Top Gear Test of F12

100% agree. I don't think anyone in their right mind (and who is a decent driver) who has just driven a CS on a fantastic road and said ''yes, what that thing needs is 150hp more''. All you're going to get is more techno **** in your car to stop you from crashing it.

Manufacturers have been adding power and weight (although a lot more power than weight) a lot in recent years, and a crap load more tech making us less and less involved. It's come to the point that the cars are actually much faster with all the tecno babble on (in the hands of a professional driver) than switched off. They're relying on the techno to much.

IMO it's the Nissan GTR and Veyron effect. I don' think Ferrari would sell many 458s if it had 450hp but weighed 250kg less. The GTR would obliterate it. They're catering to the people that prefer point and squirt supercars more these days I reckon, the ones that like it (or similarly don't mind) when the computer sorts it all out for them.

Jim IMO has it right with his new project. Much less weight and still decent power. In any case, the tecno stuff is what sells right now and I'm sure many are happy with it. All the power to them.

I prefer analogue cars much more. Perhaps I should start a business making analogue Ferrari's much lighter and a little updated .

 

That said, I absolutely adore the F12b.

 

It's not really on topic with the F12 but as you mentioned analogue cars, you should watch this.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCpCbZaD8xc]McLaren F1 and Ferrari F40 vs analogue rivals | evo TV - YouTube[/ame]

 

Thanks. Saw that the other day. I think I feel happier with older cars (if you can conider <2010 old these days. The tech, surely!). Sure...won't have the 'buying a new car experience' but completely refreshing/upgrading a car to your own spec is quite a cool thing too!

 

Just watched the Top Gear last night. I too was disappointed that they spent so little time on the F12, especially since the F12 is featured on the cover art for the entire Season 20 package. I was expecting it to be a big part of the show given its prominence in the marketing for this season.

I am personally attracted to the F12 more than the 458 and wanted to see a lot of the car. The 458 has been featured on Top Gear many times and gotten huge accolades. Maybe they are trying to tone down their Ferrari fan-boy reviews because they got criticized for always talking up Ferraris.

 

The whole world is moving towards technological advanced creations. Take fighter planes for example. The new ones (4th and 5th gen) are practically unfliable withouth their computers. That makes them much more nimble and better overall though. Same with supercars. The trick diff in the F12 gives it massive traction, whereas the electronic brains put down the power better than any driver would ever do. That said, modern creations (be it aeroplanes, cars etc) are infinitely more advanced on a mechanical level as well. Better suspensions, steering racks, engines, gearboxes, you name it! A crude machine might have a certain appeal but a modern machine eclipses it in every conceivable way.

 

The top gear F12 test was one of their worst. They spent too little time with the car and it was driven in the rain on country roads. You can't really explore the car's full capabilities that way. They spent more time on James May's review of a bus for heavens sake.

 

Absolutely. What part of it was based on the cars actual performance when it was denied a lap time?

 

Both you guys ^^^ are so spot on, I was looking forward to it and it was the last 10 minutes. Lame.

 

Whilst I agree, I just prefer a mix of the two. I don't personally like machines that have an electronic supernanny always there.. The CS is IMO the perfect marriage between the two. Anyhow, I've made my peace with it.

 

You can always disengage the nannies in modern Ferraris. The systems are fully defeatable (except for the ABS and the electronic diff, which you wouldn't want turned off anyway). It is not advisable though. Even in less powerful cars you can light the tyres up quite easily. I have seen the TCS light flashing at an indicated 120 mph in an F430. Not sure I would have liked to experience wheelspin at that speed without the electronics safety net... Cheers.

 

"Too much power." I don't believe I'll ever be able to wrap my brain around that.

Cheers,

George

 

+1, that's why he said it has too much HP. It takes time to get used to all of the power, months in my case, and that is for dry roads, and that after I have been driving a California for a few years. Besides, Clarkson always turns off all of the computers immediately, and on wet roads, and in an F12, what an idiot. He did that with the snow test in the FF too.

Rick

 

Proving once again that Clarkson is a twit the definition of which is: a silly annoying person; a fool.

 

Just remember that Clarkson also thinks that the F50 is one of the worst cars Ferrari has ever made.