Ferraris current lineup obsolete ?

For me, that would be awesome... but I am a 360 / F50 lover.

I think its time for a bit more angular design... somewhere between the Enzo, the 512M, and the 360 would be better... the 355/F40/TR loving crowd is big and a mid-engine 12 designed to appeal to them would sell extremely well, IMO.

 

i think all this worry and concern about the Ferrari lineup has increased hugely since the lunch of the 612 Scaglietti.people are worried that future ferraris will become to fat,less involving and not as pretty.

this concern is good and demonstrates how Ferrari is so well known and cared for, every single new Ferrari is scrutinized and anazlyzed to the smallest detail wich in the end, keeps Ferrari on their toes

 

I also agree with this point. And that's why I jumped without hesitation at the opportunity to own a Stradale. It may be years before another model gets a "track-oriented" version. Going to more Stradale-like designs is what I would want from Ferrari. However, it is not clear that I am anything like the typical Ferrari buyer.

Question: Is the population of track-oriented or raw-racecar-oriented Ferraristi large enough to buy 4000 cars per year?

That's good enough for Ferrari... doesn't cut it with Porsche. So, if the answer to that question is "true", it may explain why Ferrari could take that route even though Porsche decides the market for track-oriented cars isn't large enough to justify a 997 GT2 or GT3. Unfortunately, I fear the answer to that question may not be "true".

 

Even when others are in front. They still chase Ferrari. You can't really compare the current ferrari, which is a 5 year old car to the brand new lambo. i believe this is exactly what ferrari wants. They wait for everyone to put out their new car that surpases the old Ferrari and then Ferrari debuts the new Ferrari a year or so later that will be superior to all comers. Meanwhile everone oohs and ahhs about everyone elses cars. Saying that Ferrari is extinct, Ferrari has been passed, Ferrari is washed up....etc. I think that covers all the innane threads that we read every other week on this site about Ferrari being obsolete. Fact is no other car company in the world has a waiting list like theirs and it is due to the fact that they just keep coming back making better cars than 99% of the competition, year after year.

 

I think AM and Lamborghini are going to do very well with there up comming models. But the 420 coupe and spyder will be nice also the 575 replacement should be a big hit. I think we will just have to wait and see what exactly happans.

 

The problem is that if Ferrari needs to keep the crown as it has for a number of years, it needs:

550hp at least, with respectable torque, but ungoddly high reving for the replacment Modena (not the thing that the spy pics are showing, the car that replaces THAT)

600hp from the 575's with torque to make even a muscle car guy take notice, with still reving to 8G.

Remember, most of these cars that we are talking about are here today. When the replacements come out for them, they will be even worse for Ferrari today. They NEED this power or they will merely be following the pack. Not setting ahead of it.

 

I miss a mid 12. Was not happy when the 512M became the 550.

 

I would have to agree, even when Ferrari makes 'inferior' performance cars they are still pursued by the other brands; they are simply the bench marks for anything quick on the road, period. And until the do a Jaguar style mistake, by trying to run on their "race heritage" 50yrs on, they will still be the bench mark for road cars. Ferrari will not have problems for awhile... unless they build ALL the cars as heavy and unattractive as the poor 612.

I don't see why Ferrari doesn't take the Stradale as the standard car and if you want a heavy 'refined' ride with less noise etc then you get the options you want when you order your car. This will give the second hand cars even more value, IMO, becasue the cars will all have vastly different options. And anyone who follows older cars knows that other then maintance, papers etc options is a big question as to what the car is worth and whether it will hold its value or not. For those buying pre-owned vehicles this can be a big factor in choosing which car to purchase.

Maybe I'm missing something marketing-wise etc seeing how I'm only in college, but I've heard the Porsche options sheet is pages long. IMO, if Ferrari wants to stand on its true feet of the performance, and fun cars to own, they will take the old Porsche 356 route and have the cheap basic Speedster and then build fancy 'refined' cars more expensively for those who want them thay way.

Happy Driving!

 

Morgan do


Also, I think Ferrari could sell 4k cars of whatever they produce. Worldwide that is not a huge number of cars, and the cachet of the brand, and the fact that they don't actually make bad motors in their own right (even if they aren't technically as accomplished as some competitors, they are not bad cars) would see this level of sales easily.

I do hope the company isn't swayed too much by the US market. It's arguably going down this path already and I don't fully understand it. Yes, the Us market is huge. But US customers have always wanted Ferraris, precisely becuase they are not the run of the mill that everyone else pushes out, and because they are exclusive.

Maybe offering a choice of "lusso" and "challenge stradale" in all their models would be a sensible idea? After all, can the 360CS have been *that* much more than the normal 360 to produce? I doubt it.

 

Although I take your point, but do you really think the shakers and the movers within Ferrari are not aware of the competition? Do you seriously think for one moment that you or I , or anyone else on Fchat are the only ones who have spotted the "competition"??? C'mon let's not be naive about this. They are not going to roll over and sacrifice their market position just like that. Remember they are the premier formula one team at present and so whatever technology is required to produce the best, they have it. They do not lack resources either. So c'mon lets give them a bit more credit that this!

 

I personally hope that Ferrari remains ignorant of whatever the competition is doing. In the past, it has always been Ferrari's competitors imitating what Ferrari has done, not the other way around. Maranello has been the forefront of sport car design of the entire world, and I hope they never let market or demand dictate what they do, but passion for cars. It was very much that way when Enzo was still alive, I hope it doesn't change anytime soon, but I do see some not so great signs on the horizon.

One positive note is that at least Ferrari isn't jumping onto the SUV bandwagon that Porsche, Audi, BMW etc are all too keen to ride. Let it be about making the best racing car, not about exploiting the biggest demand demographic.

After all, remember why they only make 349 of their limited edition cars, and not 350

 

I am solidly in the unrefined/racer wannabe car demographic. I'm concerned that inane US safety laws and liability concerns make it less desirable to sell lightweight, hardcore sportscars here. Does anyone know why Porsche didn't sell the GT3 RS here? Do wide-assed, comfortably numb Americans really crave cupholders, electric memory seats and mirrors, ugly in the dash nav displays, tiptronics, airbag fortresses etc etc so much that it doesn't make economic sense to bring cars like the RS here? I'm not so sure.

 

I would guess that it had something to do with homologation and production numbers.

The former can cause hassles for makers as some of the US rules and regs are...odd.

The latter meant they could sell all they would produce without shipping them across the Atlantic.

 

I don´t know if Ferraris are getting obsolete, but I do know that this board is getting boring. We are always talking about the same thing!!

 

I am afraid that the RS has cup holders!

 

The whole point of the GT3RS was it was a very hardcore trackcar-with rollcage and bucket seats, and so on, which would not pass US homologation. There would be no point of a GT3RS without the rollcage and bucket seats and lower ride height. And they can sell all they can make in Europe anyway.

I've been in once twice, you don't know what you're missing!

 

"The whole point of the GT3RS was it was a very hardcore trackcar-with rollcage and bucket seats, and so on, which would not pass US homologation"

That's exactly one of my points - why exclude the magnificent GT3RS from the US? US law is idiotic. Why can't I have a roll bar in my Stradale? Idiotic.

My other point is that I think there is a significant US market for GT3RS and Stradale type cars. No data to support - and of course I'm biased, because I am surrounded by fanatics.

 

"I am afraid that the RS has cup holders!"

LOL. I trust they will only accommodate the tiny cans of Red Bull sold in the US, rather than Starbucks venti vanilla creme capuccino vats.

 

I think we all agree Ferrari NEEDS to give us a mid engined 12 priced at or just below $300K. I'd be getting in line now.

 

Exactly. They can build the car without any problem. Perhaps the problem
is that the buyer they have "profiled" would prefer the refinement and ease of
use of the front engine 12 ? Why does the typical buyer prefer the F-1 ?
You better start to think about buying the "last" of the floor shifters.


On the GT-3RS. They can get the seats and rollbar put into production.
The car with these race oriented options would have to be recertified with
DOT. You can start by crashing a few cars. Just realize that most U.S.
buyers are not interested in hard-core race oriented options. They can
sell all the GT-3RS they build in the ROW. Just add more torque for our roads.

 

In the last 4 months I've watched 5 of our FerrariChat members buy Lambo's
I still have a sneaky feeling that Ferrari feels it is better-off not having to compete with Audi/Lambo in this category, and got-out just to avoid the competition with a company that now has big money behind it. Easier to go retro and bring back the "golden days" with the 550. Smart business picking your battles and giving your old loyal customers something unique.

 

I wonder where exactly the numbers come into play?/
I checked with ntsa trying to get rollover test results for the Gallardo.
Finally they responded that they had NO ROLLOVER data since there were "so few" Lamborghinis that this test was not required.

 

finally, an intelligent post!!! well said!!!!