Cool Photos

Guys, these are all very valid points indeed, the problem is, the ENTIRE industry of automobile manufacturing/design has been going down this slippery slope since the mid 1990's in the interest of aerodynamics and fuel economy. American, Japanese, German, Italian, they all have and I HATE IT !!! That's why the design of my 328 turns me on so much (I know I am biased) and why I have held off purchasing Ferrari #2, and WHEN I do it will be a pre-360 car with some hard angles to it. No offense to 360 owners, they are AWESOME cars no doubt, my taste just lies in a more angular design element. I say, fuel economy be damned, if any of us cared about that we would all be driving Honda Del Sols !!! Enzo Ferrari said, and I quote: " aerodynamics are far people who cannot build engines .."

I would take am 84-89 Countach ANY DAY over a Gallardo or Murcielago, even if the Countach only had 200HP.

 

What's funny is how we go back and forth with each other debating our personal Ferrari preferences, and most of us are either owners or familiar enough with Ferraris that we've had close access to them during our lives. Meanwhile, there's the court of public opinion. I was out to dinner one night last summer and parked in front of the hotel across the street was a red 360 Spider, top down, for all to walk by and covet. In short time, quite a sizeable crowd had settled in, gawking at the car. Many took pictures, most were men and little boys. I personally love the looks of the 360, but watching the crowd fawn over this car told me that it obviously tapped into something, oh, genetic perhaps. I'm sure most any Lamborghini would have had a similar effect. Just as I'm sure most of those standing on the sidewalk staring and pointing probably rarely see these cars outside of magazine pictures. I guess I have no point other than it struck me funny to hear people talk about attractive Ferraris vs. ugly Ferraris, myself included.

 

That's very true. We hold ourselves to a higher standard because the cars are attainable to us for the most part. Back when I was a teenager, I would have killed to own any of them. Now if one single line is off on an F-car's body I'm like "Whelp, F%@ that ugly car." LOL

I'm always shocked at the nonsense fawning my NSX brings, and I'm in So Cal. I look at the mini crowds at gas stations and whenever I buy fast food in it all the attention that happens, as well as the endless "look at that Ferrari-Lamborghini-Maserati!!" comments and meanwhile I don't even get to appreciate the scene. My thoughts about the NSX are always "God I can't wait to get rid of this car and move up to a 360CS or Gallardo."

It's all about perspective.

One time a buddy and I went for a drive on PCH with his new 996T and my NSX, and we pulled into a Starbucks. A crowd quickly gathered around my car, meanwhile his beautiful new Turbo got nothing. Barely a glance. The public is so misinformed, they couldn't believe it when I told them that his car would own my a$$ six ways from Sunday.

 

Good call! Both these cars are beautiful. The guys bickering must have hemmoroids that need itched ... or something?

 

Say what you want about the NSX, but they're still unique enough to elicit the "Check it out--an NSX!" response. Porsche builds great cars, but my only knock on them is that they've diluted the marque somewhat by over-expanding the lines. They offer 4 variations of the Carrera plus the Targa, GT2, GT3 and two styles of Turbo. That's nine different cars that, to the typical person, look pretty much the same. When I was growing up, it was basically Ferrari and Porsche that made you go "Ooooooh!" But now that you see Porsches everywhere, they don't evoke such a strong feeling. I'd rather have an early 70's Targa than a later model. Like the saying goes, "For every supermodel out there, there's some guy that's tired of f***ing her!"

 

I agree 100%!

It doesn't seem like things will get better as people still keep buying them. I keep hoping Ferrari will get on the "retro" bandwagon (ie. Mini, PT Cruiser, Bug, Thunderbird etc...)

Where is a new version of the Testarossa or a modern 308/328 with (min. 475 hp.)

DrewH


I disagree with the retro thing. I like to see design cues from previous models, but this whole 'bring back a car' thing shows a little lack of originality as far as I'm concerned. I'd rather see Enzo and 360 style cars from a clean slate then Ferrari bringing back a Breadvan that looked like it was farted out of the same cheap Japanese anime computer program as every other retro car. I might get some bad comments for this, but I think the 'new' Ford GT thingy is ugly and its only selling point will be it might beat Ferrari's. I don't need to spend 150k on a replica.

 

Heres a cool photo. Its not of a car, but its still cool. A larger version of this pic was my wallpaper for a while.
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Yeah, but it was so obvious that McDonnell Douglas stole their design from the Grumman F-14. I mean, sure, they went with a fixed-wing and all, but just look at the pointy nose and dual fins. It's like M-D couldn't come up with their own designs and so they "borrowed" from the retro looks of the F-14! Besides, those jets aren't so great. My buddy was flying home the other day in his KikomanJet (manufacturer of imaginary Japanese personal aircraft) and totally dusted this guy in his F-15. The other guy was all "yeah I'm cool" and stuff. He got his.

That IS a cool photo, though.

 

So true...

As many have pointed out here, the Italian designs - just about all of them - hold more appeal on many levels to most, than any other designs from around the world. They just "get it" better on the lines, and while each new design will appeal to different tastes, I can't help envisioning a bumper sticker that reads..."The worst designed Italian car, is better than the best designed anything else."

 

Is that an F-22?

Heres my current background-
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Actually the 550 came out a little bit before the fourth generation camaro SS so they really couldn't have stolen the idea from the Camaro. Just a thought.

 

Really? Style im reffering to came out in 1992.

 

Really? Style I've referred to before came out in '69.
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Agreed. I don't like this silly retro thing. "New"-old cars do look old. Some design features of older cars can and should sometimes be used, but a whole (or mostly) is rediculous.
As they say "go forward young man"!

Joop

 

I'm saying that the hood that looks like the 550 hood didn't start until the 1996 model year. The fourth generation did start in 93 though, it just had a plain hood.

 

Its funny, the style that is sometimes criticized of the 360 is FAR improved in the eyes of all by some of the sharpness you see in the stradale! pretty cool, and the bumper etc integrates well.

 

LMAO, that was classic!

Those jet pics have me thinking that we need a "cool jet pic" thread in OT