Nissan embarrasses Ferrari

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Nissan doesn't race?





http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/nissan ... lenge.html

[OriginalWheelman]

Here is the the real problem I have with it; Car manufacturers should be above trolling. It doesn't bestow confidence anytime any of them do it (see Audi trolling Porsche over LeMans). Let your vehicles do the talking, not stupid gamesmanship and buffoonery.

I disagree. This isn't simply trolling. This is the kind of advertizing a company NEEDS on the internet. Nissan earned back some of my respect for this one, some.

And I'm sorry, what part of that article you linked provides a different side?

First off, it seems a car company should let its customers customize their vehicles however they want to. Second, it was originally done for the Gumball 3000 -- an event where all sorts of vehicles are wrapped/customized to ridiculous extents.
...

I'm not saying more money should mean more rights, but it would seem that those spending a small fortune for Ferrari's vehicles should at least be able to paint the vehicle like the General Lee and sell it to old money in Mississippi without the owner having to check with the dealer first or receive ludicrous cease-and-desist orders.

Did you read a different article than I did?

[flohtingPoint]

Neat.

Now go look up how many of those are actual Nissan team products (I'll start you off, Delta Wing was far from a Nissan initiative, and it was kind of a big failure anyway...). Now look up the classification of those pictures. It's a lot of JV level stuff... They dont really do a lot of high level racing, nor do they have any success at it. Like I said though, I think it's all budget related. Having a successful motorsports division is not for the light hearted.

Seriously though, it's getting sad... It's like comparing a 3A high school basketball team to the Boston Celtics... Just stop.

@OriginalWheelMan: Read the whole article...

There are contracts that folks have to sign when they purchase some vehicles. Case in point, an ex of mine owns a GT3, she had to sign several documents about things pertaining to the car. You're not going to get the whole story about this Ferrari situation, but fact of the matter is, both sides are ***holes, and Nissan is an ***hole for jumping in like some 4chan flamer...

[OriginalWheelman]

I did read the whole article. The article was about how it's pretty much s***. He explained the legal angle that Ferrari is using. He also explained that it is s*** that they are using a clause designed to prevent resellers from inflating car prices and using it to bully customers. That is the entire point of the article. It seems you missed it.

[flohtingPoint]

I did read the whole article. The article was about how it's pretty much bullsh*t. He explained the legal angle that Ferrari is using. He also explained that it is bullsh*t that they are using a clause designed to prevent resellers from inflating car prices and using it to bully customers. That is the entire point of the article. It seems you missed it.

Look, its cool, you prefer to only see this as one sided, and are vehemently seeing one side. Its obvious there is no talking sense into you, and it's pointless to have a discussion. You win, good job =)

[Kompresshun]

Neat.

Now go look up how many of those are actual Nissan team products (I'll start you off, Delta Wing was far from a Nissan initiative, and it was kind of a big failure anyway...). Now look up the classification of those pictures. It's a lot of JV level stuff... They dont really do a lot of high level racing, nor do they have any success at it. Like I said though, I think it's all budget related. Having a successful motorsports division is not for the light hearted.

Alright Princess Prancing Horse then riddle me this:

If Nissans racing heritage, current or past is so inferior in your eyes and their product is such a joke then why exactly are you here?

Nissan does many things wrong, but one thing they do not do is walk around with an elitist stick up their a**. Ferrari's racing pedigree and heritage has nothing to do with this and I'm willing to wager that most people in this thread don't give two flying f**ks about it either.

[flohtingPoint]

Neat.

Now go look up how many of those are actual Nissan team products (I'll start you off, Delta Wing was far from a Nissan initiative, and it was kind of a big failure anyway...). Now look up the classification of those pictures. It's a lot of JV level stuff... They dont really do a lot of high level racing, nor do they have any success at it. Like I said though, I think it's all budget related. Having a successful motorsports division is not for the light hearted.

Alright Princess Prancing Horse then riddle me this:

If Nissans racing heritage, current or past is so inferior in your eyes and their product is such a joke then why exactly are you here?

Nissan does many things wrong, but one thing they do not do is walk around with an elitist stick up their a**. Ferrari's racing pedigree and heritage has nothing to do with this and I'm willing to wager that most people in this thread don't give two flying f**ks about it either.

It's not about being elitist or not... Read up on the history of Ferrari. They make cars so they can go racing. They're a racing team first, and a car manufacturer second.

I'm willing to bet most folks in this thread dont give two flying f*** about anything =)

I've never said their product is a joke. Their racing team, it's a little juvenile, but every once in a while, they (Nissan, not their racing division, or what division they do have) do make a good car. One just won a national championship today at the SCCA Solo Nationals in SM...

Edit: Two national championships for two different Nissan products in fact
http://sololive.scca.com/SM.html
http://sololive.scca.com/SML.html

[AZhitman]

Seriously though, it's getting sad... It's like comparing a 3A high school basketball team to the Boston Celtics... Just stop.

With all due respect, didn't you compare a company that ONLY builds stratospherically-priced supercars to a company that (as I *clearly pointed out earlier) overwhelmingly builds appliances, and expect them to have comparable motorsports pedigrees?

The triple-A HS hoops team is full of motivated kids with something to prove, and the Celtics are pampered elitist pricks.

It's actually a brilliant comparison. Well-done, sir.

BTW, from a legal angle, there *IS* only "one side." Unfortunately, Ferrari *IS* misinterpreting their silly "contract" and they *ARE* overstepping any legal standing they might *THINK* they have.

You don't have to like it, or even agree with it, but from a purely legal standpoint, they've stepped on their own shriveled d!cks, and they look like petulant a-holes. Whether or not they field a successful race team is patently irrelevant.

[OriginalWheelman]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VPIQJkoTx8[/youtube]

And since it is kind of relevant. The reason the car was Nyancat wrapped was at the request of his fans. Joel is a huge cat fan and went so far as to name a song after his cat. It was done for a laugh, for the race, for his fans, and it was unwrapped shortly after the race. He didn't even want to drive around like that all the time. However, I could see him keeping the GT-R wrapped for the lolz and for spite. Canadians may be polite, but you do not want to feel their wrath.

[AZhitman]

...and, just in case no one actually READ the C&D, there's no way in hell it would stand up in any court of law (unless it was presided over by the ghost of Enzo).

Ferrari needs to sack their wannabe legal team and hire someone who comprehends global copyright law, not Italian mafia-style goon intimidation. That s*** don't fly, especially with uber-rich youngsters who DGAF.


EDIT: And, since I can't leave well-enough alone, let's go back to the second post in this thread, which counters the OP by saying, "Ferrari has lots of F1 wins, so nanny-boo-boo."

That's like a 4th-grader's argument - It's completely unrelated to the topic at hand, kinda like this:

"Tony Romo sucks."
"He has more money than you, dude."
"....<blank stare>..."

I always hated that. Guess some things never change.

[Bubba1]

Nissan sent Joel a GT-R.

http://instagram.com/p/slRUCjuxzs/

ok, twist my arm. I'll keep the GT-R! Awww shoot, wrong Joel.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

Personally, I'd rather be a fan/race for a company that doesn't only compete in the highest level of Racing (F1).

Jim- how's those Ferarri sponsorships going for you? Did you get into F1 yet? Does Ferarri have a factory SCCA (which you hold so dear) team?

Your argument is like saying that nothing outside of the FIA even matters. Disregard the fact that the Miata is the most raced car in history. Its not in F1, so its f*** trash, and everyone who drives and races one is a raging moron.

[SX APPEAL]

Personally I find it a rather interesting clash of cultures more than anything else. Typical Italian passion, typical Japanese sense of humor. I wouldn't necessarily say Nissan is trolling Ferrari (If so, far less than you guys are trolling each other in this thread anyway) more just having a harmless bit of fun at the expense of a company that takes itself just a little too seriously (even for a company that has the right to take itself pretty damned seriously)

Moreover, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but I thought Ferrari's main issue with the Deadmau5 F458 was not necessarily that he wrapped it in something silly, but that he changed the actual badging of the vehicle (to Purrari or whatever) Would this not give them at least a slight bit more legal ground to stand on?

Final note, if you're interested in a prime example of Italian passion for motorsport, and can wake up early on a Sunday morning, the Italian Grand Prix at Monza is tomorrow. The scene at the winners podium overlooking the sea of red of the Tifosi below really is a spectacle.

[MinisterofDOOM]

What pisses me off is the fact that I LOVE Ferrari's cars. I LOVE Ferrari's determination to be the best. I love the way they manage to consistently blend and distill all the things I love the very most about automobiles into single models. But there's always that stigma of defensive arrogance about everything Ferrari does in terms of corporate and brand culture.

All my other favorite brands, Jaguar, Cadillac, McLaren, Morgan, etc. have such a different face. Their attitude is pretty much "We build awesome cars, and if you can't appreciate that you should go buy a Lexus." It's not "Don't mess with our reputation or we'll sue you." Jag's "It's good to be bad" marketing campaign is one of my favorites--because what it really boils down to is Jaguar knowing how to laugh at their own image. And that tells me that they believe their cars are amazing and stand on their own. It's still arrogance, but the difference is that it's not defensive, it's self-assured.

Ferrari's defensive posture in regard to their well earned image makes it look anything but. Defend it like it's fragile and people will percieve it as fragile.

[Bubba1]

Moreover, and correct me if I'm wrong here, but I thought Ferrari's main issue with the Deadmau5 F458 was not necessarily that he wrapped it in something silly, but that he changed the actual badging of the vehicle (to Purrari or whatever) Would this not give them at least a slight bit more legal ground to stand on?

Good question. I'm not a lawyer, so perhaps one will chime in. I don't see how Ferrari can win. Unless Ferrari had specific language in the sales or lease contract forbidding customization, I would think the "other" Joel is free to customize it any way he wants including rebadging/wild wrap jobs. Of course, if it was a lease and not a purchase, I could see him possibly on the hook to Ferrari for the cost to return it to stock if/when he returns it.

[danfiveten]

Was going to comment something, but my head hurts and i think i lost a few points to my iq reading this. So many useless posts over a nyan cat ferrari replaced by a nyan cat gtr, which my son would love to death.

[AZhitman]

Ferrari's defensive posture in regard to their well earned image makes it look anything but.

Well-said. I think I've said my piece about their legal team, but it warrants repeating: They're amateurs.

I can go buy a 308GTB, grow an epic mustache, and put a gold-plated shocker emblem in place of the Ferrari emblems and they can't do a damn thing about it except whine.

Likewise, I can lease a new 458 Speciale and put Corvette emblems on it if I want. Again, they can't do a damn thing about it, as long as I return it to its original condition before the end of the lease.

If Ferrari's legal counsel was a track day entrant:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyMDNzhfwn0[/youtube]

[PapaSmurf2k3]

^That's pretty impressive that they all seemed to fail at about the same time.

...kinda like Ferarri's legal team.

[OriginalWheelman]

Maybe I should change the title to "Nissan embraces Ferrari" and write about how everyone gave each other hugs and participation trophies. Then no one would have to admit their idols might be fallible and have their fragile feelings hurt.

[BusyBadger]

This is a bigger PR faux pas than a legal team screw up. Face it, this won't do anything to encourage or deter the old money Maranello fans to buy one of Uncle Enzo's rides. But it certainly will reinforce the new money demographic view, the crowd that follows the well endowed twenty-something's reaction to acceleration YouTube vids, that the old Ferrari faithful are a crowd of stodgy stuffed shirts that think electronica is a digital subscription to Playboy.

Lamborghini understands PR so well that they've done not one, but two segments on 60 Minutes gaining exposure and fans in the US that they wouldn't have otherwise reached. And while I agree with Jesda about some of Lambo's rep taking a hit thanks to some of their biggest clients there is little doubt that they understand the idea of customer service and cater to their buyers accordingly. Pay close attention to that second video starting around the 4:33 mark. Lamborghini gets it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB6gv_GqTf0[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ1YWLxKoxw[/youtube]

What happened to the old Ferrari PR team? You know, the one that stepped in when Sonny Crockett was tooling around in a Corvette based Daytona replica and offered a new Testarossa in exchange for destroying the replicars (in spectacular fashion I might add), while their legal team rightfully sued the replicar maker to stop making the knock-off Daytonas.

Ferrari did miss out on another opportunity to look magnanimous (or is that Magnum-ous?) when Porsche refused to make a 928 with a sunroof (for aerial shots) and Thomas Magnum drove around Hawaii in the now legendary Ferrari 308. Instead of donating a couple of 308's to the show the crew was forced to buy them. Oddly enough Tom Selleck bought 928's for his co-stars as a thank you. I guess if he happened to be riding with them somewhere the 928 was more comfortable for him than the 308 would be (in an interview somewhere I remember him saying he preferred the Mondial). Yeah, I'm a child of the 80's...so what?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYHDTd2VnuE[/youtube]

[themadscientist]

I liked the Daytona better than the Testarossa even knowing it was fake. The Testarossa is a hideous car. The 308, though; that's right from any angle.

[BusyBadger]

You'll get no argument from me about either the 308 or the Redhead. My favourite Ferrari is still the Berlinetta Boxer that, ironically enough, Ferrari built to be the answer to my favourite car of all time...

...the Lamborghini Miura.

[themadscientist]

Which, ironically, wouldn't have existed in Enzo hadn't acted like a prick to Ferruccio.

[lne937s]

This is a bigger PR faux pas than a legal team screw up. Face it, this won't do anything to encourage or deter the old money Maranello fans to buy one of Uncle Enzo's rides. But it certainly will reinforce the new money demographic view, the crowd that follows the well endowed twenty-something's reaction to acceleration YouTube vids, that the old Ferrari faithful are a crowd of stodgy stuffed shirts that think electronica is a digital subscription to Playboy.

Lamborghini understands PR so well that they've done not one, but two segments on 60 Minutes gaining exposure and fans in the US that they wouldn't have otherwise reached. And while I agree with Jesda about some of Lambo's rep taking a hit thanks to some of their biggest clients there is little doubt that they understand the idea of customer service and cater to their buyers accordingly. Pay close attention to that second video starting around the 4:33 mark. Lamborghini gets it.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bB6gv_GqTf0[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ1YWLxKoxw[/youtube]

What happened to the old Ferrari PR team? You know, the one that stepped in when Sonny Crockett was tooling around in a Corvette based Daytona replica and offered a new Testarossa in exchange for destroying the replicars (in spectacular fashion I might add), while their legal team rightfully sued the replicar maker to stop making the knock-off Daytonas.

Ferrari did miss out on another opportunity to look magnanimous (or is that Magnum-ous?) when Porsche refused to make a 928 with a sunroof (for aerial shots) and Thomas Magnum drove around Hawaii in the now legendary Ferrari 308. Instead of donating a couple of 308's to the show the crew was forced to buy them. Oddly enough Tom Selleck bought 928's for his co-stars as a thank you. I guess if he happened to be riding with them somewhere the 928 was more comfortable for him than the 308 would be (in an interview somewhere I remember him saying he preferred the Mondial). Yeah, I'm a child of the 80's...so what?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYHDTd2VnuE[/youtube]

While we are ~ on the topic... remember the Miami Vice episode with the Camel GT cars in it (Nissan also won the actual Miami Grand Prix that year)? The only way a "Ferrari" could catch one of those cars is with a police barricade.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRttD1NX-6E


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuM0CsB3lYw

As with those Camel GT cars, Nissan has been directly a part of their racing efforts. NPTI was a part of the company (for better or for worse). NISMO is a part of the company and may just supply engines to some teams and the Delta Wing project, but they actually build the engines. Compare to Pratt & Miller, which is a private company paid to race with Chevrolet branding. Without Pratt and Miller, Chevrolet is worthless in NASCAR (engine supplier to Hendrix), Le Mans, Indy, Tudor, etc.

[AZhitman]

I think someone forgot the Infiniti Indy engines, too.

[Rev_D21]

Nissan doesn't have pedigree?


Factory built. Raced by F1 racers. Winning record. Float, the prancing horse is riding you.

[themadscientist]

How viable is a Nissan truck for mountain roads at silly speeds? I have an RB25 just sitting under a tarp and I'll be in the market for a fresh truck next year.

[Rev_D21]

As with anything, it's only as good as the time and parts you put into it. I have seen the trucks do some amazing things all over the globe. They have their shortcomings but the fun to dollar ratio is hard to beat.

[themadscientist]

The picture in my mind is RWD short bed with a properly dropped and dampened suspension and an LSD with either an RB25-6 or a boosted KA24 full togue mountain road attacks. It's either that or a Sunny pickup with a CA18.

My Ford Ranger just had the 2.9 V6 and and some wide wheels with good performance tires and I could really push that thing in the twisties. My Hijet is pretty much the same setup and I have lots of fun it that too. I see no reason the Nissan truck couldn't do it to.

I like the D21 body, but they are getting harder to find in good shape these days and at a reasonable price.

[Rev_D21]

There really is no reason the D21 couldn't be setup for that. They lend themselves to modifications quite nicely. That's if you can find one that hasn't been trashed. The mini-trucks of yesterday are going to start popping up on collectors radars in the future, you can bank on that.