also try a 488. I,. like many here, have had all of the non special V8s since the 360 and the 488 and F8 are the closest but an older MY 488 will be a lot cheeper. Is the F8 better, of course but he will pay a premium and I don't see prices dropping much with the new line of V6 hybrids being the new variants (first time I turned down an allocation)
This is really a moot point as you can't get a F8 for 250k, and you can certainly get a 720S for that. The 720S is a ton of performance and looks for that price, no question. Performance is basically similar for 99% of the people here. Looks are subjective, I personally think the F8 is one of the better recent Ferrari designs but I can appreciate the 720S as well. Both look like supercars. Ferrari has certain reliability quirks, but overall the F8 is generally considered to be more robust than the Mclaren cars. The 720 is obviously better than some of the previous ones, but issues persist from what I have read and heard about from owners. Nothing crazy though. The only thing I'd argue is that the price difference isn't really as "huge" as you think. It is pretty darn likely the Ferrari will hold its value better, so the delta between the two over the long run really isn't that much. Over 3-4 years I could see BOTH cars going down by 100k potentially, but it would be the SAME value drop. So if you recover the price delta upon eventual sale, it really isn't that big of a difference.
What about a 488. Not mentioned as an option, but a 488 Coupe with enough miles would be around $250?
