In prep for our move to the Florida Free State, we stopped at Home Depot in Waltham, Maskachusetts to pick up some packing supplies and a trash barrel (out of stock, of course, like everything else in the U.S. economy).
Here’s a rare situation in which the owner of a Ferrari 458 Italia would have to be envious regarding our Honda minivan:
(And what do they sell at Home Depot that would fit into a Ferrari?)
Readers: What do you think about the yellow brake calipers? Has this trend run its course, so to speak? Why can’t wheels be wheels, including everything that is part of the wheels? Why do they have to be part of the body?
On all these cars the accessorization is crucial to the self-actualization of the modern enthusiast. Let’s face it: lots of cars are very boring, generic, cookie-cutter and copycat designs, all rounded ovals and rounded boxes, with many of the same exterior cues and not much real large-scale variation because of all the regs. and the intense competition. So those people with standout cars who can spend $10,000+ and up for a set of carbon-ceramic jumbo brakes like to do the same thing many women who have had an expensive boob job and hang a big ol’ jade pendant deep in the cleavage to make sure you notice. Guys do similar things in different places and different circumstances to. It has no function, it’s purely to say: “Look at these rip-your-face-off, honkin-huge carbon/ceramic brakes I’ve got.”
I’ve only seen a couple of treatments where the body-colored calipers improve the actual aesthetics of the car and they do nothing for function. So I basically agree but vanity, aesthetics, rationality, function and money don’t always mesh perfectly.
On the other hand, there are plenty of whimwhams and doodads at Home Depot that will fit into a Ferrari. Maybe they needed a new faucet handle for the bathroom in the guest house, or a new solar lawn light, or an extra can of touch-up custom color paint for their gazebo. Who knows? It’s ‘Murica, love it or believe it.
P.S. I’m not familiar enough with Ferraris to tell the year of that car, but I am kind of surprised that the (presumably plastic) headlight covers/lenses are already UV clouded (and this is MA, not FL!) Honest to goodness: the plastic outer lenses on my 2010 Ford Escape Hybrid still look virtually like new. I have to wonder how much it costs to replace them (or even remove them to try and reverse the damage if it’s possible)?? Beautiful car but more evidence that it’s not really a rational purchase.
Alex, if one likes flashy calipers and gaudy fixtures, these would fit inside a Ferrari:
https://www.homedepot.com/b/Bath-Bathroom-Faucets-Shower-Heads/Gold/N-5yc1vZcjocZ1z0vm58?storeSelection=
I’m very simple minded when it comes to cars, so I like the color scheme of the body/calipers. I do not like the design of the spokes, there’s way too much going on there.
The part in question is stationary with respect to the rest of the body (like a door). That’s why it’s yellow. Makes total sense.
Yellow calipers on Porsches used to signify a $10K upgrade to squeaky carbon-ceramic brakes. But now due to customer demand, Porsche will paint them black (for only $900).
If they drove the car properly those calipers would be covered in brake dust.
I am interested to know what a Ferrari owner needs at Home Depot. Given the car choice, one would think he could “outsource” his home remodeling needs
Related our hosts review of his very own Ferrari! https://philip.greenspun.com/materialism/cars/ferrari-355tb.html
> What do you think about the yellow brake calipers?
I think they look cool.
> And what do they sell at Home Depot that would fit into a Ferrari?
Maybe he was getting keys copied.
@ JJ Donovan
> I am interested to know what a Ferrari owner needs at Home Depot.
Duh. That’s the house manager’s Ferrari.
Thank you!
I hope the owner takes the Bugatti next week!
@Philip Greenspun – Apologies if you covered this in another post but with your move to the Sunshine state will you be retiring from MIT and thus not offering the ground school class in 2022?
JJD – Lookin’ for an excuse to travel from Virginia to Maskachusetts
If MIT is open for in-person classes in January 2022, I expect to JetBlue up from PBI to BOS (our government has made these 100%-full flights safe by ordering people to wear paper masks except for all of the times on the flight when they’re not wearing masks, e.g., because drinking or eating items served to them by the airline). The Harvard Medical School class is in March 2022. I am planning to fly up for a week and then collaborate via Zoom with the students.
Thank you for this write up. This was the BEST thing I read all day.
I am now watching your lectures on YouTube for the Ground School. Thank you for the effort to assemble the great content
JJD – Watching the calendar