The Purosangue Thread

If you want one, you will get one.
Did anyone really want an 812 gts and didn't get it ?
This enthusiasm for the SUV on the part of the fans questions me. Maybe it's me who is no longer in my place here and in this new brand.

 

There is something categorically different about the Purosangue versus ANY vehicle that has come out of Maranello before … it’s not a sports car. It’s not even a car. Yes it’s a road vehicle, but it’s not a sports car. More pointedly, it is not a racing car derived sports car that you could just as easily conceive of it being raced. ANY other vehicle in the brand’s recent line up … a 488, a Portofino M … even a GTC4 Lusso … put some slicks on it, some sponsor logos on it, and a giant wing spoiler on it and it wouldn’t look insanely out of place in a LeMans series race. But the Purosangue WOULD look insanely out of place in a race. That’s what is deep down gnawing at many hard core fans of the marque. Ferrari was, up until the introduction of the Purosangue, a deeply idealistic company that stood for something pure. Now it has become a pragmatic company that is bending what it stood for in order to make larger profits.

 

Gimme a break. A Portofino in a race? How about a Ferrari 400i? Ferrari has a long history of making comfortable touring cars in addition to sports cars. Some of you guys really need to get over it.

 

Ahem. Calling a unibody dandy pants SUV a truck is a bit offensive to us truck guys. And what I would say is just marketing.




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Exor (i.e. the Agnellis) is in complete control of the company.

Oh that racy 400 Automatic with its 3 speed gearbox...

 

My point a Porsche is a Porsche is a Porsche-it’s been the same design language from day 1. They have honed it to perfection for those who like that sort of thing( not my cup of tea). It had limited the brands appeal to the point they needed the SUV to keep it going.
Now 20 years later, Ferrari is doing the same thing. Unfortunately Ferrari design has faltered of late IMHO, it’s appeal to the Ferrari fan has been strained thus the SUV to broaden the base. They will still make some wonderful cars,just like Porsche’s GT line but the diamond will sparkle less brightly.
Such is progress…


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BTW, I like Ladas!

 

Yup. I could visualize a Micholetto-tuned Portofino M racing at LeMans. A Purosangue racing at LeMans would just be side splittingly hilarious. That’s the difference. And some of YOU need to get it.

And this is coming from someone who is in favor of the Purosangue and thinks it’s going to be awesome and actually gets the appeal and why many people will want one. Which I will detail in a future post. But I also get that this is Ferrari’s crossing of the Rubicon in terms of no longer being a company which can claim it is ONLY about building racing cars for the track and racing cars for the road.

Ferrari stood for something pure. Racing. Competition. RACE is their ticker symbol. Ferrari stood alone as not giving into commercial pressures which compromised their racing raison d’etre. Even while others such as Porsche and Lamborghini relented to them. It was the hold out. It was above that. It is no longer. It has compromised for the almighty dollar. That is undeniable. And yes I can understand how that saddens people who loved its uncompromising nature and standing only for the thrill of auto sport and competition and vehicles which embodied that ideal. The eminently practical Purosangue will probably lap LeMans faster than a 458. But there is nobody who could conceive of it being raced at LeMans.

 

Nothing about the current sales of the brand support your comment. You may not like the design language but Ferrari has never sold more cars. The wait times are borderline ridiculous and order books are overflowing.

 

This has never been true. Since as far back as the 50s Ferrari has made glamorous touring cars that nobody would ever think to race as a commercial venture.

 

I don’t agree. An 812 is a touring sports car that you can imagine racing at LeMans. Same for the 1960’s equivalents. The original Superfast for example. Not a purpose built race car but with some modification could have been plausibly raced at LeMans with a stretch of the imagination. Not victoriously raced but raced during its era. Can’t say the same about the Purosangue. The Purosangue is just viscerally different. It’s a whole other thing. Either you get that or you don’t.

 

Did that ever happen? No.

 

Just because you can imagine something happening 60 years ago doesn't make it a reality. I can imagine Christie Brinkley hoping out of her 308 GTS and jumping in my lap in the early 80s. But, alas, that never happened either.

 

I’m not saying it happened. I’m saying it would be conceivable. With the Purosangue that is not even conceivable.

Ferrari is going to make much of its Fiorano lap times. But there ain’t no way you can imagine it racing at LeMans. In ANY era.

 

Your argument is fallibly literal and narrow on purpose. Because the spirit of what I am saying is undeniable. The Purosangue’s existence breaks the 70 year old brand promise that Ferrari is a brand devoted to the spirit of racing, and making racing cars for the track and ones that you can drive on the street.

There is a reason The Sweater originally took a stance reflecting his true feelings … that Ferrari would only make an SUV “if you shoot me.”

 

And guess what? Ferrari still does that. They also make touring cars just like they always have.

 

Yes and it’s great. And I understand The Porsche Cayenne Argument. That the Purosangue, while grotesque to some long term supporters of the marque, will enable them to make more things like the 812 Competizione. I get it.

But to deny that the introduction of the Purosangue represents a cynical compromise of the racing raison d’etre is sheer willful ignorance.

 

In fact, it's unquestionable that there has never been a time in Ferrari's history where they have been more committed to racing than today. At no time in history has Ferrari been involved in this many racing series - F1, LMH, GT3, FXX, Challenge, Club Challenge. There were 75 Challenge cars at COTA recently, an unprecedented number. Ferrari today is more committed to racing than any other production car company I can think of and more committed to racing than Ferrari has ever been.

 

Bruh, we all know this and you certainly don’t have to sell ME on it. Look at my Member Name for gods sake.

But that’s not the point. What IS the point? The point is purity. Either a company stands for something or it doesn’t. Either it compromises on its raison d’etre or it doesn’t.

And as much as everyone likes to get out the popcorn when I get riled up, I’m going to end this fireworks show early. I’m not going to try further to convince you.

I have articulated the unsettling and subconsciously gnawing feeling that the Purosangue has generated in some of the most ardent fans of the marque in order to build understanding for why some members on here feel the way they do about it. That is all.

 

Bruh, this is silly. "Pure" lol. You're all upset over an SUV from a company that sells scuba pants and marching band jackets for premium prices.

 

Why do you discount cross country racing? The PS would be an ideal on/off road racer.

 

With two kids, I can relate to this. In 1999, I cross-shopped the 456GT vs a Porsche 993TT because I wanted my sports car to serve as both a relatively “practical” DD and family hauler. I owned an FF for four years and have another one incoming.

I simply prefer the sleeker lines and lower CoG of the FF / Lusso to any of the crossovers I’ve driven, including the Cayenne Turbo and our pretty mediocre Levante. Of course, the PS may open the doors to an entirely new driving experience but my gut tells me that physics may still be physics. Still excited for my buddies who are excited about the PS.

 

fair point - apologies to all those real dudes who drive trucks

 

A Purosangue mule with glowing front brakes on the Fiorano circuit.




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