| Author | Message | ||
| Herbert Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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After reading the comments on the other posts about the TR prices in the future, I believe I can add that soul is acquired when your car [any make or model] is so satisfying to you that it is not for sale at any price. | ||
| J. Grande (Jay)
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"Soul" is the breath of life. Italian cars and Ferraris in particular have this breath of life which seems to draw people in. Just as we all need to breath, these cars draw us to them, we must be around them. I can gaze at Ferraris all day long, it's like breathing...natural, I give it no second thought. If a Ferrari is near by I WILL look at it, there is no question. When a car has that effect on us, then it is evident that it has "soul". I have wanted a Ferrari since the first time I saw a Dino when I was a kid. Almost thirty years later I am ever closer to that dream. If a "soul" is the breath of life, then life hasn't been lived until you have acquired a Ferrari. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
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I think there is sort of a ladder here. At the bottom u have econoboxes which r really just appliances for transportation & have as much charisma as a refridgerator. Then u have low end cars cars like th GM F-boy Camaros which r a bit livelier & have some power but the Co that makes them turns them out by the 100,000 & sees them as appliances for making $. Then u have low end BMWs, Porsches, & MBs etc which have a little more care put into them & the Co.s that make them actually care about the product. Then u have mid level BMW, Porsche, MB where the Co puts a lot of attention into the cars & customer service etc. Finally u have the high end BMW Z8, Porsche 996GT2, MB by AMG, Jag XKR, Aston Martin, Ferrari, & Lamborghini. These cars r a statement by their Co.s & represent the pinnacle of their craftsmanship which is considerably different than an assembly line. These cars exemplify human pride, ingenuity,artistry & ego. These r far from appliances for anything these r full blown works of art. Like a Knights sword made in Toledo Spain crafted by hand by a line of sword making blacksmiths that extends back maybe 1000 years or more. I really see no difference between my Countach & 512TR or a Picasso or Van Gogh. Of course my cars r not worth Millions of $ but some Ferraris are. | ||
| Mark (Mnmark)
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True, an Oreo will never be one of Grandma's, but there is a certain joy to splitting open that oreo, scraping the icing out with your teeth and savoring it while you dunk chocolate wafers into a mug of cold milk. And a certain security in knowing the next one will be exactly the same. I don't know about your Grandma, but every once in a while, mine would turn out a batch that, well... give me the bag of oreos | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
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Oreo cookies r of higher quailty than your Grandma's but which is tastier ?  | ||
| Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
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I agree with Herbert. My BMW M5 has just as much soul as my 348 Spider. Just a different type. I would not trade my M5 as a daily driver and I would not trade my Spider for a fun car. They both fit their own purpose and could not replace each others' attributes. | ||
| Herbert Edward Gault (Irfgt)
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There is one incorrect statement in the description. It takes much longer to produce the average cars. While it is true that a new car will roll out of the plant every 5 minutes or so, it is due to the fact that there are multible assembly lines producing cars at the same time. Usually one shift actually starts building a unit and it is not finished until the next working shift. Usually between 12 to 17 hours actual build time for each actual unit. Also one more thought, Is hand made always better? I visited the BMW assembly plant in Spartanburg S.C. yesterday amd watched them build Z-3 and X-5s. While I am not a BMW fan at all, The build quality beats Ferrari hands down, and a computerized machine and a laser inspection device does not come in not feeling well today or with a hang over or with personal problems. It produces the same Pie every day. While I will never own a Z-3, a lot of people do and their cars have soul to them just as much as ours do to us. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
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Ben, That makes it much easier. Martin, What you have written here really does express that feeling of "SOUL" and the pride of owning a Ferrari. Well said. Magoo | ||
| Frederick Thomas (Fred)
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Thanks Ben, I was just hunting for it and saw the new post.You saved me some searching. | ||
| Ben Lobenstein 90 TR (Benjet)
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Martin (without your direct permission), we are all familia here, right? You put it on your profile for everone to read. I hope it's ok with you, I am going to copy the quote on your profile, here. Instead of having to hunt for it as Magoo suggests...-Ben Directly from Martin (Miami348ts): " It started to look like a needle-head over the heat waves of the asphalt. It came closer. The pulse is rising and shorter breath starts thightening your muscles. Then the needle head becomes a larger red dot You start to hear a thunder but the sky is clear. The anticipation of something unique is rising your body temperature. Like a freight train that red dot takes aim at you and the high pitch thunder mixes in your ears with the ever faster blood trying to fill your brain with oxigen, trying to make you think harder what this is and how to react. But you can not, it is like in a computer were there is no answer in the memory bank. All of a sudden the quiet day is over a red arrow passes your and split seconds after a wall of air hits your face, still looking into the direction the red dot was coming from. When you finally turn you realize...you too will have to own a Ferrari once in your lifetime! " | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
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Go to "Pictures of your stables" under Gen. Ferrari Discussion. and you can click on Martin {Miami 348ts} profile. | ||
| magoo (Magoo)
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Ben, great description of soul compared to those special but simple pleasures of life and how they please us. I think the whipped cream on the pie ,no pun intended, is Martin [Miami 348ts] description he has written in his profile. Check it out. MAGOO | ||
| Ben Lobenstein 90 TR (Benjet)
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Hopefully the following thought can be understood by those reading it, as it is rather hard to put a feeling into words. Please read it with an open mind. How does one define this thing we all call "soul"? I will try to do this without (many) references to heritage, gold chain folks, racing or NSX comparisons. I thought first to compare it as some did to a sports nut. But then I thought this would only be the love of the game...even fishing. And that love of the game for some maybe enough, but I want to go further with this. It's certianly more than watching, more than playing, more than immersion. Then I thought to find something that maybe we all could relate to. This made me think of food! We all eat right? Ok, work with me here everyone. Has everyone had a freshly baked still warm cookie made from scratch form someone's grandparents reciepe - that didn't come off any box, bag or other commercial source? If not what about good old Apple pie? Fresh still warm not even the crust came from the store. The sensation as you let the smell fill your nostrils and the taste and texture of it as you sample that first bite....while this may not be "love" or "heaven", it is moment of bliss. You cannot compare this IN ANY WAY to a "chips ahoy" or a MickeyD's $0.99 pie. This certain feeling that you are enjoying something wonderful that someone has put forth their sweat and knowledge to craft (or cook), just for you. Ok now back to cars. IIRC there is a certain statistic that %95 percent of all mass produced cars takes about 15 minutes or less to produce (if my memory serves me Saturns took the longest at 27 minutes and entire CUSTOM - to customer spec International Big Rig Tractor gets done in 9 minutes). My TR took approximately 500 hours to build and was built SPECIFICALLY for the person who owned it before I did. The process of crafting/building by hand has something (not everything) to do with history. There is nothing to do with being seen with the latest and greatest pricey toy, (my TR for those that know me isn�t even screaming RED. I have my car because it makes ME happy. (Now for the NSX part) - While I'm not going to say that the NSX is soul-less.... since over 10 years they produced 15k of them. Quantity of production isn't everything that Soul is about, we can obviously say that If who-ever baked you that cookie or pie, made 100,000 of them a year yours wouldn't be nearly as special. It was also hand built, also has a great racing heritage, among other wonderful factors. I am not attempting to judge the NSX, it will be up to each individual to determine what has soul for themselves. For others there are many things that can have soul not just cars (i.e. watches?), and to each their own. Enzo always said, �I build engines � others put body and wheels to them�. For me that heart of the car the engine is the first step in defining this soul (not that I have been in or driven a Chevy or other powered Ferrari or other exotic), but I can understand how this heart is the basis for some �soul�. For me it�s much more of a complete package, something that just fits just right. For me there is a certain effect, which occurs with my TR - it may also happen to others. I first open the garage to see her beauty. Then open the door to smell the (now 12 year old) scent of the leather, then as I turn the key to hear Enzo's magic roar...I could go on and on and on..... I know soon enough that a dance will be performed, with me just an ordinary guy and this stunningly designed body, prancing around town making everyone turn their head to see her glorious curves or to hear the song she sings. It�s not just about how others perceive me, and my car, it�s much more a feeling that I get even when no one else is around. I just hold on tight and ride the horse the way it was intended. Something I can�t do in the VAST majority of other cars. It is a magical almost surreal symphony of physics and mechanical engineering wizardy. This is not just a car, this horse is alive and kicking. Hope that sums it up in a small way. You mileage may vary. Enjoy each cookie (or slice of pie) while you can. -Ben Please feel free to add to this thought... P.S. Be on the lookout for another post of mine to hit close to home.... posting in the next 24 hours. |