'New' Stratos

New Stratos

Although it's now a few years old the 'new' Stratos sure looked like it coulda been a contender. As an homage car I liked the derivative styling a lot.

 

While I'm a fan of the original, the new Stratos just looks awkward to me.

 

I never liked the front of the car. The whole hood looks just too flat and square to me. Rest of the car is very cool though. Interesting project kept with pretty low key profile...

 

That is wild! I'm wondering if the handling issues were sorted out with the reissue.

 

It looks amazing - one of the best new cars in recent years, in my opinion.

It's a shame that Ferrari blocked the limited production run.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Ferrari blocked it?? Really? I didn't know it. I thought that there were no proposals on the car... That's ridiculous.

 

Yep. Read through the link the OP posted, it's all in there.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Ferrari tried to block it, but the New Stratos guys are trying a few other avenues, last I heard. I think Jim may know more.

 

I agree.

 

I thought I read that this prototype was not made on production-grade tooling and that they felt they could only produce about 8 or 9 examples from what they had.

I too thought it was a very cool project.

 

They didn't block production, just told them they couldn't make a production car based on a Ferrari, so they'd have to use a different chassis and drivetrain which they felt would be tough to do at the standards they wanted. Understandable to a degree as they don't want to help what would then be a 'competitor' in their eyes, but probably more that if there are some problems with the 'production' car, they don't want guilt by association.

 

Hopefully Lancia has been able to overcome this marketing hurdle and have been able to design and build their own chassis and source an engine from another manufacturer. Ferrari continually lets me down.

 

Lancia didn't build it, it was an independent investor (similar to Jim G and his P4/5).

 

Yes sir you are correct.

 

If a company wants to take pre owned Ferraris and rebody them with a unique design, then there is nothing Ferrari can do about that, other than insist they don't have Ferrari badges on display on the vehicle at the point of sale. If Ferrari badges or emblems are on components used though I doubt there is much ferrari can do about that either.

Any Ferrari warranties would though no doubt be void on the donor car or its components

 

Remember that when Jim Glickenhaus went racing with P4/5 Competizione, originally based mechanically on several Ferrari 430s he bought, Ferrari decided to refuse to sell the team replacement parts when needed. Not to be deterred, Jim pulled the Ferrari badges off the car and manufactured his own parts from then on. Not everyone has the determination or resources to be able to do that. Forza Glickenhaus.

My understanding is that "blocked" does not necessarily mean that a legal order was granted due to a copyright held by Ferrari. There are less obvious ways that a company with the clout of Ferrari can hinder a project and suppliers/contractors to Ferrari are usually going to side with the powerful and influential Ferrari brand - hinting that such a working relationship might not continue in future if they do anything to taint the brand (i.e. only Ferrari can 'improve' upon previous Ferraris) would probably be sufficient to control a supplier or contractor to Ferrari.

Let's say you're a Pininfarina executive looking into a production run for the New Stratos and an executive from your most famous customer, Ferrari, tells you that it was a great project as a one-off but that he's not in favour of a production run. Are you going to:

• Risk angering a prestigious repeat customer, Ferrari, who could use another design house in future, by satisfying an order for a limited production rebody of Ferrari cars?
• Tell the New Stratos customer that Ferrari would not permit you to embark upon a production run of their car and wish them the best of luck with the design at another manufacturer?

I don't think the limited production run was killed off by anything so formal as an injunction, but rather by the suggestion that Ferrari would not be pleased if it went ahead with Pininfarina. The New Stratos design holder could have gone elsewhere, but felt that another company could not have reproduced the car to the same standard and he was unwilling to sacrifice quality merely to get copies out there.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

They didn't 'block' it per se, they just said they wouldn't supply them with cars/parts to base a production version on. Nothing would stop them from buying the stuff second hand, but that's not really practical from a business standpoint (imo).

 

Ok, so exactly the same tactic that was directed against Jim.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Yeah, I mean it makes sense to a degree. They don't want to get involved in something they don't have control over as there could be damage to the brand if things don't go properly.

 

Ferrari Can?t Keep The New Lancia Stratos From Rallying

 

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MAT apparently stepping in where PF did not wish to tread
https://blog.caranddriver.com/ferrari-based-not-a-lancia-stratos-heading-for-limited-production/

 

Wow! Great news. I hope they pull it off.

 

OK... I'm in the minority here.

I don't think they should "remake" a classic car in a new way. It diminishes the original. Should someone remake The Mona Lisa?

Car designers should be making cars for TODAY that will be TODAY'S classics, not a copy of the past. There's way too much car design today that is not original. Imagine if the designers in the 50's and 60's did "retro"cars of the pre-war era. Where would we be today?

IMO, the 5th generation Mustang is boring as hell. Why can't they do a new one from scratch that is actually more interesting than the one done in the 60's? The designers today are not as clever or good as those back then?

Hogwash.

 

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Ford Gt?

 

By any measurable performance, economic or durability criteria the newer Mustangs are far superior to the originals.