Daydreaming Ferrari
 

Before this whole virus thing came down, I had a slight urge to buy an exotic. Of course it was more impulse than anything else since there is absolutely no reason to buy one other than having one. Still, the dream never faded and I find myself constantly peeking at it. With that said, I still don't think I am ready just yet. Maybe in another 3 years or with another 40% drop in value. Anyway the car I get will simply be a weekend driver and it has to be great to look at, it won't be tracked or raced. I just want to be able to have an exotic in my garage (Ferrari mainly). Anyway I don't know if anybody has or had one, but just want to see what are your experiences in owning one. I have a couple pros and cons of owning one.

I've considered it several times, but the required maintenance always brings me back down to reality. Or more specifically, the cost associated with the maintenance. But in the words of Ferris Bueller, "If you have the means, I highly recommend".

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/

I think this may be useful. What model are you thinking?

I don’t own one, have only ever driven one briefly, but know others who do (real people and avatars).

The cost of ownership is the big drawback. Research on ferarrichat will help you figure out which models to avoid. But suffice it to say that maintenance is not cheap. If you ever want to recoup your investment, you will want to provide documented service history and OEM parts. You will take a price hit on resale if you DIY’d the work. You may not care, but circumstances can change. Insurance isn’t cheap either, and parts can be an issue. Not every Speedy Auto Glass carries a windshield for an F12!

The other thing is that some cars are garage queens only because of the depreciation from driving them. That should’t be, and most don’t feel that way when buying it, but they get struck with the notion after signing the cheque.

Also, in some regions, you may not feel comfortable parking it out of sight (such as at a restaurant).

Finally, these are cars that you’ll find it hard to get out of 3rd gear without losing your license.

That said, there can’t be much nicer than cruising in your Ferrari. I’d love to do, but it’s just out of reach.

I went with a 4C instead. Can drive it all day for cheap, and it still makes each trip an event. Looks amazing too. Probably won’t satisfy your itch, but I hope that you get a chance to give your favourite car a try. Life, as we are finding out now, is short.

I paid a lot for my motorhome then the 488 GTB I was looking at. If I didn't buy the motorhome. The 488 GTB would have been sitting in my garage.

Like others have said. Maintenance sucks on them. Oil changes, tune ups is one thing. Brakes, clutches is other thing. But how many know know that you have to replace the fuel tank bladder every so many years. There is other things like that most don't know about.

Not Ferrari but owned multiple Lotus Turbo Esprit's. Superb fun and reasonable maintenance. 83,86 and 94 models. Do requisite research and check all aspects of ownership - tires, insurance etc etc etc. Inspect the potential purchases. My cars were bought from 1 owners with records not negotiable.

Enjoy the experience.

4C more rare than many Ferrari models. Superb vehicle. Exotic as any other exotic make I feel. :tup:

I saw a 4C in person, it was super cool. I had to go home and google to see what it was. I still like the Ferrari for the cool factor though, never had a Ferrari. It would be a childhood dream come true. At this point, it isn't until the price absolute crashes or we have a vaccine. Maybe 60K

I am looking for a California. I know everyone hates the car, but I think it is a good car to drive as it has reasonable amount of modern features. I tracked a 458. I know it was fast, but for some reason I just didn't like it. I can't tell you why, but it didn't do anything for me.

California model is very nice. Offers coupe' and cabrio experience. Buy what you like. The folks looking at it dont matter. Your money and life. We care too much what others think of the car we sit in. THEY DO NOT MATTER.

After the virus thing settles down, if there is anything left on this world, then we can make more dumb decisions :).

California, or California T? The latter seems to be the better reviewed car.

Listen to this man. He makes sense!
Learn from others, but follow your heart with this one.

Just realized that you should rename this thread "California Dreamin' "

:-D

Comparison between the California and California T

Performance Specs comparison between California and California T

EDIT:
BTW, if you are legally allowed to import them, it might make sense to look at the Canadian market for these as well.
Right now, our dollar is hovering around $0.70 to $0.71 against the greenback. Meaning, 30% off sale, baby!

Autotrader.ca search for Ferrari California

T is too new, likely out of budget. It's going to be a tough enough sell for a regular California to the wife. I don't need to make it tougher.

The cost of import and the lack of resale value will make the car not worth it. I can find one locally for around the same price.

It's more expensive than US prices, I just did a quick search even after the FX adjustment

Every time I see a Ferrari:


But in all seriousness they are nice cars. I would just rather spend that amount cash on a great condition R34 GTR

I've had the Ferrari dream for at least 10 years now. i've researched the ownership costs and maintenance requirements and am a member of the Ferrarichat forum. Through all of it, I came to understand that the price of the car is just the price of admission. The real costs begin once you have it. You need to keep at least a 10k a year fund (depending on model) for maintenance and things that may go wrong. Secondly, if you do not drive it and it sits for long periods of time, it will become a nightmare. Ferraris do not like to sit unused. The maintenance clock still continues ticking no matter if you rack up the miles or not. If it sits, that clock speeds up.
But yeah, nothing feels or sounds like a Ferrari. In the end, you need to buy what you like!

Yup that’s why I am stupid for dreaming about it. I drive it, I have to pay the depreciation. I don’t drive it, things might break. I should just go to turo and rent one for a day

Would be a good idea in any event - to see if it is really your heart's desire, or just what you think you want.

Or, do what I did - find someone who offers a track experience with exotic cars! If you are going to experience a supercar, then drive it the way you cannot on the street!

I get that a car like this is meant to savour - the look, the sound, the feel. And (to some extent) be seen in. But, deep down, don't you also want to see what it can REALLY do - without breaking yours, or losing your license? :icon17:

I can drive to Los Angeles and rent it for $200 a day haha

Possibly a nice solution if you go mid engine. F430 is a strong machine classic V8 mid engine Ferrari. Worth a consideration

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds...0/2397725.html

I think the f430 has more problems and they are a little more. I just want a cruiser. Can’t do 150k track car

I tracked a 458 for my bday. Best experience ever. Ferrari's are truly special. But track day rentals will be my closest experience to ownership.

Curious....is F355 not a consideration? Imo, it’s just as sexy....it’s the start of modern day Ferrari (better reliability and “less temperamental edge” than the F cars of old), classic gated manual, and maybe cheaper to maintain than those with double clutch box....and it’s much cheaper to buy now....

These are just what I casually heard, so I can be wrong, feel free to correct.

I tracked a F458, I liked the car a lot, but for some odd reason it didn't blow my mind. The 911 Carrera GTS I drove was way nicer for some odd reason, I think it had something to do with the fact that I was still using a freaking key to start a car and had manual climate control.

F355 is too old, I can't go back to a car that old anymore. The F355 and F430 weren't known for reliable either. I live in the Bay Area where labor rate is like $200-$300, I prefer to save the money making car payments than play repair roulette.

I found a F458 for like $50K nearby, but god it feels so 90s inside.

Explore the required maintenance and cost for it of the F355. Its a labor intensive effort for those not doing alot of maintenance themselves. Its very very expensive to maintain. Utterly beautiful of course in style.

Haha expensive to maintain, but utterly beautiful style, that almost sums up Ferrari doesn’t it lol

You have hand built futuristic engines and transmissions with some of the most meticulous body assemblies along with some of the stiffest hand assembled chassis' in the world. And you are judging them by tech value?

:facepalm: Maybe you should buy your cars according to CNET car reviews?

The f458 understeers so badly that it reminded me of the z with more rear traction, I was already disappointed. The gts didn’t have the same problem when I pushed it. I don’t care if it is a German robot or an Italian chain smoker who built it. Good is good, bad is bad. As I said, it was quite a turn off getting into the Ferrari. It didn’t feel as special as the price tag indicates.

It must been defective or abused. The tightest and fastest turn ins I've achieved were in the 458. And for the engine being in the back, I was able to make it tail happy enough to make it swing around corners and accelerate out of turns flawlessly.
Maybe you're just used to driving computers? Like the 991 & 992 porsches that do it all for you?
In a ferrari, it will expose how good or shytty of a driver you are.

Agreed! The F355 is the last of the Engine-out/timing belt generation cars. It was more of an improved 348 than a completely new redesign. It is an extremely high maintenance car. Almost any maintenance involving the engine requires it to be dropped from the car. It also was the first Ferrari to feature the new F1 flappy paddle gearbox with its own set of problems. That alone is enough to avoid buying one. It is the reason that the manual F355’s are selling for more than the F1 equipped cars.

Anyone considering a used Ferrari should shoot for F360 and later cars. The F360 still has timing belts but they could be changed without the engine coming out through a removable panel behind the seats. The manual cars are more desirable but few are available. Beginning with the F430, no more timing belts and much more modern interiors, engine / electronics. Avoid the convertible cars (Spiders) if you don’t want to deal with unreliable and expensive top mechanisms.

I wouldn't consider a manual because most of the manual cars are too old and I want my wife to enjoy the experience. Also the best part about driving the F458 was the transmission, it felt and sounded like you are in a racing game. I drove the car at the track day experience, so their cars were definitely abused. I remember the tires didn't have the same grip as my Z, I am guessing they were higher treadwear tires. Anyway the 991 GTS pulled nearly as hard as the Ferrari, the driving position felt better to me in nearly every way except the sound, the steering wheel and the logo. I just like the driving experience and feel way better. I only had couple laps in each car, so its not like I made love to it.

Computer driving the car? This is not autopilot

O
 

@cossie1600 this thread ended about a year ago.
If you are still around here, what happened? Did you take the plunge?

Curious about the Cali myself now. Might have an opportunity to get on the F-car bandwagon and that seems to be the on-ramp. Don’t need a raw sports car (have that), don’t want a manual (yeah, flame me - I own a racing suit :tiphat: ), have an appetite for a grand tourer, and do not really want an open top but as a hard top convertible the California should give me the best of both worlds without having to sell both of my kidneys (have a chance to get a 599GTB, my very favourite Ferrari of the modern era, too, but that’s $100,000 more!!!).

Do tell, what happened and update us on your thoughts, please.