Cool Pic Thread - Vehicles

[Llarry]

Driving at triple-digit speeds in a mechanically-sound 50-60 year-old Ferrari has the potential to be a nerve-wracking experience due to the tires. Where does one find a new 6.00-16 bias-ply performance-rated tire? How about a 205R-14 tire?

Longstone Classic Tyres in the UK offers new tires in old sizes; there may be other sources.

longstonetyres.co.uk

[///MPhatic]

When a Civic front-end styling is superior to Porsche front-end styling...

[Llarry]

With all these classic Ferraris that I've posted, one might ask: If I won the lottery, which Ferrari would I buy?

Despite my admiration of many years for the marque, I think the answer would be "None!" To own a Ferrari is to make a bold statement to others and I'm just not that kind of person. Had I won the lottery ten years ago, perhaps I would've been tempted to add a Ferrari to my stable, but no longer.

If pressed, I would probably profess my favorite to be the Portofino-M, which was the folding-hardtop front mid-engine model (the least expensive Ferrari available, I think) from 2018 to 2023. The Portofino-M has a 3.9 liter turbo V-8 with 612 hp and listed in the USA for something like $250,000. It has recently been replaced by the Roma Spider, which -- like the 4 series BMW -- has replaced the folding hardtop with a soft top. I'm not thrilled with the styling of the new spider.

It's all academic; I enjoy my modest library of Ferrari books much as I might enjoy a selection of books on any other works of art.

And now a question for readers of this thread: Have I overachieved in all my Ferrari postings? There are still a large number of cars that I have not addressed: Testarossa of the 1980s, Daytona of the late 1960s and early 1970s etc. I have not addressed the V-8 cars at all and they are the top selling Ferraris of all time. Would anyone enjoy more?

[///MPhatic]

Post as many Ferrari's as you'd like.

This is my personal dream car; an Abu Dhabi Blu 458 with black interior and silver calipers (give me the 488 tails though), and will continue to be my dream.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

This is my personal dream car; an Abu Dhabi Blu 458 with black interior and silver calipers (give me the 488 tails though), and will continue to be my dream.

A worthy dream: the last naturally-aspirated mid-engine V-8.

[Llarry]

The final Ferrari powered by the 3-liter V-12 was the 250GT Lusso, which overlapped with the 250GT SWB but was quite different. The Lusso was hundreds of pounds heavier and the V-12 put out only 250 hp. The Lusso was the clearly meant as the luxury counterpoint to the SWB's sportiness.

Considered by some the most beautiful Ferrari of the era, the Lusso was built from 1962 to 1964. A total of 351 were sold. I've always considered the dash arrangement a bit awkward with the speedometer and tach in the middle rather than in front of the driver.

[Pauly Wauly]

You're killing me, Llarry, with all those beautiful classic Ferrari's
Here's a few of my favorites

[Donatello.]

All these classic Ferraris make me feel even more poor lol. Rolling art!

[Pauly Wauly]

Originally Posted by Donatello.

All these classic Ferraris make me feel even more poor lol. Rolling art!

You are not poor. You`re just not as rich as the people who can afford those amazing cars

[Llarry]

A couple of years ago Ferrari did the unthinkable -- just like BMW and Porsche had done years earlier -- and introduced an SUV. Like BMW's insistence that it is an SAV, Ferrari is at pains to explain that the Ferrari Purosangue is a Ferrari Utility Vehicle (FUV).

To get the obvious out of the way first, it starts at US$398,350 and I'm sure easily goes up from there. (And by the way, the least expensive Ferrari in the USA is the Portofino-M V-8 hardtop convertible that starts at $250,052.)

It's powered by a 6.5-liter V-12. Output: 715 hp @ 7750 rpm and torque 528 ft-lbs @ 6250 rpm. EPA fuel economy numbers no doubt dismal. 22-inch wheels in front and 23-inch in the rear. Like all Ferraris (I think) the unit body is aluminum. (It ought to be unobtanium for that price!)

The rear-opening rear doors are the conversation piece. Credit score above 1,500 required for test drive.

The final attachment may be of interest -- a price list! The catch is that it is for New Zealand, so some math is involved.

[Boomer 2019]

SUV; SAV; FUV; any and all manufacturers. F... 'em all! I would never buy one. Grumble.. grumble.

[Buug959]

Here's one HOT Ferrari.

[Pauly Wauly]

Originally Posted by Buug959

Here's one HOT Ferrari.

.....Poor F40

[Lady Jane]

My turn to throw-in a Ferrari: There’s something almost Bentley R-Type Continental about this Ferrari 166 Inter, such is the opulence and elegance of its ultra-rare Stabilimenti Farina body. It was just the 11th car to ever leave the factory and, coupled with the fact that just 10 Ferraris ever wore bodywork by Stabilimenti Farina, is a car for the true marque connoisseur.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_166_Inter

[Llarry]

I've not addressed the pre-250 cars as they were not really "production" cars in the modern sense, but Lady Jane's posting reminds me that I should explain the system used for the V-12 cars from the beginning.

The very first Ferraris were two 125S racers with 1.5 liter V-12s. (See the attached photo). The new company soon came up with larger engines and more power.

The numerical portion of the designation was the displacement in cubic centimeters of one cylinder (X 12 = engine displacement), so:

125 = 1.5 liters
166 = 2 liters
195 = 2.3 liters
212 = 2.5 liters
225 = 2.7 liters
250 = 3 liters
275 = 3.3 liters
330 = 4 liters
365 = 4.4 liters
375 = 4.5 liters
375 Plus = 4.9 liters (a little cheating going on here...)
412 = 4.9 liters
456 = 5.5 liters

I may have missed one or two numbers in that list; Ferrari was doing a lot of experimentation with different powerplants in the early days and engines were swapped back and forth a bit as well. I believe the 1990s Ferrari 456 was where the above system stopped being used and note that the V-8 cars used a different system.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

The very first Ferraris were two 125S racers with 1.5 liter V-12s.

The pistons were only 55mm in diameter. (2.1 inches)

Good article here: https://www.carthrottle.com/news/fer...%20just%2055mm.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Lady Jane

The pistons were only 55mm in diameter. (2.1 inches)

Good article here: https://www.carthrottle.com/news/fer...%20just%2055mm.

For some reason, in thinking about that first Ferrari V-12, sewing machine comes to mind.

[///MPhatic]

Audi RS6 GTO Concept.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

...note that the V-8 cars used a different system.

The V-6 and V-8 cars used a very simple system until the advent of turbocharging (then again, does a BMW 540i have a 4-liter engine? )

206 - 2-liter V-6
246 - 2.4 liter V-6
208 - 2.0 liter V-8 (Italy only, I believe)
308 - 3.0 liter V-8
328 - 3.2 liter V-8
348 - 3.4 liter V-8
355 - 3.5 liter V-8 with 5 valves per cylinder (oops)
360 - 3.6 liter V-8 (NOT with zero cylinders!)
430 - 4.3 liter V-8
458 - 4.5 liter V8 (a return to sanity)
488 - 3.9 liter V-8 turbo (a departure from sanity)
F8 - 3.9 liter V-8 Turbo (a new system)

The front-engine V-8 cars all have names (California, Portofino and Roma); as with the mid-engine V-8s, Ferrari seems to have settled on the 3.9 liter V-8 turbo here as well.

[3798j]

Originally Posted by Llarry

For some reason, in thinking about that first Ferrari V-12, sewing machine comes to mind.

Then consider these two...In the '50's, BRM raced a 1.5l V16 in Formula 1. Then in the early '60's Coventry Climax developed (but never raced) their 1.5l flat 16.

[///MPhatic]

Topaz Blue Metallic E46 M3 - Brembo GT BBK & BBS LMs

European Auto Source

[///MPhatic]

Tesla with ADRO widebody kit.

European Auto Source