baege

So driving along yesterday I happened across the same white Lamborghini twice. I don't even know what model it was, except that it wasn't a Gallardo or a huracan. It was larger than either.

But whatever it was, it was epic. Such sound and drama. I couldn't even HEAR my OWN flat six driving behind it.

It evoked such emotion in me that I think I want one. I've complained about having nothing to aspire to from the 981, that I've reached the pinnacle of my auto life. But I don't think I have. Driving behind and beside that thing stirred my soul. I feel that as a car nut I need to at least experience an italian supercar for a little time in my life.

I want a MANUAL. I am not willing to give up that aspect of the driving experience.
I can only really spend about $120 k cdn max.
This limits me to gallardos or 360's or 430's (if I could ever find the elusive 430 manual).

Anyone made a similar move?
I've watched Doug De muro's on point comparo.

I LOVE my 981CS. It offers so much joy in driving.
I do wonder if a used Italian exotic will in fact offer more driving joy. visibility will be worse, parking a hassle, I doubt it will actually be as sharp and engaging as a modern 981S.
But I wonder if the drama and emotion of the Italian exotic will outweigh the loss of driving joy from the 981. Each drive will be more of an event, stir my soul more?

I am hoping to plug into the great group here and see if anyone has made a similar move and how that went for you?

Obviously this is a significant financial change for me. I live in a condo and would have to have 2 cars (a manual Nissan micra comes to mind at my "other" car), pay for additional parking and insurance. But cars are my passion and so if making such a move would best feed my passion, then maybe it's worth it....


http://driving.ca/ferrari/360-ferrar...-older-ferrari

in the comments, some useful thoughts from a guy who went from a 987 to a 360 back to a 981

golfnutintib

if u buy an old italian exotic i have 4 words for you

have
checkbook
ready
always

jwade

I can echo his thoughts! Maintenance NIGHTMARE!

Almost reminds me of (B) Bring (O) On (A) Another (T) Thousand!

A current modern Porsche is a precision instrument, technically refined and around the world tested. If something does break, it's extremely rare.

Italian sports cars are NOT. Would it be cool to own a 458 Spider? YES, but at the nearly 400k cost of admission, I will stick with Porsche.

Sven76

2 colleagues went 430, but with F1 gearbox. One of the 430/ already crushed its gearbox for no reason, colleague was lucky, replacement was under warranty. They baby their car, no trackdays, just spirited runs, worried about putting to many miles on the cars...

I park the Porsche everywhere, track it, sportive it like I've stolen it. I believe they plan trips around parking spaces...

Not my world, although I admit the Italian exotics sound mad, I believe they take 90 year old deaf guys to sign off the official paperwork...

Bob/Ft. Worth

Ive owned Porsches since the 80's. In 2012 i sold my 997 and bought a 2002 360. Routine maintenance on a 360 is about $1200 per year to change fluids. Every 3 years they need a belt change, so belt change and fluids about 4000. They are getting long in the tooth so things can go wrong. As mentioned the cost to repair an F1 system is not inconsequential. OTOH, they are fairly robust and when repaired its not the big expense one might imagine. You need to keep a stash of money on the side for repairs.

I recently traded the 360 for a 430. There are no belts, so annuals run around 8-900. Its a newer car, the interior is nicer and just shy of 500hp. Just a better car all over.

Manual transmissions are fairly common on 360's, maybe 40% of them are 3 pedal. Different story on 430's - not as many manuals. And prices on both cars with manual transmission are skyrocketing, you would definitely pay a premium over a similar F1 car. I've wanted nothing but manuals on every porsche, but i decided on the F1 on both f-cars. I enjoy it and probably wouldn't go back.

So with all that, would i go back to a porsche as my prime play car (well, i own a boxster and cayenne too). No. The feel of driving an exotic is great. It's fast, handles well and folks constantly pull up next to it and take pictures. In all the P
Porsche years, no one ever did that. I've had kids ask if they could take a picture in front of it, of course i let them sit in it.

So, if you go into ferrari/lambo ownership with your eyes open, i think you would be rewarded. If the cost of ownership is worrisome, stay with Porsche. They are wonderful cars too.

You might check out Ferrari Chat, it's the Rennlist for f-cars.

baege

Thanks for the all the insights. Helpful. Sounds like a manual 430 really is a unicorn. I am not all that concerned about maintenance costs (assuming nothing too crazy happens), since lower depreciation on the Fcar will likely offset the higher maintenance.

Marine Blue

I have debated this on and off over the past few years but the reality is that I already love my Spyder and I really can't think of anything that it lacks when I'm out driving it. It sounds great, handles like it was wired to your brain and has plenty of power to put a smile on your face and break the tires loose. Interior is focused, well laid out and well put together with no issues over the 4.5 years I have owned it. The other major plus is the reliability as others have mentioned, I haven't had any issues with mine except for a battery that is acting up after 4.5 years. Maintenance has been fluid changes and that's about it.

As far as getting attention, there are some Porsches that seem to garner more attention, GT3 RS, Spyder, GT4, 993 C2s etc come to mind. But for me it's the driving experience not the attention.

jeanrabelais

I wouldn't buy a lambo made before VW bought the company because then you are really asking for trouble... so I've read on many a site. A modern lambo or a modern ferrari heck yeah, but only if it came with an invisibility cloak because I don't like talking to strangers let alone at every gas station or in every parking lot and that's what would happen all the time. Plus I hate being that guy if you know what I mean. I like Porsches because they are rather low key, unless they have a huge tail sticking off the back. I saw a 918 two days ago on the road and no one blinked an eye even with all its exotic elements because they are done rather tastefully in a low key way and that is what I like about Porsche. I knew what I was looking at but not many other people in traffic looked twice and I think that's a good way to roll. But variety is the spice of life so go for it, but buy a newer model.

Alan Smithee

I traded my 987 Spyder in on a MT RWD Gallardo.

Yes to all of the above.

Gallardos are bulletproof, and maintenance cost has not been significantly more than that of a Porsche. Insurance cost is another issue entirely...

Archimedes

OP, yes you're nuts. But don't take my word for it. Google up the Jalopnik article about the guy who always wanted a Ferrari until he bought and lived with a used Modena 360 for a while. A good summary of the good, the bad and the ugly.

baege

Thanks for the input, looks like you are a rare bird in making such a move. Sounds like you are happy with it.

bassie81

I have driven a friends gallardo a while a go.

It is inconvenient, pretty uncomfortable, to big and very brutal!

The inconvenience and discomfort caused my friend not to drive the car very often and eventually he sold it. It was his dreamcar....

I'd take my 2011 boxster spyder anytime. Small an nimble perfect car to throw around on the open roads.

Archimedes

Funny, this was one the big drawbacks the guy with the Modena who wrote the article on Jalopnik referenced. He said he couldn't go anywhere without people bugging him all the time and it got old really fast. That would get old for me the second time it happened.

rtc113

I've been a long time Porsche guy and I decided to buy an F430 a couple years ago to try it out.

I bought a car with the F1 system at a time when manuals were trading for less money and every Ferrari dealer told me that if I wanted a manual that I should buy the 360. Today manuals have doubled in price since I was on the market... I digress.

Overall, the car didn't depreciate much and really cost me nothing in terms of maintenance over the 15 months that I owned it. In fact, the annual service was kind of reasonable.

The things that caught me by surprise were -

1. The cost of the clutch and the rate at which the F1 clutch wears out. Figure about $1USD per mile in just clutch wear (10k for a new clutch and maybe 10k miles out of a clutch before replacement is recommended +/- a few thousand)

2. The cost of catastrophic failure was WAY higher than I was expecting and something I didn't consider. E.g. I had an F1 actuator pump that was seeping fluid. I was told they all do that and when I asked what it would cost to fix I was told that I have to replace the whole unit... $23k USD. Convertible top $12k USD.

So, while I'm not really someone who buys warranties, I would never own a Ferrari (can't speak to Lambo) out of warranty (annually about $5k).

Dino944

Porsches and Ferraris are great cars, but quite different. I have an old 328 Ferrari from the late 1980s and a 2014 981 CS. I enjoy having an older exotic, that makes the right sounds, looks beautiful, and is truly an experience to use on winding roads while navigating through the famous gated shifter and reaching into the higher rev ranges. I also enjoy having a Porsche with modern performance, greater comfort for longer trips, and not having to worry as much about parking.

Obviously, their are numerous differences in performance and modern amenities, however, I've found there are ownership experiences that are the same for all Ferraris (as I have friends that have 458s, 430's, TRs etc.).

Insurance and service on the Ferraris you are considering would be more than the Porsche. Some people get collector insurance for their Ferraris, to limit the cost but it also restricts mileage, usage, where it can be parked (must be in a locked garage).

Parts for Porsches can be expensive, but on out of production Ferraris, hard to get parts can be ridiculously expensive. If buying pre-owned stick with a coupe, not a spyder. If the power top breaks, it can cost around $15,000 and even a used top could cost you $10K and die 2 weeks after its installed, so you'd have been better off buying the new top for a spyder. Also, some were known for the annoying sticky buttons (found on some MBs, Porsche,and Fcars of that vintage) but that can be fixed. The 430 and 360 don't need engine out services (that 348/355s required) and they are fairly usable for exotics. A friend with a 430 uses his car almost everyday from spring through the fall.

Parking can be more of a hassle. I never parallel park my Fcar. Too many stories about SUV's not noticing the low front end and back up onto the hood. Also, if you do go for a spyder, put the top up when you park. I've heard stories of jerks spitting into peoples cars, throwing gum, or a drink in it etc. (I guess the mentality being I don't have it, so I'll spoil his experience).

Service, I have some years when it costs me $1,000 for annual service, for an intermediate service maybe 2-3 years with belts/bearings it runs me about $2,700 and for a full major service which is about every 5-6 years runs about $8K. The model I have is considered quite reliable and relatively affordable to maintain. A friend with a 458 gets his car serviced for less than some 430 and 360s owners I know...as there are no belts to deal with on 458s. Service is more convenient for Porsches. There are generally more Porsche dealers and and independents for service. When it comes to servicing a Ferrari there are far fewer dealers and independents to service the cars. For service, I have a choice of 1 dealer or 4 independents. For Lamborghini, seem to be fewer dealers and fewer independents. Near me there is a dealer in a neighboring state and I think 1 independent.

I enjoy both cars for different reasons. If you want an exotic and you can deal with the added cost, fewer service options, and more attention (which some people hate), then it is a driving experience you should definitely look into. Good luck!