Lamenting the loss of the regular production mid-engine V12 Ferrari...

If only, lol. Ask a dealer how much fun it is selling a 575 or 612.

 

Any time you want to test your premise against any of my mid engined cars I'll be happy to accommodate you...

 

"12 cylinders or walk"

So you'd turn down a ride in a twin-turbo, V-8 F-40?!

I'm curious, is there a 12 cylinder car that is faster than an F-40 in any particular aspect?

 

Once you experience a 12, there is no turning back. The statements are true, it's something you must experience in the drivers seat.

Now that is a question in a form of a post all to itself!

 

The older Ferraris is where its at, too me anyway. When I had a BB512i home just last week I parked it in the garage, got out and shut the door (window was down). The next morning I went out to the garage..I could "smell" the car. All those little sents you get from and older machine except this was mixed with the conolley leather smell. You just don't get that with the newer stuff anymore.

Its exciting to fire up that big 12 behined you, having to wait until everything is at the right temperature, avoiding second gear when cold, having to to really push the clutch pedal, having to match your own revs on the downshift, and when you get it just right, feeling the hair on the back of your neck stand up. Looking out over that hood, and feeling the heat comming into the passgener compartment, great great feeling. Its a feeling of driving something really speacial, and being part of the car..the device that makes it all come together.

The newer stuff is as simple to drive as a BMW and about as involving. Ferrari has become the perfect car for the Metrosexual..its sad. Give me the smell, grunt, and roughness of the older Ferrari's anyday.

And as for the mid engine 12's..one is on my list and it happends to be a BB512. I was going to go for a newer Ferrari, but damn the BB that I had, turned me back around to understanding what a Ferrari should be all about. Damn you Paul and your balsted Boxer!! Look what you have created!

 

Jim: To Bart, if you speak, convoluted you grammatically must be.

 

I've seen a guy in Clearwater Florida driving around in a BLACK BB512. The car looks sooooo good in black.....lower, wider, and sexy as hell!

Just watching him start it up, as I pulled in behind him at the gas station...the car is an event all to its self. (Anyone have a good photo of black BB512's).

 

I think so:
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F40 = turbos crap get a F50 loads better car

 

Oh no, Bill is talking like Yoda, can we get a second opinion on the MRI?

 

I would choose the rear engine myself.

(I'm only 8 cyls short of having a 12 behind me)

 

TBak brought up a good point about dulling the sensory perception nowadays. If you don't smell at the end of the day, it was not a good day. One of those, how do you know you are really alive?, type deals IMO.

You can go out running, work on a car, work in the yard, etc. but if you still smell morning shower fresh at 10pm at night, then you blew it. I'm not saying go out, get rank playing football and don't shower, etc. Just that having a hint of gasoline and oil on your clothes when you get home is a nice way to remember to enjoy the moment, carpe diem...

 

Tom, after you get the BB you are looking for you'll thank me! I said the same thing when you took me for a spin so it looks like it hooked us both. Life is too short, get a flat12.

P.

 

12 in the rear is the best combination

 

I don't think that's a fair race, for any front engine car ;-)

However, I did notice that for your daily driver you went for a front engine car (Maser) instead of a 360...

Actually, in all seriousness, it would be interesting to know how the modern road cars would fare against the 60s race cars on the track.

 

Dude,....you might want to re-phrase that one.....

 

I could not agree more.
But I think we are not the bulk of Ferrari buyers who think like that.
People think that ability of "sense" or "smell" the car, or being interconnected with she, is just bulls#it, that we are "freakies". And I only have an Alfa Romeo.

 

It's an interesting question. The largest difference is brakes and downforce.
Compared to a R8 my MK-IV has neither.
An R8 makes 3000 lbs of downforce at 185 my MK-IV makes 900 lbs of lift at 220. As for brakes their is no comparson.
On the old track, without chicanes my MK-IV turned a 3:22 a record that was never beaten on that configuration. Today on the new track with chicanes the R8 would destroy my car but on the old track it would be closer and on a NASCAR oval I bet the MK-IV would be faster. (Assuming the R8 ran the setup and gearing it now runs and my MK-IV ran with it's Le Mans gearing.

As for racing any current Ferrari the MK-IV does have 550HP and 500 ft/lbs of torque and weighs 2300 lbs. Feeling Lucky?
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