I love F430s, but comparing a ~20 year old V8 Ferrari to the Emira is silly.

 

why?
power to weight
aero
fit and finish
$/km
resale
availability
service
cool factor

Parts and Reliability to me would be the?

I would take anything pre 2014 to anything new.

anyone seen (pardon my red neck) what NYO has done to dealers. Are there dealers?

If you can fix it yourself or an indy, go for service.

 

Cross shopped with a Noble or Rossian, but never found one up to snuff. Also cross shopped a Viper becuase its a classic power house. Also was looking at Ferrari California. Then got locked in with the Emira and here we are a year later with no Emira.

My friend Serge on here talked me out of a Ferrari. Probably some very sound advice!

 

Tough choice in many respects. F430 is such a beautiful looking car. Best looking modern V8 Ferrari in my eyes. That alone could be enough to sway the choice. Which car will be worth more 10-20 years from now? Most likely the Ferrari.

From purely the driver's seat & performance, the Emira has it beat, but that may not be the deciding factor in one's decision. Which one will cost less to own and fits into a modern life better? Emira.

 

I know 458 is the last of the NA V8 F136 motored Ferraris...maybe best V8 ever built. The cross plane version in my GTS still gives me goose bumps at start up 3 yrs later. If you are going to drive it like a Ferrari, meaning rarely, F430 is my favorite. If you want 200+ K of driveability , Lotus is a no brainer

 

The pure adrenaline of the 458 is insane. The whole feel of that car is absolutely amazing. The DCT and paddle shifting is pure joy. I had a grin across my face for the 30 or so minutes I was able to drive one through some mountain roads. The whole car was stunning, such a work of art, inside and out. I would love to buy one, but those are out of my price range.

 

Had an F430. Was a fun car drove really nice and sound is tough to beat. They also hold value really well and they make a manual conversion kit now with gated shifter just like factory.

 

I would go for the 430 any day. From both financial aspect and experience. The 430 is at bottom of depreciation curve, and there no doubt the experience of driving the 430 is MUCH more visceral and enjoyable.

The only place where the Elmira wins is predictability of ownership cost and if you wanted to put tons of miles on the car. If you had a good indy mechanic familiar with 430, and you found a good on, the 430 would win every time in my book.

But it is not fair to take a car that originally cost over twice as much and compare to the Emira.

But I would pass on the 430 and buy a LP Gallardo. 09 and up. The Pre-lp are nice, but the LP gets the same 5.2 v10 that Audi designed and the updated 'R-tronic" (called e-gear by lambo). The LP version is the same as the R8. VERY stout and the motor is bullet proof. Same basic motor still used in Huracans, except over the years they added a few upstream injectors to get rid of carbon deposits. (those motors need intake carbon cleaned from time to time.

The reliability of the LP forward Gallardo FAR exceeds that of the 430.

 

But I would pass on the 430 and buy a LP Gallardo. 09 and up. The Pre-lp are nice, but the LP gets the same 5.2 v10 that Audi designed and the updated 'R-tronic" (called e-gear by lambo). The LP version is the same as the R8. VERY stout and the motor is bullet proof. Same basic motor still used in Huracans, except over the years they added a few upstream injectors to get rid of carbon deposits. (those motors need intake carbon cleaned from time to time.

The reliability of the LP forward Gallardo FAR exceeds that of the 430.

I have a RWD LP…it has indeed been completely reliable with very low maintenance.

Similar dimensions to the Emira, and similarly analog, but a completely different car to drive. While it is fun on a canyon road in a I-hope-this-thing-doesn’t-kill-me kind of way…I’m sure the AWD models are more docile…they are all the opposite of a Lotus’s surgical precision. Drivetrains are completely different as well; the Emira feeling every bit a Toyota compared to the V10’s magnificent combination of big, bassy low end torque and 8,500 RPM wail. It’s not a lot different than the STO’s motor. Manual transmissions are also completely different, with the Emira tight and mechanical vs the LP’s longer but buttery-smooth throws through the gates…single-clutch E-gear of course even less comparable.

If one intends to get on the track and/or drive it daily, I would definitely suggest the Emira. The Lamborghini is an event, seriously fast, but I like that it reminds me of past supercars…Boxer, Countach…better in a straight line, and a bit of a chore to maneuver, whether at high or low speed.

 

I've already gone down the path of choosing performance over anything else. Recently, I rented a 2022 Corvette. It made me feel like I was Duane Johnson in a crowded mall. That car is incredibly fast but is a big car with lots of reliability problems. That's why I'll rent for a day and get that rocket performance out of my blood.

I did consider a Lexus LC500 or 500h as an opposite to my 2008 MX5 PRHT (with a bunch of mods), but that, too is a very large and hevy vehicle.

The Emira is just the right size and is bound to be much lower volume than the C8 and LCs. The Emira is like getting a smaller Ferrari at less than half the cost and with a much more reliable drivetrain.

 

What happened to offering the Aston Martin Vantage as a cross shopped car? They are like relatives. Like Sophie's choice between a new Evora/Emira or a used Vantage.

Ask anyone at dealership that sells both and they have a difficult time deciding between the two.

 

What happened to offering the Aston Martin Vantage as a cross shopped car? They are like relatives. Like Sophie's choice between a new Evora/Emira or a used Vantage.

Ask anyone at dealership that sells both and they have a difficult time deciding between the two.

Yes! The Vantage, I forgot that one!

 

It'll be very hard to find a proper/mint F430 anywhere near the price of the Emira. You'll be at close to double the price - not that there's anything wrong with that. Also, people talking about depreciation are talking about the curve of the vehicle, it can definitely be impacted heavily by market conditions, mileage and car condition. Have you driven one or shopped one? I recommend doing that before you make a decision. Supercars already lack most of the infotainment/amenities of a modern Corolla, not to mention a luxury car... so stepping into something designed over 2-decades ago will be felt. There's nothing wrong with that, just something to keep in mind. I'm sure you're aware that it'll have a higher dollar per mile in terms of maintenance and so on.

Anyway, if you fancy yourself a Ferrari guy and this is a dream car you've always wanted, then get it. If you just want a unique car and are on the fence... look into the mirror and be realistic about the features you can/can't live without. In similar price range to the F430, check out the McLaren 570s. It'll be much newer and what it lacks in engine noise it'll make up in it's over-the-top looks. I mean dihedral doors... does it get any better? No it doesn't!

Audi R8 is another option worth considering in the same price range.

Good luck ripping your hair out trying to decide... been there, done that... there's no perfect or wrong decision for that matter.

 

I wouldn’t have thought the 430 would be a direct cost comparison, but it’s close on the very low end I guess. Question is, do you want the cheapest possible 430?
when I was cross shopping my Evora, the 355 was a contender. Went Lotus for reliability and the less “snobbish”perception, and not to mention it saved me a bundle!

 

I'm no expert but wouldn't a 360 be a closer comparison in cost and performance?
My friend has a manual 430 spyder and he does regular maintenance himself but I drive my Evora almost daily and he drives his rarely. That's the main difference and as others have said being older that will be apparent in wearttear and tech.
I trust you have another car to daily?
Glad you're in a position to consider it!

 

I’ve owned an F430, but years ago. Be very aware of costly M&R on any Ferrari, especially one out of a Service Plan (430’s never had this) and warranty. Mine was great when it behaved, but could get difficult at times. Electrical issues and the old F1 tranny cold go haywire and leave you holding up a long line of traffic behind you! My Evora GT has been flawless and I feel much more at ease when driving it….so far. Not sure about the Emira yet, as I’ll wait a year or two to see how early buyers truly find the cars to live with. Also been in a 991.2 Turbo S and 992 GTS and the P-cars can’t really be beat on most fronts. Good luck in your quest.

 

I will chime in and offer my two cents since I currently own a 2007 F430 Spyder, have a 2021 Evora GT and have a Lotus Emira on order.

First, I will say the Ferrari F430 is a beautiful car and has an engine sound that can't be beat, especially if you have an aftermarket exhaust system installed. Even being a 15 year old car, the amount of people staring at the car is crazy for a car of this age as it looks incredible to this day. The lack of high-tech radios, touch screens, etc. is an attractive feature to me in an older car. A basic bluetooth radio with some decent speakers is all I need. Listening to the sound of the engine is incredible driving down the road as its very loud. Yes, the cost will be more than a Emira for a well maintained F430, but I also think the value will always hold in the Ferrari given the fact it's a Ferrari and everyone wants to eliminate the combustion engine! You can certainly perform a lot of your own normal maintenance if you are handy with cars.

With that said about the Ferrari, If I want to go cut up the back roads and get on it hard, I'm going straight to my Evora GT. The size of the car is perfect, the 6-speed manual is great, the seats are great, and I love the hand-built aspect of the car. A lot of car reviewers always dog this car of for its interiors, but personally I love the interior, even though it's a new car, it's still simplistic with analog instrument clusters, a basic double DIN radio and I honestly love the manual seats as you can get in and out in a split second. I do have the carbon pack on my car which I think makes a huge difference in the car's appearance. I love this car. For the price, I really don't think there is anything better if you want a great handling sports car that puts a smile on your face every time!

Finally, I just had an opportunity to drive the new Emira, and I'll be honest, I didn't walk away saying to myself that this is a car I want to own......or at least not yet! The FE version just felt boring to me. I thought the production seats sucked for a sports car, not overly impressed with the touchscreens, thought the dash over the instrument screen looked cheap and the engine noise sounded muffled and quiet to me compared to my Evora GT (I still have 3 cats on mine as well). The clutch was quicker to grab than the Evora and the shift throw was shorter as well. Supposedly, this was a Euro test car, and I was told the US car will have a slightly different sound.....a little louder. I'm hoping they will be offering some upgrades in the next year that will hopefully make this car more desirable to me as the body shape is beautiful but just not quite there yet with the upgrades that hopefully will be available sooner than later.

If I was debating between these three cars and had around $105K to spend (F430 in good shape will be at least 150K), I would go and buy an Evora GT in a heartbeat over the new Emira!

Good luck with your car buying decision!

 

....A lot of car reviewers always dog this car of for its interiors, but personally I love the interior, even though it's a new car, it's still simplistic with analog instrument clusters, a basic double DIN radio and I honestly love the manual seats as you can get in and out in a split second.

The Evora GT's interior is just as well crafted as the Ferrari. All stitched to perfection on the Lotus with just as nice switches and running gear. Just because of a DIN radio and everyone dog's it? No one disses the radio in the F40.

Consumers have to keep in mind the focus of the Lotus interior. If they want lavish and detailed; buy an Aston Martin.

 

I'm really liking the new Z06 but the lack of manual trans has me on the no list. But it sounds and looks so good!

 

My understanding is that Lotus is trying to stay in business by not being so much of a niche brand. That should include more spare parts, hopefully.

 

Yep, we can all hope for the best, and be prepared for the same/worse.

 

The track itself may be able to be heat-treated to increase its hardness. The surface material on which the balls ride must be harder than the balls. I worked with automated machinery with linear rails and carriages for 6 years. With those assemblies, the rails and carriages came as pairs. A design engineer would specify the size and type of rail kits by the load, acceleration, environment, etc. Rails are typically very hard and flat.

 

Rails are typically very hard and flat.

Yep, but maybe Recaro (or Lotus) decided to cheap out on these, or they never thought about someone using the slider repeatedly, over the course of years. It's fine if it was designed to wear; I just want to be able to replace it when it does. And that seems like some huge monumental ask of the factory at this point.

 

I’m so glad this thread popped up. An Emira, F430, and Gallardo have been on my short list and I’ve been having trouble narrowing it down. I landed on the F430, but now I’m having 2nd thoughts.


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For me, the biggest reason for making the deposit for Emira is to get a manual transmission car back into my garage. I also prefer new, or in a really good used condition. That makes the my pretty short. So it’s a call between Emira/718/911.

 

Mercedes AMG GT should be added to the list. Seems like a direct competitor to me.

 

Only issue to me comes down to warranty. The cost to fix a Ferrari is a pain in the ass. I would get a 458, much better car but truly way expensive in comparison. But will hold values as they keep going up in price being the last NA Mid Engine Ferrari.

 

I would Go for the F430 instead of the emira.
V8>V6 and it got more heritage. But Not a spider and Manual is a must

It would Not even Take me a blink for that decision.

 

Big price difference for an F430 manual vs. an Emira. That's almost two Emira's in cost for the F430.

 

Everyone has opinions on this... for my money, the V10 Audi/Lambo engine is where it's at... closely followed by the 458 motor. The 430 doesn't have the same kick in the pants. I also think from a looks perspective, the 430 is a bit muted compared to say the 355 or later 458. It has some of that 90's bulbousness (which the 360 is all about).

As for the Gallardo. I looked hard at these when buying my Evora 400. Pre-09 Gallardo interior is really cheap feeling, to me. The Audi is much better there. Though the Teutonic looks are a bit bland unless you are an Audi fan. The later (manual) LP's are very expensive and Gallardo styling is starting to age. The Murcielago is holding up better visually, there's more dimensionality to the design. IMHO.

I have driven the latest v12 Aston and it just wasn't particularly exciting, it was so smooth it almost felt like an electric motor!

A far as fun to drive, I think the Evora is up there, but if the 458 came in a manual I wouldn't think twice. The handling is great, the motor screams, and it goes like hell. The 458 is the only time so far where I thought an automatic would be enough fun to replace a manual. If you are getting an auto anyway, than definitely try out a 458. Speaking of fun, a vintage 1970ish 911 is also VERY fun to drive... and I say that as a Porsche hater... but it's the kind of fun where you are committed through the apex and know you can't let off the throttle or you risk flying off the road. Different kind of fun. 🤣


Fair warning though on the Ferrari stuff. It's been a few years but the story goes like this: My buddy who has had a few (including the 458 I tried out), window switch broke, they break fairly often. It's easy to remove/install yourself, 30 seconds. He brought it into the dealer and it was ~500 bucks for the switch. If he installed it himself, it was a 30 day warranty. If he had the dealership do it, the part had a 3 yr warranty. Minimum billing for the shop is 1 hour. Rate: 500 bucks. The car also had this stupid software problem where if you went into reverse it got stuck in backup camera mode. No idea why Ferrari did not just use the FCA UCONNECT system at the time - they decided to do something else for in car infotainment, and it's not very good.

So he sold the 458 and bought a McClaren. It just wasn't as fun, the turbos kind of sucked the fun out of it. Then he sold that and bought a Porsche Taycan, one of the prettiest fridge's for 4 on wheels I've ever had the pleasure of being cocooned in. Now he's trying to find something else. He should have kept the 458....!

My parting words of 'wisdom' are if you are going to drive it on special occasions and keep the mileage down, a Ferrari is a great idea. They will go up in value, especially a manual 430 (last of its kind), or the 458 (also last of its kind, non-turbo v8). If you are going to drive it in all kinds of weather, put lots of miles on it, park it in normal places, change your own oil, put a surfboard in the passenger seat etc. then the Lotus is hard to beat.

 

Interesting comparison. Considering an F430 that I would convert to manual because it would be nice to have the last mid-engine manual Ferrari and you can get into one around $150K but it would not be an alternative to the Emira which in my mind is a completely different proposition.

Problem is I have too many cars already and none I want to sell so I think I will most likely stick to the plan to get an Emira and figure out a place to park it vs. looking for 2 extra spots.

 

If this were a different color, I might have tried to figure out how to own it.

F430 converted to manual for $102K....I think this was a bargain.

2007 Ferrari F430 6-Speed Conversion

Bid for the chance to own a 2007 Ferrari F430 6-Speed Conversion at auction with Bring a Trailer, the home of the best vintage and classic cars online. Lot #94,550.

bringatrailer.com

 

Definitely a bargain and makes me wonder if there's more to the story as to why this one sold for this price, especially for a 6-speed conversion. I had been watching the auction and was very surprised the seller let it go at this price. Certainly the deal of the year if the car checks out!

 

I really think it was the color. I know when I was shopping for my Lotus, I wouldn’t have taken a silver/gray one unless it was 10k cheaper and even then I would have to really think about it.