how do you test drive a Ferrari

I assume if you are looking at a dealer car, new or used, they will want to qualify you first. If you are serious, this will be a small step.

If it's a private seller, know your stuff. Also, get the VIN and service history, go over the car, then get the price. If it's in your ball park, you may have to put a deposit down along with your own insurance info for the test drive. Having the car insured through the potential buyer might make the owner more relaxed and open to a test drive.

All of that and show up in a new Porsche.

When I bought my last car from the Porsche dealership here in town, the salesman walked over after about 30 seconds and before looking me in the eye, he looked passed me and over my shoulder to see what I drove in with.

The first time I went into the Porsche dealer here I took my little 924 as I was in need of parts. I spent 10 minutes waiting for service. Then another 25 minutes being jerked around. I needed $1,200 worth of parts but because it was a 924, I might as well have been fish food.

2 days later I ask for a $300 sensor for a 997 and I'm out the door in 4 minutes.

Just some food for thought.

 

I'd agree with the above, but also be aware that there are legions of kids who want to test drive other people's Ferraris. Most owners don't want to be treated like the local Ferrari theme park. There's an unspoken assumption that a serious buyer would be willing to buy the car if a Ferrari tech gives it a clean bill of health in a PPI (pre-purchase inspection).

I suppose if it was my car for sale, and a buyer was serious enough to put a four-figure security deposit on the car (new clutches are $2K and up installed), and I felt the buyer knew what he/she was doing, then I'd be OK with a test drive.

BTW, I had already put a credit card deposit down at the Ferrari dealer I visited when I took my first test drive, so this seems to be pretty normal.

Some key things:

1. Avoid the red mist. Guys see a Ferrari and get all wobbly - the fantasy obscures all the car's flaws. Really look at the car as if the badges weren't there. Is it in good condition? Does it start and run OK? Do you fit comfortably in the cockpit? If you can get the 'holy crap I can't believe it's a real Ferrari!' newbie stuff out of your system (or mostly -- we all still have it to some extent) that will make you a smarter and more credible buyer.

2. Kind of the opposite, but you need to accept all the Ferrari foibles (astronomical parts prices, big service bills, etc.) before you go look at a car. I.e., you've got to be able to pull the trigger. It sounds like you're ahead of all the guys who think these are 'kind of like Porsches, but Italian' because you've been reading here. A major service on a 328 is $4K (+/-). On a 355, it's $7K(+/-). Don't bother the owner if you're not OK with those costs, because they come with the car. Also don't bother the owner if you're not sure a Ferrari is practical enough, or if you're on the fence with regard to other basic decision parameters like spider or berlinetta, red or blue, manual or F1 gearbox, etc. Most of us like discussing Ferraris, but a lot of sellers don't want to be your tour guide. If you're going to see a yellow 360 Modena F1 that a private seller has listed, make sure that's a viable car for you before you go. You shouldn't be going to see him just to decide whether the F1 is what you really want. If you're at that stage, be honest and ask members at local FCA/FOC events, or FChat members, if they'd be willing to talk about their car, maybe take you for a ride at some point, etc. A test drive should be one of the last bits of discovery you do, honestly, after going over the service history and condition of the car.

3. When you do go on a test drive, treat the car with mechanical respect. That means checking with the owner as to when the car is properly warmed up, and verifying that the road/driveway has ample clearance so you don't scrape the bottom or front spoiler. The rest of it is common sense -- don't play Schumacher, don't dump the clutch, don't speed on public roads, etc. If it's an older car, ask about any special idiosyncrasies. For example, in the 308/328/348, the gearbox can be very stiff for the first few minutes till the gear oil is warm: you will earn points if you know that in these cars you never force it into 2nd gear if it doesn't want to go.

Finally, NO - a seller doesn't HAVE to let you test drive his/her car. I bought mine without a test drive, just because I was familiar with the model, it passed an inspection at Ferrari of Atlanta, and the dealer said I could send it back if my mechanic here in San Diego didn't like it. I would bet more than a few guys on this board have also bought cars unseen/undriven.

 

I bought my 360 without driving the car. I sat shotgun while the previous owner (fellow FChatter Jeffrey) took me for a ride. The car hasn't produced so much as a hiccup since I've owned it, so I have no regrets for not looking at the car closer. I think you have to scrutinize the seller as much or more than the car itself. In my experience that gives a pretty good indication of what the car will be like.

 

Nice post.

 

I've done my homework, and would have no problem buying a car with a strong PPI and reccommendation by a good tech...

but my problem is that I've never actually driven a 355. Sounds silly, but I've looked at cars I've wanted before, and had my mind changed totally on the first drive just because I didn't like the way the car drove, or how I sat in it or whatever.

That being said, I don't want some sore owner/dealer to be a guinea pig, so I'll only drive a car that I would be comfortable buying. Still - I forsee an awkward conversation when I sit down and have to admit I've never driven an F1 trans before.

 

+1.... no test drive on my F355 spider ....

 

It's entirely up to the private seller on whether you get to drive the car for sale. But most dealers will let you test drive a car based on the credibility you offer as a genuine potential buyer. They'll gauge that credibility by asking you questions to get a feel for what you know, how soon you're looking to buy, etc. Some dealers will require a deposit of some kind - fully refundable of course, so long as you don't smash it up. Then there are some people - both private sellers and dealers - who will toss you the keys and say, "take it for the weekend, bring it back on Monday, let me know what you think." These people, of course, are the rarest breed.

Good luck with your search and purchase(s). You have a lot of homework to do, but this is probably the best place it can be done. No question is too silly, but familiarize yourself with the search function. If you still don't find what you need, then start a thread in the appropriate section. As has already been mentioned, don't let the lust of owning a Ferrari rush you into a purchase. Ask, ask, ask. The more you know, the more you minimize your chances of getting bent over.

Again, good luck. And keep us posted.

 

I bought 2 used F cars and 4 new and never drove one before purchase. In the used cars the owners drove the car with me in the other seat. I let a guy drive the only used car I sold as he was a serious buyer and I wanted him to know for sure he liked the car. He flew into town and lived far away. That was 7 years ago and he still has the car.

 

Frankly, unless you've spent a lot of time under the hood, know the wiring color codes in italian by heart, and have experience as a test driver, I'd say put your faith in a pre-purchase inspection (PPI), rather than in the "ohboyohboyohboy" experience of touching "a real, michaelshumacher Ferrari". ("Punch me in the face, Guido!" )

Can you tell if the alignment is off, from doing a couple of turns? Can you sense a misaligned frame, when the driving position is canted in a normal car? Will your ears pick out a wrong note in a flat crank sonata?

For most people, a "test drive" tells you nothing. It's just a way to make an emotional connection with a subject vehicle.

And, given the expanding size of modern vehicles; mostly what you find from a "test drive" is that you can't just galumph down into a Ferrari and be comfortable without acclimating. E.g.: it's a tight fit. You don't sit in a Ferrari to drive it, you merge with it, like strapping an F16 to your butt.

The desire to buy a Ferrari is an emotional one. So for the buying process, keep a tight rein on your emotions and go with the cold equasions. Don't kid yourself into thinking that you become Fangio just from sitting in a red car. A mechanic will tell you far more about a used Ferrari than your butt will, unless you've spent the last 25 years in italian hardware.

In other words, as was said above, don't fall prey to the "red mist".

One thing a test drive might tell you is that older Ferraris are not like mini-vans. They're not idiot-proof. They don't forgive. That's another reason people don't like to give test drives.

Are there any statistics on how many Ferrari crashes happen in the first few months of ownership?

 

You bringa da blonde and whenne he looka da blonda you taka da car. Ees easy.

You canne find anotha blonde with tha car. Ees easy too.

 

I went to an official Ferrari/Maserati dealer and was kinda worried they wouldn't let me test drive a Ferrari (I was 25 at that time). But they soon realized I was serious about buying the car and gave me the keys for the test drive. I guess it's a good idea to take your father if you're young. And as long as you are serious, I don't think there will be any problems.

I already knew after 5 secs driving the car that I was gonna buy it haha
I don't think I'll need to make a testdrive for my next Ferrari.

 

I was ready to buy the car I ended up with without even seeing it or getting a PPI. the seller insisted that I come see it. I went the next day and was ready to buy. The seller insisted that I do a small test drive. I let the car warm up a little, then drove it with respect. As a seller (in the future) I would drive the car 10-15 miles prior to a buyer seeing it so I would not have to wait for the warmup while the buyer is driving. Pkus then you could eliminate the hot start problem form the buyers list of concerns.

BT

 

... and introduce the cold start problem on the buyer's list of concerns.

 

I assume any car with a lot of power will fall into this stat. I would assume it's much, much higher than a regular economy box.

 

If you warm the car then let it sit before the buyer gets there, you create the hot start issue. Also if I was looking at a car I would make sure I started it from dead cold, a couple of times. In most cases these issues have a number of possible causes, I wouldn't want to start guessing/ checking on a Ferrari the day after I bought it.

 

I've test driven every Ferrari I've bought, and a few that I didn't buy.

However, in every single case, I was dead serious about buying the car. And in every case I was pre-qualified and had made arrangements to look at the car-- not just showing up unannounced.

I've had two instances, both private party sellers, where they just tossed me the keys and I drove around by myself. I bought the car both times.

One time, I took a long test drive in a Daytona with the owner. Unfortunately, he was selling the car because he could no longer drive it due to health reasons. He kept urging me to drive longer, as he simply liked being in the car. Unfortunately, I didn't buy the car (dumb, I know).

And yes, you can learn quite a bit about a car by test driving it, especially if you've never driven that model before. I learned, for instance, that driving a Daytona is remarkably similar to driving the 365 2+2 that I already owned. Another time, I learned that I can't fit comfortably in a 348. Even if you have driven the model before, the variation in driving experience between a good car and a bad car can be dramatic.

If you want to just get a feel for the different models, join the local Ferrari club and show up at some events. At a minimum, you should be able to convince people to give you a ride, and some owners might let you drive.

Good luck!

 

I bought my 308 without a test drive though I had ridden in it and observed it in action. A test drive wouldn't have told me too much as has been stated earlier and at the time I hadn't driven a stick in years so I didn't want to subject the PO to me burning his clutch/stalling the car.

 

First, for zippyslug31 and Swancoat, if you are serious about potentially buying, then I'll give the same advice that was given to me on here Fchat only about a year ago. Go drive AS MANY AS YOU CAN.

Now, there are some good points in others' posts, but here's my advice.

1) When going to a dealer (new or used), Be honest, be sincere, don't be a "poser" or be unreal when you go to a dealer. Go dressed in normal clothes (not in an Armani tie with the label attached and on the outside.... true story at FoDenver), and tell the dealer exactly what you are doing. You're considering a First Time Ferrari and you'd like to talk about the cars, advantages and disadvantages, and figure out which one is best for you. Dont be in a hurry, and say so to the dealer. NOW, with a true Ferrari dealer, you might not get the time of day, and might not get to drive one, wouldnt surprise me, but you just might at a used place because they want to "sell you" thier car. And dont try to test drive a car you really cant afford. If your budget says you can get into a 355, dont ask to test drive a 599, again, be honest and sincere.

As an example, there was a used dealer here in Denver that I stopped in a few times and the dealer mentioned they were getting a really nice 308 QV and asked if I'd be interested in driving it when it came in. I said sure. Well, 2 weeks later, I had already purchased a car (non-Ferrari), but I went into the dealer at the appointment time we had arranged and I honestly told him I wasnt looking anymore. He said no problem, do you still want to drive it? And he let me.

2) Get to know other owners, via FChat or Ferrari Clubs. I've not done this, but there are several threads in other areas of Fchat where someone who wasnt an owner got to sit in and talk to other cars. If you show up for several meets and again, be honest and real not a "poser", you'll make friends and many may let you at least ride in one of thier cars, and maybe drive one.

Personally, I've never driven a 348, 355 or 360, I just knew that the 3x8 series was what I wanted, for both price and nostalgia. I drove a 308 GT4 from a local owner (with intent to buy but it wasnt the right car), a 308 QV and a 328 (bad example, but none-the-less drove it) and knew the 308 GTS/B was what I wanted. Was lucky enough to be the FIRST PERSON besides the owner to drive a 1984 308 QV (even his wife hadnt driven it). I liked it, and eventually bought it.

In the 3 months I've owned my car, I've only let 1 other person drive it, and he came over in a 328. That said, I'd be MUCH MORE likely to let someone I met from FChat or at a Ferrari meet drive my car than one of my work buddies or church buddies. Why? Well, because I'd know the person would know how to treat the car and what the car meant and not just looking to say to thier friends "hey, I drove a Ferrari today".

So, be honest, be real, be sincere and get to know the dealers and FChatters/clubs in your area and I'm sure you'll get to drive one.

James in Denver

 

If you have never driven one, how do you know if you like it without driving it? Maybe there are some things you didn't know about the car that only a drive could tell you.


In my opinion, it's standard procedure to let people drive a car before buying. I thought I wanted a Corvette. I went in and drove one and found that I didn't really like it all that much. I could have ended up buying one if I fell into the trap of most dealers, which requires you to BUY THE CAR FIRST and then return it if something goes wrong.



Bottom line: If I'm dropping over $100k on a car, yeah, I wanna drive it, and no, the seller better not complain.



I agree with putting a deposit down in case something goes wrong. But no test drive at all is brainless.

 

Agreed.

 

Are you really able to tell, from your first encounter with a Ferrari, whether you'll enjoy driving it every day, or will put it aside for months with a "Q" in it?

If someone gets out of a 4cyl Camry and tries to determine what he'll "feel" about a Ferrari, what he'll find out is that it's not as easy to drive and not as easy to get into.

You don't need to drive one to find that out. Just hanging around here will tell you that.

It takes living with the car a while to figure out if you're going to become comfortable driving it.

That's why used Ferraris tend to have some owners that kept them a year, and owners that kept them for a decade.

I really can't suggest the "best" approach for someone contemplating going from a "people mover" to a Ferrari. I worked my way up the sportscar line, from muscle car to Fiat to Alfa to Ferrari.

My guess would be that there's no "good" way to migrate from a Tahoe to a Ferrari in one hop. If you know sports cars and like them, despite their restrictions, then you can probably figure out whether you'd like a Ferrari. If you know nothing about Ferraris other than the "wow" name or appearance, perhaps a session with a TR/7, an MR2, or an MGB might give you a better definition of your metrics.

Okay, people who have been through the range of sportscars over their lives may be able to tell more from a session behind the wheel. But the OP is a youngster just about to reach driving age.

For beginning drivers, I'd advise going the "discount" sportscar route -- find out before spending the price of a small condo on a car whether you can live with the cargo space of a tight pair of jeans, the need for regular service, and the demands of keeping up with a car that turns whether you meant it or not.

 

May not be as similar as you would think. Many late model Ferrari's are not as easy to drive as say an M3 or a Porsche. You can lose control faster than you can say AFLAK....

I'll be damned if I just hand over the keys of a Ferrari to some shmuck that's in the market for a fancy sports car. It's hard enough to get a dealer to do it and they likely have insurace that covers potential damage.

I would say if you've never driven a Ferrari before... you MUST MUST MUST drive it to understand whether it's for you (yeah, yeah... who doesn't want to drive one)... but honestly... I am more jumpy sitting in the passenger seat on a ride-along than driving one... it's a very different experience going from passenger to driver and that holds true for ANY car.

 

Most people don't drive Ferraris every day. But regardless, I think that yes, many people can tell reasonably well whether they'll like a car after a test drive. Sure, there are some things that you'll miss, but not nearly as much as if you just look at pictures and read reviews. It's also not meant to replace an inspection, but rather to see if that's worth doing.

I'd never buy a car without test driving. I don't care if everyone claims that something's the best car ever made. I might find it boring. In my experience, test drives are rarely as expected, actually. It's pretty common for me to find "good" cars uninteresting. The opposite happens sometimes too. I certainly wouldn't consider buying anything as expensive as a Ferrari without making very sure I loved it.

 

You mean SepQuember???

To the original poster: I thought about showing up in my 2007 SLK to test drive a Ferrari at my local dealership, but the guys here said that I should be ready to actually purchase the car, whether I actually walk away with a purchase or not.

Now, I plan to buy a 3rd home buy 2008, and maybe a Ferrari in 2009, so I won't be buying a Ferrari in 2007 at all.

Also, my fiancee's brother-in-law offered to sell me his 1989 348 Spider for less than what I paid for my 07 SLK, but I opted for the SLK for now. I didn't ask to drive the car since I didn't intend to buy it.

So... I went to the Ferrari dealership anyway, just to ask them some questions at least, but they were already closed when I got there. I looked at all the cars in the showroom through the glass.. it was amazing... they had the 355, 360, F430 (including Spider models) and also a 550/575M, 599, even the 575M Superamerica! They also had some Gallardo's inside. The outside was littered with Maserati QPs.

If you can afford one right now, definitely go to the dealership and ask the necessary questions. If you are close to a sale, I'm sure you will be able to test drive one before you walk out of there.

I also suggest signing up for those 1-day supercar driving events to get a feel for different exotic sports cars. (which actually includes exotic-wannabe cars, if you believe the messages in the R8 thread)

~shahedc
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