TargaTango

A great read on what Ferrari gets up to in fixing their cars and trying to fix road test results:

http://jalopnik.com/#!5760248/how-ferrari-spins

With so much of consumer journalism being of the lap dog variety Mr Harris' article is a great breath of fresh air. There will be a lot of comments to the effect that everyone knows that cars are doctored so what is new, but even if this is the case I have never seen this reported in any of the mags. Way to go Chris Harris.

Akerlie

Business as usual in Italy

Cristel993

A brave move by Chris Harris. It will be interesting to see how EVO react to this and if they will see his position with them as being compromised. I also wonder if he will be seen by Porsche as being too biased against Ferrari and too favourable to Porsche, hence unable to provide an unbiased perspective when comparing Porsche and Ferrari, like for like? (Especially as he might not easily make Porsche vs. Ferrari tests anymore?)

A great irony of his writing style in this piece is that he has written it in "American English", as opposed to English. So he's tailored the article for the outlet he has published it on.....just like Ferrari allegedly tailor their press cars for different test types and tracks! (Pissed, organization, the man, it's gotten, Limey etc.....)

Tango Targa, was your car built by Greg from Tognola? I think Ty Fuller painted your car; mine is about to be painted by him as well.

Ed Burdell

Hilarious rant. Harris is one of my favorite writers, and his point here is well-taken. I'd be more than happy driving an untuned, assembly line 458. It's like the high-A student cheating on a test in order to get a 100.

AOW162435

Classic.


Andreas

ilko

Speaking of which, can anyone guess who's the front runner to replace Berlusconi? That's right, it's Luca...

trophy

More like a high A student cheating to get 101%

Manufacturers have been doing it for years, its about time someone in the press came out and said something. It will be interesting to see if Chris is treated differently by other manufacturers...

timothymoffat

Like Porsche giving him a seat in a factory ride @ the N24 or something? Oh wait, that's already been done!

Seriously, I enjoy CH's articles and completely agree with his slam against Ferrari's heavy-handed approach to testing their cars. Unfortunately, his love of Porsche shines through quite regularly making his opinions a little biased IMHO. Doesn't make him a bad person or a bad journalist, just, perhaps, a little too biased at times. Won't stop me from reading his stuff. Just like Ferrari's blatant protectionism won't stop me from wanting several of their cars (288 GTO 1st PLEASE!).

IXLR8

Exactly why I never take tests of any product too seriously, no matter who from.

NEK

Wow.

I've been reading car mags damn near since my Huggies day and it's clear to me that all of the major mags, to varying extents, propagate the PR BS with which they are constantly inundated. Read a few back issues from the late 80s or 90s and, with the aid of hindsight, you'll see how transparent many reviews are (especially reviews of Italians). But frankly given their respective business models, I really don't see how carmakers and the major mags can avoid getting in bed w/each other. That said, this Ferrari business is outrageous.

TargaTango

Hi Tim,

I am not an authority on Chris' writing having read mainly his Porsche articles on Porsche mags, but I do not think he is Porsche biased (or maybe that should read exclusively Porsche biased). His review of the Nissan GTR was more way-over-the-top than any of the Porsche articles I have read, and if I recall he was highly favoring it against the then 997 Turbo. He was so enthusiastic that I went away with the impression that Cristel993 noted that “he has tailored the article for the outlet”.

Cristel993, my car was built by Gemballa with Tuning by GTI Engineering, both in Hong Kong. Good luck and enjoy your build.

Rinty

Not after reading his February column in Excellence.

It's too bad there isn't an automotive equivalent to Motorcycle Consumer News. He could be editor in chief.

LastMezger

It was interesting to read some of the extreme lengths Ferrari goes to. All manufacturers, however, prepare press vehicles to some extent.

dryadsdad

Good to read, but then again, it's nothing new. I heard that in the mid 60's Car and Driver put a Ferrari against a Pontiac GTO. The GTO won. I learned about this fairly recently when David Davis, the then editor or something for C&D said he and everybody knew that the GTO they were testing had no real resemblance to the GTO people could buy. Yet they ran the article as if the GTO were stock which (he said) 'made' the GTO as a cult car.

The author in the OP made it clear why Ferrari can get away with it too. People want to read about this car brand so if you want to sell dead trees, you gotta obey and keep your lip sealed.

Rinty

C/D had a lot of fun with that Ferrari / Pontiac comparo, as it stirred up a huge reaction. It might have been the magazine's defining moment.

I enjoyed reading it in those days, particularly Warren Weith, L.J.K. Setright, and P.J. O'Rourke. Yates could write memorable pieces, now and then.