GTC4 Drive, Inspection and Review

Let me clarify - first my opinions

1) the minute the IPO occurred, 2 things had to happen; first, Ferrari needed to become a legitimate, auditable business; so in some respects, it brings improved hygiene in some respects - which may or may not be good for the actual cars and traditional client base

2) the biggest loss so far is Felisa's retirement. He was the guy who took Luca's vision and made it real, and was the "Steve Jobs" of Ferrari in terms of the cars. His view of what a Ferrari and a driver's car is, is what propelled the cars from the 355 up until the F12tdf. (i.e. aluminum vs. composite, few gizmos, hybrid only for performance, et al). Ferrari's next generation of product design and engineering needs to be able to bring that on strong, otherwise the gravity of the beancounters and marketers will bring us watered down cars.

As for your review of the GTC4 (which I praised), if the design elements and execution (i.e. quality materials) drop to Porsche or BMW levels, it might not matter to some, but it will matter to others (me included). Frankly I'd be ok with composite (i.e. plastic, not hand-laid CF) body panels as long as the chassis, suspension, powertrain and brakes are astonishingly good.

So, I'd love to understand WHY Ferrari has made certain decisions on the design and execution, but we're all different in our views. I for one fill up the "edgy" LE cars with leather and electronics, get the floor mats, and wish they had left the 2kg glovebox so I had a place to stash the manuals...which others see as heresy in a Scud/Speciale/TDF

Last, RACE is currently valued well above other auto makers, and to their credit, they are absolutely head and shoulders above all other makers in terms of hard core financial performance, growth, profitability, inventory, you name it. That they earned. OTOH, they are looking for a "luxury brand icon" valuation, which they have yet to achieve. F1 glory was supposed to help fuel that, but the balance of measured "growth" vs. keeping the cars uber exclusive and idiosyncratic is hard. I'm not a watch guy, but seems like they are a Patek heading towards Rolex, with the occasional trek towards Hublot in terms of design and market positioning.

I love the brand, but primarily for the 1) cars and 2) the people. As long as the cars are good enough (or great enough) I'll be along for the ride. However, this is the first time in 6 years I have not had a plan or deposit in place for the "next" car....(a bit part of that is that my garage currently runneth over and I'm completely content!)

 

all great points.

 

amazingly enough it may be just that simple.

 

Plastic horse - says it all. I still want one tho. I was in my friend's FF and noticed the harsh ride and tram lining. Less of that would be nice while just cruising. All modern Ferraris seem overly large and luxurious to me so why not go the whole hog. I can't believe they will sell less of these than the FF.

 

I don't understand the hoopla about the plastic ferrari horse. anyone who knows an iota about ferrari knows that Enzo wldnt have given a rats ass. in fact, he didn't even care if anything on the interior worked. all that mattered was the motor and the drive. I'm with enzo.

 

"I don't sell cars; I sell engines. The cars I throw in for free since something has to hold the engines in."

 

it's very light. who cares if it's plastic? have you seen the interior of an f40?

 

Exactly and during Enzo's reign there were a lot more Fiat bits and pieces in his cars than there are today

 

I think its natural to try and see where things are going but I also think maybe we are reading too much into some of these data points. As long as the cars are brilliant drives, all will be OK.

That said, I get the feeling there is a passing of an era as is well illustrated by the other posters, and my opinion is the F12 and 458 were the pinnacle of the LDM, Felisa era. But that's just my opinion.

 

430s have exhaust manifold issues etc. the cars never have been perfect. that's what makes them special.

 

The emblem of Ferrari, a 2$ item, is replaced by a plastic one, a $0.5 item, on a $400k car.
That tells a lot.

Back in Enzo's days, a fast car (engine and handing) were amazing achievements.
Nowadays, speed is not really an achievement, and drive here is not only about handling.
It's also about how you vehicle emotions. That's why you put the price of a house in many places in a car.
In a Lusso, if the emotion can't be handling related as the car becomes more "digital and tuned down", at leasts with such badge should it be the pinacle of Italian craft, leather, and design.
It looks like it fails doing so.

 

if you live and breath ferrari you shldnt care about the darn horse.

 

What? Confused!


All we must remember that the 308GT4 and the GTB were cheap Ferraris. Is Ferrari targeting a cheap front engined Ferrari for owners that just want the brand?, and do not care which end of the car the engine is (and also probably can't properly drive a mid-engined car anyway).

Even if Ferrari are bringing in a lower level Ferrari, going to a plastic and poorly made/shaped horsey was a step too far. If the plastic horsey looked exactly the same as a metal horsey, nobody would care but it doesn't. Even Kia has higher quality plastic logos.
Pete

 

if i wanted a lusso id buy one even with a plastic horse. if the plastic horse bothered me id switch it out with a metal one.

 

Of course materials matter, it is one of numerous metrics that compose the overall ownership experience.
It is a window into the thought process of a manufacturer; they get to make choices with the construction of their product, we get to interpret those choices.
It is one thing if it is understood the product is built to a price point, like a Cayman vs. a 911 for instance.
It is quite another when the product is touted as one of the most amazing cars you can buy at any price...the basic philosophy underpinning for Ferrari in general.
A well specc'd Lusso will no doubt run at or above $400K; for that money there shouldn't be much in the way of cost-cutting with regards to part of the user interface. (As mentioned by someone else, I wouldn't care if it had a Chrysler AC unit if it was superior in performance to the Fiat part).
Furthermore, if it were proudly displayed as a nod toward "performance" on a car like the F40...it would be acceptable as a gesture (much like Porsche puts on a sticker shield for their high-performance track-focused models rather than the actual shield..it is symbolic of the intent of the car).
The Lusso...is a Luxury car for Ferrari...it's intent is the be luxurious...to impress, to be special in areas other than just performance.

The very symbol that represents Ferrari.....the prancing horse...that better be something to be proud of...not some cynical display.

By the way...the legend of Enzo not giving a damn about his clients...that isn't a positive thing...his cars sold despite that in part because of the whole mystique of the Man and His Company and the racing...Enzo is now dead. The next best thing to Enzo, IMO, was Luca...a powerful figure at the helm...is now gone. Felisa is gone.

Competition is mounting.
Speed is cheap.

What Ferrari has and needs to be maintained and cherished: Emotive driving experience, bespoke materials and interfaces, enough performance to satisfy the sane, sound, smell....a Ferrari is a dream (to paraphrase both Enzo and Luca).
Plastic Cavallino Rampante on a Lusso (luxury)...well..that ain't a "dream."
That's a nightmare.
Ferrari....are you listening?

 

+1 with feeling.
The difference in cost to Ferrari is $10 at best, the difference to the customer is invaluable.

If you are reading this Ferrari don't spoil the ship etc etc................

 

+1. Prior arguments aside, this post is clear and spot on

 

hypocrites. how many have you bough ferraris that didn't have forged wheels? but you won't buy a 400k machine because it has a plastic horse? you guys are downright laughable!

 

The plastic horse is cheap indeed but back in the day people complained about the cheap Delphi (or whatever) infotainment system in the FF and many other things that now are improved in the GTC4.

If I have to choose between a cheap badge and a cheap infotainment system my choice is clear. A plastic horse is not the end of Ferrari as we know it, they always have cut some corners here and there.

 

All of F-cars have only had forged wheels and I'm still buying a plastic-horsed Lusso

 

just went to feel the horse on my FF - I'm pretty sure it's plastic. it's very flimsy. does not feel like metal. it's bends and moves easily.

 

ferrari historically hasnt used forged wheels. sometimes they're an option. FF didnt come with forged wheels in the early years. im sure if someone wanted a titanium horse ferrari wld be happy to do it