ride quality - modena vs CS | FerrariChat
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ride quality - modena vs CS

Discussion in '360/430' started by fioran0, Jun 20, 2010.

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  1. fioran0

    fioran0 Karting

    Jun 15, 2009
    115
    #1 fioran0, Jun 20, 2010
    when i bought my ferrari my purpose was to get a car that i could have fun with but which could also be used to go out for lunch or dinner in, preferably at the end of a nice twisty drive without arriving crumpled and beaten.
    ive always had harder edged cars and track alot so all my non daily cars have always reflected this. ive currently got two proper race cars, along with one barely road legal race car that i use for my exciting drives when i cant get to a track so while the CS appealed to me on so many levels buying one would have just left me with yet another car that i couldnt use for the very purpose i had a need for. plenty of cars to be manly in, nothing nice that i could pretend to be sophisticated in :)

    i was strong and went to look at some f430s. this was too much on the soft side for me with its electronics etc and so i ended up in a 360 and have loved it.
    it wasnt long until the mods started though. gently a first, front challenge grills and the optional racing exhaust as it just didnt sound like a ferrari without it but time has now passed and im essentially only a set of titanium shocks away from being full CS spec under the skin both mechanically and electrically.
    what this really tells me is what i always new. that i needed a CS in modena clothing so to speak.

    well the itch is now there to go the last step and put on the titanium springs but im wary that this might just be the step thats too far. theres alot about the firmer ride that as a sports car fan appeals to me, hence the nag that i should address it but at the same time im also only too aware that this can also bring with it a tooth shaking experience and this would sadly push it over the edge for the times i do need it to be as GT car as a 2 seater sports ferrari can be.

    can anyone tell me how their CS ride is compared to that of a modena when in regular (non race/sports mode). it would be great if you have driven both and not only in anger but also cruising around so i can hear as much as possible.
    part of me hopes that the clever shocks and decreased weight will keep it very pliable when you arent giving it stick but my head also knows that you cant uprate springs by 20% and not feel it.
    when giving the car a hard drive as it is now, i really feel that the springs do need more but the compromise is that in regular mode its not uncomfortable during regular pottering around. i guess what i would like to hear is opinions on how much this will reverse if i change out.
    ive got carbon sports seats also, which already take out some of the comfort but being tall the regular daytonas just werent cutting it for me fitment wise.

    it would be great to hear from anyone as i sadly didnt drive a CS when i was looking as id seen plenty and knew the inside wasnt working for what i needed it for, sadly a situation i now regret given this question.
     
  2. Pong

    Pong Formula Junior

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    #2 Pong, Jun 20, 2010
    I drove the CS for a bit over 2 years and had a few run in a few Modenas...

    I can tell you that the CS is stiffer but not uncomfortably so. To me, the CS is a perfect weapon for great Sunday morning blast on fav road. You can then drive it to lunch with no problem. Low speed around town isn't a punishment too harsh...ha ha.

    Yes, it is rougher, stiffer, and a bit more tiring... but if you don't use it everyday and love the responsive drive...go with it.

    ...but why the heck did I sell it...??? Still kicking myself for that move..ha ha ha.
     
  3. Oengus

    Oengus F1 World Champ
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    #3 Oengus, Jun 20, 2010
    Ive had both and find my CS to be a much more comfortable ride.
    Yes the car is slightly stiffer but not that much.
     
  4. fioran0

    fioran0 Karting

    Jun 15, 2009
    115
    #4 fioran0, Jun 20, 2010
    Thanks
    curiously changing out the rear anti roll bar made the car stiffer and while it made it turn in sharper and made it load up the tires quicker it also made it more comfortable too.
    It was somewhat this change that brought the springs back to the table for me.

    Interesting that you both found it didn't make it greatly harder/harsher and also perhaps more comfortable.

    Hopefully others will add their thoughts
     
  5. Oengus

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    #5 Oengus, Jun 21, 2010
    I forgot to add that at least for me the sport seats are much more comfortable than the daytonas....... :)
     
  6. Pong

    Pong Formula Junior

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    #6 Pong, Jun 21, 2010
    Yep...sport seat is far superior in term of body hugging and comfort.

    What made my old CS so tiring is the fact that it has sliding window!!! This darn thing is noisy at speed above 100km/h. It also leaks and get scratched easily. But it sure makes the car looks racier and reduce some weight...
     
  7. jmm

    jmm Formula 3
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    #7 jmm, Jun 21, 2010
    When I bought my 2003 360 Spider they had two Challenge Stradales for sale. I knew they sat lower and had stiffer springs so I more or less discounted the CS for being too radical. My driveway has a hard-to-negotiate-without-scraping dip in it. The Spider was silver and after a few days I realized I just didn't like it. The looks (silver and the long, flat rear area) disappointed me. Also, the ride to the Ferrari dealer passed over a block of rough, washboard roads that were bone jarring. The car skated and bounced up and down, even at slow speeds. I told the dealer I had probably bought the wrong car, that I preferred the lines of the coupe and I liked the color red better. The one they had that I liked the best was a Challenge Stradale. I traded. It was no harder to avoid the scrape of the driveway and it actually rode better over the washboard roads than the Spider. And it sure looked better in red than the silver one.

    What I'm saying here is that the stiffer springs sometimes ride better. I really enjoyed that car and never regretted the change.
     
  8. fioran0

    fioran0 Karting

    Jun 15, 2009
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    #8 fioran0, Jun 21, 2010
    thanks for the info. much appreciated.
    im going to get them on and see how it feels. no one has said its mega firm with them and as a couple of you have alluded to, sometimes firmer makes the car more settled and thus more comfortable.
     
  9. Hud

    Hud F1 Veteran
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    #9 Hud, Jun 25, 2010
    Did 1000 miles in a day trekking over from the UK to Monaco in my CS ..... not an ache whatsoever. In my modenas, more than 3-4 hrs and i get twinges. Cs is in fact a better cruiser imo.
     
  10. J. Salmon

    J. Salmon F1 Rookie
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    #10 J. Salmon, Jun 25, 2010
    I think the dampers have more to do with it than the springs, and it's not just how stiff they are set but how well they work. I have heard people complain about "undersprung, overdamped" suspension, especially when stiff damping is used to try to make up for a lame suspension. I know I replaced the coilovers on my RS4 with springs that are nearly twice as stiff as stock but the dampers are high-end Ohlins. The ride is better despite the stiffer springs, I believe because of the quality, quick reaction, and tuning of the shocks.

    I have a feeling that the dampers in the CS are better tuned and better operating than those in the base 360.
     
  11. 360trev

    360trev F1 Rookie
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    #11 360trev, Jun 25, 2010
    Last edited: Jun 25, 2010
    The stock 360 dampers and CS dampers are exactly the same (German) Sach units. Same part number and everything.

    Where the improvements in ride quality are likely to have come from are in the improvements in weight reduction. More specifically the improvements in unsprung weight helping even more. All the unsprung parts will have less inertia, the suspension therefore reacts faster to bumps and ruts meaning the wheels stay in contact with the road better and ride quality is also improved as less damping force is required. This is hardly surprising considering Ferrari even went to the trouble of fitting Titanium springs and even Titanium wheel bolts to reduce unsprung weight further.

    It is even more impressive considering the effect of the stiffer bushes (which you'd expect to really impact road noise, harshness and vibration negatively compared to the standard 360). Also stiffening of the Electronic suspension programmes for damper control. New software helping to improve more than you'd expect as it was probably more refined.

    They also better tuned the suspension by fitting a susbstantially stiffened rear anti-roll bar which stops the swaying, corkscrewing motion you'd get on the standard car. Overall even though the spring rates where increased by 20% they are still pretty soft (especially so by Challenge car standards!) so ride is not compromised as you'd expect.

    A very well balanced handling upgrade. I also think Ferrari corner weighted the car too more precisely whereas on the 360 I'm not sure this was done for each individual car's spec and weight.
     

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