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nberry said:
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Rossi said:
Again Nick, how can you be so sure about the 550hp-number?

Or do you know any secrets you want to share?



I wish I could tell you I have a reliable source but I do not.

In my opinion, Ferrari is beginning to recognize that their competition is the Gallardo and not Porsche. The marketing philosophy and price point of Porsche really puts it in competition with the Corvette and other midprice sport cars. The Ferrari and Gallardo are priced about the same and target the same market.

As a result, it is inconceivable that Ferrari would introduce a model which will be sold for 5 years that has significantly less hp and performance parameters than the Gallardo. The five year window requires Ferrari to position its car competitively against the Gallardo for almost 5 years. That will not occur if they boost the hp of the 430 replacement in the low 500hp range.



Would argue Lambo isn't a serious sales competitor to F....F sells some 5K/yr units; L some <2K/yr units despite no artificial cap on produc vols....G has had more hp than 430/360 forever; gets glowing reviews in various mags, but, mysteriously, not enough guys seem to want to buy the supposedly great L....

In US, where 30% of global F and some ?60% of global L are sold, new 430/599 are sold at MSRP and one can trade-in every 5K mis for another new 430/599 w/$0 deprec cost and minimal mtce costs , whereas L deprecs like a P/MB and has a mere 2 yr warranty putting a "cliff" feature into its embarrassing resale value curve....

Net, net, in US, one can daily-drive a new 430/599 every 6-12mos for almost free, but a L would cost ?$50K+/yr in deprec&oper costs, esp for those who enjoy driving the latest-tech versions of any car and trade-in cars before any serious mtce/out-of-warranty costs....