We know, we know. The real duelists in the 1980s were the Countach and the Testarosa. We know. However, this is the Lost Jalpa Weekend, so we gotta go trolling through the second tier of 25-year-old Italian metal. You know, the mid-engined variety with traverse mounted V8s. And look what we done found! In the red corner, we have the Ferrari designed after the oil crisis, originally selling in Italy with 2.0-liter V8s, the car that smells like Magnum PI's mustache, the Ferrari 308 GTB! And in the (usually) white (though sometimes yellow and/or green) corner, currently valued between $18,300 and $32, 900, the "Baby-Lambo," the Lamborghini Jalpa! Here's some pluses and negatives to help you in your voting.
Ferrari 308 GTB Pros:
- Tom Selleck pulled a lot of tail back in the day, and it wasn't the chest hair. Trust us.
- No one will ever accuse you of being a snob.
- Excellent gas mileage, as 308s are relatively light. Also they don't move much.
Ferrari 308 GTB Cons:
- Locked in an eternal, 3-way cage match with the Mondial and 348 for the title of "Worst Ferrari, Ever."
- No one will ever accuse you of having taste.
- Someone will accuse you of having gonorrhea.
Lamborghini Jalpa Pros:
- No one can put you on a particular STD. You could have anything.
- From certain angles the Jalpa may be mistaken for a Lotus Esprit.
- A real conversation piece. Especially with mechanics.
Lamborghini Jalpa Pros:
- You'll get sick of hearing, "Dude, what'd you do to your Pantera?"
- While the Jalpa is in fact a Lamborghini, no one knows its a Lamborghini. Or will believe you when you tell them it's a Lamborghini.
- All these years later, the Jalpa still screams, "Desperate!"
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