RE: Ferrari future proofs its used fleet

[iloveboost]

So it's just a re-branded Clarion? I'd buy that or a similar head unit for a couple of hundred quid then unless you want to pay about £1500 for a logo. .
I think the people who buy this won't really look at anything else otherwise they wouldn't buy it. They will probably get a letter or phone call from their dealer about this great 'opportunity' to upgrade their car stereo with a 'factory approved' entertainment system that's been 'exclusively developed' for their car. Sounds great where's my wallet?! Hang on think I need a Ferrari first!

[kambites]

Is that reversing camera even legal, covering part of the plate like that?

[M Powered]

Surely for the FM Radio functionality... one of those little Analog FM Broadcast devices that plugs into the 3.5mm jack on your smartphone / connected device. When the FM signals are switched off, there will be less interference too?

[WokkaWokka]

Bloody hell thats just awful.

[toppstuff]

I don't think the PH staffer who wrote this is being ironic.

I think he really means it. Totally drunk the Ferrari Kool Aid here. It reads like a press release.

I mean, come on, the reality is that this is a bit rubbish.

Not the PH editorial teams finest moment.

[AWG]

gofasterrosssco said:

This story is 2 weeks too late..

Spot on

[keith2.2]

Dire.

Two key things for me:

1)
Surely an elegant, future-proof solution that Ferrari COULD have developed, if they could be arsed, would have been an LCD replacement for the Rev-counter - which could have been switchable for nav and radio info (heck, it could even have been programmed to auto-switch to RPM at 70% max revs or under full throttle for extra "trick" status) - controllable from a single DIN DAB compatible headunit to reflect the original design. This latter solution may even have been worth the eye-watering price.

2)
Aren't they missing the even more key point that DAB itself is already outdated tech? The BBC have said they're halting development because actually most people are bypassing DAB in favour of listening to internet radio...

If Dick Lovett have any sense, they'll also be buying up every Laser Disc they can find on ebay to sell to customers who chose this "upgrade"..

[blindswelledrat]

Is news really that slow that an optional extra for a Ferrari merits a whole front page article?
I could understand this making a thread in the Ferrari section but and advert for the site?

[Dale487]

The car looks questionable inside & out.

The problem with up grading to DAB in a way thats intergrated and factory looking is the main reason I went for the optional Sat Nav/DAB radio in my car - the Sat Nav is really good with diections on the Nav screen & between the dials, I only spec'd it at the last minute.

Bar the reserving camera it has more features than the Ferrari and looks better for about quarter the cost.

[rodericb]

What a horrendous piece of tat. What'll be next - a sub woofer box that fills up two-thirds of the passenger footwell?

[f328nvl]

"Ferrari has all sorts of stuff on offer, from luggage sets to carbon ceramic brakes, all to a quality that rigorously matches production line standards."

I have a Ferrari 355. The quality of its cabin materials is famously "sticky", to the point that a casual search will list hundreds of Sticky F355 threads. Mine is here:

http://www.honestjg.com/2013/05/ferrari-355-trim-t...


As for the product: Not as bad as Aston martin's leather boxer shorts of a few years ago, but how would you use the Bluetooth phone with the roof down? Maybe a cheaper radio might be a better investment, the standard one is crap.

[JohnG123]

Wow pity they cannot get my iphone 4 to work in a 2011 California.

[Porkie]

I stuck a parrot thingy on my one. Loads cheaper. Alot more discrete than that ugly thing. Bluetooth music streams from iphone via bluetooth or ipad/ipod or contect via wire in glovebox. Satnav instructions from Iphone TomTom app over the musics as well.

I think its great and that Ferrari are developing stuff for older cars, and for Ferrari thats not taking the pi55 price wise too much... but it looks horribly dated and spoils look of dash.

[Juber]

I personally think that screen looks horrible, any flip up screen that will cover the dash vents up. Not my cuppa tea.

Also, this particular Ferrari could also do with my detailing service, the swirls in the paintwork are horrific, why would you leave your supercar in that state!!!

[AlexGSi2000]

Oh dear, it looks terrible.
Clarion as well - would expect a brand like Alpine in a Ferarri at-least.
Flip out screens are soooooo 2005.

[InfoRetrieval]

DAB is already old tech, and it's a poor replacement for FM:

- Higher power requirements. A battery powered FM radio lasts for months. A DAB radio on (alkaline) batteries lasts for hours.
- Poor reception on many parts of the UK
- Poor sound quality when you consider the extra tech involved

FM isn't getting switched off any time soon, and it's replacement is likely to be DAB+ or Digital Radio Modial (google it!)

Save your money!

[E65Ross]

Looks absolutely awful in my opinion. BMW have been offering the retrofitting of DAB radio to older cars for years now, and suspect other manufacturers have as well. This isn't anything new, by any means!

[mike-r]

PH said:

"Connection is very important for our customers," says Russell Simpson, Ferrari's UK Head of Aftersales. "This is an elegant solution to the problem of the looming FM switch-off, and provides lots of features in one unit."

I am somewhat at odds with Russell Simpson's definition of 'elegant'.

[PAULJ5555]

So when is analogue being switched off?????????????????

[WCZ]

devnull said:

All looks a bit nasty and ripspeed to me..

+1