Ferrari F80

With some tweaks, it takes on an angrier persona ..
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V12 is a mechanical masterpiece. The sound it produces is aural proof of it's magnificence. However, in order to comprehend and thus truly appreciate this, one must 1st be in possession of requisite understanding of mechanics/engineering. Clearly several people active in this thread are seriously deficit in this regard.

 

This question is like leading with your chin in a boxing match.

 

I have no solid explanation for why they don’t do that. However, it adds cost and maybe they don’t feel the need for it. Without wanting to sound unsympathetic, I have never given it much thought - in practice it matters little to me really since I’m UK based and it has no influence on how I feel about the brand - I already l know they can build beautiful-sounding cars and am privileged enough to own some of them.

What I don’t understand is why it is considered to be trying to defend the indefensible when outside influences dictate that sound has to be significantly reduced and Ferrari then produce a car which is undoubtedly quieter but still has so much to interest and entertain the enthusiast - the F80 is a statement of performance, technology and art as all the hyper cars have been.. I won’t be told that racing pedigree is not part of the brand and it’s only marketing. I’m afraid it’s all marketing. Sound, aesthetics, the lot. Racing pedigree is the ONLY reason I became so fond of this brand. Sound has been a lovely bonus but it is not going to undermine what I love about Ferrari if it is not exactly to my taste. My interest in cars is multi-faceted. There are cars in our garage which sound lesser but mean more for a variety of reasons. A V12 v a V6, most or even all prefer V12. But it’s easy to see why they chose the V6. Some say cost. To me it seems more about the low weight and small size of the engine, which allows for a much more aggressive aerodynamic treatment. The link to the racing format is also important in my view. Maybe it was cheaper. But to get roughly the same power out of 3 litres in a V6 as the LaFerrari did with 6.5 litres in a V12 is very impressive and I don’t think very cheap-sounding - remember the actual componentry cost is a small part of what it costs to develop this powertrain solution.

Sound is appealing for two main reasons. First, it is evidence that what makes the car ‘go’ is expensive, exotic, racy and high tech. Second it inspires the driver to drive the car as it was intended and the passer-by to be impressed. Some are knowledgeable enough (and I think everyone on here falls in that category if they are honest with themselves) to not need a certain sound to understand what is expensive, exotic, racy and high tech.

This leaves how the driver and passer-by feel. The driver hardly hears the exhaust so restriction on the decibel level is not fully relevant but noise permeating the cabin when the throttle is open and the engine is under load, is. Nobody except the development drivers know about this. If it is silent inside the cabin I think they made a mistake and I would be critical. But as of now, I don’t know this to be true. In fact, I doubt it is. There is absolutely no incentive for them to add weight to remove cabin noise.

As for the passer by, well, if they don’t appreciate exhaust noise I don’t want to force it on them. Of course, regulators are not arbiters of what people want to hear from exotic cars. However, I do know many people don’t appreciate loud exhaust noise when driving on the road and even increasingly on track. The sort of people who love the noise are those who go to shows and want rev matches etc. Fun, but not my thing.

So would I prefer the F80 to sound louder? Yes. But I prefer that they don’t ban petrol cars a whole lot more. Who knows, we may get both, which would be a sad day. And if the F80 had an 800+hp V12 with loud sound and no race tech? To me, it wouldn’t deserve the name. People can think of my view how they like but I have a wonderful 800+hp V12 with no hybrid in the garage. And it cost a whole lot less. Why on earth would the F80 being like this encourage me to spend multiple times the price on the same thing? If people want to label those who defend what Ferrari are doing as lacking understanding I’ll say only this; I’ve loved Ferrari cars since I was a boy. Before even I had heard or seen one. I loved them because they were low, red and beautiful. And I loved them even more because they raced in Formula 1. Anything else was a bonus. The F80 then is a wonderful thing for this still-a-boy to be able to own. Its pedigree is undisputed and it stands head and shoulders above the W1, the Utopia, even the Tourbillon for me.

 

I have absolutely no excitement about this car design wise.
The filiation between F1-P1-W1 is just a marketing gimmick.
P1 was a lot more interesting to my modest opinion.

 

The only advantages it has is price and power. Still nowhere near enough for me, but it is undeniable that the F80 looks expensive.

 

Disagree.
Some people have emotions, others not.

Marcel Massini

 

Is that all you found? An article from 2015 that doesn’t mention much, like most English newspapers.

 

Then you have no knowledge of people.

 

That's a personal insult. I've reported to admin accordingly.

 

A regular F12 sounds amazing too and a nice one in low to mid 2s!!

 

I mean no insult but I’m pretty sure every person has emotions whether they are well controlled or not. Personally the original comment sounded rather offensive and pointed since you’re so concerned but perhaps I’m reading into it.

 

Original statement was an observation, with which you may or may not agree.

Your statement is derogatory in a personal nature.

 

Fair enough, and we don't necessarily deserve any sympathy. I was simply responding to your question: why do others complain about a choice that isn't in Ferrari's control? Well, for 80% of us, it is Ferrari's choice. This doesn't mean there isn't also some misdirected frustration. But it's a big part of the answer to your question.

I think the appeal has very little to do with reason and everything to do with emotion. The sound of a Ferrari V12 stirs me in ways that few other sounds do. I don't know why. Does it matter?

Me too! (Not just Ferraris.) And I, like you, love them for so many reasons beyond the sound.

But at the end of the day, all I care about in a street car is how it makes me feel. And great sound is an essential part of that experience for me. Not the only thing, but a necessary ingredient.

When I was a boy, there were only two things I knew: how the car looked and where it ranked in the performance tables at the back of the automotive magazines. The F1 connection was cool too (I was the exceedingly rare American who followed F1 obsessively).

Today, it's more complex. The numbers are more or less irrelevant to me now. Performance is already largely inaccessible on the road, so the differences are mostly academic.

In the context of today's performance, sound, looks and driver feedback are the differentiators for me. Others will weigh things differently, and there's nothing wrong with that. There's no right or wrong here.

I'm not sure what makes you think this? There are other noises (induction and mechanical noises, at least). But exhaust noise is a huge part of what we hear in the car (particularly in the F140 generation). And in my opinion, it's the best part. When I roll down the windows in my Lusso, the sound improves dramatically. What I'm hearing is exhaust noise. How many people like to lower that little window in the back of the 812 GTS to bring more exhaust noise into the cabin?

I agree, this is what matters. I'm skeptical that they can achieve this without adding an artificial soundtrack. I've been in cars that sound great outside and bland inside. But I've yet to be in a car that sounds bland outside and great inside. I hope you're right and I'm wrong.

FWIW, I am not saying this. I do see others saying this. I think they're being extremely unfair. You clearly love the marque like all of us. If you didn't, you wouldn't be taking the time to make these thoughtful posts.

 

According to Herbert Von Karajan, "No conductor in the world would be able to reproduce the melody of Ferrari's 12 cylinders"

And some say that sound is not part of Ferrari's DNA... even though we have been talking about it for 75 years...
rewriting history is never a good idea...

For those who have doubts about the author of this sentence:
A specialist in the Austro-German and Central European repertoire from Bach to Bartók as well as Italian opera, he left nearly six hundred recordings for Deutsche Grammophon, EMI and Decca, making him the most recorded conductor of the twentieth century.

 

I saw the F80 at Imola, it's looks and persona in real life is very bad ass...

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I find it funny that so many "Ferrari experts" don't get it..

Within 1 year everyone will be saying its the best design ever...

 

To sum up, if you doubt the car, you are stupid and therefore forced to change your mind, because everything Ferrari does is perfect... Did I understand correctly ?

 

I will never say that unless they ditch the mustache.

Then, maybe. But probably not.

I will also take the other side of that bet in terms of the general consensus. It will gain acceptance for sure. I highly doubt it will ever rank among Ferrari's best designs.

 

I was meaning the design language is a fresh take on cars we all already deeply love and desire.. People just need to look harder..

The rear of the F80 is clearly inspired by the SP333..

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The moustache will only be on customer cars that want it.

 

Nope.. But i have heard this same story with the F50, Enzo and Laf..

Sorry if i'm not fully understanding what you are really saying. I love and respect you on here.

 

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Oh, is that true? I assumed this would be another "over my dead body" policy.

If that's true, my opinion of the design may change very significantly. Excited to see what people pick!

This has brightened my mood considerably. I hope you're right!

 

Did Ferrari decide to not have vertical lights on the F80 to not be the like the Porsche Mission X concept.

https://car-images.bauersecure.com/wp-images/165662/porschemissionx_100.jpg

 

Billionaires get what they want.