I agree that the sound of the 355 is unmatched. I thought this might end up being one of those "jerk smashes brand new 458" videos. He is ripping way to hard on that narrow Italian mountain road. I probably would have done the same. :)
"Nobody makes a better sounding v8." Actually there's this place called The United States that's been making the best sounding V8's on earth for about 60 years now. www.youtube.com/watch?v=z41tAko1hyk And you can buy one of your own for less money than one headlight off a 458.
Anony, 19th century chariot technology is no longer consider a proper engine.. If you want to talk about "muscle car" sound V8s, in contrast to high revs / high tech Ferrari like gorgeous mechanical orchestra, then nowadays MB AMG engines rule:
I'm not a Mercedes guy but I have to admit I'm a sucker for the deep bellow of the 6.2L V8- you can thank a C63 AMG for that one and I do think it sounds better than the screaming F1-style V8 of the 458.
That said, how incredibly fast are those gear changes?!
Anyone who thinks that the song of a Ferrari V8 sounds like anything like a Honda has never heard one in person. It's like hearing a pod of whales singing during an open water dive - seeing it on TV (or on the internets for that matter) will never do it justice. Not even 20%.
I had the good fortune of renting a F430 Spider a few weeks ago (as part of my Magnum PI Halloween costume) and, let me tell you, I'll never be the same again. Having driven many muscle cars, sports cars (my daily driver is a Cayman S), and race cars, I can safely say *without a doubt* that a Ferrari is unparalleled in terms of aural satisfaction.
For starters, perhaps most obviously, the wail the motor produces at high revs makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Run it up through the gears in a tunnel and you'd be the happiest man alive, even if the V8's deafening scream was the last noise you ever heard. The angry rumble it emits when you mash the throttle at 2,500 RPM could send little school girls running and crying to their mommies. The burping and barking it makes when you abruptly come off of the throttle triggers emotions that you haven't had since you were 8 years old: giggling in a way that no self-respecting man would ever do under normal circumstances. There's a really good reason my wife and I didn't even *think* to turn on the radio during our 24 hours with the F430...
The great thing about a Ferrari is that it's not just the motor that makes it a brilliant car - it's everything else about it too. The looks (subjective), the handling (not so subjective) and the stopping power (staggering) will blow you away. The only thing that's not so great is the price.
I thought the car would be awesome, but was hoping it wouldn't be. Life would have been a lot easier if I could have lived it knowing that my financial resources were earmarked for something much more practical. Now I know that's not the case.
Woe is me...how will I afford a 458 without my wife divorcing me???
CG, you watch too much Top Gear. Just because an engine design is simple, long lasting, high performance and doesn't need all kinds of new fangled technology and STILL out performs the newest flashiest supercars V8's for 1/5 of the price, doesn't mean it's an inferior design. Apart from what Jeremy Clarkson has got you repeating mindlessly, there's a reason Corvettes use iterations of the same basic V8 layout and still dominate European exotica at Le Mans, ALMS, Sports car challenges, etc etc etc. You can impress a forum with the specs of your cars sky-high rev limits, need for bi-monthly service, jaw-dropping maintenance costs and unobtanium con rods but a lowly American LS1 V8 will still outperform you 9/10 times if driven right.
In before some benchracer brings up HP/L as if it matters on the road.
Anyway, yes the reason is that it's cheap. It not so complicated to extract power and especially torque from a 7 liter engine. Why do you think BMW just homologated a larger engine for the M3?
JAJAJA... It has t be the Freep; or its Internet twin soul!! Anyways, it is a matter of principle. The Maerican Iron V8s are indeed cheap but so inefficient, that they can only live b/c of the low fuel price subsidy. Having those on the road, its like refusing to recycle, driving your children with no seat-belts or or not allowing women to vote... And Yes, big fan of Clarkson and POOOOOWERRRR ... but with technology... It is there for a reason, and newer is better..
I don't mind the nannies as long as you can take switch them off (Which you can in any decent supercar like a Ferrari or Porsche) as it makes the 500hp+ RWD Supercars usable by normal people (i.e Wife) without getting killed. Otherwise the death/accident ratio will be quite high and lawyers will ban us all the pleasures of a Supercar.
ABS is the only "nanny" I really appreciate and like using.
"The Maerican Iron V8s are indeed cheap but so inefficient, that they can only live b/c of the low fuel price subsidy. Having those on the road, its like refusing to recycle, driving your children with no seat-belts or or not allowing women to vote..."
Way to completely dodge the point made about these "primitive" engines outperforming your precious exotica on the track consistently, while costing less. For some reason you guys are confusing technological complexity and price for superiority in an engine. PROTIP; It's not. The proof is in the pudding. The superiority of a performance engine is decided ON THE RACETRACK, where C6R's straight up dog GT3's, F430's, and Maserati's in many many classes of racing.
HA! Nicely put anon. If you're putting millions of euros into the development of low displacement, high revving, direct injection engines and you're still getting beat by low-revving "primitive" American V8's on the race course.....you're doing it wrong.
I would rather own a Ferrari or Porsche anyday but not because I think it's demonstrable that their engines are better. Better is very expansive, do you mean strictly MPG or horsepower to the wheels? A bit of both? In none of these categories can you claim the Europeans have perfected the V8 compared to GM. They have different philosophies about going about achieving performance but they haven't consistently thrashed the Americans in any naturally aspirated V8 racing series which means you can't claim "better performance" in this case.
Not worth a detailed reply, as clearly Anony thinks the rest of the world is wrong and he is right. No other manufacturer in the world (not just the pretty ones but the ones doing cars for the people: VW, Honda, Hyundai, Renualt, Fiat, etc.) choose to go the pushrod-OHV route when designing and building a V8 engine. They all must be wrong.
As per racing, clearly you havent raced either car and have never read the rules in each of the racing series. Theres no A in ALMS or SCCA or AM in Gran-AM in they dont have Vettes racing for the win. It's like the K12 "no child left behind policy" spo obviously any manufacturer, and most importantly the ones with "A" are helped (while other handicapped) by the rules.
Maybe you should read up on racing a little more CG. In the 2008/2009 seasons the C6.R GT2 car beat F430's and GT3's. It's not the rest of the world that's wrong, just you. Keep thinking your precious ferrari's and porsches are infallible and us lowly Americans can't build a decent engine, it hilariously shows your pathetic fanboydom and ignorance of actual racing.
C'mon, I'm not talking Ferrari and Porsche. I'm saying Nissan, Renault, Honda, Cosworth, etc. GM is willing to spend the $ and racing organizations appreciate manufacturers participation (specially nowadays), and in exchange there is a conscious effort to make sure the most committed are given a set of rules for each car so there's a fair shot at winning (otherwise how can a V8 can compete under "same rules" against a H-6?). That applies only to manufacturer sponsored racing. Just check the outcome of series where specs are clearly defined (who chooses a OHV pushrod if given a capacity limit?). Also, who wins in amateur racing where there's no special treatment for each specific car?
Common specs are rare stuff in world tourism championships, where you've got almost a class for every car...
Let's just think about Ferrari vs Porsche, with one winning in fia gt and the other in lm, and they're almost the same car if compared to an american muscle.
Wherever you've got standard rules engines are made the european way.
Very nice and emotional. Love the rumbling on the overrun. But I miss the soul-ful wail of the F355. It was the best sound.
ReplyDelete-Freep
buenisimo!!
ReplyDeleteI agree that the sound of the 355 is unmatched. I thought this might end up being one of those "jerk smashes brand new 458" videos. He is ripping way to hard on that narrow Italian mountain road. I probably would have done the same. :)
ReplyDelete"Nobody makes a better sounding v8."
ReplyDeleteActually there's this place called The United States that's been making the best sounding V8's on earth for about 60 years now.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=z41tAko1hyk
And you can buy one of your own for less money than one headlight off a 458.
personally im a fan of the TVR 4.5litre unit found in the Cerbera
ReplyDeleteAnony, 19th century chariot technology is no longer consider a proper engine..
ReplyDeleteIf you want to talk about "muscle car" sound V8s, in contrast to high revs / high tech Ferrari like gorgeous mechanical orchestra, then nowadays MB AMG engines rule:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jnUQO0zDsw&feature=related
Love the car, but it sounds like a dragon powered Honda. Many other v8's make better music.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a Mercedes guy but I have to admit I'm a sucker for the deep bellow of the 6.2L V8- you can thank a C63 AMG for that one and I do think it sounds better than the screaming F1-style V8 of the 458.
ReplyDeleteThat said, how incredibly fast are those gear changes?!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who thinks that the song of a Ferrari V8 sounds like anything like a Honda has never heard one in person. It's like hearing a pod of whales singing during an open water dive - seeing it on TV (or on the internets for that matter) will never do it justice. Not even 20%.
ReplyDeleteI had the good fortune of renting a F430 Spider a few weeks ago (as part of my Magnum PI Halloween costume) and, let me tell you, I'll never be the same again. Having driven many muscle cars, sports cars (my daily driver is a Cayman S), and race cars, I can safely say *without a doubt* that a Ferrari is unparalleled in terms of aural satisfaction.
For starters, perhaps most obviously, the wail the motor produces at high revs makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Run it up through the gears in a tunnel and you'd be the happiest man alive, even if the V8's deafening scream was the last noise you ever heard. The angry rumble it emits when you mash the throttle at 2,500 RPM could send little school girls running and crying to their mommies. The burping and barking it makes when you abruptly come off of the throttle triggers emotions that you haven't had since you were 8 years old: giggling in a way that no self-respecting man would ever do under normal circumstances. There's a really good reason my wife and I didn't even *think* to turn on the radio during our 24 hours with the F430...
The great thing about a Ferrari is that it's not just the motor that makes it a brilliant car - it's everything else about it too. The looks (subjective), the handling (not so subjective) and the stopping power (staggering) will blow you away. The only thing that's not so great is the price.
I thought the car would be awesome, but was hoping it wouldn't be. Life would have been a lot easier if I could have lived it knowing that my financial resources were earmarked for something much more practical. Now I know that's not the case.
Woe is me...how will I afford a 458 without my wife divorcing me???
Cheers,
Kevin
CG, you watch too much Top Gear. Just because an engine design is simple, long lasting, high performance and doesn't need all kinds of new fangled technology and STILL out performs the newest flashiest supercars V8's for 1/5 of the price, doesn't mean it's an inferior design. Apart from what Jeremy Clarkson has got you repeating mindlessly, there's a reason Corvettes use iterations of the same basic V8 layout and still dominate European exotica at Le Mans, ALMS, Sports car challenges, etc etc etc.
ReplyDeleteYou can impress a forum with the specs of your cars sky-high rev limits, need for bi-monthly service, jaw-dropping maintenance costs and unobtanium con rods but a lowly American LS1 V8 will still outperform you 9/10 times if driven right.
In before some benchracer brings up HP/L as if it matters on the road.
Freep...is that you?....sounds familiar :).
ReplyDeleteAnyway, yes the reason is that it's cheap. It not so complicated to extract power and especially torque from a 7 liter engine. Why do you think BMW just homologated a larger engine for the M3?
JAJAJA... It has t be the Freep; or its Internet twin soul!!
ReplyDeleteAnyways, it is a matter of principle. The Maerican Iron V8s are indeed cheap but so inefficient, that they can only live b/c of the low fuel price subsidy. Having those on the road, its like refusing to recycle, driving your children with no seat-belts or or not allowing women to vote...
And Yes, big fan of Clarkson and POOOOOWERRRR ... but with technology... It is there for a reason, and newer is better..
CG, Doesn't newer also typically mean more nannies between you and the driving experience?
ReplyDeleteI don't mind the nannies as long as you can take switch them off (Which you can in any decent supercar like a Ferrari or Porsche) as it makes the 500hp+ RWD Supercars usable by normal people (i.e Wife) without getting killed. Otherwise the death/accident ratio will be quite high and lawyers will ban us all the pleasures of a Supercar.
ReplyDeleteABS is the only "nanny" I really appreciate and like using.
Actually CG, my cammed LS1 consistantly gets 28 mpg on the highway and makes 420 RWHP.
ReplyDeleteWhat was that you were saying about inefficiency again?
"The Maerican Iron V8s are indeed cheap but so inefficient, that they can only live b/c of the low fuel price subsidy. Having those on the road, its like refusing to recycle, driving your children with no seat-belts or or not allowing women to vote..."
ReplyDeleteWay to completely dodge the point made about these "primitive" engines outperforming your precious exotica on the track consistently, while costing less. For some reason you guys are confusing technological complexity and price for superiority in an engine.
PROTIP; It's not. The proof is in the pudding.
The superiority of a performance engine is decided ON THE RACETRACK, where C6R's straight up dog GT3's, F430's, and Maserati's in many many classes of racing.
I like the Nissan GTR, not only does it sound awesome, but it's faster than the exotics and american pushrod monstrosities on the track.
ReplyDelete-Anonymous Rex
^^You just bragged about the performance of a GTR on the internet, your warranty is voided.
ReplyDeleteHA! Nicely put anon. If you're putting millions of euros into the development of low displacement, high revving, direct injection engines and you're still getting beat by low-revving "primitive" American V8's on the race course.....you're doing it wrong.
ReplyDeleteI would rather own a Ferrari or Porsche anyday but not because I think it's demonstrable that their engines are better. Better is very expansive, do you mean strictly MPG or horsepower to the wheels? A bit of both? In none of these categories can you claim the Europeans have perfected the V8 compared to GM. They have different philosophies about going about achieving performance but they haven't consistently thrashed the Americans in any naturally aspirated V8 racing series which means you can't claim "better performance" in this case.
Whoa whoa whoa - Nobody said anything about Porsche Flat 6's - 997 GT3 MkII please over a patriotic V8 or italian V8.
ReplyDeleteNot worth a detailed reply, as clearly Anony thinks the rest of the world is wrong and he is right. No other manufacturer in the world (not just the pretty ones but the ones doing cars for the people: VW, Honda, Hyundai, Renualt, Fiat, etc.) choose to go the pushrod-OHV route when designing and building a V8 engine. They all must be wrong.
ReplyDeleteAs per racing, clearly you havent raced either car and have never read the rules in each of the racing series. Theres no A in ALMS or SCCA or AM in Gran-AM in they dont have Vettes racing for the win. It's like the K12 "no child left behind policy" spo obviously any manufacturer, and most importantly the ones with "A" are helped (while other handicapped) by the rules.
Maybe you should read up on racing a little more CG. In the 2008/2009 seasons the C6.R GT2 car beat F430's and GT3's.
ReplyDeleteIt's not the rest of the world that's wrong, just you. Keep thinking your precious ferrari's and porsches are infallible and us lowly Americans can't build a decent engine, it hilariously shows your pathetic fanboydom and ignorance of actual racing.
C'mon, I'm not talking Ferrari and Porsche. I'm saying Nissan, Renault, Honda, Cosworth, etc.
ReplyDeleteGM is willing to spend the $ and racing organizations appreciate manufacturers participation (specially nowadays), and in exchange there is a conscious effort to make sure the most committed are given a set of rules for each car so there's a fair shot at winning (otherwise how can a V8 can compete under "same rules" against a H-6?). That applies only to manufacturer sponsored racing.
Just check the outcome of series where specs are clearly defined (who chooses a OHV pushrod if given a capacity limit?). Also, who wins in amateur racing where there's no special treatment for each specific car?
Let the record show, I am not Anonymous, I am Freep. But Anonymous makes some darn good points in this discussion.
ReplyDelete-Freep
Agree with the last of cg
ReplyDeleteCommon specs are rare stuff in world tourism championships, where you've got almost a class for every car...
Let's just think about Ferrari vs Porsche, with one winning in fia gt and the other in lm, and they're almost the same car if compared to an american muscle.
Wherever you've got standard rules engines are made the european way.