RE: Ferrari 599 replacement leaks onto web

[myhandle]

Vladimir said:

Brilliant thread! I love it when someone rocks the boat to fans (and the occasional owner) of something very few dare to question.

On a much more modest note, my inlaws ran an F355 for a year from new. VERY unreliable, comedy build quality (just try opening the front "boot" then gaze in wonderment at the blatant Fiat bits, etc) and a dog to live with. Dad's mate also spun his new 328GTS MANY years ago at Goodwood (I was there but only 8 years old). On returning I noticed a crease in the rear bonnet - the entire chassis had bent and it was a write off... Dad's 308GT4 (pretend Ferrari) was also a bit of a dog.

All sound great, go like the clappers but really are made quite badly. Look at an F40 (I've looked around one - nothing more) and you'll suddenly think a TVR is actually very well screwed together. Sounds like the quality stepped up a lot with the F430 but yet to have a good look around one.

The front boot of a 355 has a luggage compartment containing a leather bound toolkit, attached to the back of the boot compartment. There are two hatches, behind the healdight units, left and right, each secured by two rotating studs. I am not sure which of these components are from a Fiat (the screw thread? The carpet material brand perhaps?) but they are certainly of high quality. The bootlid is light and flexes slightly, and sometimes need to be pushed down onto its clips from left and right, but the compartment is watertight and well made. For a mid engined small supercar from the 1990s with its origins in the 1980s, the F355 is surely a well-made, well-designed reliable car. The 360 is clearly a good car too, but the F355 has an iconic following which it, and certain later Ferraris will not develop, which in my opinion is because it is pretty much the only Ferrari that combines modern reliability with truly classic looks, with the possible exception of the 456GT (550 is very nice too but the nose air intake and front lights aren't of the classic Ferrari school).

As for the F40, most have now been rebuilt given their age. As far as I know, the build quality was good from new, but the actual finish / fit quality was variable. Which is fine, as the F40 was from an entirely different era when standards of finish expectation were different, and it had a different design rationale from, say, the 959, and later the Diablo, XJ220 and EB110. Those cars are closer to the supercars of today, with nicely finished interiors. The F40 is surely so highly regarded because it wasn't trying to be a super-Testarossa, but rather a Group B race car (even though the GrpB Race series never really launched, unlike Group B rallying) for the road.

Finally, I doubt it's possible for a car to be written off from spinning it unless it turned over or hit something. I appreciate the 328 is not as stiff as a modern Ferrari, but the 250s and 330s from the 1960s spun at classic races don't seem to be written off, or even need much surgery at all after racing spins, so a road car 20+ years newer such as the 328 probably would not either. Unless a barrier or other car was involved.

Edited by myhandle on Monday 27th February 23:21

Edited by myhandle on Monday 27th February 23:22

Edited by myhandle on Monday 27th February 23:25

[gemini]

Opened the picture up and thought immediately "TVR Typhon"

[Civpilot]

Welshbeef said:

Want.
V12
Nearly standard veyron fast beat the McClaren F1
Looks amazing
Well done Ferrari now don't ruin the dash.

I think I understand this post, but either way I would be shocked if it wasn't faster than a childs buggy...

[fatboy18]

Ile get the sausages and Hamburgers ready, Those Ferrari's normally have a tendency to heat up rather well. Will be interesting to see if they have sorted out the fire issues from the other model

Joking aside though, it looks rather good as a GT car, I still like the old model too

[gumsie]

reyne111 said:

Another Fat Ferrari to ad to the list . . . all these power houses do is go fast in a straight line and then eat through £1500 worth of rear tyres when going sideways round a corner. Ferrari go back to the 360 CS and 430 Scuderia, Enzo, let Mercedes make the fat exec cars that have more power than sense !!!! Pointless power !!!

...SO if I want a large and fast, (and very comfortable/quiet when I need it to be), car to ferry my nearest and dearest in I'm going to find a Ferrari suitable am I? Depends on what you want surely?

[Vantagefan]

I hate Ferraris as a rule but that is stunning.

[garypotter]

Gridl0k said:

headline said:

FERRARI 599 REPLACEMENT LEAKS ONTO WEB

Typical Italian car then. I'll grab some cement dust.

thank you this comment brightened up my morning -

[Audi 525i]

myhandle said:

but the compartment is watertight and well made. For a mid engined small supercar from the 1990s with its origins in the 1980s, the F355 is surely a well-made, well-designed reliable car.

I've had an F355 Berlinetta for 5 years now and the ingress of water into the luggage compartment each time I wash it, is a bloody joke.

Mechanically it has been wonderful and very robust (70000 miles and rising ) but it ain't as well screwed as a Porsche.

Won't sell it though, ever.

[myhandle]

Audi 525i said:

I've had an F355 Berlinetta for 5 years now and the ingress of water into the luggage compartment each time I wash it, is a bloody joke.

Mechanically it has been wonderful and very robust (70000 miles and rising ) but it ain't as well screwed as a Porsche.

Won't sell it though, ever.

Well, maybe they vary. I know 3 people who have F355s , all GTS models, all red, two manual, one F1. None have this problem. The seal around the bonnet looks like a pretty simple piece to replace? Anyway, like you none of them is planning on ever selling their cars. It has to be one of the nicest looking and sounding Ferraris ever, and still quick.

[DABofNOS]

Bisonhead said:

Gorgeous! Seems Ferrari are getting back on form with body design. Looking forward to finding out more!

+1

[Ferano]

The styling is too much for me doesn't interest me at all,front looks very long and 800bhp is just mad.
I'm starting to go off these new Ferrari's, I like the 458 but theirs something about the 355, 360cs, F430 and the 430 Scuderia that wins for me over 458 (not that I've driven any). I can't imagine what the new Enzo will look like in 2014. Would you think this new 599 would cost more than the Aventador?

Edited by Ferano on Wednesday 29th February 01:11

[fatboy18]

Don't think you can really compare a 458, 430, 360 or an Enzo to this at all, this is a GT Car, not a sports car.

Edited by fatboy18 on Wednesday 29th February 09:02

[Skater12]

MSTRBKR said:

tgx said:

Looking at the front end of this one I'm thinking Maserati.

I think that is a Ferrari, albeit with some heavy mods to disguise it. I doubt the front end is actually body work, it's a disguise. You can see the Ferrari badge on the front quarter. IMO that's either largely a 458 with a small number of new components, or a complete underbody of a new model with a 458 exterior. Either way, the front lights are a 458 to me.

Im looking at those headlights and agreeing with you, but then headlight are just headlights.
The more interesting bit to me is the longer higher back, hiding somthing more relevent than just styling changes to a 458.
Also, look at the vents in the bonnet, then think about the bonnet of the Enzo, the F50, the Mazzer MC12. you never know, could be the next "Big one".
The F40 launched in the mid 80's as the 40th Anniversary car.
The F50 launched in the mid 90's as the 50th anniversary car.
The Enzo (F60) launched in the early 00's as the 60th anniversary car.
The F70 ??? due soon i reckon.

[myhandle]

http://www.ferrari.com/English/GT_Sport%20Cars/GT/...

It's the F12 Berlinetta

[Aspect]

Some better pictures here, not sure about the F1 bit in the middle! http://axisofoversteer.blogspot.com/2012/02/ferrar...

[KB_S1]

Vladimir said:

Brilliant thread! I love it when someone rocks the boat to fans (and the occasional owner) of something very few dare to question.

On a much more modest note, my inlaws ran an F355 for a year from new. VERY unreliable, comedy build quality (just try opening the front "boot" then gaze in wonderment at the blatant Fiat bits, etc) and a dog to live with. Dad's mate also spun his new 328GTS MANY years ago at Goodwood (I was there but only 8 years old). On returning I noticed a crease in the rear bonnet - the entire chassis had bent and it was a write off... Dad's 308GT4 (pretend Ferrari) was also a bit of a dog.

All sound great, go like the clappers but really are made quite badly. Look at an F40 (I've looked around one - nothing more) and you'll suddenly think a TVR is actually very well screwed together. Sounds like the quality stepped up a lot with the F430 but yet to have a good look around one.

My Dad has had a couple of 328GTBs.
Build quality is not modern BMW like of course but, in general it is solidly put together. Both cars were/are used a lot with big trips often involved.
Neither showed any reliability issues other than the first one having some problems with HT leads coming loose on occasion. This was easily sorted once figured out.

[TonyHetherington]

Skater12 said:

The F70 ??? due soon i reckon.

That's well known, I thought. Specs have been banded about (it has KERS system for example), and is due next year (from a very hazy memory)

[loomx]

http://www.ferrari.com/English/GT_Sport%20Cars/GT/...

Details Released

740CV/750BHP

0-124mph in 8.5 seconds!

[George H]

http://axisofoversteer.blogspot.com/2012/02/ferrar...



That rear end

[GroundEffect]

A better rear-end than the 599.

485BHP/tonne. 8,700rpm. 0-124mph in 8.5...what a machine.