612 Scag - Biggest Disappointment of Detroit

Red ...Interesting
550/575 and the 456 are not popular in red and I'm sure the 612 will too.

 

From sniffpetrol.com:



FERRARI SCAGLIETTI 'WRONG WAY ROUND'
There were red faces at Ferrari this week after it emerged that some silly clot had designed its new 612 Scaglietti the wrong way round. Fans of the Poncey Horse were initially puzzled by the new car's unusual appearance, and in particular the contrived, overly long nose and ungainly, sagging rear. Now it seems these curious proportions are the result of a mix up at Italian design house Pininfarina where all modern Ferraris are designed using special pencils. Sources say that when designers received key chassis diagrams they accidentally pinned them to a wall upside down and set about sketching the body to fit. By the time the error was spotted, no one could be bothered to do anything about it and, instead of a short, pert rear and a long, thrusting front overhang, the 612 has ended up looking quite rubbish.
Ferrari's amusing overhang-based error isn't the first time car designers have misunderstood things. For example, the stylists behind the Porsche Cayenne completely misheard a management request to make a nice looking car.

 

I think it's beautiful. I can't believe what I'm reading, am I on a Ferrari site or not? Ferrari invented this catagory and this car is a brilliant return to the combination of power and style they did so well in the 60s.

 

As do I.

The 550 and 575M run rings around the 612 in the looks department, IMO.

 

YEAH, CAN'T PICK UP TEENAGE GIRLS/BOYS WITH IT...HERE'S A PIC OF ELLEN'S OLD CAR CRUISING THE HIGHSCHOOL...WHICH ONE IS THE THROTTLE AGAIN?
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I don't think it looks bad at all.

 

They say love is blind, and they're apparantly right.

Who in their right mind buys this clown shoe, which is replacing the 456 clown shoe that preceded it, over a Bentley Continental GT?

Answer: No one.

What a debacle this car is/will be, but I'm very glad it's being recieved this way by the media. Apparantly you've got to hit Luca and the boys with a 2 x 4 to get them to recognize that Ferrari can't be an imitator, or try to predict where the rest of the market is going, they've got to freshly innovate and I'm not just talking about engine performance.

Ferraris used to be cars that stopped your pulse, but in the early nineties they made a fundamental change to their belief system when they adopted the 550 in lieu of another TR. At the time, and in several articles, Montezemolo specifically mentioned that the 550's body had been developed to satisfy a wider market, who felt the TR was simply too flashy for their tastes.

I don't want Ferrari to continue down this path of pleasing everyone in order to sell more units. Shock us, innovate.

Copying a pi$$poor TVR design isn't innovation. Gotta love them copying what's arguably the ugliest sports car on the planet. Real smart.

 

I DON'T LOVE IT EITHER, BUT IT ISN'T UGLY. THE TR WAS SOMEWHAT UGLY, OR AT LEAST UNGAINLY. MAKO, YOU DON'T LIKE 308/328/348/355'S, YOU DON'T LIKE THE 550/575, SO WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ON THIS BOARD? YOUR CHARMING EXCHANGE ON THE OTHER THREAD MAKES ME THINK YOU'RE A TROLL...DOES YOUR MOMMY KNOW YOU ARE WRITING BAD THINGS ON MESSAGE BOARDS?
OH, AND BTW, IT WEIGHS 1300LBS LESS THAN THE BENTLEY.
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LOL...you're probably right.

 

I think Ferrari needs to close down their wind tunnel for a couple of years and see what the design team can come up with. I dont care if it goes 180 or 220, acceleration and exotic looks is what Ferrari was about.

 

Oopsey Mr. Caps Lock, you made a bit of an error there in the models that I feel aren't up to current standards and are a waste for anyone with a pulse. (By the way, the TR was "somewhat ugly" to you? Jesus guy. If I'm below the rock on that chart, where the hell is a person that thinks the TR was "somewhat ugly"? - Look to your far left, left of your PC's monitor. Pick a spot on your wall. That's where this dude is on that chart, lol.

Anyway, let me breakdown the Ferraris that are worth a damn for you in my opinion:

Worth Owning
288 GTO
TestaRossa
F40
512TR/M
F50
348
355
360
Enzo

Borderline
575M

You can keep them
328
456
550
612

Tie a rock around it, and toss it into the ocean
308
Mondial

That's it. So please refer to this list when referencing me in anti-troll threads, attacking threads, cute .jpg post threads, and the like.

Thanks!

 

AS EXPECTED, THE JPG WAS IN REFERENCE TO THE FACT YOU WADED INTO A POST ABOUT CARS YOU HATE. I FRANKLY DON'T GIVE A RATS A$$ WHICH CARS YOU FIND ACCEPTABLE OR NOT, BUT I WON'T SIT HERE AND HAVE YOU ***** ABOUT THOSE OTHERS LIKE.

OBVIOUSLY YOU LIKE THE TR. THERE ISN'T A CAR ON YOUR LIST OLDER THAN THE 80'S. BUY SOME BOOKS AND READ ABOUT FERRARI. IT IS THE ENGINES THAT INNOVATE, IT IS THE 1300LBS LESS IT WEIGHS THAN THE BENTLEY, IT IS THE NEAR COMPARABLE BHP OUT OF A NORMALLY ASPIRATED ENGINE.

PERHAPS YOU DEEM ME STUPID, BUT I'LL BET I KNOW A HELL OF A LOT MORE FERRARI HISTORY THAN YOU, AND HAVE DRIVEN MORE CARS ON THAT LIST THAN MOST, INCLUDING YOU. DOT.COM MONEY OR NOT.

SO, WHEN YOU DECIDE TO POST :
>>And again the typical 308 owning "I drive a $hitbomb and feel persecuted for it" crowd weighs in with such intelligent replies. LOL!

Well let me cut it to the bare basics for all of you clowns, so that you're all 100% sure of where I stand, and what I think of your cars:

I would choose a FIERO over a 308 in a HEARTBEAT. And that is no joke. I would call a damn 1986 MR2 a sportscar before I'd call a 308 a sportscar, and if you don't like it, you can eat my a$$ twice with an ice cream scoop.

You've got your opinions, I've got mine. You can express yours at will, and you can be damn sure I'll be expressing mine. Don't like it? Put me on ignore. Otherwise deal with it and shut the F up.

You girls are more sensitive than NSX owners, who similarly have a chip on their shoulder with something to prove whenever a conversation about that car having "soul" or not, or being a true "exotic" or not comes up.

I think Ferrari is a great marque, and the Stradale is a phenomenal car. No other F-car new, or used, drives as well as it does, and that's why people are inclined to write that big check on delivery day as I will be in if all goes well and I'm not tempted by my Gallardo test drive next week (much better looking than the Stradale btw, especially in person).

Anyway, I think we're clear now. Go forth and be merry, and look forward to many posts of me speaking my mind about all things Ferrari, and sports car related in the future. Otherwise click the painless ignore button and be done with me like the little crying girls you 308 owners are.<<

AND THIS:

>>LOL, awww poor baby got mad! What's the matter, can't afford a Ferrari that's actually competitive with any sports car made in the 90s? How does it feel when a Honda Odyssey passes your car, IN A TURN?

Too bad for you.

I cancelled my Stradale order yesterday, too close to call between it and the Gallardo. Both are overpriced versus what they'll be worth in less than a year (-35% for both). I'm a sucker for Italian sports cars, so I may still pull the trigger. Well, I should be clear, I'm a sucker for Italian sports cars that have more HP than a Civic, so that would leave the 308 out. Sorry, my bad. <<

WHY DON'T YOU JUST STFU. FOR YOUR SAKE.
PRETTY STRONG LANGUAGE FROM A HONDA/NISSAN OWNER. LOTS OF US LIKE THEIR CARS, BUT YOU PROVED YET AGAIN SOME OWNERS ARE *******$. MY OFFER TO STFU STANDS, RICEBOI.
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Wow, way too long of a post, not reading all that lunatic ranting. I will say that I left off pre-1980 cars because they're classics and to go through yes/no on all of them is tedious. Let's deal with the here and now professor, ok?

Also, you can read my thoughts of your racist comments about the Japanese cars here:

http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7952&page=3

There's actually a little contest for all F-chatters to participate in.

 

I got excited yesterday, driving down the road I thought I saw my first 612 scag coming up the road from the other direction. My hopes were dashed when I got closer and it turned out to be a nice looking brand new black 2003 Hyundai Tiburon GT MSRP-$15,800

Call me out-of-touch but I use to enjoy the 80's and 90's when I didn't confuse Ferraris with the cheapest car on the road.

Now that I"m home, and can look at a photo of both... I clearly see that the Ferrari has changed the headlights and front grill. Good job guys!

( I bet a 612 headlight cost more than the Hyundai Tiburon GT as $15k )

 

Actually, the biggest disappointment at the Detroit show was the MB SLR. Lay down that crack pipe, Jack! The first thing the Rep does upon seeing my Ferrari cap (courtesy of FFQC) is starting ragging on the Enzo and how the SLR will kick Enzo butt. He then starts bragging that dealers can't decide how much to gouge their customers. Sticker is supposed to be $450k, but he knew a dealer who had already flipped one at $1.2m and that most dealers will looking to sell in the $800k range. I guess that Mercedes is trying a new sales strategy for this car. BLING, BLING. Where's Maranelloman when you need him?

The best exhibit at the Detroit show was the Porsche GT. They had a complete car where you could touch it, followed by a tub, and then by a motor. Could have spent all day just looking at it. Simply beautiful.

Question? Those of you bashing the 612. How many of you have actually seen it? The red on the Detroit car does not photograph well and tends to hide the lines of the car. I think that the interior looks fine, except for the AC vents that are kinda google eyed.

What I liked the most is that they made it a better GT car by pushing the engine back and down. It should be interesting to see what they do to the 575 replacement.

Just for the record, I like front-engined cars that remind me of Camaros. Just kidding. I love cars that remind me of 250 GTOs and 275 GTBs.

But then again, I like all cool cars and motorcycles.

DrTax

 

Just because its a ferrari site doenst mean we have to like everything that comes out of maranello. You must be waayyy to caugut up in the ferrari heritage and soul crap that you are unable to realize that its just a car.

 

I saw the 612 in person at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach and was expecting the absolute worst. In fact it isn't that great or really that bad. It's probably what a guy who wants a four seater is looking for. All in all I'd say I like it better than the 456.
I do agree that maybe Ferrari is working on the wind tunnel too hard in the design of these kind of cars. Now an Enzo or F50 needs the absolute slipperest body. I don't think 220 mph is a must on this car.
The Maser 4 door and 4 seater looked good to me and I may buy one of those in the future. It was also in Florida. I was impressed with this car. I guess the question is how reliable it will be.

 

when i read the article in CAR mag, first thing i wondered about is how much time/effort/$$
would be involved in transplanting a 612 motor into a 456

That way, one would have a very stylish(understated, but one of my fav Fcar designs)
combined with a monster engine...

 

456 was pretty, especially for its day, maybe looking a little dated now. I'd rather a late 456 than this replacement. Its awful, and I appreciate it may look better in the flesh, but f - ugly + better = still ugly.

I'm shocked and disappointed at this a car. I'm 100% positive I could have made it look better, although there have been some fair comments regarding the target audience. But I'm still sure even *they* would have appreciated a slightly less dull and ugly car.

 

Well I think you have that right. I would suspect my father is the target audience for this car, 61 y/o and he bought one of the first 456GT's in the US and loved it (except for the many reliability issues it had). He has an early deposit at WWoC but saw the 612 at Cavallino last month and was terribly disappointed. He told me the "car did nothing for me". It's very unlikely he'll buy one now.

I haven't seen the car in person, but from the pictures I wouldn't say it's horrible but just terribly bland. A real disappointment.

 

THEY WERE QUOTES OF YOURS, SO YOUR ASSESSMENT IS CORRECT.

DR. TAX IS RIGHT...COLOR SENSITIVE, BLACK/TAN INTERIOR WAS CHEAP LOOKING. REMINDED ME OF A HYUNDAI

 

I REALLY like the 456 better than the 612, but the 612 is ok. That having been said...

Was I the only one slightly offended by this statement?

"This is also unusual at the Detroit Show, where any piece of newly unveiled junk usually gets a yee-ha, high-five, standing ovation from the fawning, generally uncritical, mostly clueless American auto press."

I don't recall Motor Trend or Car and Driver taking pot shots at UK journalists, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

I'll post counter to most of the comments above. I saw it in person at Detroit and really liked it.

 

The Europeans are displaying their snobiness in print?? Say it isn't so! We all know Euros are never holier-than-thou when it comes to Americans, so this must be a misprint. *sarcasm*

Ignore it. Besides, they're a little accurate, American journalists are glass-half-full when it comes to auto concept cars, as are consumers. This is because when it comes down to it we all hope that every concept car actually makes it into production, no matter how ugly, because we like 32 flavors to choose from, not 3 flavors. I would have sold all my cars for a Cadillac Cien for example, while the Euros savaged it. They savaged the Viper as well when it debuted, so you need to check the source when you see comments like that.

 

I'll take American Enthusiasm any day, over (insert country here) pessism.