http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1470519,00.html
Awesome article....... "When you climb out of an Aston Martin Vanquish and into a 575, it is like climbing out of the 11th century and onto the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Emotionally, both cars tug your heartstrings with equal force, but mechanically the Ferrari is hundreds of years ahead."........... loved that quote
"We see the same sort of thing higher up the scale, too. Porsche was undoubtedly proud of its Carrera GT, and no doubt Mercedes had a warm gooey sense of contentment when its McLaren SLR went on sale. I drove both and they were magical. And then I drove Ferraris rival, the Enzo, which, as a speed machine, was just miles better." this one was great also
the folks in maranello really screwed the pooch imo on shoving this tranny down everybody's throats. i pleaded with MNA to do a 6 speed manual version (it's not like they don't have the parts bin for it) and they (politely) told me to bugger off. doody.
i dont think the article really tells us much about the QP. the first page was just rambling on ferrari vs other makes. it did not focus on the QP as a maserati but a ferrari related sedan. some of the points on the 2nd page are correct.
You're not used to Clarkson reviews, are you? I've seen reviews where he didn't even mention the car until the last third of the article. Odd, that part about Ferraris being too brash for polite (read "politically correct") society.
What exactly is Clarkson's problem with Ferrari's "sculpted vulgarity"? Is he suffering from glaucoma or does he simply need glasses? I've read similar comments in other British magazines about Ferraris- the looks, the cost, even the rims in this month's Evo. Is there some problem Brits have with the shameless flair and beauty of prancing stallions? Forza, Cavallini
last months Top Gear magazine had a whole special on Ferrari, fro mwhere Shumacher eats to the latest F430 and the 575GTC VS Vanquish S. With that funny british sarcasm they were saying things like how they were bored by Ferrari winning everything and how they wanted the Aston to win so badly. even with its power increase to 520hp, the Aston was 3 seconds slower o nthe same track..........
I think Ferrari has been cheapened by the Japanification of their most recent cars including the 430 and partly the Enzo, the 612 demonstrates their commitment though. <-(starts dodging bullets)
I thought it was a dreadful bit of writing. He's getting just a bit cliched now don't you think. Slag the car off or praise it, drop a few hints about his fab lifestyle etc etc then just at the last minute change his mind. Trouble is he knows that people would much rather hear bad things about the cars they can't afford so he dosen't leave enough space for the upside. His timing is all off. Still, it was a nice (huge) photo of what seems to be a decent car. Don't get me wrong I like Clarkson as an entertainer. But lets not forget what a pile of poo his Ferrari book was.
uncle doo-doo, why whouldnt they [politely]? you're not the customer. but my wife loves hers.. even drives it in auto, rarely uses manual and she hasnt driven the strad so she has no idea how slow those shifts are. it does drive small and sporty [search for our discussions] as clarkson says, sounds like a F, too and it's even at the dealer for a week or 2 of "we can't figure out what's wrong, but now the factory people are here trying to" just like my strad!!!!! PS and clarkson is right about sculpted vulgarity in the 430....
Yes, I have that issue of Top Gear. It's one of the best they've produced. I also like Clarkson's humor and wit. His QP review was very revealing. I didn't realize he felt the gap between Ferrari and the others was so wide. Perhaps his tongue is in his cheek with the "sculpted vulgarity" bit the way it was with the 575-Vanquish article...."I'm bored with Ferrari....their cars don't even break down any more"? He's a funny man. Forza, Cavallini
Japanification? I see the evolution of Ferrari. Any similarity between Ferrari and Japanese models comes from the last thirty years of flattering imitation of Ferrari by the Japanese, e.g. Datsun 280Z, Toyota MR2, Honda NSX and I'm sure many other models that don't come to mind at the moment. If your implication that Ken Okuyama has somehow introduced a Japanese automotive aesthetic to Pininfarina, I think the opposite is true. Okuyama, who speaks Italian and Piedmontese, has become as Italian as a non-Italian can become. I would say the same for the American Frank Stephenson who is Ferrari's in-house design chief. Forza, Cavallini
The 430 strikes me a boy racer styled car, whereas the 360 was more like fine art. The enzo is a great design but also manages to look cartoonish at many angles. The 612 looks more like evolution, the 430 looks like an afterthought post the beautiful 360.
Clarkson wrote another Quattroporte review: http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-2260560_1,00.html It is pretty positive for him, although he can't stand the gearbox. He takes a few shots at Ferrari, Porsche, Aston, etc while he is at it (as would be expected).
Clarkson is a class act, but don't take him too seriously in his road tests. Here in UK, people who have no interest in cars read his reviews/articles/books, just for his sense of humor, his juvenile way with words, his deliberate 'piss-taking', his anti political correctness attitude. He is an entertainer and good fun. Should lecture in a school of journalism, I say...
I don't know why you guys are complaining when he makes off-hand comments about Ferrari... it's no big deal. First of all, you really can't take him seriously. Secondly, he has said himself he thinks Ferrari is God on earth. It seems to be his favorite car company, and I've yet to hear him give a negative review of a Ferrari.
Clarkson is a great guy - I've met him personally a number of times and also know a guy who was a schoolfriend of his. Haven't yet read the QP review - haven't had time to read this week's Sunday Times yet... As said before he is an entertainer first and a serious journalist second. So what if he pours scorn on things unfairly at times, most of the time he amuses me and brings a different view to what can be a very boring subject at times (and I say that as a HUGE car enthusiast) Also, he actually bought a brand new 355 with his own money about 10 years ago. At the time he said he'd never sell it, not sure whether he stood by his word or not, as now he has his Ford GT...
The problem is in some parts of the UK the newer models are ten a penny especially in red and driven by perceived "bad taste indivduals" such as soccer players. Clarkson and other mags (Classic Car) joke about this. The shameless merchandising doesn't help. The Brits enjoy a bit of understatement now and again you know...........................
Haha...so true... Anyone that's ever lived in Britian knows that they have problems with beauty. We've all heard of "asian sensations", "southern belle's" and "hot latinas" etc, but the only thing that comes to mind with the English is "tart." The most important think that I took away from the article is that even the British finally acknowledge the Aston is a turd.
He has been literally drooling over the F430 and gushed about the Scaglietti when he drove it on a mad high-speed stint from the UK to Switzerland. I think Clarkson wouldn't be himself if he didn't spread a lot of bull**** in every review, but the truth is, he is absolutely MAD for Ferraris. And he loved the Maser Quattroporte too. Just don't take some of his snide comments too seriously.
