Tasteful Automobile thread
heiney9
Posts: 25,197
Cars, women and audio, not necessarily in that order. I decided to start a tasteful car thread. Tell about either your favorite dream car or a dream car that you could actually own one day. Some may already own their dream car, tell us about it. I want lots of pics, manageable pics that is, and maybe a synopsis as to why you lust after this particular auto. Lets make this fun and not do any bashing of the choices.
DINO 246 GT/S
Here are some excerpts that describe why I lust after this gorgeous car. I had a chance to sit in one and stand and stare at one. In person this car is absolutely stunning in its presentation. The body lines are simply without equal. From any angle it's very hard to take your eyes off of it.
Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari, was the son of Enzo Ferrari. Dino suggested to Enzo Ferrari the development of a V6 engine for F2 at the end of 1955. Soon afterwards, Alfredo fell ill, suffering from muscular dystrophy. While in hospital, he discussed technical details with the engineer Vittorio Jano. Dino would never see the engine; he died on June 30, 1956 at the age of 24.
It was never even a full-bloodied Ferrari, but a poor-mans six-cylinder model in a world of Ferrari V12s. It was aimed squarely at Porsches successful 911 and, as a homage to Enzos son, it was bereft of Ferrari badging and merely called the Dino. It is arguably, however, the most beautiful Ferrari ever built. The proportions are as perfect as you can get, with flowing lines that are as organic as you can achieve in a car. Designer Pininfarina has still yet to match it, even though hes come close on occasions.
The 246 GT/S Dino has to be one of the most well-rounded classics of all time. The beauty of these cars lay in the thrill of the glorious roaring engine noise, the voluptuous view from the driver's seat and the amazing go-kart feel. It's understood that faster, stronger and better-built cars have been produced before and after the Dino, but as someone once proclaimed, "The 246 is the prince of all sports cars." I think that person was on to something; that may be as succinct and correct a description as I've ever heard.
There's something universally appealing about a Dino. The sensual body follows the design theme of the Pininfarina race cars and show cars of the era. The theme was a response to the introduction of mid-engine cars. These new cars required new expressions of automobile design, and Pininfarina met the challenge with this masterpiece of compound curves.
It was as modern and bold and perhaps as purely artistic as any automotive design theme before or after. Pininfarina respected function but strived for beauty. The shapes were so beautiful that they almost looked feminine, yet they were so powerful they were unmistakably masculine.
Driving a Dino was as exciting as looking at one. The Ferrari-designed, Fiat-built V6 is an impressive piece of work with a distinctive sound and reasonable performance. Its 195 horsepower moved the 2,300-pound Dino to 60 mph in a respectable 6.8 seconds. The power was found high in the rpm range and spirited driving required lots of gas and lots of shifting.
The need for driver's input was a contrast from the big-engine Ferraris, and it made the Dino a sports car rather than a GT car. The mid-engine design with its low center of gravity raised the bar on handling and added confidence to both novice and experienced drivers. Owners found themselves going deeper and faster through corners and looking for new twisty roads.
Once behind the steering wheel there is a strong feeling of being in a true "prototype"; one can see nothing of the bonnet, only the two large humps of the front wings. The cockpit is spacious, but one searched for luxury in vain; everything here is strictly functional with an air of refined good taste, nothing more. Snug bucket seats, a stubby gear lever falling immediately to hand, a tiny three-spoke steering wheel - and, right in front of the driver, a crowded dashboard taken from the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, comprising two large instruments and six small ones.
Switch on and start up: one can feel the difference from the coupe the instant the engine fires. In this car one has a much closer bond with the mechanical organs. This engine delights in working hard, swift movements of the gear lever and steady pressure on the accelerator making it shout for joy. The car offers almost limitless performance to anyone who knows how to make use of it. Extremely lively, completely stable, steered with rack and pinion precision, it negotiates fast off slow corners with the same haughty unconcern.
On the motorways it holds its course imperturbably, the willing little engine pushing it all the way up to 150mph without strain. Don't hesitate to use the revs: above 4,500 a performance banquet is spread before the driver, with a full symphony orchestra in attendance. The engine note rises from a raucous boom to a frenzied howl, flooding the ears with sounds that remain embedded in the memory long after switching off.
The GTS has all the intrinsic qualities of the Dino 246 GT, but offers in addition the extraordinary sensation of hearing the machinery come to life all around one. That is why it is not just a car with a sporting appearance; it is an authentic sports car through and through.
What's most appealing about the Dino is the way it feels and drives "small." All the corners are right there--not way out. This makes brisk driving an absolute blast, its quick steering and lack of bulk helping the car respond as you place it right where you want. And the V-6's howl as it surges toward 8000 rpm is hair raising, the sucking of air and trumpeting exhaust reminiscent of the 512 blasting down Mulsanne in the movie "Le Mans."
Here's are some links to more info & pics of this gorgeous automobile if you are interested.
http://www.thecarexperience.com/****/18/246.htm
http://cars.msn.co.uk/carreviewshome/fdclassicferrarijul05/Default.asp
http://cars.msn.co.uk/carnews/top10ferrarijul05/
http://www.motortrend.com/classic/c12_0509_top_ferraris/index8.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Dino#246
H9
P.s. I need to go be alone now
DINO 246 GT/S
Here are some excerpts that describe why I lust after this gorgeous car. I had a chance to sit in one and stand and stare at one. In person this car is absolutely stunning in its presentation. The body lines are simply without equal. From any angle it's very hard to take your eyes off of it.
Alfredo "Dino" Ferrari, was the son of Enzo Ferrari. Dino suggested to Enzo Ferrari the development of a V6 engine for F2 at the end of 1955. Soon afterwards, Alfredo fell ill, suffering from muscular dystrophy. While in hospital, he discussed technical details with the engineer Vittorio Jano. Dino would never see the engine; he died on June 30, 1956 at the age of 24.
It was never even a full-bloodied Ferrari, but a poor-mans six-cylinder model in a world of Ferrari V12s. It was aimed squarely at Porsches successful 911 and, as a homage to Enzos son, it was bereft of Ferrari badging and merely called the Dino. It is arguably, however, the most beautiful Ferrari ever built. The proportions are as perfect as you can get, with flowing lines that are as organic as you can achieve in a car. Designer Pininfarina has still yet to match it, even though hes come close on occasions.
The 246 GT/S Dino has to be one of the most well-rounded classics of all time. The beauty of these cars lay in the thrill of the glorious roaring engine noise, the voluptuous view from the driver's seat and the amazing go-kart feel. It's understood that faster, stronger and better-built cars have been produced before and after the Dino, but as someone once proclaimed, "The 246 is the prince of all sports cars." I think that person was on to something; that may be as succinct and correct a description as I've ever heard.
There's something universally appealing about a Dino. The sensual body follows the design theme of the Pininfarina race cars and show cars of the era. The theme was a response to the introduction of mid-engine cars. These new cars required new expressions of automobile design, and Pininfarina met the challenge with this masterpiece of compound curves.
It was as modern and bold and perhaps as purely artistic as any automotive design theme before or after. Pininfarina respected function but strived for beauty. The shapes were so beautiful that they almost looked feminine, yet they were so powerful they were unmistakably masculine.
Driving a Dino was as exciting as looking at one. The Ferrari-designed, Fiat-built V6 is an impressive piece of work with a distinctive sound and reasonable performance. Its 195 horsepower moved the 2,300-pound Dino to 60 mph in a respectable 6.8 seconds. The power was found high in the rpm range and spirited driving required lots of gas and lots of shifting.
The need for driver's input was a contrast from the big-engine Ferraris, and it made the Dino a sports car rather than a GT car. The mid-engine design with its low center of gravity raised the bar on handling and added confidence to both novice and experienced drivers. Owners found themselves going deeper and faster through corners and looking for new twisty roads.
Once behind the steering wheel there is a strong feeling of being in a true "prototype"; one can see nothing of the bonnet, only the two large humps of the front wings. The cockpit is spacious, but one searched for luxury in vain; everything here is strictly functional with an air of refined good taste, nothing more. Snug bucket seats, a stubby gear lever falling immediately to hand, a tiny three-spoke steering wheel - and, right in front of the driver, a crowded dashboard taken from the 365 GTB/4 Daytona, comprising two large instruments and six small ones.
Switch on and start up: one can feel the difference from the coupe the instant the engine fires. In this car one has a much closer bond with the mechanical organs. This engine delights in working hard, swift movements of the gear lever and steady pressure on the accelerator making it shout for joy. The car offers almost limitless performance to anyone who knows how to make use of it. Extremely lively, completely stable, steered with rack and pinion precision, it negotiates fast off slow corners with the same haughty unconcern.
On the motorways it holds its course imperturbably, the willing little engine pushing it all the way up to 150mph without strain. Don't hesitate to use the revs: above 4,500 a performance banquet is spread before the driver, with a full symphony orchestra in attendance. The engine note rises from a raucous boom to a frenzied howl, flooding the ears with sounds that remain embedded in the memory long after switching off.
The GTS has all the intrinsic qualities of the Dino 246 GT, but offers in addition the extraordinary sensation of hearing the machinery come to life all around one. That is why it is not just a car with a sporting appearance; it is an authentic sports car through and through.
What's most appealing about the Dino is the way it feels and drives "small." All the corners are right there--not way out. This makes brisk driving an absolute blast, its quick steering and lack of bulk helping the car respond as you place it right where you want. And the V-6's howl as it surges toward 8000 rpm is hair raising, the sucking of air and trumpeting exhaust reminiscent of the 512 blasting down Mulsanne in the movie "Le Mans."
Here's are some links to more info & pics of this gorgeous automobile if you are interested.
http://www.thecarexperience.com/****/18/246.htm
http://cars.msn.co.uk/carreviewshome/fdclassicferrarijul05/Default.asp
http://cars.msn.co.uk/carnews/top10ferrarijul05/
http://www.motortrend.com/classic/c12_0509_top_ferraris/index8.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_Dino#246
H9
P.s. I need to go be alone now
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
Comments
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Cobra baby!!!!
The all-time coolest car ever sold to the public. Put some modern brakes and tires on one of those suckers and you got yourself an Enzo killer. Of course, in today's dollars, you'd pay as much for a REAL 427 Cobra as you would an Enzo.
Hell, it was just recently that a modern supercar beat the Cobra's 0-100-0 time, which was something like 12.7 seconds, I believe. Not bad for a mid-sixties car on mid-sixties rubber and brakes, huh?"SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE" -
"SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE" -
My personal favorite still....Ferrari 250 GT SWB
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ND13 wrote:Cobra baby!!!!
The all-time coolest car ever sold to the public. Put some modern brakes and tires on one of those suckers and you got yourself an Enzo killer. Of course, in today's dollars, you'd pay as much for a REAL 427 Cobra as you would an Enzo.
Hell, it was just recently that a modern supercar beat the Cobra's 0-100-0 time, which was something like 12.7 seconds, I believe. Not bad for a mid-sixties car on mid-sixties rubber and brakes, huh?
The Cobra is my Dad's all-time favorite car. He used to race back in the early 60's and he did some coverage for local newspaper/club magazines. He covered many events at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI and I have pics of original Cobra Coupes on the track (only six ever raced). I believe they were called the "Meisterbrauser I and Meisterbrauser II". I'll have to dig those photo's out. The Meister Brauser was actually a Scarab and they were raced by Augie Pabst, Harry Heuer Jr. and early on by Carol Shelby. My Dad never raced at Road America, only locally at BlackHawk Farms and he raced MG's and Austin Healey's not the Cobra. If I ever hit the lotto I'd love to see the look on my Dad's face when I presented him with an Original 427 Cobra.
The rivalry between Ford and Ferrari, especially Carol Shelby and Enzo Ferrari was legendary and it was great for racing at that time. The original GT40 is what finally won some races for Ford and sent Enzo back to the drawing board.
H9
Edited from original post for accuracy."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
