Black rear flaps/Black front nose: wrap it in order to match body color. Cheapest option. Problem solved. Next...
It is interesting that when presented together like this, the car in last image appears to lack some character due to losing targa effect and the rear is not balanced with the front anymore. First wheels are not that great as clear traditional five pointed design gets lost and L-shaped elements give a bit busy look. Yet the sharpness of elements gives the car more character than those uninspiring Christmas decoration wheels on the second pic. The latter wheels give more pleasant look for the whole car, but I just don't like the overly simplicated symmetrical snowflake design. Hard to pick a real winner here.
Regarding the Ferraris that Flavio Manzoni designed, I always end up paraphrasing Rosario Scelsi, with whom I completely agree. “The impression is that the Sardinian designer has impulses of great genius, but that he is unable to always match them perfectly, as Pininfarina did. In the cars designed by him, the details are impeccable, but the overall view is sometimes disturbed by something, by a discordant note.”
There have been lots of interesting designers over the years and none of them have been "perfect". Pininfarina has designed some pretty good cars - not perfect - and he's designed some pretty awful cars. The design world moves on and will have its good days and bad days - that's life. The past is the past and is as imperfect as the future will be.
Agree with all had been said about Mancini but at this point he should be on his A game- he has practiced enough- but he continues to put out beta versions. They look ok but still look like they need that finishing touch. He’s not as bad as Bangle who mangled beautiful BMWs into what we continue to see today- the ugliest luxury car maker. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Personally, I don't think Manzoni's portfolio warrants comparison to Bangle's. I don't love every choice he's made, but as @DavidJames1 said, that will be true of every designer. On the whole, I like most of Manzoni's designs.
First off, Manzoni leads a design team and to an extent can take and hide credit as he wishes. It’s difficult to see truly what he has directly contributed which leads us to informed speculation. I do think those who may have a keen eye for design can spot things he is more or less responsible for and compare that intuition / educated guess to what the official line is. I agree to a large degree with what was stated above however slightly different. I think the details is precisely where Manzoni looses the plot. I think this is due to thinking of auto design like architecture and not sculpture. E.G. front corners don’t need to match rear corners on a car. On a building yes, car no. Putting slashes on a curve kills the curve. Too many details is undermining to an overall cohesiveness. Etc. etc. etc. etc. etc.
I think that quote is a bit unreasonable. Cars like the Monza and LaFerrari have no unresolved or awkward elements. Cars like the 12 Cilindri, where some say there are awkward parts, are harder for a design team because of the packaging and price point. The Monza has no roof or windscreen and has carbon construction so he can pretty much do what he wants. Same with LaFerrari, the carbon construction and high price point allow for a much greater degree of design expression. That is not true for a V12 coupe that also has to be a convertible, fit golf clubs in the rear and house an 830hp 6.5 litre with a rear mounted DCT gearbox and independent rear wheel steering, along with all the relevant crash safety items and be built to a much lower price point with a much higher degree of usability and a more limited palette of materials. Pininfarina had the same problems with one of my favourites, the Testarossa. The iconic side slats did not come from the design pen but the regulator’s pen - the side vent was deemed too large a hole and so the slats were required. The car had to be as wide as it was because of the re-siting of the radiators from the front to the rear sides - a stipulation from the engineering team because the front-mounted radiators caused too much heat in the cabin of the predecessor car. The model we own, the 512M which many dislike (but I love) is a result of Pininfarina fixing the new 355 family face on to the existing TR platform. Many criticised the Testarossa when it arrived, saying it was excessively wide, full of angles and straight lines and not a suitable successor to the 512 BB. Many also still think that. History just does not bear the quote out with plenty of examples to be found from both Pininfarina and Manzoni being forced into difficult compromises. That’s the nature of design - it has to accommodate other issues that a manufacturer faces. It’s fair to say you like one more than the other, that’s just taste. But both Pininfarina and Manzoni have struggled with the same issues, both have had varying results.
Looking at car design as sculpture sometimes leads to “art” which is purely subjective with lovers and haters. The Pagani Utopia- is a work of art with attention to detail unrivaled currently but in my opinion is the Ugliest Pagani both inside and outside. I love the steampunk idea and finishes but it is over the top. I’ll take the simplicity of Gordon Murray any day and Ferrari , once known for subtleties (as far as supercars go that is) in design, risks becoming a me too type of car manufacturer- flashy supercar EV and hybrid turbo maker. Yes I think the 12C evokes the 375GTB/4 but Ferrari has never been about mimicking the past- it’s always looked to the future with a nod to its storied history. Overall Manzoni hit the mark but it’s a double- not a home run. As far as tech goes the 12C doesn’t push the envelope-it matches but does not exceed the 812C, a lofty level but not in the running for the performance lover. Maybe I expect too much from Ferrari. Look at Porsche- their new GTS 911 is an electric turbo hybrid. It Matches the 12C performance with no lag and off the line torque with minimal weight penalty. I for one would have preferred a performance hybrid V12 with a small battery to help off the line performance but that’s me. Ferrari could have offered it as an option. Instead they decided we V12 lovers get “emotion” and less “motion” leaving that to the midrear engine cars. Or they could have carved a couple of hundred pounds from the car to help the “motion”part. Instead they became intellectually lazy with the new administration focusing on less appealing drivetrains for the customers. As the world turns… Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
All good points. To my mind, they followed up the 550/575 with the 599- it was a different time of course, but the 599 was the first attempt to turn the GT car into a front engine hypercar. The 599 GTO was followed up with the F12B- a regular production car that is a light year ahead of the 599. Then the F12tdf, a car which really transferred XX technology to the lineup, went even further. The 812 added power and refinement but it’s hard to say it really moved the game on from the TDF. Then the Comp which added more power and an innovative new RWS system, which really helps. We dont yet have driving tests of the Dodici, but, reading the marketing technical stuff, they say the wheelbase is shorter- so at least a modified chassis- they say it’s stiffer. They have the new independent RWS which I think can be used to enhance stability or increase willingness to turn, and the new 8 speed transmission. I think a lot of the lower hanging fruit, in terms of improvements, have been picked. My criticism of the Dodici is the design ethos, to call back to a specific prior model, just doesnt grab my imagination as much as something that is entirely new; and I also think light bars, while efficient and sleek looking, are something anyone can do. Like touch screens. I realize anyone could have done 2 or 4 round lights at the rear, but that has become an iconic Ferrari design motif, which they have seemingly let go. I just think in favor of a light bar, it’s not the most interesting to me, but then again, I have not seen it in person. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
Jerry, I completely agree with you because that's what I feel too. Although I haven't yet seen the 12 C coupé in person and so I could be wrong, the impression I have is that the design could have been more coherent if the futuristic rear would be accompanied by a similar futuristic design of the rest of the car. When I look at the rear light bars of current models I remember with some nostalgia the times when the identity of the rear of Ferraris GT was defined by 6 or 8 circles, 2 or 4 of which were rear lights.
It’s interesting what one decides when confronted with a real choice rather than a hypothetical one. My dealer called me yesterday and asked me if I wanted a 12C coupe allocation that someone else backed out of, giving me until Monday to decide. After thinking about it for a couple of hours I politely declined and said I’m happy to wait my turn for a Spider. I don’t even know that I want the Spider, but I just need to see and hear the thing in person, hopefully during an upcoming dealer tour, and also need more info on how intrusive and circumventable the nannies are before pulling the trigger. For me personally it’s quite telling that this may be the first car of this type I’ve ever been offered to be one of the first to have one and decided to pass … obviously they’ll have no trouble filling the allocation, so this is purely my experience when asked.
They will sell them all but how many will be repeat customers who currently own or have owned other V12F cars remains to be seen Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Very, VERY important question as regulations could realy castrate the 12C! Lane departure is now fixed and speed limits as well. Who knows what else.... @day355 any insights perhaps?
Spot on - the new customers are key to Ferrari particularly as they transition to EV. Old customers like me bring a lot of baggage that clouds our view of the future it sort of feels like the US elections where geriatrics are trying to hang on as long as possible - unfortunately I’m getting older! I won’t be part of the Ferrari EV journey but that’s my problem not Ferrari’s. Will be interesting to see how they manage the transition and new customers are key.
The new intelligent speed limiter can be disconnected every time you start. For the 72 db, you will have to turn to Novitec...
In his last post Caeruleus 11 mentioned the fact that the round lights at the rear had become an iconic Ferrari design motif which present designers have seemingly let go. I couldn't agree more therefore below are the rears of several representative V12 2 seats GT Ferraris since 1962 and what we is observed is the following: 250 GTO 1962: The rear is highlighted by 8 circles. 4 overlapping lights and 4 exhaust outlets. 275 GTB 1964: The rear is highlighted by 6 circles. 2 lights and 4 exhaust outlets. 365 GTB4 “Daytona” 1968: The rear is highlighted by 8 circles. 4 lights 2+2 side by side and 4 exhaust outlets. 550 Maranello 1996: The rear is highlighted by 8 circles. 4 lights 2+2 side by side and 4 exhaust outlets. 599 GTB Fiorano 2006: The rear is highlighted by 6 circles. 2 lights and 4 exhaust outlets. F12 Berlinetta 2012: The rear is highlighted by 6 circles. 2 lights and 4 exhaust outlets. F12 TDF: The rear is highlighted by 6 circles. 2 lights and 4 exhaust outlets. 812 Superfast: The rear is highlighted by 8 circles. 4 lights 2+2 side by side and 4 exhaust outlets. 812 Competizione: The rear is highlighted by 4 circles and 2 rectangles, 4 lights 2+2 side by side and 2 rectangular exhaust outlets. 12 Cylinder: At the rear there are 4 bars and 4 rectangles, 4 barely noticeable light bars 2+2 side by side and four rectangular exhaust outlets. Although the 250 GTO already uses round rear lights, they were very small in diameter. It was in 1964 with the 275 GTB that Ferraris V12 2 seats GT began to use round rear lights with a larger diameter. Interestingly, this legacy continued until 2021 as the 812 Competizione is the last to have round rear lights although the exhaust outlets are now rectangular. From the 275 GTB to the 812 SF 53 years passed during which the rears of V12 2 seats GT models all had motifs consisting of 6 or 8 circles. This is how many of us got used to knowing and appreciating these cars that are obviously now part of the past. When currently a high percentage of Ferrari customers are under 40 years of age and there is also a date for the launch of the first electric Ferrari, this means that a lot has already changed and much more will change in the meantime. To all of you who do not identify with this new Ferrari design era that began with the 12 C, my advice is just one. Keep your V12 Ferraris that have round rear lights and round exhausts as it won't take many years for them to be considered precious. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
