VIL Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I thought I would ask what peoples thoughts are on replica cars? A friend of mine is looking at a second car (fun for the weekend sort of thing) and has taken a shine to the Ferrari 355 replicas based on the MR2. My initial reaction was NNNNOOOOOOO! Dont do it! But he has had a look at a few really well done examples and is getting more keen! Now I understand why, you get what looks like a really expensive motor, girls wont be able to tell the difference and the running costs will be nothing. But is it right to drive around in an MR2 pretending its something its not? Or is it a smart move for the odd sunny weekend run out? Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garetheves Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Originally i was dead against them as my thinking would be what do you tell people when they ask whether its real, and what would their reaction be when you tell them its really just an MR2 underneath. The second thing being the cost to build the damn things, id rather have a pretty good car that looks like it should than spend so much money on a fake. that was until Mascrat Manor last month where there was a Rover V8 powered Shelby GT500 and a Ford S200 Rally car there (despite it being a Jap meet). This the "S200" was based on an Imprezze Chassi and Engine. They both looked awesome, turned so many heads and sounded incredible, so much so that even when i knew that they were kit cars, i still wanted them. i think a few of the other lads that were there that night will agree with me as well. Personally i still wouldnt do the MR2 one but id deffinately consider something a bit different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvershark44 Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 The thing is, I know for a fact that ill be driving the real thing sometime in my life time. And I wouldnt want people thinking, "is that the real thing or not?" It kinda takes the fun out of it. Supercars arent for everyone and if everyone had them they wouldnt be special. To be honest ive seen some good and bad replicas. A ferrari F355 replica isnt worth it in my eyes. As they arent that expensive for the real thing these days. And there are a hell of a lot of them! They dont sound the same and obviously drive nothing like the real thing. So your not really getting the Ferrari experience, people just think you are. Arguably though, you could probably tune a MR2 turbo to much faster than a F355?? But I still wouldnt rule it out totally, though i would go for somthing more different like a Porsche GT replica or something or a Dodge viper replica as people dont expect them to be copied as much. Difficult one to be honest. I do think there are a few too many replicas around these days. And it does take something away from ferrari...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Men who drive MR2 replicas have small willys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mawby Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 The only replica worth doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mawby Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Men who drive MR2 replicas have small willys.Why would you want a replica of an MR2? It would be cheaper to just buy one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Think about it MR2 Based replica's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mawby Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Think about it MR2 Based replica's I know... but you didn't say that did you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I'd rather someone piss in my ears than own an MR2 with a 355 kit on, just tell him to buy an MR2 and a nice bodykit for it, something that's meant to enhance the lines that are there already rather than cover them up with badly fitting crap. It'll never be a Ferrari, it will never look like a Ferrari unless he spends enough money to buy the real thing, even then it won't sound like one and people will still laugh at the poor wannabe. It's a ghey thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I know... but you didn't say that did you. I know you know, and so does everyone else know that you know, i expect everyone else should know what i mean, but hey its monday and your just trying to wind me up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazboy Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Put it this way- would you have a sock down your trousers, would you lie about your job, would you hire a beautiful escort and claim she was your wife to your peers, would you lie that you went diving in the barrier reef when really you were holed up in a wet Butlins in Somerset, would you rent a fucking great big mansion for a few months and tell prospective girlfriends that it was yours? Would you have muscle implants to buff you up? It's all a bit True Lies, with the fake Ferrari owner starring as Bill Paxton's character. There was one chap on another forum who spent 5k on the MR2, then £17k on the kit, wheels, retrim- for three grand more he could have bought a real Ferrari F348 Berlinetta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 My little collection of pics: http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/ I'd hate to drive anything that has this bolted to it's hub: http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/DCP_2281.JPG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thorin Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 My little collection of pics: http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/ I'd hate to drive anything that has this bolted to it's hub: [qimg]http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/DCP_2281.JPG[/qimg] Now that's a spacer Do you do the watermark's manually or do you have something to add them by the way? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DamanC Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 My little collection of pics: http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/ I'd hate to drive anything that has this bolted to it's hub: [qimg]http://www.megaboost.co.uk/old/pics/mr2/mk2/ferrari/DCP_2281.JPG[/qimg] Sweet jesus, you could raise a flag on that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIL Posted October 30, 2006 Author Share Posted October 30, 2006 Yep, I agree with all these comments and have tried to convince him otherwise. I dont get it either! Saying that I`m just off to turn my Supra into a replica Austin Allegro ;0) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 I'd rather someone piss in my ears than own an MR2 with a 355 kit on Fantastic! What was that new MR2 kit in J-Tuner news pages this month? I liked that. Every panel changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 What was that new MR2 kit in J-Tuner news pages this month? I liked that. Every panel changed. No idea, I stopped buying it when I realised how poor it was - do you have the ability to present a selection of pictures from the magazine so that we can share your excitement? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Do you do the watermark's manually or do you have something to add them by the way? They were done manually in Photoshop, I don't usually bother but around that time someone kept stealing my photos and pretending they had taken them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian R Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Replica's are a waste of time IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSupra Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Personally I don't see the problem with people having replica 355's that are actually an MR2. Don't see the issue at all. Sure they don't sound, drive or feel like a 355, but to someone who doesn't know a great deal about cars, will they really notice the sound of the engine/exhaust and tell the difference without comparing them side by side? Will they buggery. I would never get one as there are cars that I could happily spend £15k+ on that I believe I would get a lot more out of than an MR2 coverted to a 355 but even so I can see the appeal. Baring in mind that a lot of the people who buy these conversions will never have the opportunity to own a new Ferrari, so is an ideal opportunity to pretend you do, even if the only person you're fooling...is yourself! Think some people are a little too quick to criticise others when it comes to stuff like this. Just remember that not all people like what you like, each to their own and all that. Besides the fact, that a very well done conversion (I have seen a couple) are VERY difficult to distinguish from the genuine article - unless you know a lot about the looks of a 355.....which 99% of people dont. p.s. just to reaffirm - I wouldn't ever get one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazboy Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Baring in mind that a lot of the people who buy these conversions will never have the opportunity to own a new Ferrari, so is an ideal opportunity to pretend you do, even if the only person you're fooling...is yourself! Considering the conversion + donar car is getting close to the cost of a F348??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSupra Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Considering the conversion + donar car is getting close to the cost of a F348??? Yeah but not all people like the 348. For some people they don't just want a Ferrari, they want a 355, or any other model for that matter! And this is probably as close as they'll ever get! PLUS what some people are forgetting is that the original question in this thread unless I misunderstand is that his friend was thinking of buying an already converted one - they're not that expensive as the 'converter' loses a lot of money as with all car modifying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazboy Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 Yeah but not all people like the 348. For some people they don't just want a Ferrari, they want a 355, or any other model for that matter! And this is probably as close as they'll ever get! PLUS what some people are forgetting is that the original question in this thread unless I misunderstand is that his friend was thinking of buying an already converted one - they're not that expensive as the 'converter' loses a lot of money as with all car modifying. A F348 looks a hell of a lot more like a F355 than a MR2 kitted car does. Fair point on the second paragraph- it's still like putting socks down your trousers though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ewen Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 How cool is this one.....love it, especially now I dont need rear seats. And a 50 foot flamer kit too http://www.javelinamx.com/Batmobile/replica1.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperSupra Posted October 30, 2006 Share Posted October 30, 2006 A F348 looks a hell of a lot more like a F355 than a MR2 kitted car does. Fair point on the second paragraph- it's still like putting socks down your trousers though. Yeah, but women wear padded bras but you don't hear blokes complaining. Well until they get them off that is Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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