First of all, all you people posting in the Ferrari blog have got to lighten up. All the "No, you don't get it, let me enlighten you" talk is a little much, don't ya think?
So I've been reluctant to take the Ferrari home. What, with all the unexpected, inconvenient, and expensive trips to the shop, and all. Even so, I've been reading with interest all my colleagues' fawning "they-don't-make-'em-like-they-used-to" praise and wanted to experience all the rolling, red, masterpiece had to offer.
I asked Signore Schmidt if he thought it was healthy enough for my mostly-freeway trip home and he said it was.
After his well-rehearsed "Always [fill in the blank], but Never..." brief, I rolled out. There are many details of my drive that helped my come to the realization that they, indeed, don't build them like they used to, but that's because if they did, Ferrari would have gone broke. This car is awful by today's standards.It's not awful to look at. It doesn't sound awful. The suspension compliance is quite good, and Nissan/Infiniti could learn a thing or two from a 1984 Ferrari about intuitive, linear clutch uptake. BUT that's about as many compliments as this car deserves.
Besides our primary track-testing and writing duties, part of Testing Department's job is to score new vehicles on a ten-point scale within a 35-line evaluation form. While many of us are aware of the categories in general, only a handful of us are are qualified to score them. The eval form covers everything from Handling Performance (e.g. yaw response, roll rate, roll amount, tendency for under- or over-steer, grip, bump stability, transient stability, line holding, general poise, etc.) to Interior Controls' Tactile Qualities (Effort levels, effort consistency, stroke, button stability, wobble, sandiness, proper clicks and detents, control groans, etc.). Okay, you get the idea. It's a thorough rubric.
How did the Ferrari score? It earned a 6.4, or somewhere between "Below Average -- Customer complaints possible" and "Average Performance -- Car savvy customers will expect more."
Ferrari should have retained manual, cranking windows because the one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four, one-thousand-five-seconds it took to roll the driver's window to swipe my garage pass was only half as ridiculous as the one-thousand-one, one-thousand-two, one-thousand-three, one-thousand-four, one-thousand-five, one-thousand-six, one-thousand-seven, one-thousand-eight-seconds it took for it to go back up.
The seat is uncomfortable. Headroom is inadequate. The pedal box is offset too far to the right. While providing forced accuracy, the gated shifter slows the already cumbersome, sluggish shifter. The top and bottom of the instrument panel are obscured. All the secondary controls are not intuitive. And with the huge idle stroke in the brake pedal, this indicator light should have been permanently on.
It turns out that's the 1984 version of a check engine light. The manual says, Exhaust system high temperature warning light: lights up as soon as the ignition key is switched on, and goes out after a few seconds to make sure the bulb is operable. That bulb is inoperable because it doesn't light up.
There's one fan for the windshield defogger (the one on the left of the ha74rd switch),
and one for the A/C system (which would explain why nobody has been able to figure out why defogger is so weak):
It took a minute to figure out that this is the power antenna switch (which I was told NEVER to touch):
Okay, you get it. It's an old car, but not that old. After driving this car, I told a colleague that there was a shorter distance, in evolutionary terms, between my first experience in a manual-transmission car (my brother's '67 Austin-Healy 3000 Mk III) and this Ferrari than there is between this Ferrari and an F355 (the first Ferrari I'd ever driven).
Today's Ferraris feel like they're built by an entirely different company. What ever happened in Maranello between 1984 and 1994 was huge. Until you've driven an awful Ferrari, you can never fully appreciate how awsome a modern Ferrari really is.
Chris Walton, Chief Road Test Editor @ 51,275 miles
louiswei says:
01:54 PM, 01/11/08
It's delightful to see a different opinion regarding the 308 from the editoral staffs.
Will I buy a used Ferrari? Heck no. The only Ferrari I'll be getting is a brand spanking new 599 GTB Fiorano after I won the lottery...
However, a Ferrari is still a Ferrari even it's an old Ferrari.
bimmerjay says:
02:37 PM, 01/11/08
Great post. I love the "slow down" light!
txmatt1 says:
02:41 PM, 01/11/08
"This car is awful by today's standards."
This is at the crux of the disagreement. It's NOT a new car, it's almost a quarter of a century old and it is what it is. Unless it's been completely restored, some items won't work or will work poorly and many elements were never designed with the simulations and ergonomics used to create modern vehicles. People find great enjoyment in offroading Model T's, creating rat-rods from cars of various makes/model, driving old British roadsters, and even enjoying 80's "exotic" cars in spite of (and maybe because of) their sub-legal top speeds, Lucas electronics, or average grades on a new car evaluation. Trying to reduce their value to a monthly $ figure or expecting that they compare favorably to new cars inevitably shows them in a poor light even though they may be perfectly adequate or even endearing.
joefrompa says:
03:10 PM, 01/11/08
Very nice. What's interesting to me is to read people opinions of driving poorly built cars from the 80's compared to well built examples, and the amazing differences in between.
Despite all the cars I consider crap made in 2007/2008, it's hard to find something truly awful (not too hard, but hard). Most cars in the same class are starting to feel good.
But drive a 1987-89 Porsche 911 or BMW 325is/M3 and compare it to one of it's poorly built competition, or a make/model similar of the same year. The difference is stunning....after 20 years, cars like the named BMW and Porsche, evenly moderately taken care of, feel tight, solid, and are incredibly fun to drive.
But to me, it seems like this post is more about the difficulty deciphering foreign pictograms and an unfamiliarity with the ferrari layout of the 80s...
I'd like to see the authors impressions after driving it for a few days. Again, like driving a Porsche, it feels awkward at first...then, miles later, it feels incredibly natural. But I'm willing to bet that the Ferrari will remain awkward, but will just grow on the author :)
Joe
benson2175 says:
03:58 PM, 01/11/08
I like the hwy and city settings for the AC. And a second fan for the defogger, that's not bad ergonomics that's called a bonus. I hate those power antennas though; they always make horrible grinding and clicking noises before they end up finally breaking. Best to replace it with a S2000 type antenna and be done with it.
srlracing says:
06:24 PM, 01/11/08
"What ever happened in Maranello between 1984 and 1994 was huge."
The death of Enzo Ferrari in 1988 that's what happened.
thecar says:
01:05 AM, 01/12/08
Chris Walton,
The answer to your question about what happened between 1984 and 1994 is Enzo died and his son took over. The 308 was end of the Enzo era cars.
You appear to be dismissing the 308 as garbage from the 80’s. Do you realize the 308 platform dates back to the 1960’s 206 Dino? Also the 288 GTO and the F40 are based on the 308.
According to your assessment every Ferrari Enzo built was junk.
estreka says:
01:32 AM, 01/12/08
"What ever happened in Maranello between 1984 and 1994 was huge."
The Acura NSX happened. Seriously, that car changed the industry.
bobiemac says:
10:35 AM, 01/12/08
I've thoroughly enjoyed this 308QV blog. That car always was my dream car, and I've found nothing in the blog to deter me. I'm saving away for even a damaged one to work on. Loving cars and working on them, it'll be wonderful.
Thanks for all of the great stories and photos. I'll work to have her sitting in the garage next to my beloved CR-V, how's that for both ends of the spectrum? ;)
Haters and critics, fire away! Happy New Year, all.
ultimgrocgettr says:
11:01 AM, 01/12/08
Does Edmunds still have the 2001 Ferrari? I believe the last road test entry was in 2005. It would be interesting to compare the two cars.
Also, Top Gear had a used Italian Super Car Challenge. Jeremy bought a Maserati, James a Lamborghini and Richard a Ferrari Dino. The cars were taken to a test track where they were bested by a diesel powered Vauxhall Astra. Shows how far technology has come. Also each car had major mechanical or electrical failures during the test. You Tube has the videos and they are tons of fun to watch.
stephen987 says:
01:25 AM, 01/13/08
If you take a look at the minor controls on an '84 911, I bet you'll find them similarly difficult to decipher. And they'll probably work about as well.
firstwagon says:
12:19 PM, 01/13/08
Name any 1984 car that isn't awful by todays standards.
How about Edmunds pick up a 1984 Accord and see if stands up to a 2008 Accord.
stephen987 says:
04:46 PM, 01/13/08
Yeah, really. My '82 Accord had about 72 horsepower and a three-speed automatic. As I recall, 0-60 came up in about the time it took for that gap in traffic to disappear. The controls were straightforward, though, compared to pretty much anything out there at the time. Does anyone remember the awful GM layouts of the time--bad digital displays, a gazillion functions all on one badly laid out stalk, and so on.
elbee says:
05:15 PM, 01/13/08
The ha74rd! LOL!
Had a good chuckle over this blog. It is essentially an exact replay of the 928 my brother bought off ebay several year ago. Just one disaster after another. He finally became so disgusted with the thing that he abandoned it by the side of the road after he was quoted 1000 bucks for a new ECU. He walked straight into a Nissan dealer and bought one of the first 350Zs..
dharbin says:
12:28 PM, 01/15/08
I, for one, love all the weird buttons. Too bad they don't all work!
Edmunds: when are we ever going to hear this car? How about a video of someone grunting and swearing over the sound of the Ferrari V-8 as they try to park the thing!
SubyTrojan says:
03:09 PM, 01/15/08
dharbin, there's some video footage available on the comparison test article hyperlinked below. Enjoy!
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/Comparos/articleId=122612
billymay says:
10:40 PM, 01/17/08
I guess if you read the manual the car might make more sense. But the slow power windows are usually the result of 20 years of congealed grease in the window mechanism -- the stuff turns hard over the decades. Also, when bulbs burn out on Ferraris, the recommended intervention is to replace the bulb with one that works. Like many other blog entries here, what you really need to do is put this car in proper working order or ante up and buy a decent 308 for market price ($40K+, not $25K).
If you do a little Ferrari research, you'll find out that 355 (the first Ferrari you drove) has mechanical and trim problems that have made the 308/328 look like Lexuses in comparison.
As far as this:
"The Acura NSX happened. Seriously, that car changed the industry."
It's out of production due to lack of sales, and frankly the Ferrari 355 that came out during the NSX's run is widely regarded as the most expensive V8 Ferrari to own/service/repair.
Ferrari had a massive sales success with the 308, and they broke their annual sales record in 2007 with 6,400 cars. If your neglected 24-year old Ferrari has slow windows and a bad antenna, get it fixed.
Finally, as others have said, we all knew a 1984 car wasn't going to stack up well to a 2007. Maybe compare a 2007 Ferrari F430 versus a 1984 Nissan Z-car and lets see how it goes.
forzav12 says:
09:38 PM, 01/30/08
If nothing else, this "Chief Road Test" Editor's comments have allowed me to properly catagorize Edmund's reviews in general. Thank God we have someone checking for "proper clicks" and "control groans". I'm quite sure the folks over at Consumer Reports are rather envious. While Editor Smith is no doubt proud of the fact that he is one "of only a handful qualified to score them"
I had to suppress a chuckle as he solumnly describes the scoring rubric.
This may come as a great suprise to Smith and his scoring rubric, but there are actually people that refer to themselves as enthusiasts. No scoring rubrics, no electronic nannys to save them from their lack of skill and no focus group approval needed before purchase. We actually enjoy mastering and controlling a fine piece of equipment.
To say that the Ferrari doesn't "look or sound awful" certainly reveals his distain for the car. Of course it doesn't-it's beautiful(styled by one of the greats) and sounds fantastic! I've spent a fair bit of time behind the wheel of both vintage and modern Ferraris and they all provide magic-provided the driver is willing to participate in the experience. The gripes listed in regards to Edmund's Ferrari would apply to any worn, used car. Considering it's design(mid mounted 4 cam V-8,low CG, direct steering, race derived suspension), I think you would be hard pressed to easily lose a QV308 on a twisty road if it were properly tired and driven by a competent pilot. Here's a thought, Smith, why don't you gather up your rubric and scurry on over to the new 2008 near luxo,crossover,hybrid SUV comparo and leave the Ferraris to those of us that, yes, "Get it"