Baby 599 - F149 Geneva Launch

I have just had confirmation from my dealer in Switzerland that Ferrari will be launching the "yet unnamed" F149 at the Geneva Motor Show 2008. The car is a 2+2, smaller and less powerful than the F599 and larger than the F430.

Car will be priced circa £145,000 and will have many of the attributes of the F599 electronics and F1 derived driving aids. My dealer has seen it and has said that it will be a knockout car in that price band.

Dealer has allocated and taken the deposit for 2, one for me and one for my brother.

Will confirm more as I get it.

Mike

 

congrats on your 2 new future additions...

wow. looks like this "dont call it a Dino" new model is going to be realized.
So many questions.
This will be a first in quite some time... FOUR models at once (supercars notwithstanding). The V8, two V12s and this.
I wonder if a new line will be created at the Factory or Maserati will help out (its badged Ferrari so i doubt the latter - If "Dino" wouldve been used Maser couldve been an option)

Again, congrats.. and please keep us posted...

GT

 

Thanks news - can you clarify pricing relative to territory ie you say pounds but have ordered in Switzerland - I guess what I'm really asking is will it cost more or less than a current 430

 

Will it be a V12 or a V8 (or other)?

 

It will be a V8. Ala the 430's V8 detuned closer to 400 hp like the Masers.

 

http://news.windingroad.com/body-stylesmarket-segment/coupes/ferraris-dont-call-me-dino-spotted-testing-on-nurburgring/?EMC-SeptemberEBAY=&attr=ferrarilink&ov=003C7

Here's a great article on the model, but I personally think this model is a terrible idea. If the final version holds true to that masked prototype in the spy photos it will be terribly UNoriginal, a shortened 599 essentially with less power (400hp V8), that will only piss off legitimate 599 owners, probably bring that model's cachet (value?) down a little because of the banality with which that design will be taken. Additionally, this seems unwise on the part of Ferrari corporate in the sense that it's killing their Maserati brand. Why would someone buy the Gran Turismo if this is anywhere near the money of a GT, with the looks, albeit pudgy looks, of a 599.
It also states they're wanting to produce 4000 units/year for this at 100-110k euros each. Why build a Ferrari for the masses? If increasing units sold and thereby production numbers is the goal, why stop there? Why not use a V6 version that sells for 80k and they could likely sell 8000 of those. IMO, it besmirches the others and brings the common denominator way down.
It's just not a car they should have any interest in building.

 

deleted

 

Umm, I think you misunderstood that hypothetical. I was saying: "Why would anyone buy the Maserati Gran Turismo if Ferrari puts this out and it's priced anywhere accordingly to the Maser?" Because you know Ferrari owns Maserati and it seems like they would be shooting themselves in the hoof, so to speak.
I know the Ferrari would be preferred by the bourgeois, that's my point entirely.

 

yep, misunderstood. oops.

 

Here, you go: the linked page has an excerpt from another article:
"While the F430 is about 160.000 euros worth, the [new car] will be starting at approximately 100-110.000 euros. "

So yes, it is cheaper than a current F430.

~shahedc
.

 

I appreciate your reply however the purchaser / OP is suggesting quite the reverse to the journalist's source since the latter would imply £ about £ 100 000 or less not £ 145 000

 

Ferrari does not own Maserati anymore. That's why this new car even exists. It was originally destined to be the replacement for the current Maserati coupe, but when Fiat S.p.A removed Maserati from Ferrari and put it together with Alfa Romeo, it left Ferrari with a huge amount of investment in the platform and the ability to use the current Maserati factory to build a car in, as Maserati's production is moving to Alfa. The economics also make more sense. Ferrari can get 50% more money for essentially the same car they were going to build under the Maserati label. They are planning on a volume of around 5,000 per year, which will effectively double Ferrari's output and give it product to sell into its emerging asian and Russian markets.

 

The return of the Mondial??

 

I've heard that Ferrari has ordered a production line suitable for a 10.000 car capacity. Will this be the line for this "599 Dino"?
(I call it that way for lack of an official name).

 

I understand... the page that I got the quote from also suggests that there will be additional dealer markups above MSRP..

~shahedc
.

 

I didn't know some of that. Doesn't Ferrari still build their (Maserati's) engines though? So they would have some stake in Maserati's future then, true?
As to the rest of it, I know I know. Bottom line it might make some fiscal sense to build such a car, like Bentley did when they introduced the Continental GT, but it wasn't a move that made their loyalists or purists happy. So much so that they found themselves having to counter every one of the "mainstream" line models with a model that they would be building anyway. Sure, their bottom line hasn't hurt, but Bentleys are a lot more common than they used to be. (Continental GT or Brooklands? Continental GTC convertible or Azure? Flying Spur or Arnage?) See what I mean.
The baby 599 is digressive both in design and mechanics. Less power and a borrowed shape from their current flagship?
I'm sorry; I just don't get it. I don't believe that Ferraris should be getting more common, cheaper and less powerful. Additionally, will all these 4000+ units each year be hand-built to in addition to the X-number of units of the other models? Won't quadrupling the production output of the factory put some strain on the quality of other models being built if the attention to detail is to be given the same? Something will have to give in some way.
What do you think?

 

It's either that or the Baby Enzo Fxx Milli Vannilli Chilli
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Well we know that will be true. Mark-ups for sure with any new Ferrari.

As much as I want to see a new Ferrari...I dunno if it's "right" to build another Ferrari. They have their sports car (430), track car (430S), GT (599) and 4 seater (612). Do we really need to have another Ferrari?

No matter what the model is, it will sell. Anything with a Ferrari logo on it will sell. I bet if Ferrari made pampers for babys, they would sell for a premium.

 

The design will not be borrowed from the 599... the shortened Fiorano in spy shots is of the new chassis with the 599 bolted on so you can't see what the final car will look like. To me this car makes tons of sense - something to compete with the Bentley Conti GT, high end Merc's and Maserati GranTurismo's... all while making Ferrari a boat load of extra cash. With extra cash we could see serious efforts in Le Mans once again, even more new car product lines (replacement 430 and 612), more development funds for F1 and even the next hyper-car.

I don't see everyone's blinded beef with the F149. Would you rather them build an SUV a la Porsche? Yea, I thought so.

 

Maybe they will call it the Piero Lardi

 

For me, the major advantage of Ferrari's new strategy is obvious: the F149 will serve customers looking for performance combined with comfort. The new 430 will then be an even purer "race car" than the current model. Thus, Ferrari can fully develop both concepts and thus reduce the need to make compromises between comfort and performance in case of the 430.

 

Let me dispel some of the myths.

Fact, the car will be more expensive than the F430. Thus much more expensive than the Granturismo.

It will have much more bhp than the F430, circa 500.

It will be a 2 + 2 and will employ further technologies developed from F1 since the launch of the F599.

It is intended to further consolidate Ferrari's position in all £100,000+ price brackets. (this is dealer opinion)

It will be a V8

It will not be a clone of the F599 or indeed a baby F599, it will be distinctive and its own car.

From the description he gave me it has longer and more sweeping headlights whilst the back is an improved F599. It will have a design which is then being extended to the replacement for the F430

Finally there seems to be a lot of people getting quite hot under the collar. Fact Ferrari will do exactly what they want to do and Fact everyone will love it and want one. Final fact is that, car on car and year on year, Ferrari has been giving us faster and more dynamic cars which engage the driver more than ever whilst keeping him safer not to mention making us look great at the same time. Why change a wining formula?

So chill and enjoy.

Mike

 

I was wondering how this could be when the wheel base is shorter than a 599's. Not questioning your information, just wondering how it would fit.

 

With the greatest of respect the way this car is being packaged sounds rather strange, short wheelbase than a 599 but presumably with the front mid layout and usable rear seats? Sounds like a push to me but I must admit the concept and pricing of the car look good and would almost certainly threaten the 612, though of course thats more expensive, is this perhaps Ferrari's inention to totally discontinue the 612, in favor of this model.

 

Sounds like a 612 with a V8 to me.