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Want a Porsche 911 Turbo S, but with a Ferrari badge? You might want to check your bank account.
According to AutoGuide, Motor Trend’s Johnny Lieberman dropped a bombshell on his Twitter account, stating that Ferrari has a twin-turbo V6 in the works. Said vehicle is expected to hit showrooms in 2019 for a starting price of $180,000, and will lay the smack down on the Mercedes-AMG GT, McLaren 570S, and the aforementioned Porsche.
AutoGuide adds that the twin-turbo Ferrari could become “a spiritual Dino successor,” invoking the lower-cost marque from the 1960s and 1970s for models with fewer than 12 cylinders howling under the hood.
24 Comments on “Lieberman: $180K Ferrari Twin-Turbo V6 Arriving In 2019...”
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So in a bizarre world of ever increasing monopoly money where marques like Rolls and Bentley have record years due to high demand and can charge whatever they want, Ferrari wants to introduce a cheaper model for only $180K and water down their brand. Right?
At least it’s not a CUV or “sedan-coupé”
perhaps its more about creating a motor that will be more appropriate for satisfying future milage/pollution concerns?
Ferrari is such a low volume mfg they should be able to skirt regs in most countries. I suspect it is about the drive for product volume.
Like how the original Dino watered down the brand?
If it’s bad, it’s not because it’s cheaper, it’s because Ferrari has known for years that prancing horse buys forgiveness for plenty of sins (and if it doesn’t, they’ll bully the customers into thinking it does).
At $180K I don’t think that constitutes much watering down. Think of it as a single malt scotch with the barest splash of water.
(Sorry, but there’s no Italian equivalent of a single malt, or of fine Cognac. Grappa is more like something you could fuel your car with.)
I wouldn’t pour Grappa into a tractor.
I would, however, definitely pour it on the ground. And not for the homies.
I don’t think a single $180K model, in and of itself, comes close to watering down the brand. That could only be achieved with a widespread, comprehensive shift of the lineup downmarket.
For example, if this entry level Ferrari coincided with, say, a phasing out or elimination of the higher end models and halo cars (e.g. LaFerrari, F12 and FF type models), with the resulting lineup being the $180K model, California and 488 esque models, then you may have a point. With the lineup merely growing in both directions, however, I think this is an expansion of the brand for volume and profit, simultaneously making the performance Ferrari is renowned for more accessible to buyers.
Not to mention that forced induction 6 cylinders will undoubtedly be utilized by Ferrari more and more in coming years. They gotta introduce them to the market at some point, and given the stigmatized engine size hierarchy that still exists it makes sense they’d do so in a true entry level offering.
Lastly, I’m sure that given Ferrari has consistently been growing as a brand over the last decade or so, they see the $150-$200K as a sweet spot in the market that is glaringly missing from their lineup. You simply can’t call this segment “downmarket” with a straight face given what is on offer these days, especially with the McLaren 570S entering the fray.
Montezemolo is probably gathering all the skin flakes and missing hair he found in Marchionne’s office and is building a voodoo doll right now.
And probably Pentastar based…
With infotainment straight out of a Charger lmao. Oh boy.
Um already happening
http://allparnews.com/index.php/2014/09/ferrari-engines-imported-from-detroit-25974
I think that if Ferrari wants to maintain its position as something special and loved in minds of enthusiasts, which you could take to mean as large numbers of people willing to buy Ferrari-label merch, they’ve got a fine line to walk with regards to pricing. On one hand, they obviously can’t go down market to the point that they become something less special, an expensive Lancia say. But on the other hand, I think there’s an upper limit too. I think making an emotional connection depends somewhat on the feeling that you could one day, if you work hard and make it a priority, own a Ferrari. If they go upscale to the point that only people in the $100M+ demographic can ever hope to buy one I think they risk breaking that emotional connection and losing the sales of Ferrari lifestyle stuff that goes along with it. They need to be an aspirational brand, not a billionaire’s brand. How many teenagers hang posters of Gulfstream jets or Wally yachts on their walls? Not a lot.
Well I did but at the time it was Fedship and Magnum for yachts and bombardier for jets (lear).
These rumors are nothing new. Note the date:
http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/industry-news/ferrari/ferrari-456-why-maranello-is-considering-a-v6-entry-level-supercar/
They should dub it the 246 GT and herald it as the Dino, part deux.
I think its potetial great. 2 years ago I thought I just might be able to sell a kidney and stretch to a 458. One drive and I relaised no need to stretch. Modern ferraris have been so blanded out for 65yolds to drive to the resteraunt in, that unless you are at 9/10ths or above they are pretty bland and boring to drive. Looks stunning, sort of sounds great, not too much more enetrtaining than a hyundai genesis v8 to drive untill you are near the limit.
A 200K car, might be simpler ligher and more viceral to drive, I am thinking alfa 4c with a Tt masser V6 maybe even a stick. Somethign really special. course it may ned up being abadge enginered special bloater like a cali, with $1500 fender sheilds. But here is hoping ferrari once again produces a superb elemental car.
Not a fan of V6’s in such an expensive engine-centric vehicle as a Ferrari; but this frankly makes sense given F1 mandating turbo V6’s and Ferrari’s concurrent investments and research in that form factor. Throw in F1’s KERS mandates on top of that, and Ferrari already has a very good inducted V6/hybrid drivetrain that surprised everyone with a win – beating a seemingly invincible Mercedes – a week ago.
At 1.6 liters @15k redline in the F1 car, my guess is Ferrari strokes that engine to bring rotations down to spring-valve world while maintaining MPS ~24m/s. So ~2.4 liters @~10k redline in the road engine thereabouts? That’s a ‘246GT.’
And Ferrari’s little neo-Dino would have F1 pedigree engine instead of competing with their own F1 engine supplier – a’la Mclaren and Honda’s vaporware NSX. Such things matter in this segment I would guess.
Ferrari is on the right side of history with this. The brand should be aspirational, not unobtainable.
I think at a “base” price of $180k the badge’s “prestige” is preserved. We all know with necessary options the cost will be ratcheted up past $200k anyhow.
Not sure why everyone is losing their minds when this could just be a new engine option on the California.
Oh, that’s right, because everyone on enthusiast forums just pretends like the California doesn’t exist.
You beat me to it………..New car could be a fixed roof California, after all California is only $20k more then this “entry” level
Ferrari.
This makes so much sense. They’re not going water down the brand by bringing this out. How many R8’s, Turbo S’s are out there. Yeah they sold the heck out of them
I think the Dino was a great car and having a direct descendant, in my opinion, it’s a good thing and with a $180 k-tag I wouldn’t say they are making a car for the people that would dilute the brand.
I think that from the car enthusiast point of view the weak link would be to make it to soft to drive so that it can be just a fashion accessory for trophy wives and metro-curious.
Make it with a stick and unassisted steering and I’ll bet you they’ll have a winner…
Jonny Lieberman is the biggest wanker in the auto journalism business. If buying a Ferrari means hanging around people like him, I’d rather have a Cutlass Ciera with a noisy wheel bearing.