How offensive are special edition clone body kits?

Lol!!!! Not my cup of tea, but whatever makes you happy...

 

I have looked into putting a 458 Speciale bumper on my Italia. It’s not because I want to pretend like Inhave a Speciale, it’s because I hate the look of the 458 bumper, it looks like an open mouth and those two wings are dreadful. The Speciale bumper just looks…normal.

I don’t live in an area where people even know the difference between Ferrari and Lamborghini, let alone an Italia and Speciale…..or a Mondial and a Pista. My 458 has been called a Lamborghini so many times it doesn’t make sense to me.


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I feel the same way about the 458. I’ve decided if I were to get one I’d only do so if I changed the front bumper.

 

THIS.

This right here is the value of cloning special editions.

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I would never want to be responsible for something like this.

 

I don’t see anything wrong with someone saying I like the look of the Pista but the performance of the 488 is plenty and I want the less hardcore interior. So I’ll just change some body panels.

To me that is not being fake it is just getting the car that suits them the best.

What I find fake and insecure is someone trying to tie up their identity in what they drive. Like somehow thinking that having a 16m instead of a f430 spider indicates anything different about them as a person other than preference and willingness to write a bigger check for a car to support that preference.

Now of course if someone is making their 599 look like the GTO because of the “status” of it that truly is pathetic.


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I only mind if people knowingly tries to pass it off as something it's not. A 488 with a Pista kit will never look like a Pista anyway.

But when people try to pass something off it is not, then I get annoyed.

I was at a big car meet 6-7 years ago, and someone brought a 458 Italia. He had fitted the Specisle front and sideskirts, as well as wheels. Car still had the triple exhaust, Italia dash badge, the Pinin badge etc. Not fooling anybody.

But a man not in the know starts asking about it as I pass. The owner stats telling him that it's the limited edition Speciale. After hearing him go on and on for 5 minutes about it, I can't stay quiet. I start asking about all the Italia parts etc. and the guy starts telling me that I'm wrong. Then after a few pics of a real Speciale, the man starts to laugh and walks away. Now the guy's angry and wants to argue. Just told him that he would not have been embarrassed had he not lied in the first place.


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Sometimes muscle car guys do this. Fake the funk and pretend they've got a legit numbers matching Yenko or something like that.

But most are more proud of the work they did to create the clone. Some of the parts to make a clone are hard to come by and there's a lot of pride in being able to fine an authentic Grand National black emblem horn button. Simply buying the authentic car would be less of an accomplishment.

It's just a different mentality in the Ferrari world where there are so many museum cars and so few daily drivers. People are obsessed with authenticity in this community to the point that it almost feels like they don't care that a car is a machine that actually does something.

If I were to do a clone, I'd swap the panels but would not badge it as a special edition Ferrari. People here would likely still be offended, but then again HALF of the poll respondents said an owner should do whatever they want to their own car.

 

first world problem.

 

Just tell him the Speciale is not the limited edition either.

 

Oh I did.

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To each their own, as long as they don't lie and claim otherwise, I don't care. Put another way, for purely aesthetic personal taste? Sure.

However, if exclusivity is the thing they are trying to impart, for people that even *really* care....they'll be able to tell the difference.

So you've just shot yourself in the foot if 'exclusivity' is the angle.

 

I don't understand why people do this. Faking makes no sense.

As I've stated, most of the Shelby Mustang owners I've known had clones and were proud of the fact that they built them themselves. Owning a real one just means you have money. In the muscle car world, doing the work yourself gets more respect than "authenticity". It's a culture of mechanics and gear heads, not so much wealthy collectors.

EVERY 427 Cobra I've seen in the wild in which I spoke to the owner has been a clone. Every. Single. One.

The poll results impressed me though. 20 of the 35 votes have favored cloning, only 15 against.

57% will fail you in college, but it will win you an election.

 

I mean you keep making all caps statements so you're clearly defending something. I've zero issue with people doing whatever they want with their car. I find it humorous when people try and pretend their car is something it isn't, like a 3 series as an M3 etc but it's still their car.

What you're saying is inherently incorrect though. You're not making drivable versions of special editions, you're just making modified cars. Go for it, every car I've had before my FF I've modified with parts from different parts, sometimes with special edition pieces like diffusers or a wing or whatever but it's still the modified car.

 

I don't get this take, end of the day it's property and the man or woman who owns it will get the insurance pay out and as we've seen with other hyper rare exotics, those worthy of rebuilding are rebuilt.

Nothing of value is actually lost other than some insurance premiums and since when do we care about insurance companies?

 

100% disagree.
“Authenticity” matters for real car guys who actually drive their car(s).
It’s the poseurs & wannabes who don’t usually drive theirs and don’t seem to care whether they’re authentic or not.

Besides, most people converting/faking their late model car(s) to appear similar to higher line or special edition examples, whether they admit it or not, are usually doing it in attempt to fool others, making themselves seen as insecure poseur in the eyes of real car guys. Latter would either buy the real, i.e. authentic, thing or be happy with the car they can afford and drive it as is.
None of this new or recent. This has been going on as long as there’s been cars.

 

OTOH, as someone who believes in everyone’s right to do whatever he/she wants with their property, including faking something to appear something it isn’t.

 

No; THIS is a "real" Mondial. No body kits here.

Sorry, I had to; you teed it up for me.

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This is a multi-vote poll (you can select multiple categories at the same time), so you can't aggregate different categories and presume any sentiment based on that as the total of all categories is actually over 800%.

For example, what TTR said:

It is quite possible to have voted that "cloners" are mostly frauds while also saying they get to do what they want with their own money.

Most people would never buy a 2 lb gold necklace and might think that someone who does is being insecure and ostentatious, but they would likely acknowledge that someone else gets to spend their money as they like.

One more thing. "Clone" is not an accurate description for a look-alike body kit. A clone should be similar in all respects, not just the looks. Body kits are at best skin deep and fail to replicate the mechanical systems, dynamic performance, and sound of the car.

 

Exactly my point, if you buy or build a clone cobra because you like the way it drives and looks, who am I to judge? You do you. My friend just made a Cobrarri and has one of the fastest Cobras in the world I have nothing but respect and admiration for him. The only time I’ll raise an eyebrow is if he or somebody claims what they have is an original Shelby.

Two very different things.

Also cobras are more like the early Porsche cars where the clones are quite often better then their originals. Very different then somebody trying to pass off a 488 as a Pista. Totally different crowd and angle.

 

I can only assume you have not driven either? Ironically your post got it backward.

 

Your just with the wrong crowd. My friends drive their million dollar cars with no cares. Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

 

Why couldn’t you daily a TDF? A buddy in my club dailies his Espcialle, I often see it parked on the street every day in downtown Palo Alto. The reason why folks also could brag about clones in the muscle car world is the special editions often are not stupid money (some are) put another way, it’s much more commoditized. I wouldn’t bat an eye modifying an iPhone to whatever you want it to look or act like. You say nobody cares in the Muscle car world. Exactly. I mean a 68 Shelby mustang has what 4500 copies, worth 150k.? Peanuts to late model Ferrari owners.

mods because they like a look, got no prob with that, it’s just I’ve often seen the accompanying badge of that higher model along with the body kit……

again, only people that would notice the body kit, same folks that would know it’s not the car the body kit is trying to emulate….

 

Agreed, but every time I see a misplaced type-r, m emblem or AMG, I think to myself….

don’t these idiots realize the only people that care or notice are the exact same people that can tell they are FAKE?

 

Cloning like the example you gave in your OP is only aesthetic. Special editions often have enhanced mechanicals, that’s the point.

 

You deserve it and nobody wants to see you poll dancing ?