Chris Harris's Rant: How Ferrari spins
Feb 16, 2011 | 01:23 AM
#84
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,775
From: Malibu, CA
Feb 16, 2011 | 06:18 AM
#85
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 436
Chris Harris is one of the good guys and is highly respected. He is also a Ferrari fan and has owned a number of them in the past, most recently a 612 and a 575. He has also owned a Gallardo all bought with his own money.
He like Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar in the UK have been recent victims of Ferrari's control culture. When Steven questioned the need for an F1 team sized support crew at the recent 458 test he was threatened with being struck off their Xmas card list. And when the cars did not lap as quickly as Ferrari wanted Steve was asked not to report it and a new car with "Different" tyres etc was rolled out for another test.
As Chris has said the cars are good enough not to need this micro management of the media. I think it’s about time the mags all got together and said enough is enough. Ferrari's brand is being watered down enough by their desire to put a Ferrari badge on any bit of cheap tat they can find. They just need to have faith in their ability to build a good car. The rest will sort itself out.
He like Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar in the UK have been recent victims of Ferrari's control culture. When Steven questioned the need for an F1 team sized support crew at the recent 458 test he was threatened with being struck off their Xmas card list. And when the cars did not lap as quickly as Ferrari wanted Steve was asked not to report it and a new car with "Different" tyres etc was rolled out for another test.
As Chris has said the cars are good enough not to need this micro management of the media. I think it’s about time the mags all got together and said enough is enough. Ferrari's brand is being watered down enough by their desire to put a Ferrari badge on any bit of cheap tat they can find. They just need to have faith in their ability to build a good car. The rest will sort itself out.
Feb 16, 2011 | 07:48 AM
#86
Teamspeed Junior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 79
From: South Germany
Other manufactures do and have done the same thing, although the extent to which Ferrari goes is extraordinary.
A few examples I can remember:
- A tuned 360 by Dimex: They had advertised to get 470hp out of the engine, but found their development car had only 360hp from the factory. Only with settings at the absolute limit did they get to 430hp (completely new internals, rev limit was 9800rpm!).
- A 550 Maranello struggled to get to 190mph in Nardo in a Auto Motor Sport Test a few years ago. Don't know if it was a press or customer car.
- Nardo Test: A Mercedes SL 55 AMG press car did 202mph before ripping the supercharger to pieces. The journalists found that a smaller gear wheel had been fitted so the supercharger would spin faster.
- Lamborghini: Their numbers seem to be accurate since the Muricelago, but no Countach or Diablo in stock form would ever hit its advertised top speed or acceleration figures.
A few examples I can remember:
- A tuned 360 by Dimex: They had advertised to get 470hp out of the engine, but found their development car had only 360hp from the factory. Only with settings at the absolute limit did they get to 430hp (completely new internals, rev limit was 9800rpm!).
- A 550 Maranello struggled to get to 190mph in Nardo in a Auto Motor Sport Test a few years ago. Don't know if it was a press or customer car.
- Nardo Test: A Mercedes SL 55 AMG press car did 202mph before ripping the supercharger to pieces. The journalists found that a smaller gear wheel had been fitted so the supercharger would spin faster.
- Lamborghini: Their numbers seem to be accurate since the Muricelago, but no Countach or Diablo in stock form would ever hit its advertised top speed or acceleration figures.
Feb 16, 2011 | 08:30 AM
#87
Teamspeed Member
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 244
From: Modena
Good point! Heck, reviewers tend to get better than advertised times on the Lambos (about 0.2 on average) than the stated figures. Audi's figures are "real world" with a passenger (albeit a thin one) and I believe 20kg of baggage on a full tank.
Feb 16, 2011 | 08:34 AM
#88
AMGFanatic
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 15,965
From: MonteCarlo
Chris Harris is one of the good guys and is highly respected. He is also a Ferrari fan and has owned a number of them in the past, most recently a 612 and a 575. He has also owned a Gallardo all bought with his own money.
He like Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar in the UK have been recent victims of Ferrari's control culture. When Steven questioned the need for an F1 team sized support crew at the recent 458 test he was threatened with being struck off their Xmas card list. And when the cars did not lap as quickly as Ferrari wanted Steve was asked not to report it and a new car with "Different" tyres etc was rolled out for another test.
As Chris has said the cars are good enough not to need this micro management of the media. I think it’s about time the mags all got together and said enough is enough. Ferrari's brand is being watered down enough by their desire to put a Ferrari badge on any bit of cheap tat they can find. They just need to have faith in their ability to build a good car. The rest will sort itself out.
He like Steve Sutcliffe of Autocar in the UK have been recent victims of Ferrari's control culture. When Steven questioned the need for an F1 team sized support crew at the recent 458 test he was threatened with being struck off their Xmas card list. And when the cars did not lap as quickly as Ferrari wanted Steve was asked not to report it and a new car with "Different" tyres etc was rolled out for another test.
As Chris has said the cars are good enough not to need this micro management of the media. I think it’s about time the mags all got together and said enough is enough. Ferrari's brand is being watered down enough by their desire to put a Ferrari badge on any bit of cheap tat they can find. They just need to have faith in their ability to build a good car. The rest will sort itself out.
