Modern Ferrari styling...

Well personally I love the new Ferraris. Even if it wasn't for there superb performance I like the new styling for the most part. It's more modern and aggressive. While I also love the old classic Ferraris, you have to change things, it is 2005....

As far as the new Ferraris. I love the F430 (much more then the 360 Modena) and the Enzo Ferrari looks great, especially in person. As far as the 612 Scag, I wasn't a big fan at first, but after seeing it in the metal I like it more and more. But there are some parts I still don't like. But any 2+2 that does 192 mph is great in my book.

 

Over the years Ferrari has built many beautiful cars, and many ugly ones. I happen to like the 360 and not the 430, but many are exactly the opposite. I am very confident that no matter what I think about the new cars, Ferrari has many beautiful cars in their future, and many ugly ones.

 

It's all a matter of personal taste IMO.

Personnally I love the styling of the earlier range 355/456gt more than the current one also, but I think the later models 360M/CS/612S and the most recent; F430, look great too... And not only because there's a Ferrari badge on it...they simply are great looking and well performing cars. However, the cavallino logos and heritage do give it that extra touch where the passion is all about... no doubt about that
Obviously not every model has the same appeal and everyone will have his own favourite...

Like every company Ferrari is evoluating and of course that involves changes... but they're doing a great job on it... In my eyes the most modern cars are still unmistakable recognizable as a Ferrari.

BTW, you made a little mistake in your post... the 612 Scaglietti was a successor for the 456gt, not for the 575M as you stated... All are V12 engined cars but the differance is in the number of seats. The successor of the 2-seat 575M has yet to come... something to look forward too...

Greets, Alexander

 

I personally think the Challenge Stradale, the F50, the P4, and the Mclaren F1 are the most beautiful cars ever made. The 360 would be not too far behind.

The 550/575 are also gorgeous... great successors to the also beautiful 275 GTB... and in the same class with the beautiful 250 GTO.

I'm not big on the 612... but then I'm not big on the 456 or most of the other 2+2's... I like them, but I just don't like the 2+2's as much as the front-engine 2 seaters... and I just don't like the front-engine 2-seaters as much as the rear mid-engine Ferraris.

Other people would rank all those Ferraris differently... some love the 456... others love the 612... others prefer the "Classic" angular designs of the 70's and 80's to the curvy designs of the 60's and 90's... others prefer the curvy designs... some primarily love the vintage designs...

And to me that is part of what makes Ferrari soooo much better than Porsche or BMW. Ferrari/Pinninfarina can design a family of cars that appeal to different people differently. They do NOT all look alike.

Do a search... the polls exist.

The 355 vs 360 poll is about 60/40 in favor of the 355.
There is also a combo 355 v 360 AND F40 v F50 poll that shows a correlation.
I think you can do a search on "Poll" to look through the many polls that have been collected.

 

With Ferrari, more than any other marquee, the styling expectations are astronomically high. Bland, lifeless shapes come from Audi, BMW, MB, Porsche, Acura, Lexus, et al, all the time, but no one says a word, other than, "it's a classic shape", when in fact there is very little shape at all.

When Ferrari does something very extreme and advanced, such as the 360 when it first debuted, and the Enzo, everyone is up in arms---- "It looks Japanese"...."It loo's like a transformer"....et cetera.

When Ferrari does something more restrained, yet still elegant and chic, such as the 612 or 575, many say "Oh, Ferrari's lost their touch," or "Ferrari's look like Supras."

In the flesh, however, Ferrari's look like nothing else. On New Year's Day of this year I was in Columbus, OH and decided to open 2004 on the best note by visiting the local Ferrari deaership, MAG cars in Dublin. They also deal in every other European brand except Lambo, so I was able to make side by side, face to face, in the flesh comparisons. There was, literally, no comparison between the F-cars and the others, except for the Aston Vanquish. Porsche 911s, though decidedly the best-looking ever, still managed to look like VWs next to the F-cars. And the other makes- MB, BMW, etc- were simply painful to the eyes after looking at a Ferrari. The other makes simply had no presence. The experience was profound, and revealing.

The one difference I have noticed between pre-360 Ferrari's, and those since the 360, is that the older models are perhaps more photogenic. I think this comes from the fact that their lines are simpler, still beautiful and evocative, but much less complex.

I remember the first time I saw a shot of a 360 in Road and Track, I didn't know what to think of it. It almost looked like a spaceship, especially in argento. But it was unike anything I had ever seen, and soon, I understood the curves and swoops and lines. When I finally saw it in the flesh I was awestruck.

I had a similar experience with the 612. I had to see it outside in various colors and lightings before I could see all the lines and how the parts made the whole. Now, I see the grace of the line, although I might add more aggressive rims when the time comes to purchase my own.

At bottom, the new shapes are more involved and intricate. They are 3-D to the still beautiful 2-D of the older shapes.

It is a tribute to Ferrari and Pinifarina that they evolve and still create masterpieces in metal, time after time, even though the times change.

In time, you will see.


Forza,


Cavallini

 

The 430 put them back on proper course.

 

It is easy to get blase about them, but when you see a modern Ferrari on the road surrounded by normal cars, they have such presence that they could not be anything else.

I would say though that I loved the 355, 456 from the outset whereas the modern ones grow on me over time...

Robert

 

The 612 looks like a giant Toyota

The Enzo is still Ugly

The 360 has grown on me a little but its no beauty like the 308/355

The 575 is a good looking car but I prefer mid engine exotics

Also I think the Maranello was the last Ferrari designed before they took on that Japanese designer who has been messing things up

I think Ferrari should speak to Fioravanti and perhaps change design houses because Pininfarina's stuff these days is not so great

If I were to buy a new car today it would be a Lambo Murcielago spyder, or a Porsche GT2 or Maybe an Aston Vanquish Volante

 

its all a matter of opinion.

Bottom line is people dont like change.

This conversation comes up everytime a well known manufacturer releases a new car. I personally think the new ferraris looks good and encoporate lines from previous generations.

Many people dont like the newer ferraris (360,430 etc) but look at older ferraris, pre 355, 328, they have made quite a few ugly cars before.....

 

Don't get me wrong, I love my 355. But if I had the budget for a 360 I would have taken it. The nose of the 355 is dated especially w/ the pop up headlights and the sharp lines. The 360 still has the classic Ferrari features but seems more contemporary indicating it's a more advanced driving experience. Most will agree that it takes time to get used to a new look. Personally, I don't see a big difference between the 360 and the 430.

 

I, personally like the styling of the new Ferrari's. I think they look completely modern and gorgeous. Some people really hate on the styling of the big, bulky 612 Scaglietti but i like it. There hasn't been a Ferrari i havn't liked the styling of since the 308. And that was only minor...

 

Now THIS is a Ferrari. (IMO of course)
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I think the 355 is going to be known as a classic design. Maybe not know but in the future will be looked at as a real beauty. I too feel the 430 is a big step up from the 360. Can't put my finger on it but I like it better than the 360. The Italians always had passion and I hope aerodynamics don't become the main ingredient in design. The 550 & 575 as well look good. The Enzo looks better in person than photos. If any of the above drives thru a neighborhood and a little boy see these cars ... I think the 355 will be what he remembers. It's ashame too many of these cars are in Living rooms sitting on carpet instead of asphalt.

 

the other day I was staring at a parked 355 (thinking how sexy it was) ...suddenly a 360 passed by the same street , What happened? , All of a sudden the 355 looked like a brick by comparision.
people who think Scaglietti looks ugly, are clueless about luxury performance coupes such as Benz CL600
and most of all , that old human trait : resistance to change .

and speaking of Ferrari design: only Enzo & Scaglietti are all new designs so we better get used to them soon ,
as the upcoming models will be variants of those 2 . like the 430 ressembles a lot of a small Enzo, the Maranello replacement will look a lot like a 2 seater Scaglietti you'll see

 

The 308, TR, and 355 Ferrari type lines (that we all fell in love with) are still alive and becoming more aggressive every year. Its just that they changed the spelling in the year 2000
from Ferrari to Lamborghini

 

The 355 is still my favourite Ferrari in terms of its exterior styling. So perfectly proportioned and graceful, yet sporty and aggressive at the same time.

I also love the look of the 550/575M. Very agressive, yet gentlemanly design. Just as a GT cruiser should be. That will be a very tough design to better. I hope its replacement doesn't end up looking anything like the 612.

Versus the 355, I thought the 360 was bulbous and boring by comparison. The rear end is too big and the lines are uninteresting. The Challenge Stradale was a fairly significant improvement, but I'm very glad the F430 has come along. The Enzo inspired styling is a nice touch. It looks a much more powerful and planted car, less rounded and sterile than the 360. Viewed directly from the back, it still doesn't hold a candle to the 355 in terms of aesthetics, but it's much more interesting than the 360.

As far as the interior goes, the Enzo and F430 have the best interiors of any sportscars ever IMO.

 

Been leafing through a Classic Car mag recently and looking at the 250GTO. They make the comment on there about form following function, and it's easy to see it. It's also stunningly beautiful (though I prefer the SWB version to be honest).

Now, form is obviously playing some part in the Ferrari design methodology today. Aero function is evidently now critical hence the looks of certain models.

The things that I find inexcusable in their current design messages are the the badly resolved items. "Look at me" nonesense (if you have to shout how good looking you are, you probably aren't).

The shut lines at the rear of the F430 are rubbish. All over the place with no cohesion at all. On a car costing that sort of cash, engineering solutions should have been sought. It looks like they forgot that certain bits needed to open so they just took a saw to it.

The rear lights are tacked on in an attempt to benefit from the halo effect of the Enzo, I would guess. They're serving no greater function than those on the 355/360 but don't sit right in the overall design IMO.

The front air intakes with their sprayed (I'm assuming) black apertures are also a bit iffy. I'd love to see what they would look like body coloured (though it probably wouldn't look too different to the 360 then - change for change's sake is always misguided).

And the rear diffuser...there was a time when Ferrari implemented this little trick to avoid having gauche spoilers all over the top of the car to keep them stable at speed. They now seem to have come full circle and appear to be making these bits as obvious as possible. We laugh at people who "rice" up there Vauxhall Novas, but this somehow is different?

Embossing "F430" on the wing mirrors is necessary for what exactly? Especially when the wing mirrors are a terrible shape in the first place.

Subtlety is a key part of good design. Look at the changes that were made to the 360 to make the 360CS. Subtle, tiny details. Aggressive but they make the car. Same goes for the 348/355 (no flames from 348 owners please - I like them, but you will be outvoted by the general public on which model is the more aesthetically pleasing).

They're trying too hard at the minute. It seems they're lacking confidence in their product and tacking bits on/off the design right up to the last minute.

Maybe they're just running out of ideas and we're in a bit of a fallow period for them. It's happened before.

 

murph7355,

Well said. I agree with every point you made!

 

How about the 430-diffuser actually serves a purpose?

You can complain al you want about the styling of the 430, but the fact remains, it is all a matter of taste.

I for one can´t understand why people would want to call a Scaglietti a big Toyota or an Enzo ugly. I however do understand that Ferrari´s doesn´t need to come up with designs that appeal to everybody. A design that appeals to a wide range of people won´t be called ugly very often, but it won´t be called pretty that often either.

 

And there you go again. The day Ferrari starts designing their cars (or Pininfarina for that matter) to please the general public, that will be the day Ferrari loses her touch.

 

VERY interesting compilation ... !

 

Sometime when waxing my car by hand, I collapse into the Zen state of mind where my mind simply wonders aimlessly … a form of relaxation from the day to day stress.

During the course of these events I can envision a designer at Pininfarina sitting late at night with a blank sheet of paper before him…his goal is to create a “perfect” design. I can see him sketch each line; each graceful curve. As I pass my hand over the car I smile in appreciation as each line flows into the next section and merges with perfection. Air scoops that don’t disrupt the lines, the ommison of door handles and the spoiler on the rear that flips up ever so gently. I have to think how much thought went into the styling – should the spoiler be an inch higher or lower, should the angle be a few degrees more or less? I imagine that several days went into making it look right with countless versions scraped into the trash can next to his desk. The dedication of the designer is at the roots of my passion and appreciation of this lovely car. I agree with the previous post, that in years to come this car will become a classic benchmark design.

Today, we have CAD/CAM, wind tunnels and a Japanese designer at the helm of an Italian ship. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s change people - and you have to grow with it. Regardless of your feelings about the exterior, remember the important thing is what’s under the hood and it’s still a Ferrari – respected by all, a waiting list to own one and I would be proud to own anything with the Prancing Horse bolted to it’s frame.

 

Natch.

You see, the general public need to be enthralled. And they need to think that certain things are made if unobtanium. It's a partial ingredient of every Supercar.

Even if they're not (made of that stuff).

Ferrari are in a dream world. I dream of owning a 250 Lusso. Who cares if it's not a performer. It's bloody gorgeous.

And if they aren't appeasing the general public, why fit 2 golf bags in the car? I've only played golf 4 times and was drunk every time! The same cannot be said of every time I drove a Ferrari.

 

It's what I was saying. The diffuser is part of the "design".

In the same way that a baboon's arse sticks out. Some people find it attractive. I find it mildly amusing when on TV.

When spoilers were slapped on everything from a Nissan Micra to a Lambo Countach, some loved it.

Others thought it a crap solution to an engineering issue.

Having a huge rear wing is no better, aesthetically, than having a huge shovel full of veined space under the car when it's as demonstrative as the F430 is.

Poor design cannot be excused. The road tests so far show this car so far ahead of everyone else. Why should we not expect a cohesive design along with it?

I'd buy tomorrow if it were like this, and it'd restore my faith. Frankly, though, I'd rather buy a Vanquish (plenty to ridicule, including rear lights, but what a sound) or Murci (rubbish rear lights), and probably will.

Common theme - rear lights? These cars are designed to show their arse ends to anyone who wants to play. Why are they not designed thus?