Yes, he really doesn't gain ANYTHING by saying 3-4-8. He could just let it go unmentioned, and say that he wasn't happy with Ferrari when he took the helm and that he is happy with his transformation and the current model lineup. Personally, I think LDM has a winner in the 458. No reason to put down a prior Ferrari at the launch of a new one.
Sure he does... he gains the collective attention and anger from thousands of classic Ferrari fans all around the world. As to why he'd think that would be any sort of business advantage for Ferrari - I've absolutely no idea. Any reasoning a Chairman could cite over lambasting the heritage of the company in his charge would simply beggar belief. It has been argued that Ferrari wasn't forward-looking enough when he initially took charge. Perhaps his recent comments regarding the 348 are proof that Ferrari is again lacking forward vision and the current leadership is past their 'best before' date... All the best, Andrew.
I would sign a letter or whatever if someone gets it organized even though it will probably do zip. Maybe the "Brotherhood" could do a video for YouTube like this guy did about United Airlines http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo A wiseman once said, "If you can't say anything nice, say nothing at all".
IIRC he said that it was more the build quality and materials. 348 does cut corners -- the bumpers' fiberglass is a lower grade that is the auto equivalent of plywood. Now, at $35-45k they're a great value, but then at $120-140k they weren't. On Charlie Rose he said his favorite (at the time) was the 575, and that he liked the front-engined V12 cars. He said his daily drivers were that and a Maser coupe.
Well, he said it wrong (and has said it wrong before) but I understand his point. Each car after the previous model is better than the last. We all know that. His first was the 355 and he always said it was a stop gap to the 360, which was closer to a clean sheet design. His point is that the 458 is a dramatic improvement from the 348 and the other cars since on many levels.. technology, performance, and aesthetics. It's also 4 times the MSRP cost of the 348 yet Ferrari will sell more units while still selling every 458 it can make for years to come. What other car maker can say that? If Ferrari had not made the 355 (Luca's decision) and given the go ahead for the 360 (also Luca's decision) as well as the Enzo (also Luca's decision), Ferrari would be pretty much where the NSX is today... dead or selling to only a small fringe group. Let's give the guy some credit. If it weren't for him, a lot of us wouldn't have a great car or maybe even a marque to talk about except in the past tense. Just remember: He could have taken the company in the direction of Maserati under Detomaso and made lower cost "performance" sedans in mass production to go after BMW and Mercedes. He could have pulled them out of F-1 after Ferrari lost season after season in the 80's. Criticize him for making some mistakes but overall, we have a lot to be thankful for also.
That is a great idea. We will keep it professional and polite, and although he may do nothing about it, at least he will know that there are passionate 348 owners, former 348 owners, and non-348 owners who love & admire it that actually care about the 348. Perhaps we can point out all the strong features in the 348 as well as the negative points, but with the negative points we can state how the ingenuity of the FChat members have sorted/resolved the negative points - just a suggestion here.
I think the Brotherhood should fly me over to Italy to hand deliver it. That way if he still talks trash about the 348 I can just shrug it off and check out the Ferrari restaurant.
Luca got his chest stuck out with the 458.Then slams the 348.The 348 was long over due for a upgrade that's all it was.I think Ferrari's problems like the spiders on 355.were due two the PR people wanting two say they had a power top Luca also.but they pushed and ended up with a poor design.Also when GM or Ford comes out with a new model.They run 1,500-2,000 car off the assembly line before they produce one car.At Ferrari they build 3 or 4 cars and its OK tony lets start producing cars.they will never make a problem free car. Luca was just talking shxt.My 2cents
What possible value is there in trashing the 348? Hey, Luca, Get over it!!! Is that what he feels he has to do to show that Ferrari has improved design in the intervening 20 years? Uncool.
That is such BS! Don't disservice the heritage Luca, not the heritage! Mind you, the heritage is the basis of your own company.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh F#ck him, disgraziato that he is. How F-ing pompous of him to cut down a car he had nothing to do with just to praise everything else he has done. What an narcissistic buco de culo. I am all in for a letter telling him our absolute disgustado of his asinine comments, this should be written from the Brotherhood one of the biggest and most recognized forums in the car world.
Wow I was thinking it and you said it, it's like your in my head man, I want to kill him too Wabbit season, Goth season, wabbit season, Goth season, WABBIT SEASON, GOTH SEASON, GOTH SEASON FIRE...........BANG!!!!!! luv you too Oz JK JK Good to see you on here again Steve
Oh, he has certainly done good things in the past for Ferrari - I acknowledge and applaud him for that. The question is: will he do more good things in the future for Ferrari? Sometimes a Chairman/CEO can stay in the job too long, and based on his comments lashing out at the 348 (perhaps without thinking?) he might be approaching the end of his useful tenure at the helm of the company. All the best, Andrew.
Considering Luca just saved F1 from the clutches of that POS Max Mosley, Luca can pretty much wear a T-shirt that says I F-d your Mamma with a silkscreen of my Mondial sitting on top of a big pile of dog poo and I would be cool with it. He also was behind the 355 and the 458, which gets him brownie points with me too. I love the 348 and history will probably be kind to her, with or without Luca's input, but if its not, you guys still know how great your car is, as does the General Public who drools over them. The 348 is a polarizing design, Luca and Clarkson are on one side of the fence, I am with you on the other.
I suspect he just turned off a lot of Ferrari 348 owners and might possibly steer them elsewher in the future. Frankly, quite tasteless of the man to bash the company's products. Snob, who doesn't care about secondary market owners. He just cares about those with extraordinarily deep pockets who would be interested in the new cars at the dealerships. IMO, he is just a bussinesman and not an afficionado, the crowd is a bunch of jackals too! I don't own a 348 or a Ferrari for that matter, I on and off entertain picking up a 355 but not after listening to this guy. Not the way to keep a customer, I'm sure some owners saved/ worked hard to purchase their dream car 348,355 whatever. I would be pissed to hear this, especially since I'm sure that when it was introduced it was touted as being a Ferrari, the best road car ever. Classless and elitest... I'd buy a vette to spite them, lol.
I have read quotes where Luca elaborates on his dislike of the 348 as being related to the build quality - which I interpreted to mean primarily the interior but also some of the mechanical issues which were, of course, subsequently corrected. He specifically mentioned that the "good looks" of the car and the engine were not the issue. His obvious motivation is to draw a line between the product prior to his tenure anf afterwards - even if that line isn't really there.
If that was the case, then why does he say the following: Di Montezemolo illustrates what happened with an anecdote. He'd finished the World Cup flushed with its success and decided to reward himself with a yellow Ferrari 348. But just after taking delivery, he was beaten away from the lights by a Fiat Strada hatchback-the hot Abarth version admittedly, but an indignity nonetheless. A Golf GTI was as good in acceleration as a Ferrari 348.
+348 ....... Roberto ........ we all know the 348 is a great ferrari! We don't need anyone to tell us that ....... as we obviously know what we like ......... the 348 was a big change forward in ferrari design ........ among its firsts ..... it brought the longitudinal v8 to the 'entry' model ferrari ..... ! ....... one reason the handling suffered a tad, is the stock 17" wheels ....... change those along with an upgraded exhaust (all stock ferrari exhausts are less than stellar) and the 348 becomes the fantastic car it was designed to be !!! In addition ...... we know we could all drive something faster that costs a lot less to drive and maintain ....... but we chose a ferrari simply because it does something no mass produced 'sports car' can do ........ it 'stirs the soul' ......... in a way that few people will ever understand ............ so I can honestly say ........ I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share this passion with you and everyone else on here ............
Its funny because the same owners who are criticizing Luca over his statements (now and in the past) when he referred to problems WITH THE QUALITY and ENGINEERING ISSUES of the car are also routinely CRITICIZE those same problems by those same owners of the cars today. Guys... you all know the 348 did have it's problems and Luca stepped in to turn the corner from the direction the company was headed on these issues. The 355 was a step in the right direction (anyone want to disagree???) and the 360 was the clean sheet he wanted. The sales success of the 355, 360, and 430 must mean... he's done something right here. He has a point. Has he been around too long? I think it's too early to tell. The 458 is another step in the right direction. Only time will tell on the California. I'd rather have Luca involved -- and making a few mistakes here and there -- than have the brand sold to the highest Korean, Chinese, Russian, or Indian bidder. Think I'm crazy? Well, who would would have thought that would ever happen to Jaguar in the mid eighties either. It absolutely could have happened.
You're correct, although both the 348 and 355 had serious quality problems. You could argue that the 355 brought its own new set of problems.
Goth...Just so you know...When this thread dies down and we return to our normal ways, I have cut and pasted your remarks to a quick reference guide I can use as evidence against you....mmwwaaaahhhhhahahahaha.
+1! I guess one would have to ask someone as highly regarded as Mr Napolis to forward the letter to LDM.
