RE: Ferrari F512M: Showpiece of the Week

[Gregor-lun1d]

it never ceases to amaze me how a supercar dealer who will know what "only ever used in the dry" means to a prospective purchaser will go and soak the underside of a car for the purposes of a mediocre photo opportunity.

genuine /facepalm stuff

[bmv6197]

As a few people have said already, this is one Ferrari "modificato" that really didn't work in practice.

Front pop-up lights / legislation changes aside, trying to graft on 355-style rear lights not only didn't work anywhere near as well as it did in the 348-355 change, they have managed to make this look like one of those Fiats or VWs that you see while on holiday in Latin America that began life as an 80s Uno or Golf and have had cheap "modern" fronts and rears stuck on, and you find yourself spendign the rest of your vacation trying to work out why they look so upsettingly bad (OK, maybe that's just me).

Ditto old Hillmans and Austins that carried on life in former Soviet nations, modernised into monstrosities. Just dire...

The wheels don't help - surely contenders for the worst Ferrari alloys ever.

Visually, this is not even in the same league as the Testarossa or 512TR.

[Ninja59]

Testarossa, 512TR or 512M.

For me the TR is where they resolved all the issues and as said the M is where they ruined it to comply in the interim before the 550. But even then if memory serves when the 550 did come it was not really great until they has tweaked it again....

Personally I have soft spot for the 512TR and 575 (less so the 550). I love some of the drama of the 599, but the F12 and 812 do nothing for me.

[Turbobanana]

fernando the frog said:

I shopped some better wheels on it (ignore the reflection lol)

And some negative camber at the front, it seems

Just how deep actually is that pond? And does it have fish in it?

[ducnick]

That’s not going to do anything to help the rust and Italian electrics

[rtz62]

Dreadful abhorration, whoever the design team were, and i presume they were split into 3 groups to design the front, middle, and back, obviously never met each other...
Makes a 308 GT4 look quite...nice.

As an aside, once accompanied my friend from London to Hartley Snrs, aforementioned friend had an obscene amount of ££ to spend on 'the right car'.
Ok, the visit wasn't planned,(and friend didnt realise that he should have rang ahead) but turned up to the electric gates and pressed the buzzer.
A polite voice asked what we wanted and my friend summoned up a plum from the depths of his pocket, popped same in his mouth and told the dis-embodied voice that he wished to view a particular Ferrari (I think it was)
Voice says that sorry, no viewings without an appointment.
Friend replies that hes just driven from London to see this thing.
Voice trots out the same mantra again.
Friend drops plum from his mouth and in a very broad London accent tells the voice to 'faaark right off then, lar'
Ends up returning to London and dropping aforementioned £££ on an almost identical Fezza from a well-known, and accomodating specialist in/near London.
You can't buy class....

[cookie1600]

I just don't think Master Hartley is trying hard enough at this sales stuff:

[nyxster]

Gameface said:

I'll be the first to say it...

The preceding 512TR was far better looking. Much more resolved design.

This one is a mess. Hideous wheels. Round rear lights don't gel. Fronts aren't much better.

A real backwards step IMO.

Edited by Gameface on Monday 17th September 12:25

Completely agree. The 512TR was the best resolved design of the series, the 512M was a dogs dinner in comparison.

[CRA1G]

It's on a remote controlled hydraulic ramp/bridge which is lowered into the water for the photo video/shots,so nothing actually gets wet other than an 1/2 inch of water the tyres sit on.....

[Fire99]

I'm rather fond of the 512TR but the M, as others have said, has a shocking set of rear lights. Reminds me of the final edition Lotus Esprits that had a similar 'modification' and the last TVR Griffiths that also had err challenging rear lights.

230 grand would be far better spent elsewhere in my humbles..

[myhandle]

Rawwr said:

It was just poor timing for the 512M. A mid-generation mongrel. It was released when the other cars available from Ferrari were the F355 and 456GT, which is some pretty stiff competition in the sex-appeal department. They took a 512TR, got it to comply with the 'no more pop-up headlights' legislation and then waited a couple of years before they introduced the 550. It was always doomed to look like an outdated hog.

The 456M and Corvette C5 were both launched after the F512M, so I think that the pop up headlights had not been banned at this stage.

[TooMany2cvs]

CRA1G said:

It's on a remote controlled hydraulic ramp/bridge which is lowered into the water for the photo video/shots,so nothing actually gets wet other than an 1/2 inch of water the tyres sit on.....

Shush with your facts. They're so inconvenient when it comes to a good rant...

"Never used in the dry" <rolls eyes>
This is the sodding UK.

[Rawwr]

myhandle said:

Rawwr said:

It was just poor timing for the 512M. A mid-generation mongrel. It was released when the other cars available from Ferrari were the F355 and 456GT, which is some pretty stiff competition in the sex-appeal department. They took a 512TR, got it to comply with the 'no more pop-up headlights' legislation and then waited a couple of years before they introduced the 550. It was always doomed to look like an outdated hog.

The 456M and Corvette C5 were both launched after the F512M, so I think that the pop up headlights had not been banned at this stage.

Guess it's a good job I said 456GT, then

(and the C5 wasn't sold in Europe)

[Motorsport3]

I like that car, always did. But i don't understand that lake photo setting. It is really bizarre and if anything unsuitable.

[The Don of Croy]

CRA1G said:

It's on a remote controlled hydraulic ramp/bridge which is lowered into the water for the photo video/shots,so nothing actually gets wet other than an 1/2 inch of water the tyres sit on.....

Nice idea and possibly tricky to do, but how much better if they'd blown the budget on some quality landscaping and a strimmer to keep it all looking the best it could be?

As for the F512M - new belt fitted? Just the one? Cheapskates.

[Hatchoo]

A design that is very much of its time, unfortunately it was a time when cars were often badly proportioned and horribly detailed.

[TIGA84]

Motorsport3 said:

I like that car, always did. But i don't understand that lake photo setting. It is really bizarre and if anything unsuitable.

Purely for the fact that even now, what 2 years on? Every time he posts a photo - it gets people talking about it, he then sells more cars.

Like it or not, its done its job and will continue to do so.

[Europa1]

Motorsport3 said:

I like that car, always did. But i don't understand that lake photo setting. It is really bizarre and if anything unsuitable.

Only suitable for a white Mk1 Esprit

[Arsecati]

suffolk009 said:

I know it's irrational, but I really do detest Hartley's pond photos.

You are most certainly not alone: +100!!

Absolutely hate them - what are they seriously trying to do?

[Arsecati]

TIGA84 said:

Purely for the fact that even now, what 2 years on? Every time he posts a photo - it gets people talking about it, he then sells more cars.

Like it or not, its done its job and will continue to do so.

I'm afraid I'd have to disagree!

When my numbers come in (and yep, that is a 'when', not an 'if': I'm feeling particulary perky this afternoon!), I will absolutely fill up my dream garage with cars bought from any other dealership than Hartleys, purely because those stupid lake photos are so awful. I wouldn't even care less if they turned out to be offering the best deal on something - I would spend more elsewhere, just to make a point.

THAT is how much I hate those stupid photos!

Now, if we all just wait patiently for said numbers to finally come in....... then I shall go ahead and prove my point!