GT California. Like/Dislike.

While the Veyron is fast, I would debate that it is a Sports Car.
The FXX is not a street car, it is a race car.

 

I can't understand how someone would click on "Love it".

 

I would 'love it' if it weren't for the busy lines on the side profile, strange vent on the rear and the edgy hood scoop up front. Other than that the car has a beautiful proportion and is pleasing to the eyes. (How they make a 599GTB sized vehicle to look smalled than a F360 is pretty interesting) I actually like the camo version of the California better than the pictures I've seen so far. All the 'hidden details' under the camo distracted from the pure shape of the car. such a shame.

 

Dislike.

It really doesn't look like a Ferrari at all. Looks very Korean.

The rear end is clearly a contention point, and why not? It's a mess. Ferrari's just don't look good with single taillights (the 599's rear has grown on me, but would still be better with twins on either side), and the whole bottom area is completely devoid of style. It's like a poor impression of a TVR Tamora.

No thanks Maranello.

 

The Veyron is an interesting car. It has beautiful leather, amazing mechanical technology, a great stereo (30K), and a unique ventilation system which features aromatherapy!

It is a sports car. Does 0-60 in less than 3 seconds (I think) and the top speed is more than 235 mph! The rims have special specs in order to cope with the hyper speed.

But, I think Ferrari understands your point about a certain experience that people expect from a sports car. For example, I recall reading that Ferrari has purposely programmed a slight delay in the shift so the driver can feel the gear change in the California.

In the Veyron, the gear changes are like listening to a world class DJ spinning in a MPD (NYC meatpacking district) club- one song blends into the other- one gear blends into the next.

But the speed is amazing, scary, and incomparable.

 

I dont understand why it has to be so black and white...love it or hate it.

Its a nice looking car.... but it doesnt set my heart racing like the TR or the 355 did when they first came on the scene.

And for anyone thats going to chime in and say thats my nostalgia talking... theres many new cars that do get my heart racing.

 

I think Jmm is right. In comparison to Aston Martin or Lamborghini, whose lineup is more like a small/big version of the "same" car, Ferrari knows better. Non of their cars directly competes against another. The 430 is more "sports car with V8" than entry level Ferrari, the 599 is more "massive GT with V12" and top model, the 612 is 2+2 and there's still no convertable with the front engine cars. Now they have something they didn't have before at all: a convertable front engined GT aimed for the leisure Sports Car driver (also female).

Once I critizised the 599 for it's huge size - but then I remembered the Daytona for being extremely massive at it's time too, it just looks so small comparable to today's cars.

The days of the 80s are over, when Ferrari only built extreme sportscars and unfortunately built up a "pimp"-image still felt pretty strongly today (in Germany at least). Go back to the 60s and you will see lineups more of today's manner.

However, personaly I do prefer hardcore sports cars like the CS oder Scuderia for track use. They are the soul of a sports car make, otherwise you will have something like a pretty soulless Volkswagen Bugatti Veyron, more "something" than "sports car".

 

Let's see, comparing a Scuderia to a Veyron is like comparing a F22 Raptor to a Space Shuttle. It's 'something' alright~

 

OK here's my last effort: Merc SLR. No manual box. Has buttons on back of steering wheel.
0-60 in 3.6 ( I think). Top end over 210. Trick doors.
Is this a sports car?

 

Merc makes very fast autobahn cars.
Too much power, not enough handling.

For sports car handling, get your thinking off of the autobahn, and get on an alpine pass.
The tighter the better.

Light, agile and responsive define a sports car, not massive HP and blistering top end.

 

it's starting to grow on me as new pics emerge (via top gear and the ferrari website). I officially like the front end now (the first pic was at a bad angle), a modern-reinterpretation of classic protruding-snouted ferrraris, replete with almost the exact hood scoop of the original california. I aways liked the side view, classic long and lean, and now the body detailing is starting to look interesting rather than gaudi. Only the high, messy rear is problematic.

I'd like to see it in person, b/c if its smaller than the 599, it might have the right proportions...giving it the tight compact look modern ferraris have been missing.

 

Well, I guess I can't read your mind. By lap times and any other metric of performance the SLR, the ENZO, the Veyron, the Scuderia are some of the fastest and nimblist cars.

Please tell me the kinds of sports cars you mean?

 

Sports cars were born on the B roads of the UK
The current Lotus Elise is an example of a true sports car. Designed to go fast on twisty back roads and mountain passes.

A sports car should be:
A car that is light and flickable. A car that derives fast lap times from corner speed, not necessarily brute HP.
A car where the driver is connected to the road, but not necessarily coddled in the finest leathers.
A drivers car, not one loaded down with electronic nannies.

The SLR and Veyron may be faster on tracks that reward HP, but that does not make them sports cars.
Finesse, not Brute HP makes a sports car.

 

I always found Gaudi's work to be a little gaudy myself.

 

The Lotus Elise is a very small car. (I think it is an hommage to the Lotus Elite of 1970's, also a very small car. )

Since it is much smaller than all modern day Ferrari's or Porsche's, it offers a unique cart-like driving experience.

If you care at all or believe in the Stig's lap times on Top Gear, it is average in terms of performance. But the Fun Factor is high !

 

Fred2, I know exactly what you mean with your definition of sports cars, however there are other definitions to be accepted. Generally a (street) sports car is a coupe or 2+2 for fast driving. Period. A 599 GTB fits this definition as well as a Lotus Elise or the California.

Personally I prefer very "sporty" sports cars and "sporty" means motorsports and I prefer GTs in terms of race cars. A sports car I mean at least has to stand track use because that's exactly what sports means. So my natural choice of Ferrari would be a 360 Challenge Stradale or 430 Scuderia of the recent models. But a large GT like the 599 GTB could be a very nice sports car, suitable for long travels or B roads too - but not for the track.

BTW - track times are only taken in very few laps - drive for an hour at race speeds and you will see that most "sports cars" can't actually be driven "sporty"... (e.g. Bugatti Veyron) very disappointing fact...

 

I REALLY LIKE THIS CAR IS BEAUTIFULL !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

IS A REAL FERRARI

 

Whatever. 430S is loaded with electronics and it is the essence of a sports car

 

Looks AWFUL! I'm so ashamed to be a Ferrari fan. I must say I need to see it in person to get a true opinion. I had this same feeling for the GranTurismo but now, I love it.

 

Dislike, just doesn't give me that Ferrari feel. The car looks cute and gentle, not mean and aggressive.

 

Heh...Better Gaudi than Postmodernist Chris Bangle.

 

When I first saw it, I was not sure. The busy horizontal lines on the doors are disrupting. The rear end is odd to say the least, it looks like a Scuderia version of the Lamborghini Gallardo. The more I stared at the original photos the more I hated it.

Then came the new photos and they actually look pretty decent. The car now looks more like a modified Maserati Gran Turismo which I really liked. The side profile view doesn't look so bad anymore even though it's not as sexy as I would like. So now I actually like the design of the car, but I would have preferred if this had been a Maserati GT Spider, that way I get to keep an extra $100k in my pocket for the car.

 

it needs a conventional manual transmission.

 

+1 on needing to see it in person. I also don't care for "official" pictures (of any new car) as they are obviously too staged. Nothing like seeing a car in its natural environment - that would be on the road with other cars.

I also dig the convertible hardtop.