Discussion
Good man !!!
I've got it in my will for my brothers to sort the Ferrari out to get me to the cremmy, no bloody Ford
is taking me out of this world 
On the subject of exhausts, I put a new SS system on the GT4 (nonOEM) and it sounds better than the original and is made of marine grade stainless so should see me out
"time to go lad"
I've got it in my will for my brothers to sort the Ferrari out to get me to the cremmy, no bloody Ford
is taking me out of this world On the subject of exhausts, I put a new SS system on the GT4 (nonOEM) and it sounds better than the original and is made of marine grade stainless so should see me out
"time to go lad" 
Now I've just had a gander at the ol' Autocar Handling Test and the Ferrari 575M has come second last out of 15 cars - beaten by cars like the Renault Clio, MGF, Ford Focus RS.... Irony of ironies the Murcielago won the test 
They had nothing to say about the 575 other than it was "woeful." I am hearing, from a lot of people IN THE KNOW, that the car has been chronically softened up - all the journo's seem to agree - I quote the Mag "the Maranello has been ruined," - "like the Maranello, we're gutted."
Hmmm... the point is - should we give a flying F
K about what they think? (given that I have never driven the car - and its not as if I'm about to get one anytime soon 
)
They had nothing to say about the 575 other than it was "woeful." I am hearing, from a lot of people IN THE KNOW, that the car has been chronically softened up - all the journo's seem to agree - I quote the Mag "the Maranello has been ruined," - "like the Maranello, we're gutted."
Hmmm... the point is - should we give a flying F
K about what they think? (given that I have never driven the car - and its not as if I'm about to get one anytime soon )Autocar tend to know their stuff, and 'barge-y-fying' cars has become popular in recent years. Even Caterham tried it... It is to be discouraged, as everyone knows that suspension should be rock hard for no roll. And that electric heated seats should be a delete option 
If I was in the market for a 575, I'd save my money and get a s/h 550 or Kev's 360. Yummy.
If I was in the market for a 575, I'd save my money and get a s/h 550 or Kev's 360. Yummy.
quote:
........They had nothing to say about the 575 other than it was "woeful." I am hearing, from a lot of people IN THE KNOW, that the car has been chronically softened up - all the journo's seem to agree - I quote the Mag "the Maranello has been ruined," - "like the Maranello, we're gutted." ..........
I really don't understand it. Have 550 owners been strolling into the dealerships and saying the handlings too sharp or too hard. If the 575 has been softened as the press alledge then this is a sad day for Ferrari, because even though their F1 team is doing fantastically their road car division appears to have lost the plot.
DAZ
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i have driven the 575 and it is in my opinion vastly improved on the 550 sits on the road better and the new inteligent suspention works a treat not so sure about the f1 vertion would like to drive the manual and the interior is nothing like a 550 a big improvement
I too have driven the 575M - with and without the fiorano handling pack. Without it, on a normal British road - it's appaulling - at speed. With the handling pack - on a French A road - it's truley awesome - but you couldn't live with it in the UK.
The Murci seems to work better everywhere - although I still believe that it is too easy to drive (increases the appeal) and has too many anti-idiot devices which does not appeal - as I believe your right foot should do the talking.
It amazes me to see how soooo many people who claim to have driven various cars 550/575/Diablo/Murci etc. have such varying reports back to the forum! Maybe thats why the myth of supercars continues. Or is it that not many people use their cars to the full???
I have been present with a few journos doing road test etc. - they can't all drive that well - maybe we can't too?
Ho hum!
Anjum - are you saying that the FHP is too stiff for the UK? (even when fitted to the supposedly lardy 575 suspension).
One other thing - if these journos know they don't like the F1 gearshift then why in God's name do they test drive the cars which have them fitted - or is that Ferrari UKs fault - are they making only F1 shift equipped cars available for testing? Stupid
Anjum - what colour is the Murci you've ordered?
One other thing - if these journos know they don't like the F1 gearshift then why in God's name do they test drive the cars which have them fitted - or is that Ferrari UKs fault - are they making only F1 shift equipped cars available for testing? Stupid
Anjum - what colour is the Murci you've ordered?
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domster
Nothing wrong with heated seats.
Don't get me wrong, I love them in normal cars (like your bread van), but when it comes to proper sports machinery, you don't want electric motors adding weight - the Porsche electrically adjustable and heated ones are 7 stone each!
Besides, I thought your posterior had enough insulation anyway
PS Your bread van may need Racelogic as well. It sounded like a boyed up Nova when you departed from the lights the other day
>> Edited by domster on Monday 2nd September 13:42
>> Edited by domster on Monday 2nd September 13:44
Steady Edward!
What's all this drivel about the 575M being a car for the Houston dentists?
Have any of these hyper critical heathens driven said chariot at 180 down Le Straite Mulsanne? Or screamed away from a toll booth betwixt France and the land of the watchmaker supreme?
Correct me here but isn't the 575M a GT, as in crossing Europe at Mach 3 in relative comfort? A progression from the days of the Daytona, 456 and most latterly, the 550? And maybe even the venerable old Porsche 928GTS (or S4 Club Sport), which was good for preposterously protracted periods of vast velocitied Euro Canonballing...a classic thoroughbred with full fat electro-massaging as standard - and nobody complained about that car's meagre 350 bhp.
Maybe too much emphasis these days is put on track day potential. I mean, my 911's Bilstein set-up is harder than Mike Tyson in his prime with toothache AND being labelled a batty boy by his opponent at the pre-fight weigh-in BUT...
...it probably wouldn't see which way a tricked up Escort 1300 MkI with a decent driver in it went around Croft...
But I don't care! What I do care about is that in 9/10 situations that wouldn't happen and in it's natural habitat - cruising through the Sedaten lands or annexing Bratislavia - little compares. Does that make it less worthy?
So the 575M is a better GT than the 550. If you want a rawer experience, get Prodrive to rustle you something up, if you must. But please, I do think there is a serious missing of the point here.
No, I haven't driven either 550 or 575 but I'd bet a galactic groat or two that I'm not entirely off the money here.
What's all this drivel about the 575M being a car for the Houston dentists?
Have any of these hyper critical heathens driven said chariot at 180 down Le Straite Mulsanne? Or screamed away from a toll booth betwixt France and the land of the watchmaker supreme?
Correct me here but isn't the 575M a GT, as in crossing Europe at Mach 3 in relative comfort? A progression from the days of the Daytona, 456 and most latterly, the 550? And maybe even the venerable old Porsche 928GTS (or S4 Club Sport), which was good for preposterously protracted periods of vast velocitied Euro Canonballing...a classic thoroughbred with full fat electro-massaging as standard - and nobody complained about that car's meagre 350 bhp.
Maybe too much emphasis these days is put on track day potential. I mean, my 911's Bilstein set-up is harder than Mike Tyson in his prime with toothache AND being labelled a batty boy by his opponent at the pre-fight weigh-in BUT...
...it probably wouldn't see which way a tricked up Escort 1300 MkI with a decent driver in it went around Croft...
But I don't care! What I do care about is that in 9/10 situations that wouldn't happen and in it's natural habitat - cruising through the Sedaten lands or annexing Bratislavia - little compares. Does that make it less worthy?
So the 575M is a better GT than the 550. If you want a rawer experience, get Prodrive to rustle you something up, if you must. But please, I do think there is a serious missing of the point here.
No, I haven't driven either 550 or 575 but I'd bet a galactic groat or two that I'm not entirely off the money here.
I agree, a GT should behave as a GT. You can leave the track work to the Modena or something.
That said, you want the handling of a GT to be competent. No fun wallowing or understeering around corners, even if it is comfortable on the straight bits. That is why active damping became very popular at one stage, I believe.
That said, you want the handling of a GT to be competent. No fun wallowing or understeering around corners, even if it is comfortable on the straight bits. That is why active damping became very popular at one stage, I believe.
I think that's it, though, isn't it Dom?
I.e. where the compromise is between GT and racer...
If the 456 was/is so sublime then I'm sure nobody's saying the 575M is as 'compliant' as that (or are they?) - and few people complain about that car's handling traits.
Still, I'd love to compare a 550 with a 575 and then jump into something lither; I STILL retain a degree of scepticism about such big cars' handling DESPITE what most congestenti proclaim (sorry to raise this one again, Kevin, Manu if you're reading!)...
Argh! As Jezza exclaimed when faced with a similarly exasperating question viz a vis the 911's handling 'query' - "Does it really matter?"
At the expiry of the day's last photons it all comes down to this simple reality -
Ferrari; perfect engines; sculpted icons; symphonic resonances...bladder incontinentum.
I.e. where the compromise is between GT and racer...
If the 456 was/is so sublime then I'm sure nobody's saying the 575M is as 'compliant' as that (or are they?) - and few people complain about that car's handling traits.
Still, I'd love to compare a 550 with a 575 and then jump into something lither; I STILL retain a degree of scepticism about such big cars' handling DESPITE what most congestenti proclaim (sorry to raise this one again, Kevin, Manu if you're reading!)...
Argh! As Jezza exclaimed when faced with a similarly exasperating question viz a vis the 911's handling 'query' - "Does it really matter?"
At the expiry of the day's last photons it all comes down to this simple reality -
Ferrari; perfect engines; sculpted icons; symphonic resonances...bladder incontinentum.
The Elise Beat it {Unsuprisingly} but i cant beleive cars like the Renault Clio and the Boxter beat Italys Finest.
It is a GT good for Everyday use for long or short distances and is not for the track.
There is nothing wrong with heated seats.
The 575 should stick to doing what it was meant to i mean you wouldent stick an S-Class against a Diablo and test them on speed.
It is a GT good for Everyday use for long or short distances and is not for the track.
There is nothing wrong with heated seats.
The 575 should stick to doing what it was meant to i mean you wouldent stick an S-Class against a Diablo and test them on speed.
I just don't get it - the 575M is over 1 second a lap faster than the 550M around Fiorano....
This may not necessarily say anything about handling but I am surprised and also a little dismayed that the 575 is getting this slamming - because I will always love the Maranello and I think it is a real tragedy that Ferrari may have lost the plot with it.
On a different note:
Derestrictor - you are quite the most entertaining poster on PH - reading one of your posts is almost as rewarding as finishing a Steinbeck of Hemingway.... Now tell everyone the truth - which publishing house has just offered you a £5m advance on 3-novel deal?
This may not necessarily say anything about handling but I am surprised and also a little dismayed that the 575 is getting this slamming - because I will always love the Maranello and I think it is a real tragedy that Ferrari may have lost the plot with it.
On a different note:
Derestrictor - you are quite the most entertaining poster on PH - reading one of your posts is almost as rewarding as finishing a Steinbeck of Hemingway.... Now tell everyone the truth - which publishing house has just offered you a £5m advance on 3-novel deal?
On a far less exotic plane of existence, a similar thing happened in the mags when the EVO VI 'softened' into the EVO VII...
CODSWALLOP!!! The two cars were about as uncompromisingly raw as each other but the snobs in the press pack who'd discovered the EVO VI in the first place obviously couldn't be doing with 'their' baby developing into a (slightly) less 'Max Power' form, albeit with similarly violent tendancies.
So the myth of the VII's softer, more useable, friendlier to hedgehogs reputation arose.
That was complete arse and I suspect much of the rambling musings unto the 575M are equally derivative of the buttock.
CODSWALLOP!!! The two cars were about as uncompromisingly raw as each other but the snobs in the press pack who'd discovered the EVO VI in the first place obviously couldn't be doing with 'their' baby developing into a (slightly) less 'Max Power' form, albeit with similarly violent tendancies.
So the myth of the VII's softer, more useable, friendlier to hedgehogs reputation arose.
That was complete arse and I suspect much of the rambling musings unto the 575M are equally derivative of the buttock.
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CODSWALLOP!!! The two cars were about as uncompromisingly raw as each other but the snobs in the press pack who'd discovered the EVO VI in the first place obviously couldn't be doing with 'their' baby developing into a (slightly) less 'Max Power' form, albeit with similarly violent tendancies.
That was complete arse and I suspect much of the rambling musings unto the 575M are equally derivative of the buttock.
I think that hits the nail on the head "Snobbery" and the fact that they have to say something
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I think that hits the nail on the head "Snobbery" and the fact that they have to say something
It worries me about the writing in the mags. How many of these people have actually run a Ferrari, Lamborghini, Aston etc? Do they really understand the mindset of an owner? Far too often, articles read like a pimply teenager given the keys to the toyshop. In the old days of Car (the 80s), the articles were authoritative -- todays stuff is mostly borrox.
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I mean, my 911's Bilstein set-up is harder than Mike Tyson in his prime with toothache AND being labelled a batty boy by his opponent at the pre-fight weigh-in BUT...
After manic bursts of laughter in a near silent room everyone in the lounge thinks I'm crazy thanks to you!
Keep it up.
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