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Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
7/16/20 8:42 a.m.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/v61tFqtzxlk

Sonny Crockett speeding down Miami's dimly lit streets behind the wheel of a Ferrari may be one of the most iconic car scenes from the '80s. But which Ferrari: the early Daytona convertible or the later Testarossa? 

Which one do you prefer? The traditional Daytona or the modern Testarossa? Whatever your preference, enjoy this Miami Vice tribute set to some bangin' synthwave.

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David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
7/16/20 8:45 a.m.

Daytona. The Testarossa looks good on screen, but call me a traditionalist. And I don't care if that Ferrari was fake. Works with the storyline. 

Is it Friday night, yet? 

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
7/16/20 8:50 a.m.

I'm going to have to go Testarossa on this one. Nothing cuts through the night like a pair of pop-up headlights lifting out of the hood.

 

bmw88rider (Forum Supporter)
bmw88rider (Forum Supporter) GRM+ Memberand UltraDork
7/16/20 9:03 a.m.

Daytona. But that and the 288 GTO were always my favorite Ferraris. Now watching that video I'm going to have to pull up some old Maimi Vice episodes. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
7/16/20 9:16 a.m.

In reply to bmw88rider (Forum Supporter) :

A few years ago, we started watching them from season 1/episode 1. Lotta people getting shot in that show. Also, more than a few mesh-back, foam-front hats. 

RadBarchetta
RadBarchetta New Reader
7/16/20 9:17 a.m.

Daytona all day. 

Although I will admit that the video made shifting the Testarossa's automatic transmission into D particularly dramatic.

1988RedT2
1988RedT2 MegaDork
7/16/20 9:36 a.m.

Daytona.  And that cassette player was awesome.

nderwater
nderwater UltimaDork
7/16/20 10:52 a.m.

Never been a fan of the Daytona's styling. I prefer the Testarossa over it, but it's really the curvy 50s/60s Ferraris that I love the most.

racerdave600
racerdave600 UltraDork
7/16/20 10:58 a.m.

Daytona for sure.  A closed car, even a Testarossa, just didn't look right.

Colin Wood
Colin Wood Associate Editor
7/16/20 11:12 a.m.

Would a not-so-factory convertible Testarossa be the best of both worlds?

Aaron_King
Aaron_King GRM+ Memberand PowerDork
7/16/20 11:18 a.m.

Daytona hands down.  The other car I would love to have from 80's shows would be Hawks white 635 from Spencer for Hire.

nderwater
nderwater UltimaDork
7/16/20 12:03 p.m.

For TV Ferraris, the 308 from Magnum PI was *the business* when I was a kid.  It was almost as cool as Airwolf.

Fueled by Caffeine
Fueled by Caffeine MegaDork
7/16/20 12:22 p.m.

wasn't the daytona used on the set a replica?  Enzo was so angry by this he gave them a testerossa?

https://www.automobilemag.com/news/miami-vice-ferrari-daytona-spyder-corvette-facts/

The Ferrari on the show was a replica built on a Corvette C3 chassis by Tom McBurnie of McBurnie Coachcraft, who produced two examples. One for glamour shots and the other to take a good beating during stunts. The show used a replica because it was cheaper—and because Ferrari North America refused to supply authentic Ferraris to the show.

so technically it was a c3 corvette....

Marjorie Suddard
Marjorie Suddard General Manager
7/16/20 12:38 p.m.
Aaron_King said:

Daytona hands down.  The other car I would love to have from 80's shows would be Hawks white 635 from Spencer for Hire.

Did you say 635? This clip (and this thead celebrating '80s shows) makes me realize that bingeing "Moonlighting" needs to be a thing for me, stat:

Bruce Willis's character driving the snot out of his 635csi

[edit] bingeing "Moonlight" is not a thing because it's not streaming anywhere. I guess I'll have to follow David's lead and do "Miami Vice," maybe mix in a little "Remington Steele" to get the right flavor.

Margie

T.J.
T.J. MegaDork
7/16/20 12:47 p.m.

Daytona for sure, especially since it was really a vette, so more plausable that an undercover vice cop would have it. 

David S. Wallens
David S. Wallens Editorial Director
7/16/20 12:49 p.m.

In reply to Colin Wood :

That is, um, not exactly super-beautiful. 

Snowdoggie
Snowdoggie Reader
7/16/20 1:25 p.m.

Then there was the guy in Fort Worth who spent three years restoring a real Ferrari Daytona to look like the replica used in Miami Vice... 

One of his personal favorites is a fully restored 1969 Daytona Spider, now worth about a million dollars. Complete restoration took three years. It's exactly like the black Ferrari that Don Johnson drove in the TV series Miami Vice. "It's a real special car," Hill says.

https://fwtx.com/news/features/big-boy-toys/

STM317
STM317 UberDork
7/16/20 1:40 p.m.

Testarossa for me. The side strakes are more iconic than anything about the Daytona (which is a handsome enough car, but not nearly as iconic)

Chesterfield
Chesterfield Reader
7/16/20 1:57 p.m.

The Daytona, it just seemed to fit the theme better.

Pete. (l33t FS)
Pete. (l33t FS) GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
7/16/20 2:02 p.m.
Colin Wood said:
 Nothing cuts through the night like a pair of pop-up headlights lifting out of the hood.

 

Truer words have never been uttered.

JG Pasterjak
JG Pasterjak Production/Art Director
7/16/20 3:10 p.m.

I think the Daytona is probably a cooler car, but nothing says "Greasy South Florida crime scumbag" like a white on white Testarossa. The Daytona was too classy and obscure. So, Daytonaa wins on being a cooler car, but TR wins on being most character-appropriate.

 

(Also, the 2006 movie ruled and nailed all the vehicles, too)

Rons
Rons GRM+ Memberand Reader
7/16/20 3:29 p.m.

Some years ago I had dealings with a fellow who couldn't make the choice, he had a red Daytona Coupe and a red Testarossa. They both made glorious sounds headed up the hill on his way home.

T.J.
T.J. MegaDork
7/16/20 3:57 p.m.

For me, the Wellcraft Scarab was cooler than either car. High point of the show was when Glen Frey played a pilot smuggler and had a song to go with the episode. 

DWNSHFT
DWNSHFT Dork
7/16/20 6:55 p.m.

Testarossa over Daytona.  The TR is just so much more in tune with the Miami scene that Michael Mann was trying to capture.

Hawk's BMW in Spencer for Hire was originally a dark color.

At the time I really liked the whited-out BMW but I recently watched a some of the old episodes and it was >too< whited-out for me now.

 

Snowdoggie
Snowdoggie Reader
7/16/20 7:09 p.m.
T.J. said:

For me, the Wellcraft Scarab was cooler than either car. High point of the show was when Glen Frey played a pilot smuggler and had a song to go with the episode. 

Considering the show was in Miami I am surprised they didn't get something build by Don Aronow. Maybe a Donzi or a Cigarette. 

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