Whats the most authentic 550 Replica?

You sir have been weighed, you have been measured and you have been found wanting? In what world could you possibly not be a poseur?

 

Whats not to like and enjoy about this? I Love it.
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I have nothing against recreations...they are pretty much 100% accurate in every detail. They provide the same looks as the real one, but more importantly the same driving experience, which is what it is all about. Why spend millions on an original that you are afraid to drive due to possible damage and loss of value? Not to mention how much more insurance would cost. Any enjoyment from the driving experience would be more than offset by the constant worry of something bad happening to it imo.

That's why I plan on purchasing a Superformance GT40 mk2 in the future. Same experience as the real one, but without any worries if I crash it on the track or if it gets into a car accident. Not to mention a helluva lot cheaper.

 

I usually do not comment on threads like these but this time I think I will. First of all, I myself have never owned a recreation car, though I do not see anything wrong with them, if you see them as what they are. If you are truly someone who enjoys driving, and a recreation car can give you pleasure behind the wheel, then I think you have made a wise purchase. If you try and pass the car off as the real thing, well that's another story. There are the so called purists out there who would say what I have done with some of my cars no longer makes them a real whatever, and to them I say hey to each his own. I have taken what the factory built and made it better for me, and maybe that makes the car worth less, or not much at all, but to me it is the way the car should have been to begin with. So drive what pleases you, real or not.

 

Have to disagree here. Plenty of folks have nice prints of Van Goghs and other "non original" art. Doesn't make them poseurs in the least.

 

What's worse - being a poseur or having the bad taste to hang a Picasso oil reproduction in your home?

 

In other words, idiots like Ralph Lauren have overpaid for their cars. They could have saved 95% and had the same thing.

 

Idiots? Pretty sure he paid a lot less for those cars than they are currently worth. He made a good investment in that sense. I don't think he paid $45mm for a 250 GTO (today's value)...he bought his for far less. I'm also pretty sure he didn't have issues affording his GTO back in the day AND he doesn't really use his cars other than for displaying at museums and car shows.

I don't care for ever entering a car at a car show for an award. I rather be driving it to and from work, on the weekends, and at the track. It would make no sense for him to do that. For my purposes, a recreation would work better.

If I was a billionaire and was looking to invest my money in an item I will only use for display purposes and rarely drive, an original 250 GTO may be something to look at.

Edit: and fwiw, if I was a billionaire and decided to purchase an original 250 GTO, I would also get a recreation. One to store for historical purposes and one to drive the hell out of on the track.

 

And the Gioconda isn't for sale, lol.

 

Never said anything about an oil reproduction, nor did BF.
There are many prints of wonderful art available for purchase. Nothing poseur about it. Pretty ridiculous to expect someone to fly to Europe to view the original(although I highly recommend it).

 

I have a reproduction of dogs playing poker in my house, my dogs love it and I do not have the heart to tell them it is not real.

 

Don't this could ruin them for life!

 

I dont understand why the poser card is being played, seems like unneeded drama to me.

If someone likes replicas, thats on them, if you dont like them, that on you. Theres no reason to try to start fights over it.

The art comparison is rather valid, but I think we were going off on a tangent.

Would I hang a repro oil on my wall?
No, I have originals from family members and friends that I can hang.
Would I hang an authentic oil? Hell yes.

Would I have a replica car?
I cant say.
On the one hand, there are cars that I want, but can never have.
For those, I would want a replica, but knowing that it was a replica, even if built by me, and built to outperform the original, would leave a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.
I would never park it next to an original unless asked to, I couldnt.

Something as special as a 550, I do not think I could have any replica except one I built from Porsche drawings, yet if I had an original, it would not be driven enough. For a 356, I have restored, and driven replicas of them, and they are acceptable, if done right, but I would rather have an original, and I would not feel bad about driving it either.

I mention Porsches, because this is the Porsche part of the site, but also because out of all of the classics that I would love to own, only the air-cooled Porsches are familiar enough to me.

If I were to find an original 356 in a barn, in a mess, and it was around the same price as a replica, I would take the original and restore it.
I would however, take the original Porsche engine out, restore it, and keep it in the house as an art piece. I would likely build a 2180cc stroker from a Typ1 engine, and have an engine I can beat on.

 

A replica is a car that tries to look like something it isn't.

I don't think anyone has to play a poser card. It's kind of like Paris Hilton playing the heiress-bimbo card.

 

So is every women that has fake tits.....but you still look

Lambo's are sportscars posing as sportcars with no redeaming qualities or worthwhile driving characteristics but people still buy them. What's the diff? It's a faux sportscar as well.

I'm sure we will never agree on whether or not one should have a fake 550. I will have one until my wife justifies a real one that I can still drive on the road. This will never happen. I also have never tried to pass mine off as real though most people think it's real until I tell them. Doesn't really matter much to me. I drive it 5 times a year for coffee or lunch someplace and it parks the rest.

It is funny with all my cars that my friends choose the fake 550 over all the others if I ask any of them to take the cars out for a spin............so it's popular like fake tits everyone wants to play with them even if they aren't real

 

I was mentioning that for the benefit of the fellow who insisted on calling you by that description.

But what constitutes something built to original spec, with original plans as being a replica?
Just because the factory did not build it?

I read the alloycars.com site, and I must say that I am impressed.
Their cars are modeled after 550 #90, which was one of the 'improved chassis' models.
From what I have seen of their process, and finished product, I have to say the only difference is where it was built, and the engine installed. (understandable, considering the price of twin cam engines)
They appear to be as close to the Porsche method as much as possible without having Ferry to pester.

That being said, I think it all falls on the attitude of the owner. If he plasters Porsche badges and stickers over it, then he obviously is trying to lie. If the owner has no badges on it, and makes no bones about it being a reproduction, then he has grasped the fact that this is probably the best way to have that car. An original being too precious to drive enough to enjoy.

If I could fall in love with a replica, I see no issues in having a car with the looks, and design of the classic I love, but being a knock off, I can then modify it however I see fit, and no one can ***** about it.

Its a replica, why do you care if I put disk brakes, a stereo, and a stroker VW motor in it?

That way, I can have a 550 that I can romp on, and beat on, and not feel bad.

(go out like James Dean? meh, why not)

 

I can't disagree with you there. I don't think a Lambo has the cachet or history of a Ferrari or a Porsche (although I think all three marques have kind of commoditized their wares, but that's a different topic).

BUT - if someone buys a Murci, I may think he's driving a heritage-free pimp car, and you may agree with that -- or not -- but I don't think we'd argue that it's not a real Lamborghini.

As far as your friends "choosing your fake 550", I don't think they would be any less interested if you had a Porsche. If anything it's just another measure of my theory (again irrelevant to this thread) that people are into vintage sports cars more than the new stuff.

 

Bull I've driven enough Murci's to believe that I will never call it a real sportscar
whether its real or not


my point on friends chooing the 550 is they do choose it over my 5 real Porsches and 3 Ferrari's and my others. they just love that car......

so we totally agree on Lambos....thats good at least.

 

The craftsmanship is impressive.

But in terms of what constitutes an original, it's not that hard. Either it popped out of the Porsche factory or it didn't.

I agree, mostly. Although IMHO the money spent was a missed opportunity. And, even if the owner goes out of his way to notify everyone that it's a replica, onlookers are still being duped. Whether that matters in the grand scheme of things is hard to say. Personally, as I've posted elsewhere, I'd rather see a real 944 Turbo or 914/6 than a replica of some other Porsche. There's something about the real ones that is special, and made more so by the owner(s) who take care of these cars over the decades so we can still enjoy them.

For you, and me, probably true. If a Porsche 550 materialized in my garage tonight, I would be (a) really happy to the point of needing to replace underwear and (b) at a loss for where to drive it, given the merging and texting habits of SUV drivers here in San Diego.

But the guys who can afford to own a real Porsche 550 aren't limited to driving them to Wal Mart. They race at Monterey, and Coronado, and probably book private track time at Monticello in between, and do big league tours like Mille Miglia. I.e., I don't wholly buy the "but you can't park it at Denny's" rationale. Hell, most of us on this site go into cardiac arrest when our 308 or 360 gets a rock chip, and we start a thread if we get a door ding.

It's true, you wouldn't want to daily drive the car, but if you look at all the Ferrari 599 GTBs that sit around depreciating and collecting dust because no one drives them -- and these are every day driveable, non-collectible, safe, airbag-equipped coupes with modern climate control, a big boot, all-weather traction capabilities, a nice stereo, etc. -- I think the "too precious to drive" argument gets applied to almost any car we discuss on FChat.

Sure, you can do all those things. But -- my philosophy -- get a used Boxster S and you've got incredible brakes, a modern stereo, and 300+ bhp in a handsome car that handles beyond the limits that you or I could really take it.

And don't go out like James Dean. The car might be fake, but you're an original.

 

Well, I'll drink to that. Real is real.

Now where'd I put my St Pauli NA...

 

There are no such thing as AWD sports cars, they should all be removed from the road crushed and used to make houses for the poor. That said anyone who says my moded RWD (no traction controls and all crap removed) Gallardo is not a sports car needs to rethink what a sports car is. Some of you talk like you are ex formula 1 champs, most people on this board have never even driven the cars they own at 80%, but they talk like they have great skills, let me tell you boys, until you have wrecked a dozen cars or so, you do know crap about really pushing a car.

 

Sorry I have pushed your car. Your car was also designed for awd so taking the front wheel drive off even though it's only like 1/3rd of the power doesn't change the characteristics. It still sweeps into corners and rotates high and heavy like a pendulum until it finally grabs and takes the corner. Tho your gallardo corners 1000 times better than it's bigger brother murci I will still take several cars over either of them on a track or through the mountains. Wrecking 1/2 dozen cars won't prove anything. I raced 5 years with 1 major (160mph into a wall) and 3 minor accidents with enough spins and offs to make my pit crew hate me. Pushing a car isn't wrecking it. Pushing a car is getting out after a 45 minute sprint race in a cool suit drenched from head to tow and wanting more!

I've pushed every car I own and many others and can speak about them freely.

True Story about Lambo's.....
........ a while back the 6 chiefs of Lambo came to Seattle for a talk to the NW car crew. One of our members is very much in tune with the factory. They were all sitting around a table at a local restaurant when my buddy saw my wife and I walk through. He called us over and I was introduced as the local "ferrari" guy that speaks out most about Lambos. Top guy to me "Why don't you like our cars?" My first response. You don't make a 2 wheel drive car and a real sportscar doesn't have AWD, the handling is all wrong when you are getting pulled vs pushed around a track. Your cars aren't raced world wide to show off their abilities and I don't like bright colors. My wife as usual dropped her head because she can't believe I'm telling them this. My buddy said "I told you guys he'd speak his mind to you" We chatted a bit more and I could tell all of them showed genuine concern that their cars weren't getting raced anywhere but the Challenge Series. This seemed to be their largest concern imho. Heritage in racing is what customers long for. I did buy the table a round after my wife informed me I shouldn't have been so open with them. To their credit they did walk over when they were done to our table and said goodbye and 2 of them said thank you for your honest input......
.

Now I won't take credit for it but a 2 wheel drive Gallardo came out a short 3 months later

 

Alright, enough with the fakes. Here's the real deal.

http://www.caporsche.net/images/carsforsale/356/Silver57Spyder/images.html

Apparently just bought and sold within 72 hours via a Porsche restorer/broker north of San Diego. I may drive up and see this one before it ships out.

 

I have been designing building, and racing cars for over 35 years, longer than many people on here have even been driving, do not even attempt to tell me about dynamics. I have If you were a racer you know that everyone THAT MEANS EVERYONE who has ever been any good has had their fair share of wrecks. Yes the 15 years I spent on the track was probably when you were watching cartoons, and my skills are not what they used to be, but to say what my cars does without even knowing what has been done to it makes you sound like you have no idea what you are talking about. The Gallardo is not fastest car in my garage and it is not moded anywhere near as much as my others, but it is certainly not the way you think it is, it hands my 430 coupe its hat in every way. When you can redesign and chasis and suspension in titantium and magnesium, and have a few patents, then come come back and talk to me.

 

Yes I am old and cranky, but after owning over 250 cars, and breaking almost every bone in my body do to racing one thing or another, I earned it.