Two days after Bike Week was over and I thought it was safe to take my 308 again. I was wrong. Some 400 lb. (a piece) couple kept following me to each stop light and revving up that gawd awful bike (Harley) and and sayin' "hey, ya wanna race?" No where to turn off, then after about six stop lights I found an out I thought 'till I came out of the Supermarket and fats and double fats was standing next to my car and the man yells "Almost looks like a real one". Yuck!
The Mustang horse is at full gallop because it's trying hard...the Cavallino is prancing because it already won!!
Making fun of someone for not recognizing pricey branding is pretty lame. I'm sure if a girl looked down on you for not knowing the difference between her 3,000 dollar shoes and a $30 pair you'd think she was a stuck up *****. This isn't much different.
Without the horse he probably wouldn't have even said anything. As a car guy, I can't really imagine not knowing the difference, but there are probably a million things that I could be confused of because I just don't know.
Never happened to me yet, but a response to this is: Thanks, took me 3 years to build and I used all Ferrari parts...... I remember some one else here posted this witty comeback !
My sister's across the street neighbors never waved or spoke to her in the three years she lived across from them. THEN I drove my Ferrari over one day and the next day the guy yelled across the street to my sister "Hey, ya know Ferrari copied the horse symbol from the Mustang don't you?"
It's like the young woman pointing at my Shelby Cobra and telling me it's the coolest Miata she has ever seen. Mike
Funny, I got the opposite, kind of. I live out in a rural part of the UK, Ferraris are extremely rare. I was filling up at the petrol station not long ago and a guy of about 20 walked up to me and complemented me on my 348 - no mistaking the cheese graters as being a Ferrari. He then said "Guess you're a millionair, to have one of those, then?" I pointed out that a 348 isn't that expensive but that's the impression any Ferrari gives in these parts. Had this one once, from a guard on the gate of the military camp where I worked. I've got a Nouvalari Supersport exhaust, high flow cats etc, just blipped the throttle (to just shy of the red line) and asked "What do you think?" He said "Fair point, sorry I asked Sir." I knew the guy and we were just mucking around but it got the point across Guess you could try to educate the guy about where it really came from but sounds like the type that think Ferraris are no different to Corvettes. You guys make the best muscle cars in the world IMO (sorry to any Ausies) but sports cars I'm going to stick with the Europeans on that one.
I equate this to me not being a surgeon but I could tell the difference between a lung and a kidney if they were in front of me.
I owned several Testarossas over about 10 years, and I was asked "is that a Mustang?" question several times. I shuddered and winced in pain each time I heard that. One time I was filling up at a gas station when a pickup full of girls pulled in.....they kept peaking around the gas pump at the TR and then they huddle together and whisper....very odd. Finally one of them walked up to me and asked.... GIRL: Excuse me....but is that the new Mustang? ME: I'm not allowed to talk about it. GIRL: It is....I knew it....it is the new Mustang! What motor does it have? ME: It's a 4.9 Liter engine. GIRL: So it still has the 302 in it? ME: Yes...but now it's a 12 cylinder.... GIRL: OMG...wait till I tell my brother I saw the new Mustang! He's going to freak out! ME: Yep...and don't let him tell you different, you seen it with your own eyes! I also had the kit car question too. Once at an auto parts store, one of the guys asked.... GUY: Who made the kit? ME: Why do you ask? GUY: Because it looks very good. What do you have for a motor? ME: 4.9 Liter Flat Twelve. GUY: What car did that come out of? ME: It's a Ferrari motor, actually the whole car is made out of Ferrari parts. At this point the guy walks out and looks the car over, I pop the engine bonnet..... GUY: You did a wonderful job building this car, who made the body? ME: Pininfarini in Italy. GUY: Beautiful job...it almost looks like a real one... I just couldn't believe a guy who works at an auto parts store couldn't see it was real.
I have only had the kit car question once. It was a young kid maybe 15-16 at a parts store. He says I don't mean any disrespect, but is this real or a kit. He was nervous as all get out and could barely get the question out. It didn't bug me one bit, I showed him the motor and let him sit in it. He was real excited that he got to sit in a Ferrari so I was happy to hang and talk a bit. Its the guys who think they know it all I can't stand. Like the ones who are going "that's a pretty good copy" or you know that Ferrari stole the horse from the mustang that drive me nuts.
As an 'outsider', albeit one who's lived in the states a fair amount (NC,DC and FL) and has heaps of friends out your way, the ever so slightly US-centric side of some people over there that would prompt statements like "They stole the Horse idea from the Mustang." is a great shame. I'm sure people that make this kind of statement believe it, they probably believe most things originate in the States, but in this case I think Enzo may have just used it first (by about 31 odd years I think). It's a little like some of the comments on the thread about "can any Ferraris match a Corvette for performance?" (not those of the OP, I don't think, as he was actually looking within budget as well). I think the last time that a 'Vette completely outpaced the whole Ferrari model range was in the 70s. Look at them as things stand today and I think that Ferrari make one or two cars that are faster than the quickest Corvette on sale and most of the Corvette model range in somewhere in the rear view mirror from the likes of an F12 or 458. I'm absolutely not knocking them, I love Corvettes, really do but can they compete with the fastest Ferraris, or Lambos or McLarens or ......... no they can't and neither should they try to. Just think that, much as I love the States and almost all of the people I've got to know there, there is a large section of society there that are very 'inward looking' and think something is the best just because it's built in the States. I would argue that is not always the case. Mini rant over. You can go back to talking about sensible things like how Ferraris look like mustangs?!?
I suppose I can see how a Mustang and a 456 could be confused a LITTLE......but not so much a 355! Image Unavailable, Please Login
I hate to say it but I think most of the kit car and Mustang comments we hear are attempted digs at making the "rich guy" pissed off, or at the very least a "let's see what happens" game. All the people that ever said anything like that to me has always been quite obviously less than well off. On the flip side, the majority of people who give me thumbs up or "nice car" also appear to be less than well off.
I hear ya. I love America and wouldn't want to be ANYTHING but American. It IS amazing though how so many here just assume that what they like or what they know or believe is the best simply because they live in the best country on earth ergo they know everything and what hierarchy things should be placed in. Most haven't heard of any alternatives to their opinions or taste or the alternative views they've heard are bastardized versions passed on to them from others of the same mentality. Amazed at the reaction I get at car shows when wearing a Ferrari F1 shirt. People will ask why my Massa racing shirt (given as gift) with the Cavallino has a Brazilian flag on it. When I explain it's the country the driver is from they say "what driver?" I say Felipe Massa, he drives for Ferrari. "Ferrari makes race cars?" They just sit there with a blank look for a few seconds then walk away. Heard another guy *****ing about that dirty Mexican Montoya running a dirty race. I told the guy he wasn't Mexican and he's from an entirely different continent. He looked at me and said "DO WHAT?" It's not like I know everything about everything or am the most learned person either. I just try to know when I don't know about something and listen more than I talk. These guys just walk around with their chest stuck out and their big ignorant and opinionated mouth running thinking there's no challenging their universal truths. Ignorant to their own ignorance and proud of it.
