how do you test drive a Ferrari

I didn't mean "how the cars drive" I meant, "Whoops! 0-125 in 5 seconds and wrapped it around that lamp post!"

If someone loses control, then they either weren't paying any attention at all or they were clowning around. A McLaren F1 can be driven in the street, so pretty much all cars can be without crashing.

 

Not that I'm refuting your statement, but it reminds me of a story I recently heard. A true story.

A guy walks into an authorized Ferrari dealer - dressed to the nines - with his "assistant" in tow. Said dealer has an F50 on the floor and the gentleman is interested in buying. He spends hours with the salesman, going over all sorts of details. Things come to a close, said buyer sends his "assistant" to the bank to get a cashier's check. While waiting, the man says to the salesman that he'd like to test drive the F50. The salesman goes into the back up the GM. "Hey, this guy is going to buy this thing; his assistant is getting a cashier's check right now; he wants to test drive it." GM replies, "No way. No one in the history of Ferrari has ever asked to test drive an F50." The salesman and the GM go back and forth, but the GM isn't having it. Finally, the salesman goes up to the buyer and tells him he can't test drive the car. The buyer, pissed, scratches the whole deal.

Two weeks later, the buyer, while out for a test drive, stole an F50 from Algar.

 

103494

 

Best way to test drive a Ferrari is to go rent one.

Most people who want a Ferrari don't need to be "sold" by a test drive- they know what they want.

 

You will be able to tell the driving position, the steering feel, the partial throttle acceleration, the transmission operation and the road feel.


Those are all things you can get a hint of on a test drive that might be important to some buyers. Reviews and personal accounts don't say much because every individual is different and has different opinions. Statistics don't mean much; They're more about bragging rights than anything.



Well, I just think it's strange to spend a ton of $$ for something you've never even briefly driven. I don't think I'd have the trust to do it unless I was familiar with Ferrari models (which I am not)

 

I guess it's just magic, right? Come on, now...

 

Check EVERYTHING. Research EVERYTHING. Are you absolutely set on a Ferrari? Have you looked at Lamborghini's? Porsches? BMW? Aston Martin? Maserati? Look at EVERYTHING in the same price range. Find out what every possible option available is, determine what you want. Find out what the common maintenance costs are. Find out what common troubles you might encounter could be for cars at various mileage. If you're going to look at a car with 14k miles you should know if the brakes will need changed around the 15k mark before you even arrange to look at the car. You should also be firm in what you want. If you want a red F430 don't settle on a yellow F430. Don't settle on a red 360. Don't go with a manual if you really want F1. Wait for what you REALLY want and stick to that. If the stitching color on the steering wheel isn't what you want then don't buy the car. Also goto dealerships and look at pictures online to see options and what is available. Find out what can be custom ordered and what the differences in model years were. And again, sit in every similar car you can that is around the same price mark. It doesn't matter if you hate porsches, sit in a Gt3. Sit in a Gallardo. Make sure everything is absolutely perfect the way you want it and stay patient if you find something that's close, but not quite right.

As for test driving, if you're serious about being able to afford it, call them. Explain that you want to see if the car is right for you. Put a down payment. I would never buy a car without first driving it, even an Enzo or Pagani Zonda. I would at least find one somewhere and drive it. Rent one, make friends with an owner, etc.. You could possibly even find someone on this board in your area friendly enough to take you for a drive in their car. I would never buy a car without having driven one before and having driven the competition.

 

I'm looking for a Mondial. Through the internet I found a dealer selling a nice QV, books, tools and service history complete within my price range. After a couple of emails between me and the dealership I made an appointment. When I showed up along with my wife he shows me the car, goes through it and then he hands me the keys to go for a testdrive. The wife looks at me like "is he serious?". We went without the salesman for a half hour drive and I can tell you I was happy to be back at the dealer because I didn't fell at ease going on the road with something that wasn't mine. My wife was terrified during that ride. When we got back, I told that we had to think things over but that I was seriously intrested. When I called him back two days later to say I would buy he told me it was already sold.
If he would have gone along we might have been more at ease and would have bought that car on the spot. It was an experience none the less.
I went to see another QV, but this one couldn't be tested as it was not yet registered in Belgium (just imported). The dealer wasn't very informed about the car. That didn't give me enough confidence, I had done my homework and knew more about that particular car than he did, even knew the price he paid for it. He couldn't convince me in buying that car at the price he wanted.
I guess that with an older car a testdrive would be recommended as some defaults can't be experienced just by looking. But one needs to do his homework to know what can be expected or not. And a good salesman doesn't need to sell just a car, he sells himself and the car as well. The second car could have been a jewell, but the seller didn't give me a good feeling about it.
Best
Jurgen

 

Totally agree. The Audi RS4 is considered to be an amazing car, but I didn't test drive it seriously enough and now don't like it at all. Just because all the reviews say one thing, might not be the same for you.

 

I think test driving is especially important with older Ferraris. The new ones are brilliant and chances are 95% you will love yours. However the older Ferraris were not always that great and if you are currently driving say a new M3, a 328 might dissapoint you. Even a 348 might.

Here in Switzerland, whenever a new model comes out, the big dealerships usually throw out a big presentation where you can drive it. That's how I tried the 599. They brought it from the factory especially to be test driven by potential (and in my case not so potential) clients. Next year they might even bring the Scuderia.

 

Guess so- I bought a carb Boxer sight unseen.
I guess the charisma and character of the car is magic too me.

 

It took me three months to find a comfortable driving postion in my 328 *after* I'd already bought it. (Okay, those were winter months.) And I'd been driving Alfas for the preceeding 20 years.

How many posts have we seen where people have gone for a "test drive" and came away convinced that the car was "too small"?

Cars make terrible first impressions. The first time I sat in an EVO, I was convinced that the stock Recaro seats would have to go. But after four years, I still have the stock ones in place.

After 15 years with the deluxe seats in the AllTrac (power lubar and side boosters), even the M3 was a dissapointment.

People who change cars every six months might have a different experience. But when you get used to something, any change will "feel wrong".

I'd certainly want to sit in an example of a car before I bought it, to see if I could drive it at all. But first impressions are deceptive, and rarely convey how enjoyable the car will be to drive *after* you've gotten used to it.

 

I may do things a little differently. I never drive the "car" untill I negoatiate the price. Obviously this Money discussion only happens after I sit in the car, maybe push the start engine button and most importantly I like to appearance of the vehicle. I then know if the cars drive well and to my liking I will buy the car.

I am always concerned that a drive will predjuce my desire to own the car and i will make the wrong choice.


Lee

 

Stole an F50? Wow, I bet he didn't get very far with it.

I'm sure it is an awesome car, but how do you know? What if you bought it and it wasn't an awesome car? Cars are more objective than you're making them out to be...

 

You're right in that it takes time to adjust to any car and also right in that you may drive a car and like it one day because it's the best car you've ever driven, and then not be able to live with it.



No matter what the case, a test drive would at least answer some questions and give you more justification for purchasing. Not test driving is like playing slots, IMO. (Unless you're familiar with a particular brand. For example, I wouldn't need to test drive an Exige S because I know Lotus already and I know there's no surprises there.

 

As anyone reading this, or sharing comments can see, there is a wide spectrum of opinion.

We have first time enthusiasts who have never even been up close to one of the cars or ever sat in one, all the way to veterans who have owned many.

We have sellers who are selling thier first Ferrari, maybe its the first time they ever sold a car themselves, to used car lots, exotic car sales lots, some well known, to bonified Ferrari dealers.

Now think about it. You have a mix anywhere between unfamiar buyers and owners, to overqualified. Simply asking for a test drive will undoubtably fall everywhere between throwing you the keys, all the way to a resounding NO. There are people who have owned several Ferrari's that have been asked to leave (litterally) Ferrari dealerships just for asking questions. No test drive, no looking, no asking anymore questions, dont let the door hit you in your a$$ on the way out. And there have been dumb sellers who have tossed the keys and either never seen the car again, or had it come back wrecked.

Many times you will run into sellers that are cocky pompous buttholes. They can be very difficult to deal with, especially if you act like your (or are) clueless. Sometimes you have those sellers who know it all, and they tell you incorrect things and you cant argue with them. You have to decide how much work you want to put into kissing their "derriere" to get along long enough to look at thier car and make a deal. Sometimes its better to just not even deal with them in the first place. Happy chatty sellers are lots more fun to deal with, and usually much easier to trust.

So start off by asking yourself who you are and what you know. If your real mechanically inclined, take the time to study the beast before ever looking at one. I bought parts books and found a service manual years before I went hunting. Read, absorb, talk to other enthusiasts. This is no longer the dark ages where your only view of the outside world comes from magazines, your here on flippin Fchat for Gods sake, read, listen and ask. Even if your kind of car dumb, its not difficult to to learn how they work and what things to look for and what questions to ask. Like, learn how to check the oil, its easy. If your not qualified to check the car out mechanically yourself, or are far from home and cant, find someone who is. Bubba down at the Amoco station is not the guy you want.

It was posted above, get involved with some other owners and talk your way into a ride and drive. Then you can see them up close, see how they drive, how you fit, how they work. When you know what you truly want, and have a good mechanical understanding of how they tick, youll be in a far better position to sort out the dogs. I think DGS made some very good points, the best one being that there are two types of buyers. Those who know and like sports cars and will still have the Ferrari several years from now, and those who will have it up for sale in six months. If your uninformed and allow yourself to be ripped off, your Ferrari purchase could take the biggest financial nosedive you ever imagined. And in that light, the test drive is the least of your worries. If you took the time to drive with friends, you would know if you like them. If you took the time to either have a PPI done by a "real" professional, or felt knowledgable enough to do it yourself, an actual test drive shouldnt do much to make or break the sale. If your doing the PPI yourself, and you tell the owner, then he already knows your going to drive it, as well as knows your not a total idiot.

 

Is this really true? I can't imagine that type of treatment from anyone, let alone a franchise that wants to sell you something.

 

If you've never driven one, how do you know what it will be like?

 

I would never buy a car that I did not drive before.

Sometimes its even enough to take a seat in a car to know, its not for me (for example I realley liked the Z3, but after taking seat at the wheel in one I had no more dreams of it). But driving will be the final test. When buying a sportscar I would even like to experience the car on the passenger seat when an expierienced driver (e.g. the owner) drives it hard.
I was offered to testdrive a Boxster S and a Cayman S under perfect conditions by a Porsche center and never thinking of owning one of those I changed my mind after that tour - so letting someone drive who has preaviously no buying intention can lead to a sold car, too. If I wouldn't have bought the 308, I would most certainly drive a 3.2l Boxster S now (made more fun than the 3.4l Cayman S and had the better sound).
On the other hand I heard of a person buying one of those cars without driving it beforehand because the salesman taxed him too young and where pretty much turned off by his first tour (and selling the car afterwards with great losses).

A brandname alone is not granting a driving expierience. There are so many small thing that are in the eyes of the beholder, like me liking the sound of the older Boxster more than that of the Cayman. The only way to know is to drive. If a seller does not let my drive, I walk away.

 

So far it's a pretty split audience. At first my thread was getting posts towards "no need to drive it", but the latter posts have me going back in the other direction.

A lot of good posts and points made thus far. Keep up the good work and thanks for those participating... it's gotten me completely torn in opposing directions.

In the end though, I DO plan on doing a lot of research work and can now at least say that I've sat in a 360 (yesterday), and I suspect at minimum I will likely require at least a ride in the car that I'm looking to buy. Or, in the case of a car that I can't see in person, a VERY close inspection (which clearly everybody advises anyway).

 

Unfortunataly he got far enough, and has not been found and the same with the car.
Here is a site about it.....
http://www.stolenferrari.com/

 

every car i looked at i drove. including tr,328 and 348. never had a problem getting a test drive. probably would have a car i couldn't test drive low on my list of possibiles. i presented myself as a serious buyer and in two cases had traveled quite a distance to see the car. when i flew out to dallas to look at the car i eventually purchased, the seller gave me the keys and let me have an extended drive by myself. same with another car in nc. one guy with a 348 was a little squeamish about letting me drive. but he did. i let people test drive my car all the time. hell, some guys around here just let a blind guy test drive their car, including an f430!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlIf8h7FZ6o

i have bought several cars without driving them over the internet though.

 

LOL, he is talking to him like he's a 15 year old girl about to get her learners permit.

 

Yes, it happened to an FChat'er in southern California, IIRC.

 

I think the best way to choose a model is via the car-rental or the 'Dream Car Tour' type events. You can spend some real time with the car and drive it beyond the initial impression. My partner's dad recently test drove a 997 Turbo Cab, bought it, then ended up bringing it back to the dealer a few days later to change it for an Aston. After driving the Porsche for a more extended time, he found the ride wasn't comfortable enough for him. IMO, spending a few bucks to try out a model you are interested in may be money well spent... Just take into consideration how much mileage is on the car and bear in mind it's a rental, so it's likely been driven very hard - some of the wear and tear parts (ie: clutch, brakes, etc.) may not feel exactly as up to par as they should.