Need Garage Advice
 

I have recently posted this topic in the ferrari forum and now I am posting it here to get additional perspectives from the other side. We are all car guys here, and I will consider every one's 2c before making a decision.


Currently, I just have one toy car a 2014 Italia that I have put 23000 kms on in under 13 months. This has mostly included long out of town spirited weekend drives and also 5 track days. For groceries and commuting and social family use I either use my wife car (2008 bmw 550 that will need to be replaced soon as it has an oil leak and suspension also not in good shape) or an equally old toyota Suv that should easily live to a 100 in human terms.

I am thinking of adding a 991 gt3 with Jan delivery as my other toy that I will also use as an almost daily car with occasional track use and weekend drives. Adding a second toy will be unpopular with my family but I don't necessarily need permission. It will be a red stripper spec with the lift being the only significant option. I would then sell my 458 after about 6-12 months of concurrent use (also adding another 10-15000 kms to it). I would then consider the 458T several years later if and when health and finances allowed.

OR

Hang tight with my Italia, drive it lots more. Skip the gt3. Trade Italia in for the 458 T within the first year after it is launched. This way for daily stuff I will need to use either my wife's replaced car (she wants a ghibli but knows little about cars) or that beat up but functional toyota mentioned above.

Any one care to help me on these first world problems?

Note: I have previously owned 991 C2S and enjoyed that.

I am adding a GT3 to my 458 and can't wait....December delivery.....it is not popular with my family either....I also want a 458T

Not sure where you are on the Ferrari food chain but if you are low like me it will be 2-3 years before you will have an allocation for a 458T.....

In Dubai getting a F car allocation is not that difficult. I should be able to get the car within the first year of its launch. Whether it is advisable to get it early is another debate. Perhaps it needs a year or two to sort out the bugs.

Glad to know others also thinking like I am about adding on GT3 to 458.

Are you able to hedge your bets a little bit? i.e. get an early 2015 GT3 slot and if the RS looks more interesting get that instead. I think the GT3 RS and 458 Italia are probably different enough to warrant having both. At least that's my man math to justify potentially having the GT3 and GT3 RS....

I've not driven a 458 on the street let alone the track, but I'm not sure the GT3 warrants the trade/depreciation hit.

Frankly, I like the idea of a 458 Speciale over the GT3 RS, but it is a lot more money and harder for me to come by an allocation.

I tend to lose interest in the RS if it stickers above $175k. Other things I won't like about RS
1. Strap door handles and other stripping down drama stuff.
2. Plexi Glass
3. Even lesser insulation than Gt3 resulting in more road noise (more engine noise I can handle)
4. More bigger obnoxious boy racer wing. ( I have grown to actually like the gt3 wing-it's almost cute)

Also it would not be a practical daily.

Speciale I could easily get in couple of months by trading in my Italia and adding about $80 k. But I don't see the point. With the Italia I am at 90% already and it looks and even sounds better in my opinion (more high pitched). Why strip it down for a 10% incremental performance? It's not like I am maxxing out my car. Tomtom77 does almost max out his speciale and it's drivers like him who should be getting the RS etc...

That's the point I was getting at. I view the Italia and GT3 as pretty interchangeable - I considered getting an Italia while I was waiting for my GT3 but ended up building a dedicated track car instead.

So my GT3 will now be street only, with maybe the occasional track day. I think it will be great for that, but I would have thought the Italia to be similar.

GT3 RS is different enough and depreciation should be lower that I can justify to myself keeping it and the GT3.

aamersa - Based on the info you provided; I like your original plan. Add the GT3 and a year later decide whether to sell the 458.

I think you should wait a year on the 458T and let the bugs get worked out. We all know all to well what new model issues can bring

Fully agree that gt3 and 458 are similar packages. One almost a bargain, the other not.

Yes we are on the same wavelength. But we are of course thinking with our hearts and not minds.

This available on showroom floor in Dubai for any one interested in the GCC. Aed 600k spec with everything (fully loaded) about $163k. No premium on this one, you can probably negotiate a discount.

I freakin love GR. My wife made be go White to mix it up since my 2007 Turbo was GR.

Mind me not to listen to her color choice advice in the future.

Matter of fact; let this be a lesson to all those who have not locked yet and can change their color. Do not listen to your Partner; listen to your heart :)

Yeah there is nothing better than gr. I have tried to move away from it but just can't get myself to do it, not even for yellow and I like yellow too. My toyota beat up suv is white though.

Keep the 458 and get the GT3.

The 458 is the last normally aspirated mid engine Ferrari. Perhaps a keeper... I am not sure how i feel about the new turbo model... it will need a few years.

Once you know what the 458T is all about, then you can decide. But until then avoid the 458T plan.

Seems like sound advice.

I own a 458, I have also driven a 458 on the track. For me anyway a special doesn't really tick any boxes for me. The 458 is much faster than I can drive it.

I have a GT3 coming a very different car than a 458 IMHO.

I had an 11RS it had a very hard edge. I may try a 991RS if I can get an allocation. I would not do a GT3 instead of the 458. If you can do it in addition to it.

At this point I like you, am waiting to see about the 458T. The delta in price would probably cover most of the cost of a GT3.