Ferraris current lineup obsolete ?

Brillant!!!! i am sure no one at ferrari could have thought of that...you should call ferrari...i am sure they could use a brillant mind like yours for future designs and to save the company from ruins....

 

Wow a whole 0.7%

Let them buy up the Lambos, Audi, and Porsches.

 

Are you serious? You want to pay premium dollar for a car that doesn't keep up with the competition? Wow. I don't know whether to laugh or ask you to give your head a shake.

Gallardo is selling for sticker and below due to the fact that the market is getting very competitive in the $150-200K price bracket. And also due to the fact that Lamborghini does not have the same marketing strength that Ferrari has. However, the momentum is gaining for Lambo in this regard, and I think Ferrari is losing a step in this regard.

 

If you want to use stats... you have to look at how many people bought cars in the last 3 or 4 months and then work your numbers again. Of the 6,000 F-chat members, not all bought a car in the last quarter.

Or you can look at the last 6 threads this month (that have had over 4,000 views ) about how something is up at Ferrari and guys are starting threads like this one.

 

Bingo! I would love to see that.

The Aston Vanquish Volante sounds tasty. I want one.

 

Taking all things into consideration, I'd have to agree with Williams original post. I really think that Ferrari is losing market momentum. Aside from the Enzo, I don't think Ferrari has a car that is terribly exciting at the moment. I still love the 360, but the design is now 6 years old, and the performance is not keeping pace with competitors. The 575 is decent, but I think I would opt for another car if I were shopping for a 12 cylinder GT-type car. The 612 is terrible. The Enzo is outstanding, but unobtainable unless you want to pay a ridiculous premium for a used one.

I think the biggest problem with Ferrari is the fact that they are a huge marketing & image monster. Most Ferrari enthusiasts would think that this is a good thing. Sure, for the bottom line. But in terms of Ferrari pushing the envelope with their products -- they honestly don't need to push it as much because people are currently buying their products based on history, or F1 wins, or the brand image. But, I think the buyers are starting to change. They don't necessarily car as much if their car has the Ferrari name on it, and are willing to drive Porsches, Lamborghini's, Aston's, Bentley's, etc. This is going to be a problem for Ferrari if they don't start getting more competitive in their product line. Brand image will only last for so long before you need to prove that you are at the top of the game. The Enzo proves that Ferrari can build a world-beater, but so could every other manufacturer given a $650K price tag. Ferrari needs to understand that many buyers no longer care about the name, or the F1 wins, or history. We want the best car, period.

 

Wayne
I doubt someone like you will roll yours over. That said I do worry about the footwell in a hard stuff. Be carefull out there.
Best
Jim

 

the 612 is terrible? how can say that about a car you havent driven or probably not seen in person...lets withhold judgement until the mags and us have a chance to driv eand test the car against it self and other cars...

 

The biggest future threat to Ferrari will be from McLaren/Mercedes because they plan to have a competing model equivalent to the current F's line-up. Aston Martin is just too different. My father has a v12 Vantage. It is a brilliant car, but apples and oranges compared to the ferrari. Kinda like Jaguar/BMW. Lambo will always be considered exotics rather then sports cars and Acura/Lexus and other pretenders will undoubtedly do well but will not threaten Ferrari, because they will be designed to compete at a lower niche.
As for power wars. Mercedes cl65 makes 700ft/tq but is about as stimulating as valium. Performance in street cars has already approached the limit of what is physically and realistically possible. Great performance leaps are a thing of the past. The 3.0 sec 0-60 is about as good as it is ever going to get in the next 50 years untill they invent rocket cars. Top speed today is limited for the forseeable future to 240mph. Thus it is important to not only focus on the performance aspect, but also "feel, excitement" part which Ferrari has in spades.

 

have you seen the new mb mclarin supercar...it looks like a distorted 500sl..with an ugly art deco interior and an auto tranny!!!! please!!!! the germans have zero sense of style and flair compaired to the ferrari and lambo people adn will never!! never!!! compete in the same marketferraris are as much about style and flair as performance and here in the states you really dont need anymore performance than a suburu wrx gives casue you cant use it with going to jail!!!!!

 

Has anyone seen the new Baby McLaren? Just a Drawing in this months car mags (forget where) but look like a wedge TR shape mixed with a MB 500SL.

Are they still talking about F1, F2, F3 ? That would suck stealing the "F1" name (after Ferrari works so hard to claim 7 "F1" titles)

 

Wrong. I have seen it in person -- inspected it thoroughly inside and out. Regardless of how the car rides or performs, the styling is a joke for a car that is a 2004/2005 model. I don't need to wait for any car mags to show me test results to know that the car is about as visually appealing as warts on a monkey's arse. Furthermore, the price is absurd. For $75K less, I can get a Continental GT or a DB9. Does that make any sense at all? The only way the 612 will sell is to Ferrari die-hards that feel the need to have one. If there is an unbiased customer that evaluates the 612 against the competition, I cannot imagine them taking the 612, especially for $75K more. Absurd.

 

I agree. The car will be great to tool the kids around in 4 years when you can pick one up for 80k but for 230 or whatever its final msrp is it is absurd. The only reason someone would spend that kind of money on the 612 is because money is no object or they must have the name. People in this bracket usually have a few cars so I don't get the point of a four seater that doesn't actually sit four adults.

 

i said probably not seen and you have not driven it!!!! a cars looks are a matter of taste and whereas the 612 is not my cup of tea from what i have seen i pics, perhaps others may like the styling..as for wart on a monkeys arse, i have never gone looking for those so i have no idea what that would look like!!!!!

 

Have you read "Driving Ambition" about the McLaren? The F1 name came about in a haphazard manner, but the inside joke was that it was 39 steps ahead of the F40!

--Dan

 

There is still a multi-year waiting list for the F360, while anyone can walk into a showroom and drive out with a Gallardo right now under MSRP. It seems to me that if the Gallardo was all that great, there would be a growing wait list; however, there is not. Supply exceeds demand. The question is why? I would not be caught dead in one, the style is just too "in your face" without the redeaming values of some other "in your face" cars like Viper GTS, Viper CC. I don't really care that it has 500 HP, I find the power of the F355 just fine, you may not, and that is just fine also.

For the crowd that buys new drives for a couple of years and flips the cars, buying a Gallardo right now might make sense. It even makes sense for the Ferrari buyers too!?!
By taking some of the demand out of the Ferrari market, the wait list decreases to the sub-year level and Ferrari buyers are much happier! As long as the factory remains maxed out, why should Ferrari do anything other than "stay on plan".

My data indicates that the Ford GT is oversubscribed, and it will go out of the dealerships a) at a cost premium, b) in insufficient numbers to damage the Ferrari sales rate, although it might remove 3-4 months from a near 24+ month waiting period. I would like to own a Ford GT, however, I don't think my name will be comming up on the list in time.

Of the front engined sports/GT cars and supercars, "you can have them". I don't care how much HP, TQ, displacement, top speed,....they have, I am not going to be in that market; EVER.

My requirements are simple: better than 4.99 sec 0-60, better than 14.0 seconds in the 1/4 mile, less than 3500 pounds, mid engined, that can be taken to the track and thrashed without the necessity of modding out the car to insure road race track survival. The Vette and Viper fail (cooling mainly although the looks are also a letdown), while the F355 succeeds. Lambo would be much more likely to get my business it if built cars more like the Muira than like anything they have done since.

You may say, there are more powerful cars for this or that. I reply, once a car is fast enough, it becomes a question of do I want one. Here styling sways the ticket. F355 to my eye is the most beautiful (semi-affordable) car in the last 25 years, and then the Muira, then the 365 GTB, then Jaguar XKE. A 360 will never sit in may garage, I don't like the shape, Galardo isn't even pretty enough to go down and look at it. A Murcealago is pretty but not in my price range. Ford GT is very retro-cute and I like it. I would like it if it only had 400 HP and corresponding performance.

My only wish for future Ferrari models is that Ferrari go back to the "boy racer" cars and away from the "gentalman GT" cars.