Definitely agree with the thoughts on the Speciale! All I can say is she talks to me when we drive and Mmmm, does she say the sweetest things! As far as the OP, it would be like saying that there have been no bands worth listening to since the Beatles broke up. And there will always be a good argument for and against that. A great debate for sure. It is all about where your reward lies when you drive. Heel and toe? NA? ICE? Etc. Love these discussions. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I am not trying to be a Luddite. I like the tech just fine in my sedans and luxury cars. I just don’t appreciate it enough in my sports cars to go that direction. I think the very last ferrari I might want is the Speciale. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
And I will just be clear and state that I wasn’t trying to accuse you of that. Music is art and nothing but a subjective experience. I look at these cars the same way. I appreciate your opinion on what you connect with and more importantly encourage you to speak that opinion loudly! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
No worries. I don’t get offended easily. Was just clarifying my position. Would love to see your collection in person some day. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
I think the same can be said about Corvettes. Years ago I was thinking of trading my C6 Z06 on a C7 Z06 and came away with ‘is this a sports car or luxury car?’. That being said my 328 is so much more engaging than my 20yr newer Corvette.
You could put a dead body in the drivers seat on most of these new super/hypercars and they'd go just as fast. The democratization of speed is replacing skill with dollar signs, sucking the joy out everything and all of this screened up, automatic, sensory deprivation nonsense is totally missing the point. When it comes to fast cars, I am and It's awesome.
With the recent horse power wars and popularity of these cars, they had to make them drivable for the masses. So much computer control for safety and to keep the car on the road. Luckily there is a car for every opinion, and the purists will always have many choices. These cars are an extension of our personalities and it is so fun to talk to others about them.
I didn’t think so, but doesn’t hurt to clarify. And I have an incredibly exclusive collection of one car. [emoji23] Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I think op hit the right chord when he mentioned when he first learned to drive and the analog feel. I am a little bit younger, but also learned with a pre anti-lock/airbag car, and 100% analog. I recently watched an older movie when the characters had Razor phones...I actually liked those...sleek, light and purposeful. Who cares about checking the internet, texting, etc...and the bulk that these current phones carry now...like the bulk/weight of these new cars These cars nowadays are computers on wheels...I personally hate computers
Speciale dances on its toes! Amazing driving experience. Perhaps the last of that type of car. 488 is much more “GT.”
I personally want my road car to give me the most drama at the slowest speed. Speciale is perfect for me in that sense. She is dangerous and that is part of my driving reward. These newer cars are now so capable I feel they now give you more of an experience of a track car - the most speed and performance with the least drama - what we all would want from our track car. A different reward when driving. Again, a fun debate and a completely subjective experience. Analog, gated, NA, EV. Fly your flag and drive what you like! Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
My California was a daily driver and felt like a Ferrari and a BMW mated. For a daily driver that was awesome. But if I were buying a Ferrari to be a fun weekend car no way Id get anything newer than a 599, and most likely a 360 or older
I agree on the Ford GT......on my bucket list of cars to have. Docile around town and a beast once you put your foot into it. But you have to drive it rather than going for a ride. To make the point about knowing or not..... https://www.roadandtrack.com/news/a39878521/florida-ford-gt-owner-crashes-because-hes-unfamiliar-with-manual-transmission/?source=nl&date=050222
I think the last true Ferrari was the 550 Maranello. Modern enough to be scary, but old enough to be real. You knew when the traction control finally kicked in, you were playing with fire. Then again, mine ate my lunch financially. But still...
Lucky me has had vintage Fcars to drive since the early 70s.....330 GTS/GTC, Queen, C/4s, Daytona, carb and injected Boxers, and a Euro Dino. For a later car my Dad's 288 [was to be gifted....oh well.....long story]. Followed by newer cars....a 355 Spider (loved), 360 (nope), 550 (loved), 575 (nope), 575SA (love and still with me), 599 (nice but not a keeper), and now F12 (love) along side a 458 Spider (not sure). As I said....lucky me..... From the vintage point of view the 330s, C/4s and Boxers were my favs. And as amazing as it is the 288 is a bit squirrelly. The look was right but the driving experience is a bit unsettling. Could be more car than driver [low bar]. For new stuff..........the 355 is a great car. Still analog and not bloated in size like later mid-engine cars....just seems like the ideal "newer" Ferrari while feeling a bit vintage....you have to drive it. I might seek a 3 pedal at some point. The newer V-12s are just amazing. I agree with Ross that the car has so much power and hence required "nannies" that some of the experience in actually driving is lost. My solution? Both vintage and select moderns. My GTC and Boxer are vintage anchors along with my 67 Alfa GTV. For new? I have an 812 GTS coming. Keeping the launch addition Alfa 4c. The 599 and F12 [maybe] have to go with the 812 GTS coming. The 458............hmmm.......maybe trade bait for a Ford GT.
I agree but I think a lot of it depends on what car you wanted in high school or early 20s. I am in early 40s so for me I love 90s and 2000 cars, basically what I wanted back then but could not afford. Reason for buying a Scud vs a more modern car for same $. For someone older they might prefer late 80/early 90s cars since 2000 cars lacked the more analog feel. For a younger car person today that is 16, they will want a Pista. By the time they can afford it when they are 40 they will talk about how the Pista is more analog and older school Ferrari spirit and how the 2040 Ferrari XXX does not have the soul and feel of a 2020 Pista. In 2040 the 2020 Pista will feel old and classic because by then things might be all electric so people will be talking about the old school feel of an internal combustion engine. I am happy with my 90s Japanese cars and 2008 Scud, no plans to buy anything newer, except a Speciale if I could afford it.
This is my Ferrari. There are many like it, but this one is mine. My Ferrari is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life. Without me, my Ferrari is useless. Without my Ferrari, I am useless. My Ferrari is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its sound. I will keep my Ferrari clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will … Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Many votes for The Speciale…. Last of an era in regards to the NA V8 and so well balanced in its power to weight ratio and handling. Just enough power to utilize and extract all of it even in corners and dance on turns. Agree with op, I will mostly be collecting backwards and not too excited about turbo electrification. I even have great fun in my son’s 2.4L manual Ford Bronco, and I can’t wait for my Emira, spec’d in manual as well. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
One of the things I like best about it is that it takes real driving skills to get the most out of it. The crazy part about this story is not only the guy couldn’t drive a manual, it wasn’t registered, wasn’t insured, and the real man of genius was driving on a suspended license.
i dont like the new designs either. i realize that is secondary to some people, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but boy do i miss pininfarina. these new designs are so busy, so full of slashes and inlets and outlets and wings and foils and vents and ailerons....... i guess they must be functional but they do nothing for me. i actually wonder if they do anything for anybody, or if the desire of people to own a ferrari is so great that they would buy almost anything that comes out of maranello. anyway, i know design and appearance appeal is a subjective thing, so i did not open with that sentiment. but there i have said it now. i am now a certified old curmudgeon.
From a fellow curmudgeon I kinda share your sentiment. With all that being said, times do change. Ferraris in the 60's look very little like those in the 80's and 90's - yet we all love 80's and 90's Ferrari's. Times change (sadly) and designs have to move on. If they were still building 512TR's and 355's today, they wouldn't have a market to sell them to. Look at it on the plus side. The newer designs just make the old ones look so much more "Classic". Kind of like how music makes old music sound so much better. That all being said I really do like their current crop of cars. Time will tell if the 296 was a good move (I personally really like the look of it, but I'm not sold on the powertrain)... I think us old farts just need to come to the realization that time has moved on. But yeah..I'm a classic F car guy as well, for a whole bunch of reasons.