:)

…they don’t make any mid-engine cars with more than 8 cylinders.

What about the 512 BB? How about the F50 or the Enzo/FXX ? All are mid-engine 12 cylinder cars. Ferrari has used I-4’s, I-6’s, V-6’s, V-8’s, V-12’s (and some engines with turbos) in their quest for power throughout the years. many of their BEST and most revered cars are front engine V-12’s.

It has been widely stated that Enzo Ferrari only made road cars to support his racing habit. In that sense, he has every right to “mistreat” a customer. Supply and Demand, folks.

Anyways, my blood has always run “Rosso Corsa”. The choice is easy for me, Ferrari all the way. The history of the firm, in addition to their profound impact on the racing world outweighs all that Lamborghini could ever hope to attain, especially under the supervision of Audi.

I’ve been wanting a 1996-1998 550 Maranello since they came out. Prices are finally coming down to “reasonable” Ferrari levels, now, somewhere around the $100k mark for a decent example.

What hits me, though, is the singular characters behind these cars are gone. Feruccio sold out long ago, and Il Commendatore died at the helm. While Ferrari stayed its own animal, Lambo has bounced around and is now under the stewardship of Audi.

My point in all this? My eyes see some German restraint in the current product, so I don’t find, say, a Gallardo, all that vulgar. Then again, I do have a hairy chest.

Ferraris are like an expertly tailored Italian suit flowing over broad shoulders, pressed lines, a fine silk tie, and matching pants, buffed shoes.

Lamborghinis are the same suit after a drunken night out on the town, tie abandoned, shirt with the top three buttons open to reveal a 24K gold figaro chain and lots and lots of chest hair.

Some of the old Fezzas were great (275GTB/365GTB Daytona/288GTO/512BB/308…etc) but the new ones have a less than spectecular styling, even if seeing one on the road remains a thrill.

The LP640 and aslo the LP560 are great however, more classical Italian sports cars in many of the good ways. Sure some are driven by fight club promoters but who cares really as long as you’re not one of them yourself.

On a side note; the guy talking at the end of the clip is Danielle Audetto, the same guy that was the manager of the Super Aguri F1 team. He could learn most of the D2+1’s execs a thing or two about the car industry.

“Ferrari. More than you can afford, pal.”

Lamborghini.

Exactly.

The newer Lamborghinis just encompass what I want in an overpriced Italian supercar. They’re good looking, fast, they sound great, and while they may not be perfect track weapons, who cares? Track days are rare for me, and if I’m driving Lamborghinis during the day I can afford to piece together a Caterham. Besides, thanks to Ferrari, Alfa Romeo (my favourite Italian marque) isn’t allowed to make anything all-out fast anymore.

If I could have any new car, though, I’d go for a Morgan.

The new Lamborghinis, though, they are all clean and modern, perhaps less “bull” than before but also supposedly much better cars. I like the Gallardo a lot. Not so much the Reventon, that’s just an exercise in being outre.

The thing is, this little rivalry is less relevant than ever, as there are so many other makes nowadays. Of course Porsche, but also Zonda, Konigsegg, Noble, even Lotus coming back on the low end… Heck, Nissan and Chevy make cars that may not have the snob appeal but match or beat the performance. What’s the point?

I like Lambo’s brutality but not the marque’s prevailing vulgarity. With occasional missteps (F40, for one) Ferrari has a consistent line of elegantly muscular, expressive cars. Their respective clientèles tell the story.

The day before some knucklehead last weekend demolished a Lambo — and himself — by flinging his Raging Bull off Route 101 in the Woodland Hills area of Los Angeles at 2:30am, sailing into a 30 foot drop only to be both mangled and immolated in an adjacent parking structure, I got another taste of the Lambo psycho-graphic. I was on the I405 South > I10 West transition ramp, in clear traffic. A Gallardo appeared on rapid approach in my rear view mirror. More powerful and lighter, the Gallardo was the quicker, faster car over my XLR-V, but not nearly so much as the Lambo driver underestimated. Looking ahead, there was a nice wide window to hammer the car through the sweeper and smoothly arc across four sparse lanes to settle into a slot in the fast groove of the I10 West. But for only one of us. The Gallardo pilot was certain he could rocket past me and shut the door, but not so fast. I guess he didn’t notice I was driving a V. With plenty of room I booted the Caddy and pulled away, instead closing the door on him before he could react, and smoothly settled into the slot I intended.

Gallardo had to stumble through clustered traffic, well behind. Like an angry bee, he bulldozed and darted his way through traffic to slide in behind me, all but kissing my tailpipes. Shaking his fist and appearing to be yelling in my rear view, at first break he shot out to the right for the express purpose of flipping me a big F-U.

Contrast the Ferrari guys. Driving up Pacific Coast Highway from Laguna to Newport Beach a few years ago in an SVT Cobra convertible, I found myself at a traffic light in the front row, between an F360 and a Maranello. Beautiful! Acknowledging each other, we took off briskly, not racing, to wind out our cars. I toyed with the Italians until they both asserted their position in the automotive hierarchy. But up ahead in Corona del Mar, I pulled in for fuel. In minutes, both Ferraris pulled in to ask for a peek at the SVT’s hand-wrenched 4 cam V8. Gentlemen both, they distracted me with an engaging 45 minute gas stop.

Ferrari by miles.

Phil

I’ve never liked Ferrari for one main reason – the Enzo mentality (my way or f*** you, customers). That and the proliferation of 30 000$ millionaires in ratty 308s who are the most vehemently fanatical Ferrari devotees and comprise most of the fan/owner’s clubs, even though most couldn’t afford to have a valve adjustment done on their car.

Lambos are wonderful lunacy with no notions of function and wear their hearts on their sleeves. Ferraris are for pompous twits who buy into racing pedigree and snob appeal and pay too much attention to lap times even though their cars rarely see the light of day, let alone track time.

But for my own money, I second the motion for Porsche or Aston.

You nailed it man.

I would take a 288 GTO or an F40 over ANY Lamborghini. It’s a hypercar. Ferrari’s are a supercar.

This is why I like lambos better than ferraris.

As my friend Michael said when he saw that the man driver our taxicab was named “Mohammed Rabbi”:

You gotta pick a side.

There must be a reason for that.