The Official "Jay Leno Doesn't Like Ferraris" Thread

What?!?! No denim tuxedo for Jay at Pebble? Here he is snapped by me after the Gooding auction on Saturday.
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Leno don't need no stinking suit.....

 

Every time I have seen Jay he has been wearing denim. that's his shtick off the Tonight show.

Never seen him with a hat on tho.

 

Looks thrilled.

 

This year, I'm going as Jay Leno for Halloween

 

Do you think this day he will treat you to a proper answer?

 

From personal experience, as a long time f-car owner (18 years). Twice I have not bought a new F-car because the BS was so thick it was a turnoff. I dont buy to flip or speculate, most new f-cars are purchased by people who then sell back to the dealer flip etc. Try being a real customer who wants to buy a car, use it and keep it, good luck.

If Ferrari were not so abusive of the enthusiast do you really think maclaren would have all the orders they have now. And I get it Ferrari does not care, they sell all they can make, and heap on lots of extras. They are now the rolex of cars, and yes the cars are really great, the stigma now sucks, its embarrasing to say you own one, its a ****ty social statement. I say bring on the competition. Yes if you strip away the catchet the 458 is still the best high performance car, but the day will come.

 

As long as this is a zombie thread, let's put one thing in its grave right now.

McLaren has less than 200 cars on the books for the US, and most of those are pending driving one. Orders have been dropping because of late deliveries and questions about quality and over hype of the car's performance.

The 458 alone has legitimate waiting lists of between 8 to 12 months depending on the territory.

So, I would not be using McLaren as some shining star of what Ferrari is doing wrong.

 

I'm afraid you're right.

Some marketing genius evidently decided that selling the experience of purchasing, rather than "just" the car, is the way to hook the jet-set: Let them feel like big-shot investors negotiating a big, important business deal and puff up their egos, make them feel important. Sell the ultra-rare experience of buying a new Ferrari, and - like purchasing rare, original works of art - it's an experience that few will ever have.

The sad part is that, for a certain group of people, it works. For people like you, Boxerman, me, and apparently Jay Leno, it sucks.

And an unfortunate byproduct of this marketing approach is the lingering fallacy that any Ferrari with more that 5,000 miles is practically worthless, as well as the myth that an automobile - any automobile - is ever a good investment. (I know, there are a handful of cars like the 250 GTO which appreciated astronomically, but there's no way to predict in advance which cars will become fantastically valuable in 30, 40 or 50 years.)

You're absolutely right, Bob!

Ferrari is now a car manufacturer, even if they're selling some b.s. cachet about how difficult it is to get one - and, for some people, being treated rudely at the dealers just increases their desire for one.

McLaren is practically a cottage company, offering a very small number of very rare, very expensive super-exotics with questionable build quality and, arguably, significantly inflated performance statistics.

So, you're right, McLaren is hardly the shining star that Ferrari should be emulating.

As for me, I didn't purchase my Ferrari from a dealer - and I won't purchase my next Ferraris from dealers, either.

 

All I can say is that our Authorized Dealer in Atlanta is top class, and treat EVERYONE with respect. I would not hesitate to buy from them. Now all I need is the money! Ed, Hugh & Will are great car guys, and have been with Ferrari for a LONG time, so they know the BS and how to get around all the crap. HIGHLY Reccomend them. - I have no affiliation other than free expresso's and 20 years of friendship.

 

Talk about a thread that's risen like the Phoenix


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I would say the same for the two dealers I have worked with. Great guys --- and the real test is that when I recommend them to someone, they also get the same respect and end up happy.

I can't speak for all and I'm sure everyone can improve but I think it has to do a lot with the management of each independent dealer and what each individual expects from them.

 

I am not using the Macaa as a shining star. The 458 appears to be a significantly better product for now, how Mclkaren can get it so wrong is another issue. The Macca is though the first real competitor to the 458, and probably in time they will improve. Mclaren has the so called racing heritage, pedegre and the know how, if not the design and passion yet.

Part of the appeal of the Maclaren at least in presentation was the utter lack of BS, you order the car, they tell you your place on the slot and that is it.

I have had ferrari salesmen (in the NE where I live) tell me to my face that thie bosses have told them that they need to auction the slot, and this is when I was offerering 50K deposit and was prepared to wait a year or whatever.

As for used ferraris I bough my boxer paid in full the dealer (shelton) was doing an engine out for me, when I enquired about the progress(Iwas on the road) I was told that the boss had stopped work, because he wanted a deposit. This after I had paid for the car in full which they had possetion of. I will go further and say the work was incompetantly done the car ran like crap and had to be redone.

Basicaly I guess there is a class of weathy or sucessful people who dig being insulted or made to wait in line, must be some type of self esteem thing, like feeling you belong to a club. I make my money and when i spend 300k I don't need fawning or coffee, just a decent professional respectful transaction.

Yes ferrari can sell every car for now, but the "brand" is built on a certain cred based on track sucess and true drivers rating the products, they will lose this at their peril, and sooner or later someone will have an equivalent product.

To Date we have aston, which are GT cars without track cred, MB SLS more of a cali car, Lambo dentist flash no track cred, porche maybe with the GT3, Audi too mass prod etc.
So yes Maclaren and maybe lotus have a possibility to challenge ferrari. But yes to beat the 458 they will need significantly better(not just perf, but design and passion) products.

On last point on the Macca, inh the flesh it looks great, and its understated looks have an appeal as you not in everyones face all the time, the cockpit is great. Yes tyhe turbo motor is anodyne and the handling suspect and or too nanny state, but these can be improved for ver2.

 

damn this is a cool thread. nice to hear what we all thought was confirmed.

 

I've heard many times that he refuses to have a Ferrari on his "stable"... why is that? Did he ever ran into a problem with the brand? Is there something he objects about the cavallino?

It seems odd to me that such an absolute car guy and personality has this kind of attitude towards such a great brand...

 

Start here : http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6682

 

Quick answer: they treated him like sh#t when he went in to buy a car and from that point forward he did not want any car from a company that does business that way. You can't blame him.

 

Resurrecting this thread, I remember a Top Gear episode where a very attractive English lady went to a Ferrari dealer, it may have been Beverly Hills and was completely ignored in the showroom.
I can't recall if it was the UK or US version of the show.
I spent many years in Pennsylvania and we had Algar, the dealer there on the mainline.
I only went in there once, not to buy obviously, but they were friendly.
This is the dealer that had the F50 stolen for those who recall.
Also back in the early eighties when I had purchased my new 1980 Ford Capri 3.0S and had it modified suspension wise by John Miles, the ex-Lotus F1 drivers private company.
His main mechanic who had a BMW 3.0CSL as his driver, told me he loved vintage Ferrari's but they were in need of constant adjustment and work to drive regularly.
He had been Jackie Stewart's F3 mechanic so I valued his opinion.
Jay Leno always went to Shelby American events and he has other Italian marques, just not a Maranello product and I always understood why.
Hell if I was him I would have at least 3 F40's including an LM and a Daytona, ect!!
Maybe one day Jay!!
GV27TIFOSI

 

The car that is poised to embaress them all, even the mighty 458, is another Fiat product, the upcoming Alfa 4c. It's a Lotus Exige only lighter, and big enough so that a human can get in and out of the car without being a contortionist. Obviously it won't beat a 458 on a track, but on the street I suspect it will be a lot more fun to drive.

 

Is Jay Leno buying one then?





(BTW, I highly doubt FIAT will allow a lowly ALFA to embarrass it 's crown jewel!)

 

I have to admit that I've been to two different SoCal Ferrari dealerships since moving here and completely ignored in both. I even asked for some help in one of them and the sales person left me with the feeling that I was truly bothering him. Highly doubtful that I would ever buy another FCar from either.

For this reason I can see why some people have the attitude they do towards the marque. Fortunately, the owner community more than makes up for it and is the best and nicest group of people I've met in the car community.

 

Here is the video:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU7SpMaX_uE[/ame]

 

Well at least it didn't catch on fire.....

 

I got to see Leno's McLaren LM when he imported it back in 2000. It was at the importer / federalizer in Baltimore when I was importing a BMW E30 M3 cabriolet. I was of course not allowed to touch it, but it was a very neat machine.