GT California. Like/Dislike.

Top Gear repeats the press kit palaver.

 

??? He's being complimentary about all three cars...

Regarding the California, I reserve judgement until I see the car in the flesh but I like it so far. Not drop-dead gorgeous, I don't think, but loveable.


Onno

 

Rubbish.

Something like 80% of city driving involves being stopped for long periods of time. That is when hybrids come into their own. Yes they are not the perfect solution but as most worldwide driving is around cities they perform a practical function.

Having any engine idling at traffic lights is just plain stupid, adding heat, exhaust fumes to the environment and wasting petrol. Lexus makes a hybrid and it filfuls the function of a Lexus perfectly ... just turns itself off in those traffic queues.

We can keep sticking our head up our @rses or face reality. If Ferrari want to sell higher volume cars, which this less focused car is, then they should move out of the 1960's and design a thoroughly modern car. GM and Ford are already fncked because of this attitude ...
Pete

 

Wow Pete, got up from the wrong side of bed this morning. They are putting in a lot of technology in the cars, but Ferrari is such a small Volume Maker it is a lot different than the Mass Producers, I think we will see some sort of KERS technology in street going Ferraris sooner than later.

Best,
Tony

 

Hopefully

I just don't understand the negativity many car enthusiasts have to hybrids ... it miles better than walking and giving up completely on our hobby. I would like Ferrari to lead the world and show the greenies what can be done, so motorsport, etc. can continue and be enjoyed as long as possible. If Ferrari (and others) keep making wasters ... the greenies will gain more and more support and end it all for the rest of us. Greenies and the majority of the population do not understand low mileage, etc. every year ... and when you think about it a Ferrari (or any car) idling at the lights doesn't do much even for an enthusiast, save the fun for when we are MOVING!! ... turn the engine OFF!, but turn it back on strong when screaming through that sweeper !!!!

Best
Pete
ps: And yes I have a cold ...

 

I hope tomorrow to see new photos on the website of california

 

Very true. But Ferraris and Lambo are just a drop in the bucket. It's the trucks, suvs and other cars that need to be overhauled.

Truthfully, this should have been done 20 years ago. GM and Ford should have developed a hybrid V-8 that can do everything the standard big-block engines can do, instead of buying Saab and Volvo, Jag, Aston etc.

Now they're both about to check-out for good.

Just pathetic leadership that has been all too typically American for too damm long. It's disgraceful.

And Lee Iacocca has the nerve to write a book called, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone??"

They were never here. Hustlers were but not leaders.


Forza,


Cavallini

 

Since very few people actually drive their f-cars ............... I can confidently say that f-cars are poluting the environment less than hybrids....

 

And as I said, Greenies don't do the maths, they just stand on their soap boxes and preach.

Everytime a Ferrari moves by it's own power the FACT is that it is using more fuel than a CAR has too ... thus by hybriding it, Ferrari could atleast say they were trying to play the game. If they don't do anything, and do a GM or Ford, very soon Ferraris will be outlawed from silly countries ... similar to how some countries are trying to outlaw motorcycles because they are dangerous.

Ferrari has to do something NOW, not tomorrow but NOW ... currently they have their finger permanently up their @rse continually rehashing 1960's/70's type cars. The only advance they have made since the 246 Dino is making larger and more powerful motors. They are going in the opposite direction to 75% of the public. Funny thing is the 246 Dino is probably the best road Ferrari ever made ... and it would be 100% the right sort of car to make NOW. The 430 is TOO much as they have finally realised, hence this compromise, and ask nearly any 246 Dino owner they are fast enough to have fun and interestingly technically more correct (with the engine in the right place) than this new car for a sports car!
Pete

 

Funny. They're not really "Hustlers". They are "Marketeers" --- trained not to think but to look at the past, use that information to make judgements on the future, and then figure out a way to convince all of us they are right.

Marketing and design are the ying and yang of modern man. Unfortunately, marketing is the king and design is the slave. You can make you're own judgement as to whether this makes a difference in the dismal US sales of the American manufacturers in the past several years....

I would argue that Mr. Delorean in the 60's was a bit of a break in the mold. Shelby too. I don't think they could do that today. Too bad really.

 

Why do not expect to see her in person and discuss end of stupidities ????????

 

I agree about the marketing/design yin/yang parallel.

But if I understand your position correctly, I don't agree about US auto-makers not being able to pull off a DeLorean(Pontiac GTO) or Shelby kind of innovation. This is the golden age of the muscle car/horsepower war we are in. The first GT500 Mustangs sold out before the cars were available. The Mustang GT sells like hot cakes, as does the Corvette C6/Z06, Viper, Charger SR/T, and now Challenger. Some of the hottest cars made today are made by Detroit. Corvette dominates LeMans in it's class; talk of pre-orders for the ZR1 has them largely accounted for already, even at tremendous markups.

If you're talking about flagging sales of US "fleet vehicles," then that is another segment entirely.

 

i'm underwhelmed with the styling of all the new ferraris since the 360, but i would like to give ferrari credit for taking risks, being dynamic, and looking forward.

Lamborghini gave us the stunning countach but has now kept that paradigm for over a third of a century. aston is at risk of doing the same thing, realizing they hit perfection with the db9, they now seem deathly afraid to break the mold. porsche, of course, gave up a long time ago, enslaved their brand identity to the 911, and somehow manages to turn the mid-engined sports car (usually a styling slam-dunk) into some of the most plain looking sports cars (the cayman and boxster) in history, as if they worry if its not dooofy and funny looking, people won't know its a porsche.

which leaves us with ferrari, alone in trying to move styling forward.

 

Excellent points.

Honda has just put into production a hydrogen powered car, while this is not really the right answer presently as creating hydrogen is currently very inefficient I can see this being the long term future of the auto-industry (once solar power generation is fully sorted). Where is Ferrari's prototype? ... BMW have one, heck even GM has one!
Pete

 

I can see in person!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

+1 .............. well said

 

+1.

At least Ferrari are having a go.

 

+1 also.

However, after the 360 we had the Enzo, a stunning, fresh design.

It seems lately they start out well with the front of the car but by the time they get to the rear they can't get it all to work. I think the F430, 612, California and to some degree the 599 all have this issue.

Down the side they do pretty well, like the 599, 612 and F430 even, trying to avoid the two-dimensional trap.

I think where they went wrong on the California was the decision to make it a folding hard top as opposed to soft top. That had big implications (pardon the pun!) for the rear of the car giving it that huge look. That was clearly a marketing decision, and I am sure it was debated for a long time.

I think what happen to the side of the car was that the front was set and the rear has this constraint. That is why it is so compromised I believe.

Without the hard top mandate they could have redefined the genre in thier own terms, truly setting the bar for others. That would have been a really gorgeous, "three dimensional" design.

In the end, the design integrity was sacrificed for marketing considerations, a focus-group directive. They will sell, but a really great opportunity has been lost.

 

Hummmmm !
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Excellent analysis. I read in AW that some of the Directors were not totally happy with the direction of PF on Ferrari cars, as Alfa Romeo 8C and Maserati were actually getting the fresher designs.

 

LOL I actually like the Maser GT better!

 

+1

 

Lovely car, that. Convertible version coming out soon - wonder what that is going to look like!


Onno

 

+1

And for those claiming Ferrari is "alone" in "trying to push styling forward", I suggest you put down the Kool-Aid.

There are a half-dozen other mfgs out there who continually move the bar forward with sharp designs that don't have nearly 70% of their own fanboy site voting either "Hate it" or "Indifferent" to their new models.

The *****fication of Ferrari must stop, bring back the F40/F355/TR.

 

I like the California better than the Maserati GT..... because of the badge and hardtop convertible. It would be a tough call if the Maserati had hardtop convertible and a better gear box. In fact I think the California is rather good looking - mostly because it looks very similar to the Maserari GT, which IMO is a good thing.