The best comment I have gotten was at a car show. A young couple were looking at the car and the guy said " I'll give you both my cars plus my fiancee for your car!"
No Ferrari, but, yesterday, we decided to take the Turbo out for a drive. While we were driving to the exit of our neighborhood, a 996 GT3 happened to be pulling out. Second time seeing him, anyway, we decided to drive behind him for a while. us, in the 996 turbo, a 996 GT3, and some ****** in a 997 S Cab decided he was hot stuff and nearly ran off the road trying to fly past us on a 2 lane road.
The guy who did this road rage incident got 5 years last week in Czech. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncaIHV5OWWU Insane!
That's what I get more than anything else, guys, never chicks, driving carefully with one hand pointing their camera phone at me with the other. Once in a while you get the random idiot revving in the next lane. "Those" are the dangerous ones, not the cell phone guys, the ones gunning their rides and looking at me instead of the road. Seen a couple veer into the oncoming lane. And what is it that makes every other car on the road go faster when they see a ferrari?
I don't know why, but I find this post very funny...the descriptions of the junk swirling around had me laughing!
I get the biggest smiles from the women. Aren't we all getting better at reading lips in the rear view mirror at a red light/stop sign? Things like..."That's a Ferrari"...and "Oh My God!!!" That and a lot of thumbs up. I always wave first!!! I bring a camera and take THEIR picture. They always crackup laughing!!! Tom
In 25+ years of driving Ferrari's, I have had just about everything: The 'boy racer' wannabes The construction truck racers Flirting Gold Diggers OMG! teenagers Cops stop me just to see the car Knuckle head jealous people Cell phone 'Car parazzi' The other day I was out in the CS and I had 3 separate people (1 guy even ran up to the car), and ask politely if I would rev the engine. One Christmas morning I had a highway patrol officer stop me in the TR and just wanted to look. I let him sit in the car and offered to have him drive it while I followed in the cruiser. He thought about it...... for a while, before declining. He thanked me nonetheless. One of the more memorable... While out in the 348 on a Friday night with my brother, there were 2 couples in a 300ZX 2+2. The driver thought it was a good idea to yell obscenities and tell me that I was out in 'mommy's car'. We ignored him at 4 separate traffic lights, but at the 5th light I looked over and said, "Son, I make more money in a week than you probably make all year.... and you had better start paying attention to the pretty lady in your passenger seat, otherwise she may be sitting next to me instead"! With that the three other passengers started laughing at him, his buddy slapped him in the head.... and his girl friend just smiled at me. We just pulled away...
Occasionally if I something really rare, or a supercar in a part of town I don't normally see them I may take a photo with my phone if it's within reach. I'm always respectful and never put myself or the other driver in harms way, usually staying back while snapping a quick photo. I think it's hilarious when people try to race F-cars, Porsches, or Lambos in their pickups and Civics. I don't own an exotic, but I'm sure it happens on an everyday basis for you guys.
Although my 911 is not a Ferrari, at 2am a few weeks ago in the bar/club area of Atlanta with the top down, I had a girl flash me. Naturally, she was in a car full of drunk people (except, hopefully, the driver) probably returning from a club. She was attractive, but it was such an awkward situation that I turned at the next intersection, even though it was out of my way. It's not limited to women. In a similar situation the prior week, I was invited by an older gay man in an old Range Rover to "come over" to his place after he told me my car was "hot and cute" (his words).
Same. The only time I'll get close to an exotic, is if it's someone we know and, at most, I wave or thumbs up.
Once in a stoplight two young guys ran into the back of a pick up truck while staring at my 328gts, I think they were doing like 15mph. The second time something like this happened I a car full of teenagers with girls seating on the guys laps were driving at about 40 mph next to me trying to catch my attention. I kept pointing to them that their lane was completely stopped while my lane was free and clear so they crashed into the last car without stopping at all.
Ah I remember another story. I was on my way to see Dr. Ingenere for my back one night. I was cruising along the Galvin State Parkway in Scottsdale in my 512 TR. Wasn't even speeding. But as I approached a red light that turned green I passed by some pseudo ricer Honda that was still stopped at that intersection. I kept cruising right along to the next light..(which was red)..and I stopped for the light....and a second or 2 later this ricer blows through the red light intersection backwards with brakes locked. So there I sat at the red light. I was staring right at the 2 people in this Honda as they stared right back at me. (Had I been in the right lane vs. left, 512 TR would have been totaled). Through all the brake smoke I saw the guy (driver) - who wouldn't look at me..and the passenger (a cute blonde girl) who was staring at me like she had just seen death. Light turned green and off to Dr. Dean I went.
When I was driving my 360 back from the dealer when I bought it I drove an older, windy road (instead of the freeway). It's getting dusk and I'm just feeling out the car (getting used to paddles etc) and this guy is tailgating me. I think... I'll just pull over and let him go (now sense getting a speeding fine or worse on my 1st drive in the car), there's usually a lot of police on this favorite backroad. I pull over and he flys past in some Japanese (Mazda or whatever) with wheels and an exhaust. So I wait a couple of minutes and fiddle with my seat etc. I go again and a couple of corners up he's waiting for me and as soon as I drive past he starts up and tailgates me again. As soon as there's a bit of straight road he flys past again and round the next corner is a cop and he's busted.... Clearly his Mazda was far superior and faster than my 360 ( at least I'm sure that's what he tells his friends)
After awhile I stopped paying attention, with Algar 10 minutes from my house, Ferrari's do not draw as much attention as they might in other places, the Lamborghini, well that is another story. Just my opinion, but I once lived on the streets was stabbed a few times and beaten (I still have the marks, for my shoes), and was lucky to be determined enough to get to where I am today. The only loser is the person who thinks they are better because of a car.
I get lots of thumbs-up and the occasional engine revving from the teens in the Hondas. Once, on I-95 South in the vicinity of Ashland, VA, my wife and I were in my 328 GTS and we caught up to an early 1960s VW Beetle. It appeared to have been magnificently restored with a beautiful bronze colored paint job and sparkling chrome. He must have been rattling every rivet in the VW as he was running about 70 MPH. I eased up alongside him, and we both gave him a thumbs-up. He smiled and returned the thumbs-up. We motored on ahead of him enjoying the thought that we had just made his whole day. A guy driving an old VW Beetle getting two thumbs-up from a Ferrari - priceless. JAF
I had some guys in a yellow chevy cobalt with some loud pipes try to race me when I was doing a test drive of a 430 spider a couple weeks ago. My instinct was to slow down and scoot over. Everyone knows the outcome of a race, so why mess with it? Reminds me of the time two dudes in an old Hyundai Excel pulled up next to me when I was on my GSXR-750. "Hey! You ever race a HYUNDAI before??". I had fun with that one when the light went green, blasting up to 90 or so before they had likely gotten it in first gear.
The first time I ever drove a Ferrari (2004 360 F1), a passenger in a car right next to me on the highway stuck his body out of the window all the way to his waist and was yelling, "F**king Sick! F**king Sick!!" while giving the thumbs up. I have mostly people with video cameras, regular cameras and cell phone cameras. I have guys follow me on the highway from all four corners (front, right, back, left) over a 1+ mile distance so they can get pictures from all angles. Motorcycle guys mostly like to blow by me. Some pull up, then cup their hand to their ear as if to say "I can't hear it", so I rev the engine up and they give the thumbs up. Occasionally some moron in a ricer car will go to great lengths to follow me (but only if the road is not "open"), and I'll just pull off to the side of the road - problem solved. I had a girl lift up her shirt once. Older women flirt at the gas station. Cops love the car. I had a cop (who was cruising next to me on a boulevard) yell over to me and asked me if he could turn his lights on and chase me around for awhile. Cops who are directing traffic at intersections on foot will give the thumbs up and yell "NICE CAR!!" as I drive by. I got pulled over once going 140 and got off with a warning. I've had guys walk up to the car, touch it with one finger and say, "There. I got to touch it". A kid at a gas station once asked me if I paid a million dollars for the car.
This thread has been fun to read through. I was in my 512TR a few months ago in the right lane of 4 lane road with a center turn lane there are at least 10 cars around us(it's a nice day so everyones windows are down) and this guy sticks his head out of a car in the turn lane and yells accross traffic "YOU ARE THE COOLEST GUY I KNOW", Talk about wanting to climb under my seat and die.
I'm new to the Ferrari experience but I have noticed lots and lots of pics taken of my F430. Reminds me of this... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLsc0lQ46_8
Generally I have similar experiences as others have mentioned, seems that on a crowded freeway there is always at least one camera phone pointed at my car and ever gas station stop includes a discussion about "how fast does it go?" and "is that brand new?" which is nice since its a 2000 However, the other day I was turning left at a light in Berkeley, CA, and someone yelled out "go green, @ssh0le" which was so surprising it took a second for me to realize they were yelling at me and made me laugh. Gotta love the Prius crowd
When i was 20 years old my dads friend had bought a ferrari 550. This to me was one of the most striking looking cars ever made, it was yellow with bordeaux interior. The owner looks to me and says "do u wanna drive?", of course i say yes. This may sound crazy to do but i had been driving for 4 years and i had driven my fair share of cars. In about 5min of driving this incredible car i saw lights in my mirrors and pulled over. The funny thing was i was working in factory that day so i had ripped jeans no sleeve T-shirt and bandana on my head and i was 20..he looks to me smiles and says i know u have a nice car but just relax on the gas. I was like wow its pretty cool to own a ferrari even the cops like it lol. I also got my fair share of thumbs up from people. I hope to one day own that exact car.
Anyone ever have that experience where people just can't stand the Ferrari or other car you're driving and they must pass you on the road. It's like they cannot stand to be behind you and even look at the car. They must accelerate and get in front of you or simply take off at high rate of speed and then take the next exit? Maybe I just pay more attention to what's going on around me but it's anything, toyota, minivan and they just have to FLY by and get in front of you or get away. What's up with that???
gotta' love the F430 engine sound and then what sounds like a pushrod V8 ah Hollywood, such a farce you are
