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I finally got rid of my F car after having it fail to start at home, towed to dealer and told "it's perfect...just temperamental" by the service manager. At least I was only charged for the tow. I lost confidence in the car and didn't want to drive it anymore. Was a joy when it worked. I barely drove it so got out about where I went in.
I had always thought I would buy a Ferrari at this point in my life. But when you can get a brand new GTS for the price of a hammered 10 yr old F430, I took the P car. I am sure however that every drive is not the occasion that it is in an F car. Maybe someday still....
Jim
I test drove a F430 and hated it. It was so raw and the inside looked like monkeys put it together. Not even close I thought to Porsche refinement. It had a lot of understeer and it was slow on the shifts with paddle shifters compared to the 911. I went with a new GTS and after driving the Porsche. I don't even think the two compare. Looks wise the Ferrari gets to much attention for my taste too. People won't leave you alone lol. Some like that though and to each their own!
Okay - so maybe it isn't a "classic" Ferrari, but what about a late model California? Supposed to be much more reasonable on annual costs. And I for one think it looks good. 2009/2010 ask prices are creeping into the low 100's. Please, no responses the the newer California isn't a real Ferrari please.
We are active in the local PCA and that has a huge impact on our brand loyalty (no way we can afford a Ferreri CA and a Porsche, even an old Boxster).
Californias have been panned by most all the enthusiasts, until you get to the new California T which is a 2015 model. That car delivers the goods. I have not driven either, but I rented a 2010 599 in Italy this past June and in contrast to my 2014 991S, the 599:
* Stunning looks - no denying its gorgeous
* Beautifully crafted interior, far nicer than a Porsche
* V12 engine makes wonderful, WONDERFUL noises and howls.
* Its fast as stink. Punch the gas and hold on. Lawdy-lawdy, does it go.
* F1 Trans is herky-jerky in this year model. Supposedly they have improved it in later models. A PDK it is not.
* The 991S is a better driver's car, more balanced, more toss-able.
* Ride quality is about equal.
* Maintenance costs on the 599 are breathtaking if repairs are needed.
* Porsches depreciate except for a few rare models. Ferraris *can* appreciate.
* The resale market demands very low mileage on Ferraris, Porsche far less so.
It's pretty easy to find the Ferrari horror stories out there ... but lots of people own and drive them without having the uber-expensive failure that is a deterrent to others.
My take on it is, unless you have very deep pockets, do not own one out of warranty. Ferrari will offer an extended warranty as far back, I think, as 12 years.
There are certain cars that were troublesome -- the F355, for example. And there are features on certain cars that can be extremely expensive if you have a problem -- the F1 transmission has some very expensive parts that you won't want to have to replace under warranty. That is not the case with a 6-speed manual, of course. Just as every 911 has had its weak spot.
The warranty is not cheap -- about $4k per year -- but compared to a potential repair, you might view it as insurance. Or, just make sure you can stomach the potential repair and cross your fingers.
A red F430 will draw a lot of attention, but it's possible to fly under the radar with a non-red car. The original California (2010-2012) was a bit underpowered, but the California 30 (2013-2014) had a nice 60 hp bump to 485 hp, and lost 60 kilos of weight in the process, so it has comparable performance to an F430 (about 3.6 second 0-60) but with a hardtop roof and it's quite liveable. The dual clutch gearbox on the California, 458, F12, etc. -- is outstanding -- and it's German so hopefully will be reliable : )
Maintenance from 2012 on is free for 7 years, which is nice. Driving the car is a real event, and the smell of the leather and sound of the motor when it's snarling and cracking off those good "ka-pows" on the shifts is pretty hard to beat. But you have to have the financial resources to pull it off and it is not the car to scrape up the money to just be able to afford it ... neither is a Porsche, of course, but most certainly not a Ferrari.
I would daily drive a 911 but having a Ferrari in the garage is awesome.
The shocks on a 599 are crazy expensive to replace, but the experience of owning and driving one is worth it, if you can afford to maintain it.
It is a lot of fun to have a 991 and a 599. They both serve a different purpose. To those that think a 991 is too GT, it is not, it is still a fantastic sports car, the 599, is a real GT, also fantastic and very fast.
To many of us, these cars stir a feeling, they are a hobby and a passion. They don't make any sense, so don't bother trying to reason with them. Porsche and Ferrari are very different companies, but nether survive because of reason, only because of passion.
Doc - track me down if you get to Boston or SW FL, you are invited to drive the 599 anytime.
Ferrari is onto something. They've figured out how to keep the riff raff out of the brand. In their case, you really do pay to play! They want to be exclusive, and are making sure they are.
I suspect that if we had TMM, we'd likely have some silly toys ourselves.
Originally Posted by 008
So say a bunch of folks who mostly haven't driven a Ferrari.
I drove one. An F348 I believe. The salesman said, as he's driving it to warm it up, "this is one of the best Ferrari transmissions I've ever driven." I thought it was horrible. Very stiff, difficult to get into gear. I've driven trucks that are better than that. The power was unstimulating, the ride horrible, the steering heavy and (as someone else mentioned) the whole thing looks and feels like a very nicely assembled but fragile kit car.
Originally Posted by vjd3
It's pretty easy to find the Ferrari horror stories out there ...
Not unlike the horror stories for us former 996 owners. RMS, oh my! IMS, watch out!
Originally Posted by STG991
You won't see any Ferrari SUV's or sedans ..
Let's see what happens after they go public and need to raise earnings. You could have said the same thing of Porsche 20 years ago, but now they're rolling in the dough with their hot-selling mommy cars.
As to the OP, he knows (unless he forgot) that owning a Ferrari has long been on my bucket list. But like him, every time I get close to doing it, reality walks over and kicks me in the butt. It's just stupid (IMHO) to own something that costs an outrageous fortune to buy, another fortune to maintain, and if you actually drive it, then there's little hope of any short-term appreciation. It's silly to own a car that you can't drive because then it won't be worth anything. Heck, I bought a brand-new 2014 911S that I traded-in 13 months later (for wholesale) and that experience cost me less than the 15K service on a typical F.
10-11-2015, 01:03 AM
