Thursday 1st August 2013

Ferrari fakers arrested

Spanish police swoop on makers of copy F430s, but who on earth would be fooled?

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The overwhelming view at PH is that making replicas of Ferraris is a crime against taste, but in Spain it's a crime full stop.

Police there have raided two garages near Valencia and arrested eight people for converting and selling the cars and seized 17 fake Ferraris and two replica Astons.

Anyone for a 130hp 'Focus RS'?

A police statement said: "The supposed deluxe cars were advertised on two websites for about 40,000 euros (£35,000), compared to the more than 200,000 euros that an authentic model would cost on the legal market."

But here's the thing. From the pictures they mainly look like F430 and F430 Spiders. You surely know you're getting a replica if you're paying that money for one, if even you can't tell from looking at it (hard to believe). The police even agreed, saying the customers knew they weren't buying a real Ferrari.

Much as we scoff at the creation of pastiche supercars, we in the office here have a sneaking respect for what's actually a time honoured tradition, as a visit to our classifieds suggests.

Among the established replicas of AC Cobras and Porsche 356s, you can find such exotica as a fake Vipercomplete with Corvette engine ("not to be mistaken for replicas with a 2.9 Granada engine", the ad makes clear).

Or perhaps a (diesel) CLK Black?

There's an eye-catching Mercedes CLK Black Seriesreplica that bizarrely is based on a 270 CDI diesel. Or how about a very nice Dino replica with a 3.0 V6 Alfa Romeo engine? There's an almost believable Toyota MR2-based Lamborghini Murcielago.

And of course there's the obligatory Ferrari 360 Spider homage, also based on an MR2 and yours for £21,000. If the budget is really stretched there's even a Focus RS replica with a boggo 2.0 petrol on board.

But such is the gulf between these cars and those they're trying to ape that surely no one thinks they'll damage sales of the originals. If the Spanish police were acting on complaints from Ferrari itself, presumable citing EU legislation against forgery, then we actually feel a bit sad.

We'd even be impressed if those two Astons looked good (we couldn't find a pic of them). The marque hasn't often been targeted by replica makers, save for this valiant attempt based on a Vauxhall Calibra.

Ferrari pic: Telegraph

[gofasterrosssco]

And who can forget this amazing relica:

http://www.carscoops.com/2012/08/it-came-from-ebay...

Surprised the Carabinieri haven't swooped all the way from Italy for this one..

[V8KSN]

The thing about replicas is they are not driven by 'real' petrolheads, they are driven by people who want to fool others into thinking they are driving the real thing.....I find that quite sad.

If you are going to spend £20k odd on a replica - dont! Buy something that will feel better to drive (if you want to drive that is)

[Dusty964]

No one can 'forget it' it gets posted so fking often.

[AdamW]

An Aston replica based on a Calibra? PahI I once saw one based on a Toyota iQ.

[Kenzle]

Didn't some bloke turn a Ford Cougar into a Bugatti Veyron not so long ago.

Anyone got a pic?

[Chicane-UK]

Kenzle said:

Didn't some bloke turn a Ford Cougar into a Bugatti Veyron not so long ago.

Anyone got a pic?

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2015002/It-looks-like-1million--Bugatti-Veyron-89-000-petrol-head-wrecked-Ford.html

Apologies for Daily Fail link.. it was the first hit after I googled!

[Bencolem]

Love that in the Ferrari F360 description it says "The biggest give a way with most replica cars is the TAX DISC with reads Toyota, Ford, etc" without a hint of irony. Brilliant!

[e21Mark]

Just think what you could build yourself for £20k instead of spending it on a fake Ferrari. I've never really got the whole fake thing anyway, unless it's something where one could never realistically buy an original and the fake is built to a standard that equals that they are mimicking. I've seen some lovely GT40 reps and a Ferrari P3 rep built by an aeronautical engineer, using a real Ferrari engine etc. It was stunning.

MR2's with eBay bodykit are just plain silly.

[Paul O]

All sounds a bit harsh - arresting and seizing? Blimey.

I like replicas, I think they are interesting beasts. Some very good, some utter ste but all have had a lot of time and money spent and I bet the build stories are quite unique.

[ILoveMondeo]

That lambo doesnt look so bad...



Nor does the Dino for that matter,

But then making a replica of a proper classic isn't that bad really is it? Singer, Chesil and Dax Cobra spring to mind, all good cars in their own right.

[tannedstamina]

I don't really understand this whole replica business.

Isn't it a bit like shagging a transvestite. It might look like the right thing, but underneath it most certainly isn't, and that's what counts.

[Carnnoisseur]

tannedstamina said:

I don't really understand this whole replica business.

Isn't it a bit like shagging a transvestite. It might look like the right thing, but underneath it most certainly isn't, and that's what counts.

Cringed and burst out laughing at the same time, hilarious

[CrisCronin1]

It was only last week, bored at work that I trolled through the classifieds to look at the replicas for amusement.

I was surprised at some of the quality, although, why would you? Especially if you could spend the money on buying this...

http://www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/used-cars/m...

(The first meaty 20k'er in the classified)

[smash]

V8KSN said:

The thing about replicas is they are not driven by 'real' petrolheads, they are driven by people who want to fool others into thinking they are driving the real thing.....I find that quite sad.

If you are going to spend £20k odd on a replica - dont! Buy something that will feel better to drive (if you want to drive that is)

Massive sweeping generalisation and not always the case at all.

I had a silver 355 look a likee which I ran with full Toyota, TRD, Two Brutal and Midship Runabout badging (alway thought it was funny seeing Toyota script on the rear decklid). I didn't buy it for being a replica - I bought it because it had a 3.0 V6 Woodsport conversion that sounded and drove gloriously at a very reasonable price (£4k - which I have just sold it on for). I treated it as a good looking MR2 - I knew exactly what it was and what it wasn't. That conversion was a great driving experience.

The irony is despite having full Toyota badging I still got the F car treatment and verbal abuse from other road users. I'd wouldn't want the real thing based on that..

I expect you really would've hated my Noble P4 replica . . .

Edited by smash on Thursday 1st August 12:11

[hwajones]

I can see the attraction in the RS, cheap insurance and a good looking car...

The rest, Horrendous!

[b14]

I can see why people buy them, but they definitely aren't for me, for three reasons:

(a) a performance car is all about how it drives for me, rather than what it looks like

(b) imagine having to admit to everyone and sundry that it's a replica (or alternatively, lie about it and hope you don't get found out)

(c) they generally look turd.

My old boss had a replica Ferrari 250GTO based on a Datsun 250Z... it didn't look terrible from afar but it certainly didn't sound like a V12, and the badly finished fibreglass bodywork gave the game away quite easily. It was cringeworthy being with him when he had to admit that it was a replica to a load of white van guys in a filling station.

[Prawnboy]

that dino looks great

i saw a vantage based on a celica at auction, looked fine till you got inside. bit harsh to have knicked those blokes.

[DavidWearsPrada]

A little ironic this happened in Spain considering when you holiday there you are constantly harrassed by vendors of fake sunglasses / watches (especially Tenerife where even the cockroaches wear fake Ray Bans).

Can't help to feel that for all the effort these fake cars must take it would be better to design your own car, it'd be substantially more rewarding. Also 20k for the MR2 based 360? That is 911 money.

[WCZ]

what the fk @ that Black Series replica

[Staffy1984]

ILoveMondeo said:

That lambo doesnt look so bad...



Nor does the Dino for that matter,

But then making a replica of a proper classic isn't that bad really is it? Singer, Chesil and Dax Cobra spring to mind, all good cars in their own right.

I 2nd that. That Dino replica does look really good.