Reply With QuoteMakes a very interesting read :shock:
"A man of little significance"
Makes a very interesting read :shock:
Cheers
Simon
Ralph Waldo Emerson: We ask for long life, but 'tis deep life, or noble moments that signify. Let the measure of time be spiritual, not mechanical.
Their antics with the press cars are pretty well-known, but getting nuked over it by such a prominent writer is a surprise :P
Interesting read. All car manufacturers mess about with the figures though. I once read JC where he said that 0-60 times were done without taking your foot of the accelerator and not using the clutch :shock:
Ferrari may currently be the worst, but this is nothing new.
It was only the press E Types that did 150mph when that car was launched & the Nissan GT-R that did so well round Ring - not even close to standard by all reports (except Nissan's)
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
:shock:
I could never afford one, but if I could, I wouldn't :wink:
Porsche 911 any variant would do me. Boyhood dream car.
Very interesting read, and a brave article.
German firms used to have the reputation of understating speed and performance, especially Porsche
I bought a new 16v Golf in 1989, quoted 136bhp, had it checked on a friends rolling road at 147bhp with 1000 miles up.
That made me smile :D
It was a good rant by Chris, why ferrari feels the need to do this is to press cars is amazing. Fair play to him for speaking up.
I still like Ferrari's, just I like the older odder models more than the newer stuff.
I must be losing it. Where abouts on that page is the Ferrari article?
I can't see it, either!
F40LM?Originally Posted by pastrana72
I still like Ferrari's, just I like the older odder models more than the newer stuff.
You have to back a few pages to find it; I think it was posted last Thursday or Wednesday.
Well, not really.
Anyone interested in cars will not be surprised by what he has written.
Also, as he acknowledges himself, any further access to their cars will now be off limits for him.
I sense more than a degree of sour grapes.
Ferrari may tweak their cars to optimise them and ensure that they are shown in the best possible light.
But as a breed, motoring journalists are usually a long way up themselves.
Although no trees were harmed during the creation of this post, a large number of electrons were greatly inconvenienced.
Chris Harris is, to my mind at least, the finest automotive writer out there currently,
nothing but sense, honesty and enthusiasm in and for all things automotive,
I dont doubt pretty much all the manufacuters do their best to massage the cars and the figures to try to outdo each other.
288 GTO Evoluzione.F40LM?I still like Ferrari's, just I like the older odder models more than the newer stuff.
8)
Monkey is being very brave here, I'm a huge Ferrari fan but must agree that they don't do themselves any favours in the PR department. I am lucky to have owned a couple however the newer ones leave me a touch cold, more of a Maserati man now.
That about sums it up for me too. AND he's a nice chap.
Ferrari's good. Ferrari bad.
Absolutely fascinating article. Full marks to the journo for doing some actual journalism rather then regurgitating a press release and thanks for posting it up! :)
I remember when evo tested the 599, they made no effort at all to hide the fact that Ferrari turned up with a team of engineers and support truck. The article had pictures of them in it. All Harris is doing is making explicit in a rant what has been fairly clear for a number of years. What is more worrying is the fact that a typical customers car would be so less capable, that is definitely not good as it makes the test cars look possibly fraudulent rather than just honed.
I recall this on the old Corvette ZR-1, the journo couldn't get anywhere near the claimed 0-60 time so the GM test driver demonstrated by slamming 1st to 2nd without lifting off or using the clutch :lol:
I know what you're saying, and in principle I agree 100%, but with the possible exception of the 360 CS & 430 CS, most of the people we sold Ferrari's to would struggle to notice if it was 100bhp down, never mind 25bhp, or whatever (relatively) small amount we're talking about here... :lol:
Now, a 997 GT3 owner, well that would have been a different story, as most of them would usually have it strapped to the nearest rolling road within 5 mins of leaving the dealership... :shock:
I'm pretty sure it won't make any difference to people wanting them. I would prefer a bull to a horse if I could afford either.
Certainly one of the best.
Useful driver too http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_Fze5Gndeo
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
I agree, whilst its a nicely written piece, all petrolheads will know about Ferrari's antics already. The problem for Chris is that whilst he is well respected, he does not have the power or audience of a Clarkson to really stick it to Ferrari. I hope that this doesn't damage Evo's ability to provide a great magazine with all the top marques represented.
I think most performance car manufacturers are guilty of tweaking press cars, guess there is a difference between tweaking them and just ensuring the car is a healthy specimen. Unlike Alfa Romeo who seem to send cars out to the press that are the unfinished article, the wrong spec or built on a Friday afternoon in Naples - anyone remember the farce surrounding the Mito launch when all the cars had the wrong suspension settings? Doh!
Remember the Caparo launch at Goodwood when all the cars broke before anyone could drive them? Ian Kuah wrote a first drive story though, apparently he used to be an instructor at Goodwood so h knows the track and was able to write a review of what it was like to drive the car without having actually driven it.
"A man of little significance"
"how paranoid do you have to be to put even stickier rubber on a Scuderia? It's like John Holmes having an extra two inches grafted onto his dick."
:D :lol:
"I looked with pity not untinged with scorn upon these trivial-minded passers-by"
The worst launch I remember reading about was the Keating supercar a few years ago, all the press arrived expecting to drive it to find a prototype held together with sticky tape that wouldn't run!
Very interesting, I think it has become more common though, as a few people have mentioned.
Well, if you want the fastest time, that's how you do it.
Ordinarily, you don't have to use the clutch, either except from the stop, just don't miss the gears, and you should keep the rpm in the proper range....
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