The car is officially the SUPERAMERICA - no 575 or M or anything else. Similarly the CHALLENGE STRADALE has 360 prefix either Common, but incorrect usage however has it as the 575 Superamerica ir the 575SA. That's nothing new to Ferraris - Daytonas have been called that since their inception yet the Factory officially designates them 365 GTB/4 or 365 GTS/4 for factiory Spyders. Daytona was a nickname attached to the car to commerate Ferrari's success at the Daytona track
Here's a word of advice, if you are still here - When you come to this wonderful forum, it is probably a good idea to establish your bona fides gradually, but truthfully. There is a wonderful flow to the universe of Ferraris and things that are out of whack are jarring and stand out, leading to verbal brutality that most people will find distressing. If you are BS'ing and it certainly feels that way, it will be well deserved. If not, provide the evidence that you are who you say and have what you have and you will be welcomed, no matter what your opinions are.
i think time will not be the friend of the superamerica. the roof issues are now not covered under the warranty and i think this will hurt their values in the long run
not under warrarnty?? really. That is interesting.....if true, that roof would be the most expensive part to recover: better pick up two. AND: Does anyone know if over time that darkening elements just stay dark after wear and tear???? if so, bad investment.
the roof tends to "blossom" splotches of darkness, once it starts, it spreads fairly quickly. i was in maranello three weeks ago. even the superamerica they have on display inside the factory has the problem. once it starts, the entire roof assemly has to be replaced. based on the number of replacements to date, i'd say it isn't a good sign.
I've had mine for a couple of years now and I always keep it dark. I never really understood the desirability of the ability to let light in through the glass. If I want light I open the roof. In the real world the optical glass feature is irrelevant IMO. I'd hazard a guess and say that most owners never adjust the lightness or darkness, but simply leave it set in one place. My roof had some initial latching isues but the dealership took care of it with some minor alignment adjustment, and assured me that they would continue to fix those kind of mechanical problems beyond the warranty expiration. It has been fine for over year now. It really is an ingenious design and opens or closes in just a few seconds.
i agree about the design and it's beauty. however, when you own a car that is still under the warranty and the roof has already been replaced and now you are told, ferrari will no longer warrant the roof, it creates a little frustartion. i don't own a superamerica, but love the design and the roof. after seeing the same problems i have heard about on the "factory display" car, it scares me. but then again, the factory tuour guide explained to the tour group that i was wrong when i questioned the display cars. after all, i should be ashamed for asking if she was sure about the 250 pf coupe on display. it was clearly a customer car. but the fact that i said, "are you sure?" when she stated it was a 1956 model, makes her an expert and me an idiot. most of the tour group agreed, it looked nice for a 1956 model. most of the tour group was embarressing. after all, i think EVERYONE agrees, there is no better Ferrari model than the 430 and 599. people who would question that statement aren't recieved well on the tour.
I own some old cars, Ferraris included and part of the deal owning cars that are out of production, especially limited production cars in the first place, is that the issue of maintaining them will arise and the cost of doing so will be most likely exorbitant. But then again the cars are very expensive to begin with and the relative cost is probably within acceptable parameters. Owning rare and delicate cars is not for the faint of heart and wallet. These issues don't scare me. Drunk drivers scare me. Religious fanatics scare me. Clowns sometimes scare me. But old Ferraris exhilirate me- I love them any way they are and anyway they will become. I will gladly pay the price to ensure that I, and hopefully generations after me will continue to enjoy them.
ROFLMAO. +1. The top on my SA was great. I always thought it was funny that people complained "water/leaves/dreck would pool in roof if you left top down". Hello? Top is down. Interior is already full of water/leaves/dreck. There is a cover for the inside of the top if you leave it down for long periods, it is CF and leather, an incredibly fiddly device. Top is incredibly fast, can put it up at a stop sign if need be. I closed top when I parked. Here in TX, heat was nicely reflected, left top full dark always. Nice car, needs 550 nose to be pretty, and feels old compared to the 599. Balance not as nice as 550. Mine had worst alignment at delivery than anything I've owned. Re-aligned, rear spacers, and lowered a little with HGT, and it handled far better than any 575. I've looked at a lot of SA's. Where did you see the top problem? I have heard/seen none with this issue.
He-hee. I think I know why he hasn't responded yet: He's still out cruising around in his new -- oops, old SA. The SA that his salesman sold him for 50k off asking price because he's such a swell guy... Yes, I'm sure that's the reason.
Are there really some recent sales of Daytona Spiders (Spyders?) selling for $1 million today? I have not checked these in a very long time, but a Cavallino Magazine I have in my office (sorry, the two more recent issues are at home and I can't check) indicates a price of $675K to $800K. (Which is certainly more than what I put in my post.) However, Cavallino usually goes on either "asking prices" or recent auctions for the more rare models, which would moderate actual prices a little. I fell in love with the Daytona when I saw Miami Vice--it is a timeless classic (as are many, many OLDER) cars. And, when I say older, I mean those with (true) spoke wheels, too.
Yes , i believe 2 cars sold at auction recently for more than $1M . One had a special provenance but the other was your regular daytona Spider ..if such a thing exist .
At the Monterey auctions a few weeks ago, a pristine, "as new" spider fetched more than $2 million and anotherone ar RM fetched around $1.1 Million. A spider at the Maranello RM auction in May fetched $1.4 million
I've hear of the latching issue, and I guess my concern on the viability of the roof electronics is confirmed: guess will scratch that off the list of wants. I thought the variable light would be nice for someone like me who travels between a desert area, and foggy bay area where I would like some light but not baking out. If I wanted top down, it would be fast and easy without the cloth problems. But, I believe this car would have major maintenance down the road.
This one is classic............. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I respect your opinion and agree with the desirable HGTC package, I believe this was a USD $24k option. The CCF brakes alone are quite impressive. I differ on the F1 transmission as I don't think the driver is as involved in the spirit of driving when driving an F1. On the sbject of F1 transmission reliability, this seems to be a polarizing topic.
Only for the luddites The rest of the modern world really appreciates the ability to paddle shift. The fruits of all the development work that started with the Valeo clutch Modials and then became F1 in the 355 is really seen in the new 599. The F1 transmission in that car is so spectacularly good that I really couldn't imagine the 599 without it. It is so unbelievably fast and the car accelerates at at amazing rate. I don't believe that a stick shifted tranny could improve the driving experience. It certainly will degrade the absolute performance. The Superamerica with the HGTC package in sport mode is really good as well, but when driven back to back with a 599 with F1 the SA feels ponderous - but at least you open the top
I'm sure that there is therapy for that I enjoy manual 3 pedal cars, but in their proper context - old cars with historic significance. I even have a car with a manual shifted 4 speed competition gearbox where the shift pattern is reversed. Now that is fun! But when it comes to modern contemporary cars, I want the best systems and technology available, and in Ferraris today F1 transmissions are the state of the art.
Yes, that bothersome effort of interacting with the Ferrari is alleviated by modern conveniences to distance drivers from the workings of the car. ...would you believe that I've seen others here ask why Ferrari hasn't ever offered cruise control...
Here's the deal. Some of us actually drive these cars as they were intended - as daily transportation. We drive them on freeways, we drive them on congested city roads. We, oh my Lord, drive them to the grocery store and park them amongst other cars. Modern conveniences like paddle shifters and auto modes and cruise control make driving easier. Not every mile in a Ferrari is a piece of automotive heaven. It is a car after all, with all of the regulatory bits and pieces to allow it to be licensed and operated on public roads. But if by doing this we offend those who own Ferraris and park them, polish them, show them off, but never use them - too bad! If you want a stick shifted car, get one, but stop assuming that it is more thrilling or involving or better than a paddle shifted car 80% of new Ferrari buyers can't all be deluded and uninvolved. So please, all of the holier than thou types who believe that stick shifted transmissions are the only way to go - get a life.
Would you believe that I'm actually getting ready to order a 612 with a manual transmission *and* cruise control?
