Karl on Cars
Ferrari
September 2, 2008
If you think Lamborghinis
are nothing but non-renewable-resource-sucking status mobiles you probably don't care about yet another one being bashed and burned beyond recognition
. And if you think Lamborghini drivers are nothing but self-centered, over-moneyed cads you probably don't care about one meeting the same fate as his car.
Ever since "Dietrich" (aka Stefan Eriksson) balled up a Ferrari Enzo on PCH in February of 2006 the image of the spoiled rich guy with more money than brains has pervaded the national consciousness. Certainly there were wealthy guys wrecking expensive cars before Eriksson, but the value of that particular car (a million dollars-plus), along with the colorful (and criminal) background of the driver seemed to represent all the worst aspects of exotic car owners.
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- Karl Brauer September 2, 2008, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Ferrari, Lamborghini, Talk Back Tuesday, Traffic Safety
- Technorati Tags:
- Talk Back Tuesday Lamborghini Crash Kill
March 11, 2008
Like every car nut, I've dreamed of owning a Ferrari for almost as long as I've been an automotive enthusiast. Ferrari's have long represented the ultimate expression of four-wheeled passion because of their design, limited availability, leading-edge performance and strong racing heritage.
So why has my desire to own a Ferrari faded like so much oxidized Rosso paint?
The answer can be found by contrasting those Ferrari 250 GTOs pictured above against the modern Ferrari motorcar. Remember, what made me (and, I'm assuming, most enthusiasts) pine for this Italian exotic was the aforementioned world-class design, rarity, performance and racing mystique. Let's analyze each of those characteristics of the modern Ferrari, shall we?
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- Karl Brauer March 11, 2008, 7:00 AM
- Categories:
- Ferrari
September 11, 2007
In our ongoing series of future product plan coverage let's take a look at what will be coming across the Atlantic in the coming years. Glancing through the Automotive News analysis it would appear Europe's focus will be on crossovers, small cars and increased fuel efficiency. Who'd a thunk it? But a return of Alfa Romeo and a "cheap" Rolls Royce should keep things interesting. I'm only covering half of the European brands today because, well, there's a lot of them!
Alfa Romeo: After years of hints and innuendos it appears Alfa Romeo may really be coming to America in 2009. Look for the 8C Competizione
(rear-drive coupe with 450hp V8), the 159 sedan (front- or all-wheel drive), the Brea (a 2+2 coupe) and the Spider (a two-seat convertible based off the Brea platform). Momma-mia!
Aston Martin: The DBS is debuting this week in Frankfurt, and it looks to be a worthy successor to the Vanquish. But the real test of Aston Martin's future will come with the launch of it high-end, high-performance sedan, the Rapide
(in 2009). With new ownership and a new product direction the future could be very bright for this British brand.
Audi: The redesigned A4 is practically here, and the redesigned A6 follows next year. But the big news for 2009 is a sleek new A7 sedan that goes up against the CLS, plus not one but two
new crossovers (one of which is the Q5
, pictured). An A5 convertible and redesigned A8 round out the fun in 2010.
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- Karl Brauer September 11, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Aston Martin, Audi, Auto Shows, BMW, Bentley, Ferrari, Future Vehicles, Jaguar, Lamborghini, Land Rover
June 18, 2007
Go ahead and get all the Magnum P.I./Christy Brinkley/Vacation jokes out of your system. When you're done, consider the following: Every enthusiast worth his weight in burned rubber has asked the same question while browsing the car ads: "Wow, you can now buy a 1980s era Ferrari for about the cost of the average new car. Obviously it's going to be a different experience, but what do you get when you drop approximately $28,000 for a Ferrari instead of a well-equipped Camry?"
Well, purely in the name of serving you, the loyal reader, we've decided to find out. We just purchased a 1984 Ferrari 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole. It's a one-owner car with 46,000 miles on it, and we paid exactly $28,000. The car is red with a tan interior (just like the Magnum/Vacation models), and it's in surprisingly good shape. There are some scratches on the exterior and the interior shows definite patina, but we've already put on several hundred trouble-free miles. Well, they haven't been totally trouble free. The turn signals stopped working at one point, but yours truly dinked around with the hazard switch (after another editor confirmed the fuse was fine) and got them going again.
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- Karl Brauer June 18, 2007, 6:00 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Ferrari
February 26, 2007
It's amazing how a good drive to a great car show can brighten a potentially dreary weekend. I planned to attend this show last weekend, but my car was too dirty and I instead spent last Sunday morning detailing the Ford GT for several hours. I really needed a distraction this weekend, and the self-named Supercar Sunday
provided it. It was only my third trip to this West Valley show, but there were hundreds of beautiful (and rare) automobiles. Of course there's no entry fee and anyone with wheels (two, three or four) is welcome to show up between 7 and 11 a.m. (get there early if you want a good space).
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- Karl Brauer February 26, 2007, 6:56 AM
- Categories:
- Driving, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini
November 17, 2006
Some killer stories have hit Inside Line in the last few days. The minivan comparison test
is still on the home page (below the flipper) and if you haven't already read it you should. The Odyssey won, again, and while I wasn't personally involved in that test I found the finishing order completely accurate (2. Sedona, 3...
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- Karl Brauer November 17, 2006, 11:33 AM
- Categories:
- Ferrari, Ford, Honda
June 6, 2006
The essence of greed is wanting far more than you really need, right? Okay, with this baseline established I can admit that, despite the Ford GT parked in my garage, I would really
love to own a Ferrari F40. To me this car is as important to Ferrari as the GT40 is to Ford. First, it was the final Ferrari to receive Enzo's personal oversight, and it remains one of the quickest cars ever produced, even by 2006 standards (it was produced from 1987 to 1992)...
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- Karl Brauer June 6, 2006, 8:49 AM
- Categories:
- Cars in Entertainment, Ferrari
February 10, 2006
With my road test of the Gallardo this week (story should be live soon!), I feel like I've had enough exposure to today's high-end exotics to know where each excels -- and where each falls short. Therefore, I'm proposing "the perfect sports car" by combining the best elements of each entry in this segment. In a world where I can pick and choose the exact components and attributes from each of these vehicles, this is the car I would construct:Continue reading...
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- Karl Brauer February 10, 2006, 5:10 PM
- Categories:
- Chevrolet, Dodge, Ferrari, Ford, Lamborghini
November 30, 2005
Is it just me, or has Ferrari lost its way over the last six years? Oh, certainly not in terms of performance. The 360 was better than the 355, and the new F430 is better still. Same can be said of the 612 versus the 456 and the 575 over the 550 (once they stiffened up the 575's suspension...the first 575s were too wallowy around corners).
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- Karl Brauer November 30, 2005, 8:16 PM
- Categories:
- Ferrari, Retro Revivals
