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Thread: Ferrari not making true convertibles anymore

  1. #1
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    Ferrari not making true convertibles anymore

    Both the 458 spider




    The 430




    The one-off F12 TRS


    And the P540 Superfast aperta


    Have those horrible bulges behind the side windows.
    While the bulges didn't look THAT bad on the 430 they got out of control on newer models.
    They may reduce convertible top size and complexity, allowing the back window to just be slid down behind the rear seats while also allowing hard top sections automated top folding to be used.

    Should Ferrari be too concerned about convertible tops capable of withstanding 200 mph?
    Why they just don't just advice their buyers that they can only drive with the softtop up to say 125 mph?
    While lower than the closed top versions, Ferrari can still boast about the car top speed with the convertible down as well. After all the Veyron was able to get 400+ kph top down.

    Maybe there's still some hope for true convertibles on the FFS project.


    It's barely believable that Ferrari would unveil a drop-top version of the controversial FF so close to the fixed head version's debut, but the company has done just that. So, welcome the Ferrari FFS.

    The S stands for Spyder, of course, making this Ferrari's first four-seat, four-wheel drive drop-top.

    Ferrari says the FFS uses an innovative type of soft top, which it's calling the Lightweight Manual Aerodynamic Overlay - or LMAO for short.

    The LMAO roof breaks with luxury convertible convention by, as the name suggests, being manually operated. It's thought that a complicated electric system would add too much weight and require more boot space than is acceptable.

    Engine details are unconfirmed, but we can safely assume the FFS uses the same 6.3-litre V12 as the hard top, developing a whopping 651bhp. It drives through a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox to all four wheels.

    Ferrari hasn't confirmed production, but a text we received from a Ferrari insider suggests the FFS will see showrooms soon.
    Ferrari Unveils New Convertible, FFS | German Car Forum

  2. #2
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    This reminds me of the 80s and early 90s when Targa top cars were called 'convertibles'

    The worst ones were the Dodge Viper 1st and 2nd generation

    Drooling just by imagining if that one came out as a true convetible!

    Not so for the cheap Viper copy the Honda del Sol


    Which by the way looks like a Mazda MX3 without the back glass


    While some tall roll hoops or basket handle rollbars may be needed for safety


    They are still socially accepted for convertibles.

    Purist may even get retractable rollbars or rollhoops that deploy beyond certain speeds, right after crashing or during aggressive driving like those on Mercedes SLs



    Video of rollbar activation
    Damon Hill Vraagt Te Veel Van Verslaggever - Ingezonden - Video - Zie.nl

  3. #3
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    The FFS project is a joke; it was posted on April 1. LMAO and FFS are internet slang.

    Nobody cares that they are not "true convertibles" anymore, whatever that means. The rich can still have the sky above them, and a prancing horse on the hood, that is all that matters.

  4. #4
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    Please don't post massive images in line.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  5. #5
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    Anyway, fact is that part of it is regulations. They need to have rollover protection, and with mid-engined cars non-fixed rollover bars can looked tacked on, so might as well make them a feature. Front engined cars can have enough space for an auto-deploying system.

    Anyway, claiming that they don't make 'true' convertables depends on your definition of 'true convertible' and forgets that the California exists. So no, I disagree with the premise of the thread.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by pimento View Post
    Please don't post massive images in line.
    Seconded.

    And Ferrari hasn't made pretty cars since the F430.

    :end thread:

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    And Ferrari hasn't made pretty cars since the F430.

    :end thread:
    Lighten up you hipster crybaby.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by pimento View Post
    Anyway, claiming that they don't make 'true' convertables depends on your definition of 'true convertible' and forgets that the California exists. So no, I disagree with the premise of the thread.
    Agree.
    The thread title should be Ferrari not making TOP END convertibles anymore.

    If I'm not mistaken Ferrari was reluctant to make convertible Daytonas at first.
    Only after many owners had their tops chopped off Ferrari began producing the Spyders.
    Some conversions were very professionally made by top coaches even Scaglietti.

    Besides some technical challenges for a true convertible I think Ferrari is actually scared to have a celebrity die badly maimed in one of their convertibles something like Fast N Furious John Walker crash.

  9. #9
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    The basis of this thread is unfounded.
    I think you're talking about two (very separate) things here.
    1. Buttresses behind the seats
    2. Actual bulges

    The SA Aperta for example (which you've incorrectly lableled the P540 Superfast Aperta) has buttresses. They aren't a bulge, they're a stylistic swoop from the seats. They don't do anything, they're there to look good. They're a mid-engined thing, which is why the SW20 MR2 has them, as well as try-hards like the Civic Del Sol and Jaguar XJS. They help smooth out the lines.
    For an example, see the Porsche 914. It has little buttresses. Without them it would look silly, the rollover hoop would be too upright.

    The other point, bulges, are just that. I believe they're also stylistic, there's no way they're packing roof into those things. They're cool. They harken back to race cars and things. In Australia you can get them on a ute.

    These things are separate, and are for style. They also have literally nothing to do with whether or not Ferrari's convertibles are "true" convertibles.
    All about the t-tops

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Revo View Post
    Lighten up you hipster crybaby.
    Seems a bit harsh. Aside from their low stance, carbon fiber, flashy paint work, and other characteristics that dazzle at first glance, they really aren't that good looking. Aurally, they're continuing on as normal, but visually they're in a bit of a rut. Their weird rytidectomyed (don't want to say facelifted) corporate face is boring, as are the '90s Matchbox rears. The 458 certainly is not boring, but a striking design isn't necessarily a successful design.

    inb4 Kitdy calls me a hipster crybaby
    "Kimi, can you improve on your [race] finish?"
    "No. My Finnish is fine; I am from Finland. Do you have any water?"

  11. #11
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    Personally I much prefer the 458 over the grinning blob 430. Each to their own though.
    Life's too short to drive bad cars.

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Seconded.

    And Ferrari hasn't made pretty cars since the 90's.

    :end thread:
    Fixed.

    Quote Originally Posted by f6fhellcat13 View Post
    Seems a bit harsh. Aside from their low stance, carbon fiber, flashy paint work, and other characteristics that dazzle at first glance, they really aren't that good looking. Aurally, they're continuing on as normal, but visually they're in a bit of a rut. Their weird rytidectomyed (don't want to say facelifted) corporate face is boring, as are the '90s Matchbox rears. The 458 certainly is not boring, but a striking design isn't necessarily a successful design.

    inb4 Kitdy calls me a hipster crybaby
    Hey! I'd never call you a crybaby.

    Do you have a beard yet, you dirty hipster?

    I think your avoidance of the term facelifted is unnecessary here. That's usually just a euphemism for mid-cycle refresh. How about, weird corporate face, or WCF?

    Ferraris were only attractive twice in the history of the brand: mid 50s-early 60s, and 90s... + Testarossa. Leave the style to Lamborghini.

  13. #13
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    Whew, this is like saying the Ferrari Daytona is an ugly car. I got my flame suit ready haha. Kitdy, I'm glad you have my back.

    Imagine if the Enzo had looked like this?

    This Is The Incredible Ferrari Enzo Prototype

    It's a little awkwardly long in the rear but overall I like the shape.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by NSXType-R View Post
    Seconded.

    And Ferrari hasn't made pretty cars since the F430.

    :end thread:
    The latest California and F12 are beautiful and the 458 is one of the best looking Ferraris for ages. Why the hatred?
    "A string is approximately nine long."
    Egg Nogg 02-04-2005, 05:07 AM

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by crisis View Post
    The latest California and F12 are beautiful and the 458 is one of the best looking Ferraris for ages. Why the hatred?
    Beauty is very subjective. The latest Ferrari's seem overought for no reason. Extra creases, Mazda style grills, and just... too much fluff.

    I notice them because they're expensive and rare, not because I like how they look.

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