Single tail lights

You can bet that the designers investigated the tail light design 100 different ways before coming back to a single light design.
IMO the design is stunning and will be a real hit.

—Vic in Seattle

 

First off congrats on the 458 order. As far as tail lights why not 6 like in the 365 BB or the 365 GTC/4?

 

lots of vintage Ferraris use single tail lights.

 

if you notice that in early ferraris which uses single tail light , have their number plate in the middle and their is no ferrari logo on the back and these two lights are not sit far apart and high poping out like 458 italia and california .......

 

Body styles will change. That is going to happen. You're not going to like every body style idea that Pininfarina creates for the next model. But I wouldn't worry about it. More cars are to come.

Some feel, perhaps, that Ferrari has lost the identity of double round tails, as if only double round tail lights are allowed on a Ferrari.

The 612 uses them. And I'm sure Ferrari will use them again on their mid/rear engined sports cars. As stated earlier by another, some Ferraris use triple round tails. Just consider it another design phase for Ferrari where for a time they returned to the use of single rounds.

 

I think the single lights really suit the rest of the rear styling so like them



As long as there is no additional light cluster in the valence like on the California (which is horrid IMHO)
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

The 458 has additional lights like the Cali.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Im not 100% sure of this example, but Europe has regs that require at least one red "fog" light on the rear of the car, in this case two lights are used on the back of the 458 for balance. Anyone that owns an early Audi A6 will see this 1x fog lamp near the license plate frame.
Maybe this explains these lights on the 458, or another explanation for it--- or perhaps turn signals.

—Vic in Seattle

 

I hate the singles lights...can anybody do a photoshop to see what it would look like with 4 lights, maybe it would look too much like the Enzo...and maybe why Ferrari decided on single lights.

 

i think these are reflectors

 

I think the single Tail Lights look very modern ........ I like them

That Cali rear end looks terrible ....

 

^I was just about to mention that!
Simply horrible pic... ugly frog perspective!

 

I'm pretty sure (and hoping) that those are just fog lights/reflectors and not complete clusters (incl indicators) like on the cali

 

The single tail-light per side is just another example of simplifying the build process. The new Ferrari probably takes 40% less time to build than the 430 did. Design changes; seen and unseen plus new production assembly techniques all cut down on assembly times.
CH

 

Sorry but I really object to this. To assume that 2 tail lights has any significant cost savings over 4 is just silly. To think they chose this to save a few bucks is insulting to the designers and engineers who created it.

40%? Where do you get this number? Does it take 40% less to make the engine? Does it take 40% less to sew the seats and interior? Does it take 40% less to make suspension? Does it take 40% less to assemble and paint?

If you don't like the car, you don't like the car. That's fine. But, let's not go down the path of the "Ferrari is just crap" slams to justify your dislikes.

 

I love the single tail lights on the 599 and on the 458.

+1

I think they're just fog lights.

 

That is what they are on the 458. The 599 has them as well and they are very bright. They are only activated when the car is in reverse.

 

Production time is quicker for the new California. The 458 will follow the same theme. It will be built in the same place. Do you assume that Ferrari doesn't work to a budget or try to cut production costs?
Nowhere in my post did I say that I don't like the 458. It serves no useful purpose to state otherwise because it simply isn't true.
CH

 

Of course they do. Everybody does, including Bugatti. But your statement implied that the style of the car was sacrificed to save a few bucks and then implied the rest of the car must also be "cost reduced" also. It's quite a leap to assume that 2 less tail lights means the entire car's assembly is cost reduced 40% -- and thereby implying it's not a good as its predicessor.

It sure sounded like a slam to me.

 

Here is a quote from the Ferrari Cali tour> Every worker's shirt bears the logos of both Ferrari and long-time racing partner Shell. In-house "grand prix" competitions see teams competing to produce faster or higer-quality processes, with Formula One weekends, free trips and big-screen TVs among the top prizes for the winners.] Production costs and time are always being looked at. Ferrari currently produces 30 cars per day from two lines. 20 V8's and 10 V12's. The new lines will have one floor dedicated to each. V8's on the ground floor and V12's just above.
CH

 

No problem. I agree. Just don't assume or infer that reduced assembly time means the product is worth less or inferior.

Can we agree to that?

Why stop at the 2 tail lights? Why does it need those fancy wheels? Why does it need that glass over the engine? If your going to say that 2 tail lights are an indication of cost reduction, the rest of the car doesn't show it.

 

Absolutely!
CH

 

Super. Good deal.

 

That's a bit of a stretch of the imagination, friend. They chose single tails for design flow and balance of the entire form of the rear, including how the lights terminate and cap off the flowing and robust lines of the wheel arches. Has nothing to do with cost savings. You've got to be kidding.