Most beautiful car ... ever!

[shankar.balan]

Roger Moore played the Saint before becoming Bond. As the Saint he drove the Volvo 1800 - Issigonis is absolutely bang on. Thats a brilliantly done serial and most enjoyable (for me atleast) since I have the entire collection of the original Saint books and the TV Serial DVDs too.
This is OT but Roger Moore's title role in the Saint in a way paved the way for his later James Bond role - the same way that Pierce Brosnan's Remington Steele role paved the way for his later Bond role!

getting back to topic - the 288 looks rather close to the old 308 GTB Ferrari which featured in an old 1980's ad with Tiger Pataudi and so on - perhaps it was the Paint ad for Royale classic OR a Tea ad- cant remember which. Bottomline - the 308 Ferrari was a delicious looking car!

Originally Posted by wasif

Old chap Roj drove one of these in one of his Bond movies. Here is another of his rides that fits in quiet nicely here teh Toyota 2000GT, specifically the one of convertible made for him.

Also cant do with out the 57 SC Atlantic can we ? Didn't I say this was going to be a looong and interesting thread

[wasif]

Originally Posted by GTO

The kind of car that makes me go weak in the knees. They look even better in person. And the sound..............man!

To me, the most beautiful car ever is the Ferrari 288 GTO. Muscle, clean, proportionate and in blood red:

Attachment 223218

Source : Serious Wheels

The GTO is indeed one of a kind I would say a class of its own and not surpassed by any other car as yet.

The 959 is too gimicy for comparison to the GTO. Have driven one tthough and its fantastic but the appeal of the GTO is far greater especially in the Ferrari Red colour.

[theEnd]

My list (off the top of my head)

Honda NSX
Ferrari 250 GT SWB
Porsche 911 2.7 RS
Lamborghini Miura

too lazy to get pictures... sorry.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by GTO

Got a question for you : Which of the Porsche 959 or the Ferrari 288 GTO would be your pick? I've had countless debates on this with a friend of mine, and he still doesn't see the light

Actually around the time when the 959 used to dominate the automotive press Ferrari also had another monster, the aweinspiring F40. Both these cars are very close in comparison in terms of capability. They are sheer technological masterpieces for their time. The F40 was a mental machine. Manic to the core and so brutal. It was so raw and so focused. The 959 did all that and more, it was more useable, a hallmark of Porsche.

When comparing the 959 with the GTO it may be no contest with the 959 in a different league. But going back to your quesiton - hmmmm very tough one, very tough. The 959 would be just so deep in its abilities. Like a teacher you can keep learning from and never ever feel you know it all.

With the GTO you will simply forget about learning and revel in that spectacular charisma which is so distinctly Ferrari. The GTO would be alive while the 959 would remain machine. That's the essence of Ferraris. Those cars are alive. There's such a powerful human element in everything Ferrari does. The machine is always second, the human experience remains first. In Ferraris you are an intergral part of the experience. How you drive the Ferrari transforms the experience. You can make the car cry, weep, scream and howl. No other car lets you play so much with sound, sensation and emotion as this marque allows. No car on the planet gives you so much freedom to express your driving so vocally as a Ferrari does. Hope you get the drift. A Ferrari in the hands of a good driver becomes an extension of his personality. There's so much emotion in the experience. Maybe its the looks, the sound, the engine. the steering, the heritage - its such a heady mix

I know I am being totally irrational but its that human element in Ferraris which will make me pick the GTO over a 959. I realise dynamically the 959 would be something else but the aura and charisma of a Ferrari makes me want to opt for the GTO. Besides I can sit a whole day staring at a GTO, which I can't with a 959.

[GTO]

Originally Posted by DKG

With the GTO you will simply forget about learning and revel in that spectacular charisma which is so distinctly Ferrari. The GTO would be alive while the 959 would remain machine.

I just knew you'd pick the GTO.

Wouldn't you apply this to all Porsches though? I mean, they have unbelievable depth of engineering, precision build and still, practicality. But at the end of the day, a Porsche is a machine. Ferraris have a soul. Extends to even the exhaust notes : While the Ferrari will wail loudly at high rpms, the Porsche's note is more of a clinically-engineered metallic sound.

[DKG]

Originally Posted by GTO

I just knew you'd pick the GTO.

Wouldn't you apply this to all Porsches though? I mean, they have unbelievable depth of engineering, precision build and still, practicality. But at the end of the day, a Porsche is a machine. Ferraris have a soul. Extends to even the exhaust notes : While the Ferrari will wail loudly at high rpms, the Porsche's note is more of a clinically-engineered metallic sound.

Perhaps its something to do with Italians and their culture? They seem to have perfected the art of infusing product design with the human element. Perhaps its the rich history of that nation, their affluence and focus on the finer things in life. I don't know what it is. But just about everything they make oozes emotion. There's so much passion in the workers. But I don't know how it manifests in product design.

Maybe its much simpler than we think. Maybe their design engineers go for the sound and end up creating these masterpieces? The sound of a Ferrari V12 is so different from a Lambo V12. They are both so distinctly animal like. I can never forget when these two Scagliettis came into Hyderabad on the tour India trip I visited he Taj where they were put up. When I reached the hotel and enquired about the cars they told me they were being washed in the basement car park. As I headed toward the basement tunnel I was stopped in my tracks at the sound of the V12's firing up. They sounded just like two leopards, growling angrily. As they both emerged the feeling of animal was so palpable. What car makes you feel so? I actually felt I was in the company of two leopards who were out on a stroll, growling. What a sound. The crisp crackle of a V12, their wide low stance, they seemed so agile, so taut. Just like watching a muscular yet lithe leopard pass by.

The exhaust manifolds on those V12's are a work of art. Like a dozen pythons tangled.

The Italians were deeply fascinated by wild animals. So much of their design influence is the animal world. With Ferrari the horse and Lamborghini the bull.

The Germans like you said approach it from a different perspective. I agree its about practicality. Its about efficiency, about doing something well. So when Porsche designers design brakes they make sure the car stops like nothing on the planet. When they designed the boxer they made sure it had one purpose - to squeeze out every ounce of power from the fuel burnt. The way a 911 pulls ! I guess they approached the design with a different mandate. That the engine should enable the car to cover distance in a minimum amount of time. So function seems to dominate their design brief, whereas for Ferrari its the emotion.

I think Ferrari are very clear their cars must sound right, look right, feel right.

Porsche make sports cars that drive supremely. Fabulous brakes, precise steering, exquisite handling, awesome engines and a body to cloak it all.

With Ferrari they first design a body to fall in love with. Then they design a V12 to madly fall in love with. Then they design a interior with leather that makes you feel you are smelling paradise. Then they hand over the car to a bunch of hardcore racers and demand all aspects of the handling and steering and drive fall in line. They want steering that talks. They want gear ratios that make the engine sing.

If something looks right it is right !! That's Ferrari. Its just not a car its an event.

To illustrate the magic of this marque I won't hesitate in saying that I'd any day opt for that 25 year old 308 GTS with quad webers (that I had for a short while) than the blisteringly fast Nissan GTR which I had the pleasure of driving. What that old Ferrari had which the GTR lacks totally is romance.

[gomzi]

Originally Posted by DKG

With the GTO you will simply forget about learning and revel in that spectacular charisma which is so distinctly Ferrari. The GTO would be alive while the 959 would remain machine. That's the essence of Ferraris. Those cars are alive. There's such a powerful human element in everything Ferrari does. The machine is always second, the human experience remains first. In Ferraris you are an intergral part of the experience. How you drive the Ferrari transforms the experience. You can make the car cry, weep, scream and howl. No other car lets you play so much with sound, sensation and emotion as this marque allows. No car on the planet gives you so much freedom to express your driving so vocally as a Ferrari does. Hope you get the drift. A Ferrari in the hands of a good driver becomes an extension of his personality. There's so much emotion in the experience. Maybe its the looks, the sound, the engine. the steering, the heritage - its such a heady mix

Originally Posted by DKG

With Ferrari they first design a body to fall in love with. Then they design a V12 to madly fall in love with. Then they design a interior with leather that makes you feel you are smelling paradise.

If something looks right it is right !! That's Ferrari. Its just not a car its an event.

@DKG & GTO, this is such evocative writing, it gave me goose pimples!

And needless to say, given the choice, i'd have opted for the GTO as well, although its still the Testarossa that does it for me. Hmm, now I got to save enough for a supercar trackday in the UK

[pb10gagan]

Droooooolllllllllllllll !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[arjunrudra]

For me the most beautiful car has to be the Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder.
Man what a pretty car and this will be closely followed by the Lp 640 and then the R8 Spyder .
Attaching the pictures of the respective cars in their best suited colors.

[vagu]

Originally Posted by DKG

Perhaps its something to do with Italians and their culture? They seem to have perfected the art of infusing product design with the human element. Perhaps its the rich history of that nation, their affluence and focus on the finer things in life. I don't know what it is. But just about everything they make oozes emotion. There's so much passion in the workers. But I don't know how it manifests in product design.


To illustrate the magic of this marque I won't hesitate in saying that I'd any day opt for that 25 year old 308 GTS with quad webers (that I had for a short while) than the blisteringly fast Nissan GTR which I had the pleasure of driving. What that old Ferrari had which the GTR lacks totally is romance.

coulnt have said it better.

another beautiful car that has not been mentioned here is the Alfa romeo P3 monoposto what a car , and imagine Tazio Nuvlari driving it for the Ferrari Team and wining in the German grand prix in front of some 30K (?) german fans who were supporting the more advanced and powerful Auto unions and mercedes, its like a perfect love story.

[rpmx1000]

Originally Posted by vagu

coulnt have said it better.

another beautiful car that has not been mentioned here is the Alfa romeo P3 monoposto what a car , and imagine Tazio Nuvlari driving it for the Ferrari Team and wining in the German grand prix in front of some 30K (?) german fans who were supporting the more advanced and powerful Auto unions and mercedes, its like a perfect love story.

Reminded me of this car..Was named after Tazio Nuvolari. Bertone came out with
it in 1990.Not sure if it was ever produced or was a concept though.

[vagu]

Originally Posted by rpmx1000

Reminded me of this car..Was named after Tazio Nuvolari. Bertone came out with
it in 1990.Not sure if it was ever produced or was a concept though.

i think alfa also came out with a tribute car . it was called Nuvola but again it was a concept car.

[romeomidhun]

My selection: Lamborghini Estoque!

[rpmx1000]

This Estoque was beautiful.Especially nice in the rear three quarters.Thanks for that!

[suhaas307]

- Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder
- Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS/2.8 RSR
- Lamborghini Miura
- Aston Martin DB5
- Jaguar E-Type
- Maserati GranTurismo
- Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione