Mike in Switzerland

Dear all,

as i type this I can already imagine people itiching to give me the obvious answer but I thought I would ask anyway.

I have been running a farily standard 993 C2 for three years and have driven a TT a few times, a GT3 twice and a 550 once.

Whilst completely different, the above three cars are now finally coming within reach. TT`s are regularly now between £30-37K here in Europe and the GT3 has started to dip to £40K and since quite a few are available in Germany deals can be done below this. 550`s are now at the £50-55K mark for a `99.

All impressed me for different reasons. Since I see from the various email signatures that most Rennlisters either do own (or have owned) a fairly eclectic range of machines I thought I would ask here.

Whilst a 550 is a much more expensive ownership prospect than any Porsche that I can afford, some people say it is the first real "daily" Ferrari (aside from 8-15 m.p.g of course). How true that is I am not sure as people`s definition of daily varies but it would get a 100-200 miles per week.

My wife`s surprisingly in favour of the 550 based on styling and the interior. She also feels that if I`m going for 2 seats only (a la GT3) then i may as well go the distance.

But the turbo was a rush...

And the GT3 drives beautifully...

and....

Since it is a very privileged position to be in any advice that you can offer would be most appreciated.

Regards

Mike

Viken

What kind of advice are you looking for? I think you should buy the car that suits your needs the best. As you said, they are quite different from each other. One is a great touring car (550 M), the other (993 Turbo) is a highly capable sports car and the third (GT3) is almost a race car you can drive on the street and to and from the track any day. The 550 M will likely be the most expensive to maintain and repair but it is as reliable as Ferrari's come these days. I have a friend who drives his everyday with close to 50k miles and has never had a major issue with it.

In conclusion, if I was in your position with my present lifestyle, I'd buy the 550 M if I was looking for a daily driver and the GT3 if I was looking for a great car for the track.

Mike in Switzerland

Thank you Viken.

The advice I suppose I need is Ferrari "horror" stories ;-) since the other 2 cars are so well covered here.

I know Ferrari have some good websites (any particular ones you can recommend would be appreciated) but I since I am coming from the Porsche perspective I am hoping there are some Rennlisters who have been on both sides of the fence and can advise accordingly.

I think the 550M looks favourite since it would cover a number of "firsts" but it is the rock-solid nature of the 993 series which has really left a tremendous impression on me regarding Porsches.

BTW You gave me some useful advice 3 years ago when I bought my C2 and then again when I went over to Gert to get the RSR fitted so thanks again.

Regards

Mike

Tour18

Doesn't it cost like $8000 to do a leaking window seal fix on a 550?

OldGuy

Mike from one swiss guy to another
(guggenbühl's the name- TT is my game)
the GT3 might run out of steam at
altitudes above 650 meters. Where as the TT
will do just fine. How high are you in switzerland?
That might eliminate one of yoru choices.
Maybe the 550 too. Just a thought.

Jeff 993TT

You may find some useful information here about the 993TT versus the 550.

http://www.p-car.com/reviews/

Personally, I'd get the 993TT over the ferrari. The ferrari is too flashy for me and I think I'd get tired of it.

David in LA

That's pretty damn cheap...less than a 355!

Viken

No.

CP

My friend just did his 30,000 miles servive for $5k, and that is in the SF Bay Area. Considering it's a Ferrari with so many cylinders, it's not that bad.

He swears by the 'civility' of the 550M, and he owned an M5 before.

CP

FineProperty

I've been shopping for both (550 vs 993TT) as well...and I have to say that the 550M has the exotic thing for it (I'm a huge Schumacher fan besides) ....and against it. Driving experience aside, as both are capable cars, I don't know if I want everybody looking/touching/asking for rides/chasing me down/wanting to drive/...etc a 550 that needs so much expensive maintainance. I also live in a town of 9000 people, and drive too fast as it is, I'd be a marked man. I can be just as quick (quicker at my 7000 foot altitude) in a 993TT, and fly 'below the radar.' Well, at least lower than a 550M.
And I get back seats for my kids, and lower yearly cost.

That said, I have neither in my garage as yet.

Tour18

I was wrong. It is a factory recall for US cars. This is what I was talking about. It was in a Ferraris Online article about the 465/550 used car market:

"As for factory recalls, the door windows sometimes don’t seal well against the rear quarter windows. If you have a US car your authorized dealer should replace the electric window motors, door glass and seals—normally an $8,000 bill—at no cost. Be prepared, if necessary, to throw a temper tan-trum to get the work covered under warranty."

Here is the whole article:

http://www.ferraris-online.com/Articles/SCM_0212.pdf

1988952

I worked at a Porsche/Ferrari dealership (factory authorized) for several years,so Ihave first hand knowledge of the 550 and the TT.
The 550 has great low end torque,works great in the city and is very comfortable for long trips and some people mentioned that the car is too flashy,well in LA the kind of blend in,no big deal. If you after real high performance the 550 feels a little boaty unless the car has the optional Fiorano pkg.top end is also greaT, you should be able to hit 195 mph on a good day. The 550 is extremly reliable and probably the best Ferrari made.service is not bad especially if you consider the cars 230k plus new pricetag. What I would watch out for is accident/paintwork dammage(take the bumpers of),the top of the dash warps,oilleaks, clutchwear because the previous owners did not know to drive from dick(95% of Ferrari drivers are posers) and I urge you to have the car checked by a real dealer.In conclusion a terrific car to blast from Switzerland to the south of France.

The TT is faster , more nimble,upgrades easier, more fool/noviceproof handling (the 550 oversteers big time and if you lift you have your hands full)
I will diagree with some comments about upkeep on the TT,because both cars get old on the tooth and so you pretty much have to watch out for the same things as in the Ferrari like oilleaks.leaking windshield,windnoise,rear shelf,cluth,synchros etc.
Both cars are great with different character, but if you can stretch for a used 996TT x50 it will drive circles around both cars.

TurboJet

To find out a lot about Ferraris, go to www.ferrarichat.com or www.ferraritalk.com. Both were helpful to me a few years ago when I was looking for a Ferrari. Good luck in your choice. The 550 is a great GT with a high top end and relatively reliable by Ferrari standards, but would not be considered a sports car. The 993TT is more tossable, quicker, and more fun. The GT3 is a super car if you plan some track time and enjoy aggressive driving in the mountains or curvy roads. Obviously, you can't go wrong with any of them. This may be off the wall, but the new Ford GT will blow them all away at $139,900 USD. I am not sure what it will sell at after taxes. Good luck in your decision.

Cheers,
Don

OldGuy

Just remember that the Ford GT has the ford F-150 motor in it
albiet a tad modified. is that worth $150K??

1988952

" But the new Ford GT will blow them all away"
Let's see what that car can do at the Ring and Hockenheim,the ultimate test for any automobile , forget about 0-60 and the 1/4 mile and I am not sure if it is going to break 8 min on streettires (no Pilot Cups).
The current Gt3 is at 7min54 and the new 575M F1 with the Fiorano pkg did it in 8min05.
The Ford GT has to show some teeth first,not nostalgia.