Here is the latest rumor on the 360 replacement

I completely agree... they cannot release a 480hp Modena replacement running 4.0s in the under $200K range unless they discontinue the Maranello. At 515hp, 4.2s, and much more weight, the Maranello would be unsellable.

Even as it is, the Maranello is out of line with the rest of the product line. And while they might be concerned about the coming 360 competition, look at the sales... their problem child is the Maranello.

I predict (actually, more hoping) that they've decided they need a bit more exotic car for that segment. Borrowing from the Enzo's radical design, but NOT an Enzo look-alike. Perhaps a mid-engine 12; but definitely an all-aluminum car that is distinctly lighter than a Murci and out-performs it on the track.

Further, they need to make sure they have a non-supercar that can outperform the Ford GT... they can't do that without discontinuing the Maranello... and it'll be much easier to do with a new $2??K car.

An absolutely stunning replacement for the Maranello would give Ferrari plenty of attention and press, which will help sustain the strong sales of the 360 by association. They might throw in a 360 "evolution" during that time... but I have to think the next big thing will be the Maranello replacement.

The only other alternative that I see is the new car replaces BOTH the 360 and the Maranello... but that would be contrary to the past 30 years of Ferrari history.

 

Wondering what is the development cycle time for a brand new Ferrari model, but it must be at least 5 years. Makes me skeptical about recent project decisions related to the Gallardo, would be way too late to redirect the project.
Anyway, car launch in Geneva in 2005, test drive a few weeks or months later, 2 years of waiting list because of all the candid buyers placing orders without even seeing the car, best case delivery 2007 (or no delivery if the car has an Enzo inspired design).

 

5 years? I'd say 18 months for development cycles. If you want to stay competitive these days.

After-all, the groundwork was done on the ENZO so you save some time when you're just reworking what you've already learned.

The Ford GT, Viper, and Gallardo surprised the heck out of the Japanese who had to delay Toyota's next super sports car and the next NSX because the HP war was such a big bump. Things that were on the design table got put on hold until a bigger motor can be worked out.... but at least most of the design work on the cars are done.

Ferrari is in the same boat on the 360 replacement and just moved up the date, cancelled the project to do gradual small bumps in HP, and looked to the ENZO for everything they learned in reworking that car into the Maser racecar and the 612...which borrowed on ENZO engine technology.

I always thought it was stupid to spend sooooo much money developing the ENZO for only 300 units. But now I see how that huge expense is being shared over many platforms. Enzo has already be re-engineered into 3 platforms. Ferrari is starting to look a lot smarter

You've got to be very fast on product cycles now in the auto industry!

 

I am glad that the competition has become so fierce with the Ford GT, Gallardo, Murci, Porsche CGT, etc. It means that the next generation of Ferrari models will have to be sensational. They don't have a choice. I think we are in for some very exciting stuff in the next few years. It's time for Ferrari to trim the fat and the real winners will be us: the enthusiasts.

 

Car mfg is not my prime area of expertise, but it sounds completely unrealistic to me. My guess would be that the final validation & certication rounds take about that long.
Don't see either much leverage between the Enzo, designed for a 300 one-shot run, and a Modena replacement aimed at 3000/year for a good 5 consecutive years.
I'd bet that the Modena replacement was undertaken shortly after the launch of the 360, some time in 2000 or 2001.

Look at Aston, they've been doing pre-emptive marketing showing concepts of the AMV8 to the public and the press although the car was far, far away from mass production.

 

Allan:

The Porsche 997tt is rumored to be coming out with 460 HP. I think that number is too conservative and that it will be closer to 500 HP. The only problem I have with the Porsche is that it will be too heavy!! The 997tt is also rumored to be another 60 lbs heavier

As it stands Car & Driver mag is testing the 996tt around 3565 lbs with fuel!!! The car is a pig!!

Now, if you put two full grown men in the 996tt and weight it, it is close to the Lambo's cruise-ship weight (but it has 570 HP)

If the Ferrari does come out with 480 HP and comes in around 3150 lbs then it will be a car we could lust after and be proud doing it

 

Where are you getting the fact that Lambos are more maintenence intensive than Ferraris? Just wondering, since that is completely untrue.

 

As you go through this guy's post it's like every single sentence is more hilariously ignorant than the previous one. It really is an amazing progression, I'd have a hard time duplicating it on purpose, let alone as he did it on the fly.

Hey "joeyy", while you (being a reknowned and expert evaluator of sports cars no doubt from that post) don't put the "lambo" and the 360 in the same class, apparantly the leadership at Ferrari disagrees, because their whole plan for the next version of the car has been scrapped due to the competition that now exists.

I think you shoud definitely pick up the phone and call Luca right now, tell him he's got nothing to worry about from the "lambo" and that he can continue producing a $180k car that's dramatically slower than both a GT2 and a Gallardo for the next decade. He'll be happy to hear from someone so clearly in the know and that his worries were unfounded.

 

No new 997 tt,it will continue as 996 until 998 (another 2-3 years)

 

Every european car mag is expecting a 997 by the end of this year .

 

I don't think that's true. I think the wide body 997s will come out about the same time as the regular Carrera. Dealers (who will readily admit that they are told almost nothing about the new models) have said that there will be turbo 997s, but it won't be much different than a 996. The 998 will be a totally reworked model in every respect.

 

I hope Porsche is looking to add aluminum to the 998 like the 360 and Gallardo has. If Porsche keep going the way they are going with most of the range of cars regarding height they will be just to heavy to make them special enough...

 

This is what I've been made to understand. The 575M is diong badly in sales and Ferrari has to address this problem first. But the 360 is it's bread and butter line and perhaps the threat of the Gallardo is more serious that we think. Is it possible to have 2 new models in a year?

 

Yes,regular 997,but not turbo.
The current 996 tt will be fazed out during 997 production run and will be put on hiatus untill the new 998.

 

It is not possible to get a 575 at MSRP, does not sound like sales are too bad? There is still a waiting list, not sure it takes years to get one but that's not too bad.

 

are you on crack??

you can barely give away a 575. there are new one's sitting in dealerships all over the country that would LOVE to sell one at list.

by the way, i really like the car

 

Where can you order a new one? Our local dealer is out over 1 year on this model. And yes, there are used ones for sale. Some are barely used but for a new, custom order car, who has open slots?

 

LOL! Waiting list for a 575M!

 

http://www.italiaspeed.com/newsite/futuremodels.htm

 

What can Ferrari remake for the Enzo replacement? This will be fun if italiaspeed got the real scoop. Battle of the classics

LAMBORGHINI 2007
-MIURA (remake with 1000bhp V16 power)

 

No-brainer: a P3 or P4. Of course the trick will be incorporating the latest wind tunnel technology without losing the beautiful lines.

 

On italiaspeed.com , its wriiten an F60 for 2007 (new supercar with V12 and over 800 bhp)

 

I looked at this car when it was for sale. I think it was located in Mountain View, CA.

You've done some amazing bodywork to it!

Chris