7/22 - Saw a beautiful Ferrari 196S replica today

[sameerrao]

Took part in another Houston FCA event yesterday ...

This is a Ferrari 196S replica - it has a Dino engine and mechanicals. Looks stunning - like a baby Testa Rossa. :love:
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8070/dsc6176xo5.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6176xo5.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/2928/dsc6177gy0.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6177gy0.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/3774/dsc6178of9.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6178of9.jpg)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/6947/dsc6181ig3.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6181ig3.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/1884/dsc6182du6.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6182du6.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/8329/dsc6184aw4.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6184aw4.jpg)
http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5949/dsc6187pt3.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6187pt3.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/5672/dsc6189tt1.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6189tt1.jpg)http://img77.imageshack.us/img77/4379/dsc6199wp6.th.jpg (http://img77.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc6199wp6.jpg)

More info about the car here ... http://www.ferraris-online.com/pages/carintro.php?reqcardir=FE-196S-142536

There were other normal (read modern) Ferraris on hand as well but I didnt take many pictures - too ordinary by comparison.

[ZfrkS62]

Beautiful job on it :D Not many replicas get that kind of attention

[TopGearNL]

Forget about all those 360s and 430s, this is a real Ferrari, wow :shock:

Very nice spotting Sameerao :mrgreen:

[sameerrao]

Wow!! :shock: that's one superb replica!! Not like the ugly bodykits on a Fiero trying to resemble a F355..... :wink:

You said it.

I actually like replicas because they allow more people to enjoy these cars - drive them and see it. The main pre-requisite is that the car should be built correctly - meaning Ferrari parts for a Ferrari car and the car should not be misrepresented as an original.

The real 196S costs $2,000,000. :shock: This makes it pretty much unaffordable to a normal Ferrari owner. The ones who could afford it might store it in their private collection hidden from public view. Of course there are awesome guys like Brandon Wang, Anthony Wang, JC Bramford, Rob Walton and others who race their million dollar cars without a qualm.

Now a replica car like the 196S costs $180,000 which is about the price of a Challenge Stradale or 360 Spider. A lot more affordable to a Ferrari buyer. Mentally you would feel much better off driving this car on regular roads. Replicas might not get admission to some of the concours but then who cares - you still drive a car that's good as the real thing.

There was a nice replica 250 GTO that I saw at Pebble Beach last year. If you didnt know about the car, you wouldnt have guessed its a replica. The car is good enough to fool 99.5% of observers into thinking it is a real GTO. It is that well done and sounded glorious as it went past me on the service road. I think they retail for about $250,000 which is chump change compared to the $8 million that the real thing commands.

The Fiero 355s need to be burnt to the ground IMO.

[sentra_dude]

I missed this topic...really awesome pics sameerrao, and I completely agree with you about the replicars. As long as someone isn't trying to pass something off for what it isn't then everythings fine.

[dingo]

Very sexy!!! I also like that "ordinary" CS behind it.... ;)

Thanks sameer.