Ferrari responds to Chris Harris
Discussion
Apologies if its a repost, but did not see it here.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8368343/R...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/8368343/R...
Excellent stuff. Harris was right to speak out and when reading an old Top Gear annual magazine(Supercar Edition i think??) that featured the Enzo. There is a whole paragraph that goes on about how the Ferrari Enzo couldnt get anywhere near there manufacturers times so Ferrari wheeled out another Yellow one, fiddled with it and it still couldnt get anywhere the official times. Suthcliff of Autocar also commented on the 2010 car of year test when the 458 was pitted against other cars(GT3RS for one) that the Ferrari crew made various adjustments to there car for it to be quickest around the track as they were not happy with there initial posted times.
As for the 458 versus the Mclaren? There is no contest under any performance test. The 458 wont see which way the Mclaren has went.
As for the 458 versus the Mclaren? There is no contest under any performance test. The 458 wont see which way the Mclaren has went.
Edited by Wanta996Gotta on Monday 21st March 15:58
I am really glad h wrote this. Perhaps now we can start getting magazines being a bit more honest about the cars they drive. Did anyone ever question how a nissan GTR was so unbelievably fast with the standard engine?? The maths never added up and no one ever said! Sad that we are being treated like mushrooms. Kept in the dark and fed s
t!
Paul
t!Paul
Good on him for speaking out; but I can't help but think Ferrari being a petty bunch of s they are will try to make an example in as many ways as public.
Watch this space, but i'm sad to say I think Ferrari will more than likely start to try to fk up Chris Harris' career as they have been blooded in public.
At the same time it would be amusing to see Chris doing road tests in customer's cars and releasing "real" performance data!
s they are will try to make an example in as many ways as public.Watch this space, but i'm sad to say I think Ferrari will more than likely start to try to f
k up Chris Harris' career as they have been blooded in public.At the same time it would be amusing to see Chris doing road tests in customer's cars and releasing "real" performance data!
My humble California is due to arrive imminently. If Chris h wants to test it fresh out of the box against claimed figures just mail me. Strikes me that it's a no lose situation and the more owners that offer the more we have to talk about . It must be better than depressing ourselves with depreciation posts.
Guyr said:
He never mentioned GTRs though and having owned one I can tell you it IS as fast as they claim, on both road and track.
How do you know? Have you done the same tests the magazines have?I think Chris's point is Ferrari have gone a stage too far, but that they are not the only ones who did this! Explain to me how a GTR with more weight than a porsche turbo and about the same power but significantly less power to weight was faster than it in the autocar test!
All these cars are fast, very fast. but if it's going to be against the stop watch etc would any owner acualy have the skill equipment and testing ability to match a car mag full test?
All credit to Chris for blowing this discussion open. Perhaps Top Gear will be exposed for all the tricks it uses to make it's programs! Mabay it's the start of the car trusth revolution!! lol
Paul
martinvantage said:
My humble California is due to arrive imminently. If Chris h wants to test it fresh out of the box against claimed figures just mail me. Strikes me that it's a no lose situation and the more owners that offer the more we have to talk about . It must be better than depressing ourselves with depreciation posts.
If he doesn't take you up on the offer then I will, my name is also Chris so close enough......Prince Jefri said:
Good on him for speaking out; but I can't help but think Ferrari being a petty bunch of s they are will try to make an example in as many ways as public.
Watch this space, but i'm sad to say I think Ferrari will more than likely start to try to fk up Chris Harris' career as they have been blooded in public.
At the same time it would be amusing to see Chris doing road tests in customer's cars and releasing "real" performance data!
Notwithstanding the fact that this article really didn't tell us much from Ferrari's perspective at all other than them defending their position. I suspect that this is the last we'll hear from them on the subject. I'm not sure CH really gives a toss what Ferrari think or whether he drives one of their cars ever again. It seems that he's quite well in at Porsche (often to be seen racing their cars in the VLN and also an invited driver for their GT3 RS roadcar at the N24 race last year), he also used his own money to buy another 911 recently as a testbed for some suspension modifications that are being tried and tested again in the VLN. So he doesn't really need Ferrari, nor does he need to drive their cars again. s they are will try to make an example in as many ways as public.Watch this space, but i'm sad to say I think Ferrari will more than likely start to try to f
k up Chris Harris' career as they have been blooded in public.At the same time it would be amusing to see Chris doing road tests in customer's cars and releasing "real" performance data!
Ferrari didn't appear to say they didn't do anything there - by claiming they prepare the cars so they perform at their peak then they are confirming what Harris said!
Beefmeister said:
I think the difference with the GTR is that the press cars seemed to have much more than the standard 470bhp, especially to get those figures. But then the customer cars were delivered, and many many people had them rolling roaded and came out with numbers over 500bhp as well.
Yes, from what I've read the GTR claimed bhp is almost always lower than the actual car has. paulqv said:
I am really glad h wrote this. Perhaps now we can start getting magazines being a bit more honest about the cars they drive. Did anyone ever question how a nissan GTR was so unbelievably fast with the standard engine?? The maths never added up and no one ever said! Sad that we are being treated like mushrooms. Kept in the dark and fed st!
Paul
What are you talking about? My GTR is totally stock and I have GPS recorded times which match those claimed by Nissan on back to back runs...t!Paul
People like you are the ones feeding s
t.
I think most of you guys are missing the point:
“For most Ferrari owners,” he says, “these things are not important. I think that Chris has done more harm to himself than Ferrari.”
...In English that reads "We don't give a to55 about what Harris said and he's gonna get it".
This isn't about Harris not caring about Ferrari, it's the other way round... Harris will be superceded at some point, Ferrari will not - unless it's by McLaren!
“For most Ferrari owners,” he says, “these things are not important. I think that Chris has done more harm to himself than Ferrari.”
...In English that reads "We don't give a to55 about what Harris said and he's gonna get it".
This isn't about Harris not caring about Ferrari, it's the other way round... Harris will be superceded at some point, Ferrari will not - unless it's by McLaren!
SonnyM said:
I think most of you guys are missing the point:
“For most Ferrari owners,” he says, “these things are not important. I think that Chris has done more harm to himself than Ferrari.”
...In English that reads "We don't give a to55 about what Harris said and he's gonna get it".
This isn't about Harris not caring about Ferrari, it's the other way round... Harris will be superceded at some point, Ferrari will not - unless it's by McLaren!
Problem Ferrari now have is that no-one will believe there performance figures and anything they release from now onwards will be scrutinised more than before.“For most Ferrari owners,” he says, “these things are not important. I think that Chris has done more harm to himself than Ferrari.”
...In English that reads "We don't give a to55 about what Harris said and he's gonna get it".
This isn't about Harris not caring about Ferrari, it's the other way round... Harris will be superceded at some point, Ferrari will not - unless it's by McLaren!
Head to heads with the Mclaren are going to be a massacre. Sutcliff of Autocar mentioned it "Running Rings" around the 458. I predict the 458 Scud/Strad will either be rushed out quicker or sent back to the drawing board.
That's not much of a response from Ferrari really, is it?
Stefano just ducks the argument and mumbles something lame about CH having done himself more harm than Ferrari.
Hope other testers/mags come out to back this up- but I guess they're unlikely to, with the likely threat to never get cars from Ferrari for testing in the future...
Stefano just ducks the argument and mumbles something lame about CH having done himself more harm than Ferrari.
Hope other testers/mags come out to back this up- but I guess they're unlikely to, with the likely threat to never get cars from Ferrari for testing in the future...
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