Has Ferrari Lost It's Luster?

Probably not rolex.

 

So.... now that Ferrari released the 849... I think I feel more than ever that they have lost it. And I think many people feel that way too. 12C reactions were mixed at best, f80 reactions were mostly negative, and the 849 reactions seem overwhelmingly negative.

 

Cylindri I think is a winner.


Hard to have pictures do a Ferrari justice. It’s like picturing the Grand Canyon so I’ll have to see it in person. It still looks better than a McLaren

They gotta stop with the name dilution though

 

I agree and disagree. The latest batch of supercars have been ugly. I just got back from checking out my 296gts in person and I thought it was stunning. The shop had an 812 competizone or whatever in there and it was breathtaking. The other shop had a LaFerrari in it so pretty amazing.

 

I love the Ferrari brand. I own a F355 spider. I used to own a 488 spider but traded it for a Huracan Evo spyder. It's clear to me now that Ferrari, and most other exotic car manufacturers, no longer understand car enthusiasts. The 849 Testarossa is a perfect example of this. Literally all that Ferrari, or any other exotic car manufacturer, needs to do is build a car that looks decent and has a V8, V10, or V12 naturally aspirated engine, a loud exhaust, and a gated stick shift. They are chasing .1 seconds of 0-60 improvements when true car enthusiasts don't really care about that. Get a Tesla if that is the most important thing to you. Any modern supercar is already too fast for public roads. They all accelerate within 3 seconds. They all have top speeds around 200 mph. They all can take corners like they are on rails. What they don't all have, and what we want, is an exotic looking, amazing sounding, and engaging (i.e. manual transmission) car. Or any two of those three characteristics. Only a few modern supercars have this now, for example, the Huracan, GT3, 812. All of these cars are still very popular and will become even more such given the new hybrid / turbo options like the 849. When will the manufacturers give us what we want in a new supercar?

 

I’ll keep the 488 GTB

Ferrari is a no go

Next car will be a Porsche

 

I have owned my 1st Ferrari, a 2022 812 GTS since 11/23. I have been very, very pleased. It is the best GT car I have owned. I have driven the 812 Comp, 812 Comp A, 12 Cylindri, and SF 90 Spider. I have declined my allocation for a 12 Cylindri Spider. I would love the 812 GTS even more had it appreciated. However , had it been a limited production model , I would not have been willing to spend enough to buy it. Given my preference for a front/mid engine, NA aspirated , beautiful Ferrari spider, I could not ask for more. I have no interest in building a large collection, It holds my golf clubs, luggage for 2 people for 5-7 days, and is an absolute blast to drive. The driving experience is superior to "classic" models costing 5X-20X more! I push a button when I want to drop the top! It has become more affordable for true driving enthusiasts, and that does not bother me in the slightest!! I would love to drive a Daytona SP3...chances of that happening are extremely low. I will go to Pebble Beach etc and see the rare multi million dollar examples there!! The guys who own them are playing an entirely different game! I'm happy to drive in a lane beside them, while being grateful to be there!!

 

I like the looks of the 849, and I think it will resonate with the newer generation of buyers -- especially in the East. It's the Testarossa name that's throwing folks off. People expect the strakes, but the car is instead modeled after the 512 of the 70s.


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I think it goes a bit beyond that honestly. I am one of the younger people on here and I find the styling of their latest offerings mediocre at best and appalling at worst, save for the 296 which I think looks nice. Sp3 grew on me a bit, but is still lacking in some aspects.

While it certainly has 512 cues, and I think back end looks good, it imo lacks a cohesive design. I remember when I first saw a picture of a Ferrari (360 and 430 era) I was blown away at how pretty a car could be. Now, I feel like the magic is gone and it really saddens me. I keep hoping that they will make another gorgeous car, but time after time I am let down.

 

I passed by a 430 the other day and was smitten by the looks all these years later.

 

Get the Spyder RS and keep it.

 

It’s a trend online to hate Ferrari right now. It gets clicks. Lamborghini is what the kool kids prefer, and McLaren is having a small moment. RS Porsches getting disproportionate attention. Also lots of content for Singer, Pagani, Bugatti, and Koenigsegg although so few can afford them, they’re the “poster cars.”

What I think is contributing:

1. Market saturation and overexposed attention for a time made Ferrari a target by being a 500-lb. Gorilla. There is often a (hipster) backlash against mass market popularity.
2. Ferrari’s treatment of customers getting negative attention. Fueled by misinformation about fake “bans” or lawsuit threats against celebrities who modify cars. But this sets a public tone that Ferrari will be vindictive and manipulative to its own customers.
3. Design arrogance about not giving the customers what we say we want. Sure, sure, Ford said customers would have just asked for a “faster horse” but there are certain features we’ve been harping on for a long, long time. Amazingly, Ferrari conceded on the wheel buttons and at the Testarossa presentation yesterday there was loud cheering when they put “Physical Buttons” on the screens behind the presenters and they explained that they were going back to buttons for many controls. So they could listen.

 

They’ve totally lost it and are way different that the Ferrari we all loved.

 

Has Ferrari lost its luster with its potential (note not its current) customers? Or has Ferrari lost its luster with FChat, because we've all gotten old and yearn for the 'good ole days'?

 

This.

 

I feel the same way about the newer designs (especially this one) but you may be an outlier for your gen. When broccoli heads show up to record their tiktok videos at meets I go to, they walk right past all the stunningly maintained 70s-2010s cars, and talk about whatever hypercar isn't there that month, that they hope to see next time.

Then as well as that there are several generations of owners. Let's say the grey hairs who love their dinos etc. Then there is the 80s/90s/10s crew. Then a more modern / recent buyer that has a 296 or F8 etc. And then the hypercar collector that orders or goes through one of everything and is more in it for the customer experience and family side than the specifics of the actual car. Ferrari is making their margins on the final group, and perhaps some of the modern / recent one (although they tend to buy 1 car and keep it).

 

The 849 is a joke. One of the ugliest cars I’ve ever seen, especially in the front.
I cannot understand why our beloved Ferrari is trying to suicide.
I ask myself if the CEO or the head of design dream of the 849 every night (as it should) or rather would prefer not to own one themselves too.
Ciao.
Nic

 

Granted, change is almost always met with resistance. But time and styling marches on. Look at Harley Davidson. After 100 years, still making basically the same, heavy touring bike. And they are in trouble. Few thirty somethings are going to drop $30+ K on bikes like this. I like Harleys (and more sporting bikes) and I like all generations of Ferraris. Maybe Ferrari is leaning forward on matters like this to avoid living on the past glories.

 

You see musicians sometimes who enjoy enormous success and popularity, but get bored and become more interested in experimentation and novelty.

Sometimes it works and their fans love it. Sometimes only the artist appreciates it, but insists on playing it to the crowds anyway.

Is Manzoni designing to stay ahead of the evolving tastes of his paying fans? Or is he pushing boundaries because he's bored and needs to feel like he's breaking new ground?

I don't know. It could be both.

 

I’m concerned at the direction Elkann and Manzoni have railroaded Ferrari into. It’s seems they’ve lost a lot of faith in the brand. Rumors that some serious collectors are cutting ties with Ferrari. They may be heading toward survival mode.

 

The only “positive” of the last 15 years of crap design is that our vintage pre-2010 models will be even more desirable in the future.

And I do not believe that these Manzoni monsters will gain any success later.

The Maserati MC20 with a Ferrari badge would be way more desirable.

When the 288, the Testarossa and the F40 were revealed enthusiasts were crazy from day one, hung posters in the bedroom, but now who wants to see the 849 as first thing in the morning?

My strong belief is that no one with top responsibilities inside the company is truly passionate about sportscars anymore, nor that they understand them and the customers. And I also feel that they have very bad tastes in general.

Enzo was a god, Luca was a genius, but I see these people as heartless and confused.

Ciao.
Nic

 

If Ferrari built this car for the road just as it is... I'd do what ever it takes to own one... but the 849... no thanks. I dont see even the most remote comparison between the two.

 

imo it's more that they think they can shape what people think looks good purely through brand association of the design, we'll see though

 

Flavio's portfolio

• F12
• LaFerrari
• 458 Speciale
• 488
• 812
• F8
• SP1/SP2
• Portofino/Roma
• 296

Which of the above are universally panned as ugly today?

Let me guess, it's these right?

• Purosangue
• 12Cilindri
• F80
• SP3
• Amalfi
  
• SF90/TR

Can you guess what’s the difference between the top list and the bottom one?

Give it five years and half the people trashing the bottom list will be out here saying, ‘actually, those are great.’

Good designers aren’t building for today — they’re building for tomorrow.

 

If you believe this, then I have a bridge to sell you.