new ferrari styling vs bmw styling...who is the loser? | FerrariChat

new ferrari styling vs bmw styling...who is the loser?

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by scycle2020, Aug 14, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. scycle2020

    scycle2020 F1 Rookie

    Jan 26, 2004
    3,477
    potomac
    i have always lusted after ferraris, part of the reason being the beautiful looks of the cars..like wise i am a bmw fan.. great cars and purposeful classy styling...it appears to me that both of these makers have missed the mark with their new and up coming models as far as styling goes...i am not a fan of the 7series, or 5 series bmws and even the new 6s i have seen on the road were a bit of a dissapointment,even thouhg i am sure they are great cars...like wise, i much i have tryed , i have never warmed up to the ferrari612, 575, and even the pictures of the presumed 430...again, they are all amazing performing cars, it just that the styling doesnt do it more me..to me a beautiful car is one that you can stop looking at even as you walk about after parking it!!!so what do you all think in terms of car design and styling... whos current offerings are worse or better ?
     
  2. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    38,863
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    I agree the new crop of F-cars are not quite as appealing as those from 3 years ago, 8 years ago, 25 and 40 years ago, BUT THEY ARE A D*MN SIGHT BETTER THAN ANY OF BANGLE'S TRAGEDIES.
     
  3. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,485
    Grandview NY
    Full Name:
    Herr Prof.
    There are two reviews in the Sunday NYTimes of the BMW 6, one by Keith Martin. Both trash the car, complaining that BMW has always appealed to the driving enthusiast, and over the years, its cars have also become a status symbol; that, in the past, they were able to straddle both markets. But this latest car is only designed to appeal to the faddish, and has no real connection to the driver, that it is a joyless experience.
    I don't think you can go that far about Ferrari, but the cars have gotten more lux, bigger, fatter, heavier and use more sophisticated driver "management" devices of the electronic type. Some of these innovations yield increased performance, but you can argue that some of them detract from the immediacy of the driving experience. (I don't like power assisted steering, so i'm really a Luddite in this respect).
    As to style, i do like the 360 even though many carp about its looks compared to the 355, which is considered more "classic." The 550 was never considered a pinnacle of pininfarina design, but it worked for me- usually the coupes have better lines than the convertibles on these rounded bulbous designs (I think this is true with respect to the 360 as well), compared to the slab-sided cars of, say, the 250 vintage, or even the Daytona- which to my eye, looks fabulous as an open car. (Even that car had alot of detractors at the time, not only about its "archaic" mechanical layout, but its odd, chisel-nosed styling).
    I think what happens is a sort of adjustment period- at first the newer design looks awkward, but as time goes by, the previous one starts to look dated- except for those that are true classics, eg, 246 Dino. And, sometimes, the dated look has an appeal, too. (Think about the 308 GT4, unsuccessful precursor to the 308 GTB/S series. Very Bertone, boxy, unloved in its time, but sort of a cool design exercise today, particularly when surrounded by car bodies of the soft, bulbous sort.)
     
  4. Omerta

    Omerta Formula Junior

    Jan 10, 2004
    607
    While overall I would say BMW's styling has took a turn for the worse, I gotta admit I LOVE the new 6.

    As for Ferrari, I wouldn't say they are getting worse. They are changing, like every auto company. I feel that the new Ferrari's of today will adequately fill the shoes of the classic Ferraris tomorrow. One of my favorite cars of all time is the Testarossa. When it was released I was too young to be reading car reviews, but I hear it got TERRIBLE reviews (appearence wise). It was too radical (what many now say about the Enzo). But, now, the Testarossa is a true classic.
     
  5. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,197
    MO
    I love both marques. I own a REAL 6er from 82. IMHO both are at a loss now. I dont like any of the offerings, with the CS the last new Ferrari I would even think of buying, and as far as BMW, goes, as much as I would love to have owned a new 6 in principle, the styling is nothing compared to the SL. (And it pains me to say this)
     
  6. UroTrash

    UroTrash Three Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Jan 20, 2004
    38,863
    Purgatory
    Full Name:
    Clifford Gunboat
    For the record, I unashamedly think both the 456 and the 612 are beautiful.
     
  7. F2003-GA

    F2003-GA F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 2, 2003
    13,066
    Sunbelt
    Full Name:
    Bro
    Although I have a 612 coming, I still think they should have done a much better job on the styling.Especially if you look at the first official renderings, the 612 was much more sexier and what they delivered was the same girl who aged 20 years.I also have an 2006 M6 on order which is lot better looking than the 7 series but still not where it should be.
     
  8. coolestkidever

    coolestkidever F1 Veteran

    Feb 28, 2004
    5,538
    NJ
    Full Name:
    Patrick
    When the F50 first came out people didnt like it now look at it, I just think Ferrari is a step ahead of all of us thats why we always end up loving the car after its out of production. As for BMW lets just say im very pleased they havent touched the 3 series to much, specifically the M3. But the new 5 and 7 series have grown on me, they just look so big like cars of 20 yrs ago.
     
  9. Fan512bbi

    Fan512bbi Two Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Mar 25, 2004
    20,938
    Wales-UK
    Full Name:
    Steve.
    what do you think of these, they were actually designed by a member of F-CHAT. i think they are truly beautiful.
     
  10. ASU SAE

    ASU SAE Karting

    Aug 8, 2004
    59
    CA
    Full Name:
    T
    Styles can very well grow on you. I wasn't too big a fan of Cadillac's edgy styling when it can out. But it has grown on me since with everyday sightings and I have grown used to it, even like the XLR styling.
    I don't ever know if I will like the new BMW styling. I posted this in another forum recently; you learn to appreciate BMW's line continuity when you hear Chris Bangle explain it to you. However, the forced line continuity doesnt' work as a whole when aero dynamics are put into the equation. He said he wanted a single line to bow around the side of the car, but they had to have a high trunk for aerodynamics sake. So they just raised the trunk and hoped for the best. Didn't really work.
    I can understand what Pininfarina is doing with the current Ferrari styling a lot better than with Gallardo styling. They have nice sweeping lines, but I think they are forgetting to step back and take a look at the entire picture. They have the various elements in the Scaglietti like the hood where they have the bottom of the grill going into the cutline over the wheel well. So you know there are ideas there, just not intergrated well in the overall design of the vehicle.
     
  11. Agent Smith

    Agent Smith Formula 3

    Apr 20, 2002
    1,569
    The new BMW's are awful. Even after seeing them drive around I can't get used to the styling.
     
  12. ASU SAE

    ASU SAE Karting

    Aug 8, 2004
    59
    CA
    Full Name:
    T
    Styles can very well grow on you. I wasn't too big a fan of Cadillac's edgy styling when it can out. But it has grown on me since with everyday sightings and I have grown used to it, even like the XLR styling.
    I don't ever know if I will like the new BMW styling. I posted this in another forum recently; you learn to appreciate BMW's line continuity when you hear Chris Bangle explain it to you. However, the forced line continuity doesnt' work as a whole when aero dynamics are put into the equation. He said he wanted a single line to bow around the side of the car, but they had to have a high trunk for aerodynamics sake. So they just raised the trunk and hoped for the best. Didn't really work.
    I can understand what Pininfarina is doing with the current Ferrari styling a lot better than with Gallardo styling. They have nice sweeping lines, but I think they are forgetting to step back and take a look at the entire picture. They have the various elements in the Scaglietti like the hood where they have the bottom of the grill going into the cutline over the wheel well. So you know there are ideas there, just not intergrated well in the overall design of the vehicle.
     
  13. ASU SAE

    ASU SAE Karting

    Aug 8, 2004
    59
    CA
    Full Name:
    T
    sorry, no clue why my post re-posted
     
  14. dretceterini

    dretceterini F1 Veteran

    Apr 28, 2004
    7,289
    Etceterini Land
    Full Name:
    Dr.Stuart Schaller
    The current series of BMWs are just butt-ugly, especially the trunk lid, which seems totally out of place.

    I like the looks of the 360 better than any of the other current Ferraris. They only bad thing is the giant size of the front brake ducts.
     
  15. Cavallini

    Cavallini Formula 3

    Nov 2, 2003
    1,835
    The only BMW that could possibly be compared to anything from Ferrari is the 850. Otherwise, there is no comparison. Pictures convey only half the story with F-cars. After seeing them in the flesh, it's impossible to be pleased by anything short of a Vanquish and the Lambo's. BMW's styling is at best clean. People call them and the Benz's understated, but the fact is that there is very little to state. Bangle's efforts to bring some flare, some passion to marque have gone horribly wrong. Although, I must admit the 7-series has a certain masculinity that I like, but I would never buy one. Those things would never come from a Pinifarina commissioned hand, whether it's a Japanese or an American doing the drawing. Never.
    With its recent designs, from the 360 forward, Ferrari and Pininfarina have taken automotive styling to new heights because the shapes are complex yet fluid and symmetrical. Even the older Ferraris are comparatively simple, one or two-dimensional designs. The 612 was at first unclear to me. But live photos-- on the street, in the grass, next to other cars-- have shown me the light. It is fluid and daring. I cannot wait to have one in my garage.
    It is not easy to be the standard for automotive design. Move one way, and you're too loud, too extreme, think Enzo. Move the other, and you're too restrained, to subtle, think 612. Thankfully, both Ferrari and Pininfarina pay little attention to the whims and whimsies of the mass markets and auto journalists. Somehow, they evolve, while remaining true to their reputation and tradition. I, as a creative artist, salute them. Other marques wish they could approach such creative discipline.

    Forza,


    Cavallini
     
  16. Cavallini

    Cavallini Formula 3

    Nov 2, 2003
    1,835

    Sharp and clean. Less is more, especially for BMW's. Bangle should observe this maxim.


    Forza,


    Cavallini
     
  17. Auraraptor

    Auraraptor F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Sep 25, 2002
    13,197
    MO
    That and he knows how to make a trunk.
     
  18. judge4re

    judge4re F1 World Champ

    Apr 26, 2003
    13,477
    Never home
    Full Name:
    Dr. Dumb Ass
    As my wife, the interior designer, has beaten into my thick skull:

    "less is more" and "the importance of design is not what you put in, but what you leave out".
     
  19. scycle2020

    scycle2020 F1 Rookie

    Jan 26, 2004
    3,477
    potomac
    thats why my house is totally empty..i am a design genius!!!! btw, tell your wife to stop beating you...it is abusive!!!
     
  20. scycle2020

    scycle2020 F1 Rookie

    Jan 26, 2004
    3,477
    potomac
    i actually like the styling of the quattraporte maser much better, inside and out....
     
  21. Mark(study)

    Mark(study) F1 Veteran

    Oct 13, 2001
    6,052
    Clearwater, FL
    Full Name:
    Mark
    Just buy a FORD GT or its replacement for 2007 (photo)

    a bit of BMW and ferrari ;)
     
  22. scycle2020

    scycle2020 F1 Rookie

    Jan 26, 2004
    3,477
    potomac
    veery nice, how did you get that photo?
     
  23. Mark(study)

    Mark(study) F1 Veteran

    Oct 13, 2001
    6,052
    Clearwater, FL
    Full Name:
    Mark

    I came here looking for news of the ferrari invite party on the 13th and what new car they showed. Since we are still waiting for news...???

    I found these on AutoWeek.com they have 6 great photos.
    This car was at the show in CA.
     
  24. AHMTHSSN

    AHMTHSSN Karting

    Apr 16, 2004
    120
    London, UK
    Full Name:
    AH
    I like the BMW 3 series and Z4, I think they look really good. Not so keen on the 7 series and hate the rear of the 6 series

    I think that with a Ferrari it takes a little time before most think it looks beautiful.
     
  25. hasnaz

    hasnaz Rookie

    Jun 15, 2004
    13
    Manchester/London UK

Share This Page