Here she is! F149

with the hardtop (ps)from www.rennteam.com : A car design student has posted a quick photoshop on another website of how the car may look with the roof up.
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Have to admit a bit of shock when I first saw the car, but I know with time it will grow on me. Ferrari's official photo's are always crap...

Oh, don't forget the original 250 GT California. They do look quite similar...

http://www.topgear.com/blogs/planettopgear/121-Ferris-Buellers-Day-Off/

 

Here's a message I received from a source that I won't reveal that I think is very well thought out:
(I did receive permission to post it)


The interesting thing to me will be will this effect 599 sales/premiums?

599 premiums have been in moderately steep decline, and I think market price will be very close to MSRP by the end of the year. I think this is more due to heavy MSRP increases than anything else. There are also a lot of pre-owned 599's on the market, but FNA's advertising guidelines make it hard to match buyers and sellers for "nearly-new" cars. A lot of current 599 owners are anticipating their Scuderia's, and wanting to cash out now.

Will Ferrari be able to sell 4K of these a year?

This will depend largely on the North American market, the economy, and frankly how dealers determine who will get cars, and at what price. Ferrari are very keen to get new buyers into this car, and will be doing an unprecedented degree of direct marketing and communication to potential buyers, and want to make it very clear to buyers that anyone who wants a "California" will be able to order one. We shall see!


Will they work as every day drivers?

Mechanically, barring the usual first-year bugs, I don't see why not. There's nothing about an F430 that makes it any less capable of daily-driver duty than a 911, except the fear of putting miles, damage, stigma, etc. In practice, the biggest concern is that dealers and FNA aren't equipped to get cars in and out of service quickly enough to satisfy someone who uses their car daily. This is a major issue on the Maserati side of the business right now, lack of parts, approvals for big warranty jobs take forever, warranty work declined, etc. Ferrari buyers will tolerate a lot on the service end, but the guy who replaces his daily-driver SL55 with a California, and expects it back from service in a day, might be the biggest challenge.

How long will the clutch last in bumper to bumper every day driving in places like LA/NY/HK/etc.

I asked the technical guys about this, and it's good news. The dual-clutch gearbox is a sealed unit that theoretically should never need the clutches replaced. They were very clear on this point. Another interesting thing is that they actually had to develop a lag in the gear changes, as the transmission can literally make shifts with zero lag, and that in testing the drivers found this a bit disconcerting and not sporting enough, so a lag has been dialed in to give that "snap".

How will the top work time after time. As well as the Lexus's?

As a first-generation Italian-American, it pains me to say that as great as Italian design and engineering are that they lack the ability to consistently execute production the way a company like Lexus can. To me, Lexus is the benchmark for manufacturing excellence, if not exactly something that stirs the soul. That being said, I think Ferrari should be able to equal or exceed their direct competition from Mercedes, BMW, and Aston Martin in this respect. Ferrari quality is light-years ahead of what it was even five years ago, but most of the issues continue to be related to sloppy assembly rather than poor quality or design.

How rigid will it be?

Cowl shake?

We're all hoping this isn't another Maserati Spyder! The F430 Spider is extremely tight for an open car, and hopefully the California will be equal or better.

As for it's looks my 8C does more for me but that's why I bought an 8C.

You won't get an argument from me! I have to say that the initial official pictures I saw a few weeks ago were much more flattering that the ones released today. I don't think any of the recent cars photograph well though, so we'll just have to wait and see.

 

It looks better with the top on but still bloated and with a busy profile.

 

Whoever responded to you saying that, yes, it will have two modes is wrong.

Dual clutch means that there will be a clutch for odd gears and a clutch for even gears. So there will be, hypothetically, no torque loss when going from 1->2, because the clutch is ready to receive the next gear right away, no delays.

It mans ultra fast shifts, but, there will be 7 gears and they will be closer together... however, the no power loss and damn fast shifting should make up for it.

The new BMW M3 has this as well.

 

On me too, and it better do as I have already placed a deposit for this car, to say the truth Im a bit disappointed, but I will wait and see more pictures to make a better opinion

 

Looks OK to me as well. (Never had a problem with the 612 styling btw), I didn't like the 8C when it first bowed, but I'm a fan now... Could've been worse I suppose.

I wonder if the shift times on this Dual-Clutch will better those of the Borg-Wagner units in Audi's & the new GTR (.2 seconds)? Reliability should be a non-issue, my Dual-Clutch requires servicing (gear oil change) approx every 15k

 

How will this compare to the current 430 clutch?

So will it have paddle shifting as the norm with auto as an alternative or will it be auto shift as the norm with optional paddle shifting. The clk has small paddles that seem to be useless. On my maserati coupe the paddles are first and foremost which is the way I like it.

 

Nobody did - I wrote "probably" based on that it seems all the dual clutch boxes to date have an auto mode. How do you know it won't?

 

I agree that they missed the styling mark...but just by a tad...an exercise such as Jim G's P4/5 to give this car a more retro look similar to the original 250 GT Cal Spyder and I think they would have a winner...anybody want to try via photoshop...as to its relationship the Maserati and Alpha...not bad company in my opinion...that is if you value history?

 

The entire post is really informative and interesting, but I was particularly struck with the part about 599 premiums coming down and everyone who wants a Cali being able to order one.

If this is true, the Ferrari world is in for quite the change! Along with that change will come repercussions to the 360/430 maket, I would imagine...

 

The source is very credible.

 

Well I asked my wife ..after all she's the target market.

Photo 1 - "prettty!!!'

Photo 2 - "pretty!"

Photo 3 - "huh...looks like something else.."

 

My guess: The F142 moves [side] market (if not up market); developed to appeal to the racing/sports car enthusiast clients... This car takes over as the Ferrari for the affluent masses... The 8C is the better looking spider. I like this red-head with her top up...

 

The rear shoulder lines work on their own, the rest is mismatched jap-mutant style-o-matic details pasted onto a generic vague body.
Change the badges and its the next tiburon.

I agree with the previous sentiment that the car was designed in parts by multiple people rather than as a single coherent design.

Whats concerning is I see the same mistakes being made here that were made on the 599

 

I was expecting much better, something more stylish and streamline.

 

Im I the only one who thinks the tailpipes are a direct rip off of the new (older than this) Lexus IS-F?

 

traditional old-school gold and red with shields:
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Did you read the thread before asking?

I NEED those wheels

 

Jim, thanks for all the information, is your 8C going to be a Convertible or Coupe?

 

Coupe.

 

For what I see from the pictures I don't even know what to say.. I really thought that Ferrari will put a little more work on this car. To me , like I said before they lost the originality that Ferrari once had. This car looks like a mix of a Miata and a RX8, a good looking Mazda.I hope that when I will see it on the road it will look more like a Ferrari. To me Ferrari lost originality after the TR ,348, and 355. I don't know but I don't think of Ferrari like I used to..., it is becoming to commercial....
Sorry

 

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