Potentially Idiotic Question

It's possible for you to go have a Ferrari tomorrow. The odds that everything will check out and that you won't pay through the nose are kinda slim, but it's still possible.

As for driving around the country in a Ferrari, I think that's an awesome idea. However, you'll get opinions of comfort ranging from one end of the spectrum to the other. Modenas are fairly high on the comfort level, so I think you'll be fine.

 

I drove a 360 from Vegas to Phoenix and back in one day. With the heavy traffic in Phoenix I was in the car quite a few hours and thought it was plenty comfortable.

 

Are you looking to rent / lease a car for 3 months, or are you looking to buy one?

How much actual 'drive time' are you looking at? 8 hours per day every day? Or something more varied?

What sort of ride characteristics are you looking for? Do you want to cruise America looking at the sights, or feeling the road? To put it another way, how much is the drive itself a part of your trip vs. the destinations?

 

I think 48 states by F360 makes for a better story and experience than 48 states behind the wheel of a blue ES300. Per Ferris Bueller's day off, "If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up."

A 360 will be expensive, but comfortable. You'll be a celebrity in every small town. I think obtaining one in 30 days is certainly possible.

Now, do consider that the car will not be safe most places. Rock chips are for sure, resale will take a while, the windshield may get chipped, its expensive as hell to fix, few places will fix it, and it will break. Also, if you drive infrequently, as so many of us New Yorkers do, I'm not sure you just out and buy a Ferrari one day.

It may be an idiotic question, but I'll go to sleep dreaming about what it could be.

 

Gosh, that is so subjective that no one can *honestly* answer your Q.

E.g. I have toured over most of the lower 48 on a wide variety of motorcycles. Over many years. Etc, etc. Never did I tour on a "touring" motorcycle. The closest were BMW "sport-tourers." I have no complaints.

Or a Hundai? ;-)

Actually it is quite that simple if you're paying w/cash (ie; guaranteed funds).

Aside: Next time I buy a Ferrari I can assure you that I won't put up w/the BS I put up w/when buying my F430.

Anytime. HTH.

Peace,

Richard.

 

The Ferrari 360 would be very comfortable, the issue would be the lack of dealers if you need them.

I would buy a 1999-2001 911 Porsche. They would drive close to a Ferrari, use less gas, be very reliable and have a bigger & private repair network. A corvette would be another option although I am not a big fan of them.

Good luck,

Lee

 

I am surprised nobody seems interested in the "rest of the story". How you are able to take 3 months off, buy a 360 and tour the country. Clearly potential screenplay material.

 

It's a great idea. If you want to do the USA in an f-car consider a 550 or a 575M, that is what they are made for. I have put 57,000 miles on my 575 with multiple runs to both coasts from the central US. In December I did a 2500 mile round trip to Wash. DC and the return leg was 1150 miles with only gas and food stops. Just got back from a quick 750 mile round trip to Texas. Driving South to North along in the mountain West is great in a Ferrari; go for it, you don't live forever.

Steve

 

I would definitely agree with going with a 550/575 class of car. Even a 456 is something to consider, especially if (as you say) you'll be visiting family, and you want to take more than one of them for a spin at a time.

I have had no trouble with a 700+ mile day in my 550, or even 450 (Reno-Vegas) starting after lunch. And there was easily enough storage for my son (17 then) and I for one 10 day trip we took.

One thing I would suggest (slightly different subject): if I'm reading you right and you've been living "carless" in NYC, I think you should "warm up" a little before setting off on the big trip. Long distance driving isn't quite that easy (in any car) if you're not used to driving at all. Take a couple of long weekend trips for the daily mileage you expect on your adventure; say, to Buffalo and back. Make sure you are comfortable with the pace you expect to set.

 

I agree that you might want to test a 550/575/456 as well as the 360 while you're shopping around. Totally different cars, but any would be worthy of consideration for your intended purpose.

I assume you've already thought of this, but since no one had mentioned storage space I thought I'd bring it up anyway. Just something else to keep in mind when planning your adventure. Sounds like you'll have a blast!

 

My reply is colored by my age(63). I have owned both a 360 and a Porsche. You have to really drive a 360. It is not as comfortable as many would have you believe. My 575M is a totally different feel and far more comfortable. It is a touring car while a 360 is clearly not. Thrill wise, you be the judge. At speed(over 100mph), the 575M is infinitely smoother. If you are a young person, none of what I just said will matter. Do it! If it hurt, change rides and do it over. You have time!
Now, as to the Porsche. I have only ever owned one. My first and definitely my last. I put that in writing to Porsche! Here is why, and refer to comments about few dealers if there is a problem; Ferraris are extremely reliable these days. Porsches are NOT! If you have a problem with a Ferrari, the dealer will defer to you and get it fixed. The Porsche dealer will blame you and jack you around. Why do I say this? I took a long trip through the northeast and eastern Canada. I kept throwing wheel weights around 80mph. I went to 6 Porche dealers and all said I was the cause. They treated me like I was a fool. I was 38 years old at the time. Finally, I got disgusted and went to a Goodyear dealer(it had Goodyear tires). In ten minutes he diagosed a separated ply, replaced the tire, and I went home without incident. 6Porsche dealers can't be right. You decide!

 

It's easy to buy an f-car. One extreme is what I did. I hadn't thought about f-cars since the 70's and then my partner talked about buying one. I did some research for him and learned a little about the current models and found f-chat on the web. My partner then killed himself and then I woke up one morning a thought..what the hell..you don't live forever. I then read a lot of f-chat threads for several weeks and decided a 575M was the right car for me. My conditions for purchase were: color=red, fiorano pkg., stick shift, year '02 for my max price point, and finally a dealer car so I could get an FNA extended warranty. I found one car that had those criteria in Conn. I got work coverage for 36 hours, called the dealer an told them to have all paper work done, wired the money, got a one way air fare, took a cab to the dealer and was out the door in 20 min. I then, for the first time, sat in and then drove a Ferrari. I then drove 1475 miles through rain and then snow and got home within my time window. Two years and 57,000 miles later and I am ready for the spring driving season to start. I have a nice 6,000 miles trip planned.

On a practical note, the 575 has enough space for long trips. The back shelf will hold a garment bag full of shirts and pants, the trunk has a lot of space and if you travel alone, the passenger foot-well will hold a large soft bag. A nice warm up run in your new Ferrari would be NY to Sonoma California for the challenge races in early April.

 

What happened? (You can PM me the situ if you prefer).

 

golf clubs would have to go in the front seat, if you want clubs and a good size bag look at the 575 or 550, or even the superamerica which is a spectacular car, they have a amazing tour de france blue one for sale at ferrari of long island. ferrarili.com

 

Do you really want to be seen in a Ferrari everywhere you want to go? Seriously, it's not for every drive...

Not that the image thing is much different, but maybe a maserati Qport would be a better compromise for comfort and sport. And besides, you may want to pick up a few friends on the way...

 

The more and more I read of this, I love the idea. Make sure you let me know when you swing through AZ. I have memberships at two killer golf courses and I'd love to check out whatever you end up buying. My vote now is - do this.

I just got back from my old stomping grounds on Broad Street. Trust me, you'll go back to work refreshed.