New MANUAL TRANSMISSION Ferraris-Doug Demuro

Is it your contention Ferrari is intentionally throwing away money because you are smarter than they are?

The F1 transmission system was intentionally designed the way it was so offering it either way was a simple matter. The car did not need to be engineered either or, the way the DKG transmisson requires. When Ferrari walked away from the Marelli Selespeed concept it took away that option.
Ferrari really likes money and they have clients that have it and have proven the willingness to spend it. If someone had been wiling to pay the price such car would exist.

 

Understood that happened but was it all in reaction to customer demand?

Seems (from some accounts) people trying to buy/order a manual variant at the time were faced with zero inventory and basically getting pushed into F1 cars. Something to the effect of you can get an F1 car now or wait years/forever for a manual trans.

 

No doubt that happened but the choice was there. What you describe is customer demand. They demand a car now.
We had to order cars well in advance. Even as far back as the 80's. I remember a conversation with our sales manager why did he always order red cars. He said if you want a blue car you can wait but you can have a red car today. He said most would accept a red if they wanted blue but would not accept a blue if they wanted red.
How different is that at the Ford dealer?
Cannot blame customer impatience on Ford or Ferrari. Its customer demand no matter the underlying cause.

 

I am sure they would. You are just not offering enough. They will do anything for enough money so don't be so cheap.

Missing something?
Where are all the storage lots full of cars they are building no one wants?

Many years ago I wanted a Camero with a very specific combination of engine, trans trim level etc.
Chevrolet didn't offer it that way. I could get A and B but not C. Or B and C but not A. No matter how much money I offered GM just wouldn't budge. Well you are lucky. Ferrari has a long and well known ability to do what you want for a price. You are just unwilling to pay that price.

 

I do not know nor do I give a **** about Porsche.

Quit being so cheap and get them to build the car you want.

 

It absolutely did happen. I was told that not only would it add significantly to my wait time, the car might never get built at all. I held my ground.
Not much later, the "line bump" period killed my desire for ordering a new Ferrari.

 

I'll be here all week.

 

So if every car dealer world wide kept one of every combination of every model in inventory we could avoid that.

I could have had the F150 I really wanted.

Killed my desire for ordering a new Ford I tell ya.

 

A new manual transmission developed for a 1-off would be an enormous cost per unit that very few people could afford, which is why it isn't being done. The development cost for a new manual transmission spread out over a limited run of, say, 100 units would be far more manageable.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

This.

I think Doug knows his audience, and is gearing (sorry) his podcast to nostalgia for the sports cars of his (and our) youth. (He's not old enough to demand we go back to carburetors, apparently.)

Porsche is cashing in with special editions like the 911 Sport Classic for grey-haired buyers with big checkbooks. But the top tier Porsches, like the GT3 RS, use the better gearboxes. Kind of like the SUV play, it feels more like marketing than engineering.

I agree with LVP488's post above, but would substitute "classic" for "outdated". Yes I suppose my 308, 328 and Porsche 356 and current 964 are dated in terms of their technology, but they still tug all the right heart strings, and the Porsches are fine vintage race cars if you want to go that way. Just buy classic. The quality and the experience are better, IMHO.

 

So sign up for 100.

Mercedes Benz had no intention to build the 300 SL Gull Wing as a production street car. They were going to go straight to the Roadster based on the Gull Wing race car with a number of improvements to make it more acceptable for road use. Max Hoffman felt there was a market in the USA for a car more closely aligned with the coupe race car and convinced Mercedes to build 1000 for the US market. Mercedes delayed the roadster and built Max his cars. They went on to build 1400, the vast majority headed to the US market.

The die is cast, the precedent set. Pay Ferrari up front for 1000 units, sell them, make a fortune and be famous.


Ferrari has always been about looking forward.
Want a resto rod, hire Chip Foose or my friend Steve Moal. Thats their business.

 

Ferrari already sells everything they make. Ferrari could put a red Forza banner on a turd and sell it. Why brother with adding manual transmissions?

 

Your argument that unless an individual is ready to fund it immediately that the market simply doesn't exist is specious at best. You know full-well that I don't have the the funds to order one of the 100 or to pay Ferrari for 1000 units to resell. Hinging your argument upon that is intellectually lazy.

I just don't know that there's a market for a single car with a $15 million premium to accommodate development of a production-series Ferrari with a manual, but there's almost certainly a market for 100 cars at say a $200,000 premium, which is going to be an easier sell and more money to Ferrari anyway. That's Doug's point, and I think he's right.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Being accused of calling Ferrari perfect is a new one on me. I have been a major critic for over 40 years. Arrogance in abundance without question.

I do know however they read Fchat closely. I received a registered letter from the legal department for something I once said here because they felt I was getting a little to close to an NDA. So to think Ferrari is unaware of interest in a manual transmission car is just a fantasy.
Their interest is in check writers, not people talking trash.

 

But if an idea has merit and can be profitable there are investors. Max Hoffman had no ability to write a check either.

 

Ooooo Dougie is gonna be in trouble on FChat for referring to F1s and double clutches as automatics!

 

Dont ya just love people who say a company growing and profitable beyond anyone's expectations that they don't know what they are doing? They keep expanding, they keep making great profits and they are running at 100% and are doing it wrong?

 

Ferrari still has to say yes. That fact that it hasn't happened doesn't mean nobody has tried.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

This.

I think Doug needs a new Morgan, not a new Ferrari.

 

There are no secrets in Maranello. It leaks more than Congress.

 

Well I agree with him. There are a lot of things I'd like to see them make but I accept there are very good sound reasons not to. I do not represent the check writers buying new Ferraris. Difference is, I accept that. Kind of happy about it actually.

What is really cool is there are so many little companies building some really cool stuff to order and in many cases for quite a bit less than a new Ferrari.

There are 2 reasons any of these people do not have the car of their dreams.
1. They cannot afford it. No shame in that.
2. They really do not want it.



I am still waiting to hear where all the storage lots are where Ferrari is keeping all the cars no one wants.

 

1st rule of show business. Always leave them wanting more.