The end of Ferrari, as we know it

Yup!

 

At first I didn’t believe you understood my analogy. But with LDM maybe he would say the hypercars (288, f40, f50, etc.) truly defined his tenure at Ferrari. As each in their essence is a wonderful marketing platform - that strives to represent the most romantic view of what a Ferrari is. To a lesser degree, the same can be said about the 812C.

Not sure I can philosophically link Enzo to the Purosangue but who knows - maybe it was designed by someone who was born with the disease and a stopwatch in their hand.






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To all those going on about the 296 etc., you owe it to yourself to experience a 275GTB or 250SWB and compare the experience. Driving without computers, endless complexity and heavy weight for me was way more involving. The new machines have such limits that they can be experienced only at a race track and this is not where I drive. At normal speeds they are boring and more suited to ego massage than anything else. This may be a reflection of my advanced age as different generations seek different experiences and have different touch points. A winding road in my 275GTB was way more fun for me than it was in my 458.

 

I haven’t had the opportunity to experience a 275 or 250 but I can appreciate what you say.
My earliest Ferrari was a 328. While slow the steering was super connected with good vibrations and sounds throughout.
Lots of good feels.
I got a good laugh from one of my friends calling my 812 an 812 Superego! Lol

 

Well, Given Enzo drove the bug eye and personally gave the okay for the Pinin... That's two supposed cardinal sins that were not sacrificed on the altar of 'purity.'
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As for LDM, I'll say 10 F1 Championships and the F355 should do it.

He was such a purist, never compromising no matter what the $$$

I mean, heck, it's all never changing, right?

(next)

 

True. I couldn't agree more. The problem is a 275GTB today would be impossible to create. Crash standards alone would make it challenging to recreate new.

Nobody here is saying the vintage Ferrari is wrong; on the contrary. What boggles my mind is there is a lot of the opposite, though.

Not saying you are one of them, the fact that you have a 458 I believe proves my very point.

 

Actually I sold the 458 a while back as it never "rang my bells" and suffered a variety of quality issues. In retrospect it was more connected than most since then. At least I was smart enough to keep my CS and added a Vantage 12S and McLaren 570S. I love the feel and sound of the naturally aspirated V12 in the Vantage at a fraction of the cost of the current Ferrari 12 cylinder cars.

 

I understand . After all I completely agreed with your experience. Each generation definitely gains something, but can also lose some magic.
that said,

Should Ferrari return to carbs, use 60s era manufacturing, apply for special safety exemptions, and forgo modern suspension developments to recapture that “magic” you accurately describe?

well same rule applies, you gain something you often lose something.

you know what I stand.

 

I grew up wanting (new needing) a Daytona and later a BB. I also was smitten by the 275GTB which was before my time behind the wheel when I saw one at an exotic dealership on the upper east side of Manhattan but as a student at the time could only dream about sitting in one. The Testarossa did nothing for me and the F40 was too minimalist for my taste. Unfortunately at 6’2” I was not comfortable in a Ferrari until the 458 and F12 came around and were sized for people taller than 5’8”. So as much as I would like to say give me a mid sixties vintage Ferrari to drive (not invest in)I would decline as driving it let alone squeezing in would be painful.


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Of course we should embrace progress but with that embrace try not to lose the soul that made the brand special. A reflection of where we are headed is the new CEO of Ferrari who came from the world of computers not automobiles. I recently drove an Artura my first time behind the wheel of a car with electric motors. Starting in the electric mode, it had all the excitement and passion of a golf cart. If electrification is where we are headed, this is speed without passion. For me, the noise of a high revving engine is the music that should accompany the experience.
To Newjoint having had a Daytona, 512BB(carbureted) and a TR you are correct. The Daytona stayed with me many years after the others were gone. I wish it was still in my garage. I drove an F40 but was never able to get one. I like minimalist.

 

OK, start with the Aventador's V12 sound.

 

@paulchua Did the 296 feel like a golf cart?

 

Well, like all the newer Ferrari, there is a sense of isolation, a muted NVH (at low speed), and a lacking of tactility (missing third pedal and gated being the cliche')

However, the steering feels as if tolerances are in micrometers, throttle response as if the breeze would push the pedal, and handling like Enzo's ghost is somehow grabbing the tires onto the tarmac.

The sound? Still raises my back hairs.

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Not your cup of tea? All good! Nobody is forcing all the folks here who say a La Ferrari is boring to go in that direction. The secondary market has and always will be there. Edelbrock is still here.

 

I have not driven an Artura, but if you think, say a 296 or Bugatti Rimac is a golf cart, you indeed are a tough man to impress. All good - I understand your opinion that only vintage cars have any cajones and all the latest offerings are milquetoast.

 

Another great point. I mean, there is just the plain old physical element. Well said.

 

A sports car to me is not only about speed and g- forces, it is about emotional connection. Technology has raised the performance bar so high that I can not explore it without risk of jail and loss of license.and without that there is limited enjoyment for me. It is like riding a thorough bred horse at walking pace.

 

I am very different in what Ferrari has been for me. It was never a car or means of transport nor did it have to be cutting edge technology. It was always a thing of beauty and a blend of man and machine. It was the unique creation of an individual’s vision and passion not a program of different computers.The uniqueness of one of the same series cars being slightly different than the next was always a fun discovery. The joy of escaping the stress of work with an afternoon spent syncing the carbs with a unisyn. I am not a technology person but somehow feel that plugging in a computer is less satisfying than tinkering with a screwdriver and having the satisfaction to drive what you have worked on. I realize those days are long gone but I can not get excited when all the products are assembly line produced in ever larger numbers and look either much the same or pay lip service with styling clues to older models.
Just the nostalgic musing of an old man. FWIW I have been a Ferrari owner since 1973.

 

As for Rimac,, I got to drive the Battista based on the Rimac drivetrain.
In a word- phenomenal- quiet as can be but I was too busy watching the scenery blur when I was finally able to pull my eyeballs out of the back of my head and back into their sockets.
It had the acceleration of the Plaid but with finesse, grip and composure in the handling- not Ferrari midV8 or even a 812- too heavy for it but probably akin to a Chiron(admittedly never drove one of those)


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The 296 is a boring car.
If you analyze with finesse the sensations it sends back to you, you clearly understand that everything is artificial, a bit like the sounds that computer scientists try to create behind a computer to make a song at the top of the charts.
I had the car for an hour, alone, and the most striking thing is that the next day, I couldn't remember the sensations of the car, a bit like a 720 S.
In the end, the terms that best suit are bland and artificial

 

Nothing wrong with your preference. Let me point out, though, these cars can be driven at slower speeds; as @Newjoint pointed out - handling prowess does not require 10/10ths to explore. I'm never saying you have like the new cars—more power to you, preferring the vintage Ferrari. Nobody here is claiming that's a bad thing.

 

I greatly appreciated this post. It's beautiful and a great testament to what makes Ferrari great. As my previous post asserted, we fully agree on the feel, beauty, and tactility that vintage Ferrari offers.
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There might be some confusion, though, on what the debate is. It's not if vintage Ferrari should be banned.
Also, remember that the older Ferrari will today seem antiquated, of course. When they first came out - they were anything but.

 

As I said, a cohort says cars like the La Ferrari, 296, and 720 have driving characteristics best described as bland.

I'm sure many in this thread will agree with you. That's been exactly my point.

In fact, I would encourage you to share your assessment of the blandness of the 296 and 720 often and frequently with other car enthusiasts. The more, the better, in my opinion.

 

Awesome, love the report - did you think it was bland?

 

Is 720 the F8? Is it a hybrid too?

 

Nope, just replying to @day355 - he said the 720 is bland, not me.



You see what I did there eh?

haha