ferrari's 4x4 plans leaked

its ok... at one point Enzo refused to go to disc brakes... but everything worked out...

 

Thats pretty funny... thats kind of the way 355 owners look at 430 owners...

a similar argument can be made for the 430s... WAY OVER PRODUCED. tons and tons of ****** pickles bought them... the car has many more electronic nanny's than previous models. All things to make the driver look better than he actually is... e-diffs, and launch controls and ASR... what happened to your left and right feet doing the modulating???

but alas, this is progress... we have disc brakes, synchro mesh gear boxes (even ones with flappy paddles) I guess the idea now is that the idea of manufactures having to feel responsible for turning people loose in 500hp cars made of aluminum and having to protect the consumer from there own idiotic maneuvers. Many people without skill just hop behind the wheel of a mid-engined car and stomp on the brakes mid corner... hell, some will even pump the brakes because thats what there parents told them to do... there are a lot of retards (sorry mentally challenged people... these people are retards... not you) out there who don't belong behind the wheel of a performance car yet they can because there pocket book allows.

traction control, e-diff, launch contorl... now a limited version of AWD to aid in traction during particular events... it doesn't seem like an illogical progression. Afterall we are all dissapointed in the next model if it doesn't out corner, out brake, out top speed, out accelerate, the last model. so while ferrari continues to build weapons for there consumers they also seem to have the sensibility (albeit likely from there legal department) to protect the consumer from themselves. I believe Ferrari has done a good job and think this is a pretty decent way to go. Anyone who knows me knows I hate awd cars as well as electronic nannies ( my 97 viper without even abs gets the most love) But look, ferrari took launch control and made it so the car goes faster than many/most could go with 3 pedals (thats not bad in my book)... its something they use in F1... sounds good to me... then there is ASR (soon to become mandatory on every car just like seat belts and airbags) they made it so there are varying levels of it, one mode that is very strict, then another that is looser etc... and the ability to turn it all off! (satisfies guys like me) so this AWD talk... i hate awd too, but read the patent instead of the posts of others summarizing... its going to be part time, to aide in traction! so its going to either increase your grip around corners during extremely high speed cornering (theres that out corner thing I was mentioning before) and it will probably aide in that precious 0-60 time you guys all love to memorize and brag about (there is that out accelerate thing I was mentioning) AND it won't be full time, so the car will mainly drive with the characteristics of a RWD car with the added benefits of AWD in extreme situations! i think they are doing there best to satisfy, protect, and out engineer everybody. When you want a true driving experience or want a challenge... drive a 355... or a 550... or hell bite the bullet and go all the way back... get a 330 or a 275... just be ready for what real cars drive like....

 

Ferrari has no choice but to look at eco sensitive possibilities, it would be detrimental not too, they are not immune, no carmaker is. Montezemolo has been making those noises for some time, as is any car company leader with two brain cells to rub together. There will be an alternative engine/drive configuration in Ferrari's future or there will be no company, or their business will be reduced to that of a vintage parts supplier. Exclusivity, racing heritage, high profile clients, and the insanely uninformed arrogance of some owners, (such as is displayed on this forum with predictable regularity), will not change that verdict. Of course....we don't have to like it.

You can easily imagine the purists going, and they no doubt will...."The only REAL Ferrari is a gas burner." And they'll be selling high performance cars then just like now, people will be buying and driving them, and they will have Ferrari badges on them.

What are they going to do? 30 years from now be going "We're Ferrari and we only make gas burners."