Chris Harris 488 GTB review

Chris Harris 488 GTB review

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Discussion

matsoc

853 posts

131 months

Saturday 13th June 2015
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I sit in a 488 on Tuesday on a outdoor exhibition here in Turin, somehow seems even more spacious than the 458 but the rest of the interior is very familiar. From outside The car gloablly looks a tad beetter than the 458, it seems to possess even more stance, but I am not totally convinced of some design details like the lower part of the front bumper and the too clattered design close to the tail lights. The new door handles are nice though.

About the review CH focused mainly on the engine that is the big novelty but I don't understood well his view on the handling compared to 458 and Speciale. Personally when I had the chance to briefly drive on the same day and on the same road a MP4-12C and a 458 I preferred the 458 over the McLaren primarly becuase of the handling.

sone

4,585 posts

237 months

Sunday 14th June 2015
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Thought Jetho's review was better less sycophantic.


http://youtu.be/sxb_oFsT5j4

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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sone said:
Thought Jetho's review was better less sycophantic.
http://youtu.be/sxb_oFsT5j4
Summs it up - so much better (objective and in perspective) than Chris' 'review'. Sad.

EricE

1,945 posts

128 months

Monday 15th June 2015
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EpsomJames said:
dinkel said:
Sounds like a ferrari commercial to me.

Chris, what happened?
Securing his next invite to drive the next Ferrari.
Truth.
His reviews lost all bite when he went independent. Sadly. I greatly enjoyed his more critical work.

Edited by EricE on Monday 15th June 15:23

Zadkiel

390 posts

145 months

Friday 19th June 2015
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Hard for him to take risks on his own though I guess, he says the wrong thing and doesn't get invited back to Ferrari launches then it impacts him financially directly.

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Friday 19th June 2015
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Passion is over. It has become a job.

Slickhillsy

1,772 posts

142 months

Saturday 20th June 2015
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Listen to you lot... moaning that your 'FREE' Chris Harris videos aren't up to scratch. Keep an open mind and just enjoy some great footage in great cars that's FOC by a guy who lives for this sh!te. Personally I always find him very watchable and we'd all soon be moaning if he stopped!

Consider this - the alternative could soon be Jodie (rather watch fricken paint dry) Kidd!

_Leg_

2,798 posts

210 months

Saturday 20th June 2015
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I like Chris's videos. I like Jethro's too. In fact those two should be joining Evans on the new TG IMO.

No one seriously looks to car shows or videos for actual car buying advice do they? They're entertainment, nothing more and Monkey nails that in spades.

Edited by _Leg_ on Saturday 20th June 22:13

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Monday 22nd June 2015
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Watched Harris on cars last night. Over a dozen great clips. And you're right: he's top.

Should I be ashamed for my comments? Nope.

The GT3RS clip is great stuff. I just don't get that kind of excitement on the 488 clip.

IMO a critical note on his work is allowed. We're digesting his stuff.

Thank God for Chris and Jethro: I hope they both will stay away from TG. That's entertainment for the masses (which is great) where the CH and JB clips are more in depth experience views by experst in the field.

jackal

11,248 posts

281 months

Sunday 28th June 2015
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Watch the video, all seems a bit stilted/disingenuous

custardtart

1,725 posts

252 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Funny old world, I thought this was the best review CH has done and one of the best ever. Absolutely loved it.

If you want a bad 488 review check out James May's!

Anjum

1,605 posts

283 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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For what it's worth - CH is a great peddler - he can really drive - and I trust his views and judgment far more than most. Jethro and Henry - great journalists - and are both very good drivers.

But I think the point of the CH 488GTB video is really about the transition from normally aspirated to turbo assisted and did Ferrari pull it off? What I took from the video is that lots of torque (IIRC 100 lb/ft torque over the 458 Speciale) gives the driver more to think about (although the full power is capped in all gears other than top), perhaps masking the driver involvement of the normally aspirated engine, as you need to work harder to keep it on tap. I think this is a compromise that we are all going to have to get used to. I'm not sure how staged it was - I think that he was genuinely shocked as to how fast it was accelerating from the passenger seat (I always find a car more exciting when I'm not in the drivers seat!) on the short straights at Fiorano.

Just my 2p

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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custardtart said:
If you want a bad 488 review check out James May's!
Indeed. What a mess. Has May lost the plot?

EricE

1,945 posts

128 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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dinkel said:
Indeed. What a mess. Has May lost the plot?
Not sure if that's really May's fault. The editing is absolutely appalling. Give one of the various Evo cameramen/editors a new iPhone with some video editing app and they'll do a better job than that.

dinkel

26,886 posts

257 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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That. And May looks like he's bored.

Anjum

1,605 posts

283 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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JW82 said:
+1

Also, after watching the vid, I don't know how anyone could say it sounds better than a 458!
I think the 458 does sound great. It's loud - but the noise isn't refined or special. Just my opinion!

mattf93

1,273 posts

114 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Anjum said:
I think the 458 does sound great. It's loud - but the noise isn't refined or special. Just my opinion!
355 was the last good sounding Ferrari v8 in my opinion.

Durzel

12,232 posts

167 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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I think I'll always struggle to take CH's views on Ferraris seriously after seeing his capitulation from that Jalopnik piece.

Either his emotions and attitude in that article were hyperbole, or he cared more about getting back onto Ferrari's Christmas card list than his own journalistic integrity. Either way it doesn't leave a good impression.

Slickhillsy

1,772 posts

142 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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mattf93 said:
355 was the last good sounding Ferrari v8 in my opinion.
Errrrr have you never heard a 360 CS??? That is the BEST sounding V8 (with my Scud on open pipes a close second lol biggrin )


mattf93

1,273 posts

114 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
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Slickhillsy said:
Errrrr have you never heard a 360 CS??? That is the BEST sounding V8 (with my Scud on open pipes a close second lol biggrin )
I was thinking of the standard cars rather than the hardcore versions. but yes I've heard a straight piped 360cs and its pretty ridiculous the noise that came out of it. Certainly made you turn round and look!