Why McLaren over Ferrari? Turbocharging vs. the high revving V-8? Active roll bars and no LSD vs. magnetic shocks and the E-diff3?

I listed the technological highlights of the 458 here: http://www.examiner.com/article/ferr...cal-highlights

Tony Gaples of Pirelli World Challenge and his thoughts having owned both cars: http://www.examiner.com/article/ferr...rs-perspective

 

Because McLaren appreciates the things I appreciate and doesn't care for the things that I don't. They don't bother with showboating, eliteism or badge snobbery. They have a single-minded purpose and goal - to perfect automotive supercar engineering. Thats it. No under-the-table nonsense, no up-tuned press car scandals, and certainly a lot less spontaneous combustions. Its pure form follows function. They don't limit themselves with the notion of nostalgia, they simply do what it takes to be fast.

 

My bicycle uses electronic shifting, I love it because it allows me to concentrate on the handling and going fast. Some purist said they prefer cables because they want to feel that they are actually pulling the gears? They prefer to switch slowly? They prefer that sometimes the shifting doesn't engage properly? I don't get it?

 

I prefer walking barefoot, I don't like the feeling of how the rubber is getting in way of my feel for the road.

 

So you drive with wheels and no tires?. Your opinions on brands and PDK are as valid as mine (maybe more). For my two cents, I like both. My Mustang is manual and it is great on a warm day, with the top down, on a winding country road. It is a pain in traffic (and in JerZ there is always traffic) or on a hill at a light when a mommy in her parade float sized SUV who is doing everything but paying attention to the road pulls up so close that I can see how long it has been since the car was washed from the build up on her license plate viewed in my rear view mirror. Unfortunately I am on the latter far more often than I am on the former.

For me, and this is just my opinion, the brilliance of the 991 is its balance and its ability to be a sports car and a comfortable cruiser. At my age and stage of life, and with a limited number of garage bays, fining one car that does so many thing so well is astounding. It is not a Ferrari or McLaren. For me it is better. It is also not a GT3. It gives up some of the street racer / track animal to be such a good street car. But wow it does a lot of things well.

I like to walk barefoot sometimes. But I am awfully glad to have shoes more times than not.

I enjoyed your perspective. Enjoy the drive!

As for the Magazines, who cares what they think. We buy our cars cause we like them, even if nobody else does!

 

bccars:
Wow!!

ChuckJ

 

I'm tired of cables stretching, lubing them and adjusting front derailleurs
I have a record set with a 10s rear.

you have campy or dura ace?

 

...i brew my own gasoline....can't get the same pop from that store bought stuff...

 

Just give people choices. Then we can buy what we prefer. Limiting people to just PDK's (especially the turbo and turbo S) is just going to make some of them go buy a CL/SL AMG or Aston Martin, and if it were between a 911 and those cars, we all know what most wives would tell their husbands to buy. The other manual die-hards will just go buy something else, like a Viper, Corvette, etc. I, like them, may prefer to buy a 911, but will end up buying something else. Or, honestly, the "low-end" 911's today like S and 4S is more than fast enough for daily driving, so I can just continue to buy them instead of the "higher end" models for daily use.

 

Right on terrence!


ChuckJ

 

I get it, manuals are fun, but they are also a PITA in traffic situations. My 997S was a lot of fun, but no way is it quicker or faster in any situation than my 991S. I just took my 991S to Louisville yesterday and came back today, and after that run (about 110 miles each way), the thing kicks A*S! I had guys trying to pass me, etc. so I moved over and let 'em. Then whenever I wanted, I could catch them in about 5-10 seconds. And blow their doors off.

 

To each his own. I'd have neither one of them. I'm not into Ferrari's (except the 599XX). And I don't like the look of the Mclaren, nor it's turbo engine. My "if I win the lottery" car is the Pagani Zonda R with its NA V12 Mercedes engine and "auto box". It's my ultimate dreamcarn, albeit hardly a roadcar. It successor, the Huayra, is not my cup of tea though, turbocharged :-(

 

But nobody here has argued that MT is faster than PDK or great for heavy traffic, just that they are fun, and certainly more fun and involving for some people. Driving on most of the roads in my area that are smaller, windy, and stuck with 35mph speed limits (including nice drives like Skyline Drive over in Shenandoah - and without following the posted 35mph 100% of the time...) is certainly more fun for me when getting to manage the shifting myself. A Sport/Sport+ button the make shifting more aggressive or clicking a paddle just isn't as enjoyable. To me, right?

I'm certainly amazed at how much hostility there is to stating that, though. I don't see MT folks saying that PDK needs to go, just that it's a shame that MT isn't being offered on all of the new models since many people aren't competitively tracking enough or sitting in traffic all the time to take the convenience & minor performance gain over the fun of rowing.

 

I'm getting a Prius so I don't have to deal with gasoline or gears - and it's awesome in traffic! A smooth, torquey electric with no engine sound, low center of gravity, and no shifting is the future - and progress! Sweeeeet!

(Though if your gas has ethanol, you may be right about wanting to make your own gas - at least there have been those discussions as well! )

 

I actually own a prius too. It's main advantage aside from exceptional mileage is that I can park anywhere and not worry about it.