599 Styling - Automobile Magazine - July

Anyone catch these lines in the 599 article in the July issue of Automobile magazine?

I quote:

"Ferrari needs to break from its past, dump Pininfarina, and create a car that does not look like previous Ferraris."

"The 599GTB, for all its complex surface detailing, its eleven air intakes and outlets, its flying butresses, and its high-tech, projector-beam headlamps, looks like an amalgamation of every sports car of the past fifteen years, from the corvette to the Mitsubishi 3000 GT to the Toyota Supra. Those cars have all mimicked the look of Ferraris, so now Ferrari should blaze a completely different design path in the way that its fiercest competitor, Lamborghini, has done"

Personally, I'm not crazy about the new design, but was surprised to read such a strong and controversial opinion about any new Ferrari in a mainstream car mag.

 

I think Ferrari took the magazine’s advice with the Enzo, for those who prefer the pagoda look. It seems one either likes a design or not. I am one of those who finds the 599 design pleasing, mainly for the organic flow and interrelation of surfaces and, indeed, for the echoes to past, great designs. I am not particularly enamored of the Lambo's planes to nowhere form. They appear to me like disconnected attempts at statements of speed and movement. There is room for all, and sales will ultimately decide the victor.

 

the mag is just trying to stir things up for sales.
doesnt seem like they are having much trouble selling the designs they've done.
and to say it about a car that has already presold over a years production is kind of silly!

best
jeff

 

Since every mag is already gaga about the car they try to be "original" and pretend they don't like it.(worst mag to begin with anyway...)

 

they dont know what they are talking about

 

Yes they do!

Correct to the T.

 

well , anytime there`s a somebody, that has to say the opposite, just fot the fun of it

 

"Ferrari is truly in the middle of a design renaissance, first with the F430 and now the 599 GTB. Large, front-engine sports cars are never easy to design and style - get it wrong and the car can easily look over-large and awkward. Even Ferrari can get it wrong: they gave us the very forgettable 456, the rather average 550, and the cumbersome 612. The 599 is a masterpiece and will surely become one of the classic Ferraris in years to come. The car is very nearly the size of a 612 but manages to look smaller, better proportioned and more dramatic.

Ferrari has now embraced the radical front-mid engine layout and ultra-low polar moment of inertia of the SLR, and, in doing this, their engineers have delivered a more radical starting point to work from. The cabin is more rearward in its placement than recent front-engine Ferraris, and the hood length plays an important part in the visual impact the car delivers. The 599 has a great plan form - the car is full of bold and subtle lines which run through most of the vehicle's length. The result is a piece of automotive styling that includes equal parts of drama, aggression and beauty. And it stands as an example to car stylists worldwide that modern safe cars can still be classically beautiful." -- Gordon Murray

As Cavallini once said, art isn't understood by all.

 

They all have their points whether they like or don't like the styling, at the end of the day though, it's all just their personal opinion, doesn't mean much to you and me if we disagree with them.

 

Maybe they´re right about the other things they said, but this is the biggest lie I´ve read in a car magazine. Lamborghini hasn´t made anything really new since the Countach.

 

This must be Robert Cumberford - the biggest idiot, and failed car designer in the world.
I was standing next to him at Geneva in March and heard him say things that are just inane -" I did not like the Modulo because I didn't think the name was appropriate", (for context the Modulo is a great Pininfarina concept car from the 70's that was a great inspiration to the designer of the Birdcage, and which was placed next to the Birdcages, concept and original, at Pebble Beach last year, and which is really a really good design) "the BMW 3 series is a wonderful design", "I thought the 612 a more beautiful design than the 456, until I saw it in the flesh" meaning he wrote the article based on a photograph of the car.
This man is so jealous of good car designers, his opinion means ZERO!

 

Motor Trend praised the car. The ending line was: "This Ferrari will wear an invisible badge: MILESTONE"

I heartily agree. I have read other articles about the new Lambo Murcie, and all that was said of the 599 Competitor was that you have to forgive its its thousand vices because "It's a Murcielago-- thats what they do..."

The 599 stands head and shoulders above any modern competitor available today. I never really liked the Enzo, so I am glad to see a REAL car that can be driven normally have somewhat similar performance to that "supercar".

 

Put away the glue.

Beauty is NOT ONLY in the eye of the beholder, there is general concesus about certain things in life.
The 599 unfortunately falls under a concesus that it's fugly, it's not even a "controversial" car like the Enzo (Love it or hate it, I love it).
The F40 was a concesus of beauty, everybody loved the F40 and so was the 288GTO.
The 599 is not alone, the 612 is waiting for it's younger sister to join her in the car designers hall of shame.

 

The concesus, at least amongst well informed critics/journalists, and I dare say those that comment on this site, is that the 599 is a fabulous design. Eliminate the redundant comments from either side and I believe that you and Cumberford are in the decided minority.

 

Inhale deeply with me...

Its easy for someone to poke fun at a limited production company that has managed to produce dozens of timeless designs over decades, while waving the flag of a tractor maker that has made a handful of mediocre, flamboyant, and poorly made cars



-although Gallardo is growing on me

 

Hey, I'm not here to talk about Lambos.

It has nothing to do with the 599 beeing poorly designed.

 

Timeless designs? 308 timeless? 348? TR? 612? 456? 308GT4? Mondial? 355? 360? Daytona? 550? LOL

Park any of them next to a Countach and see which is TIMELESS.

And if the tractor maker made mediocre cars, where does that leave ferrari, since most of the tractor makers cars blew Enzo's abortions out of the water.

 

Oh gosh, stop bringing up Lambos, will ya ?

 

I'm sorry but the Countach is more akin to a cheese grater then a timeless automotive milestone. The only reason it is remembered is because it was so ridiculous for its time (ie. when most cars were brown boxes).

 

None of the tractor maker's outperformed any Ferrari of comparable vintage in most if not all categories you care to name. As an example, the Daytona completely blew away the Miura, the Boxer outprformed the Countach, no Lambo ever touched the F40, the Gallardo is not as fast as a 430, and the Murcielago, including the LP40, will be totally left in the dust by the 599.
Ferraris have always proven to be more fully developed and realized, and while at times lacking the brute force of the uber Lambos, are far more driveable and enjoyable.
From a styling standpoint, IMHO, the only timeless Lambo is the Miura which is to my eyes the most beautiful car ever. However, the Miura was a pretty awful car in every other way!!

 

Hmm. No wonder why he was banned. Not only did he completely think his opinoin was a fact, but then pretty much said that Ferrari's just aren't that good. He should realize that you can like both ferrari and lambo. Any Italian or one who likes these cars would respect most of the cars that are made. People keep thinking oh no if I like Ferrari then I can't like Lamorghini, and vice versa. Realize at the roots, they're both italian, so if you like italian cars respect those that are made by their respective companies. (speaking for most, not all)

 

That is simply not true.

 

The 599 rocks! It's only ugly design aspect are the wheels, which are easily replaced.
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we are all entitled to our own opinions regarding style. I would have to see it in person to really judge but my first impressions are not complimentary. From those wheels-yikes-Think "the Omen", to randomly placed scoops and Darth Vader seats. Looks like somebody in the design department raided the parts bin. The real judge is time- how it will age will say everything. Certainly no Daytona here....

 

As you say everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there is nothing random about the placement of the scoops. Each and evry one of them is where it is to meet a very specific purpose. The hood scoops provide downforce by channeling air over the windscreen and keeping the front of the car on the ground, the front fender scoops cool the engine, and the lower rear the brakes. It all makes sense.
Also enough about the wheels - show some imagination, go for the option!
The seats,once you've sat in them, are fantastically comfortable, adjustable, and supportive.