Has Fchat decreased your desire to own a Ferrari?

The little yellow Cavallino horn button.

 

Whatever you do don't get around Lotus guys, I have never heard of more self hatred towards a car than the Lotus group.

 

I can tell you that Bob's mega thread has messed with my head some anyway. I definitely have come to the conclusion that I only own my ferrari because it's a ferrari,and not because it's the best car in it's class for me or my family. And it would seem I'm also a poseur, but I'm okay with that. Certainly no race car driver here, nor as wealthy as people must think when they see the 612. Can't even drive a stick and don't want to, despite much encouragement from friends to learn. But I don't want to own one any less. I enjoy the hell out of my 612. I think if anything all the recent chatter and the constant background of problems and solutions has helped me be a bit more pragmatic when considering my next car. But the fact that I continue to ponder the next car despite the same influences means no, it hasn't lowered my desire to own a ferrari, just certain ferrari's.

 

This is the whole point of a forum. To share in the open our experiences to hopefully inform. Ferrari is just another car manufacturer unfortunately, no god like characteristics that I can tell.

They have to make profit, follow regulations, and pay their investors ect which ruins any good organization focused on their core business. Companies change over time. Some do it better than others. I believe Ferrari could have done much better.

People can only handle being shown the exits by them for one reason or another hence the animosity towards them from some......

 

It's made me want an old one, more and more.

The new ones? Not so much.

 

Pro Tip: Don't let anyone steal your dreams and don't assign automatic weight to someones opinion based on their social status whether it be real or imagined. The cars evoke passion! That's not going to change on our shift!

 

I have spent many hours on this site over the past 2+ years. I have learned a lot, but I have to admit that some of the "mystique" is gone. I think that is OK. The worst thing that could happen, in my opinion, is that I buy my first Ferrari and then have issues with the car that ruin the experience.

Ironically, if you read through the TR/Boxer section, I am now leaning towards a Testarossa when I initially planned on buying a 360. The difference is I am going in with eyes wide open. The cars are not perfect and maintenance and repairs can be quite expensive.

 

Not sure I would characterize it quite like that.

Lotus owners seem to have a unique love-hate relationship with the brand, but in my experience and from what I see in the owners I have come to know it has been more love than hate.

Sure there are a ton of little things we complain about, but in the end everyone I have met has loved the experience of owning one of those exasperating, temperamental, randomly assembled, fragile, noisy, rattly, leaky, cramped, underpowered, fabulous little machines.

 

This could be a blessing, you are right, they are cars. You can enjoy it more if you see it for what it is.

I think this realization puts you in the right place to get a well maintained lower price point car so you can see what the fuss is all about for yourself and then evaluate from there. I think there is a tipping point when we start talking big bucks for the latest model and that's when the expectations and experiences can start to get sticky...IMHO of course!

 

Hear, hear!

To answer the OP's question, no. FChat has not diluted my desire to own a Ferrari.

It has, however, pointed out that people are people everywhere. And just because someone shares an interest in Ferrari, doesn't mean that they are interested for the same reasons you are. So, those people's opinions carry extremely little weight with me.

Just as in real life, choose your friends and ignore the rest.

 

I think that this is very insightful, and very true.

Matt

 

I'm actually relatively new to the marque. My love as a child was Pontiac. I'm into Ferrari now because after dipping my toe with a 360 spider and finding the community, hanging with car buddies and doing the drives and C&C's has become one of my life's pleasures. It's not really about how great the car is. It's the people. Passion for the marque is part of it, but it's an energy fed also by the reaction from the general public, not just internally from all of us that know what's under the skin.

 

Fchat has increased my desire for success, but dampened my enthusiasm for symbols of success.

Any psychoanalysts want to tackle that enigma?

 

I LOVE the 308 because it is a 308.

The horsey is an unnecessary plus.


It is one of the last true sports cars; loud, difficult to drive, oily, stinks, uncomfortable, drinks gas like swill beer and needs a bit more TLC than any other car.

And it looks better than the hottest piece of ass money can buy in any New Orleans Cat House.


If those "attributes" don't grab you, don't buy one.

 

It is not.

I know many millionaires who dress like middle income all the way down to looking like the homeless, so .............

My little village has one of the highest per-capita Millionaire rates in Germany. You would NEVER, EVER know it. The absence of almost all trappings of wealth is amazing.

 

This site is great for the information on maintenance and repairs on these cars. I definitely look at them differently knowing better the running costs and pitfalls but I still love them. All the emotional baggage and stereotyping of owners that some like to post, I could do without. Ferrari is a car I would still like to own one day.

 

I guess the question is what did you want from Ferrari in the first place? It can be like that "10" hottie that once you spend the night, you realize that she is bipolar, has an obsession with N-Sync and Justin Beiber and talks non-stop about the most banal topics.

Or... while I don't see the *wow it's a Ferrari* anymore, and it's kinda tampened my respect for symbols of success. The Business section is enlightening and the 360 section is fun sharing my experiences and knowledge with other owners. Forums like these reveal the truth behind the glitter and bright lights and showmanship to reveal what is truly there. What you do with that is up to you. Perhaps all that shines is not gold, perhaps what you thought of the world isn't what it truly is... and what it really is.

In my case, I never fail to catch my breath at the design of the car. The purity of the form and the flowing curves. The way that the engine components are designed and implemented. As a metal and glass and plastic sculpture, no forum can take away that feeling you get when its there in front of you in person. In the end, that sculpture of automobile is what you got into this for.

 

F-Chat facilitated my purchase. Without what I've learned here I'd might have made a big mistake in choosing a car.
That being said while on the learning curve I had more than a few "do I need this sort of headache" moments.
With more knowledge and after learning how supportive the community is I felt secure in taking the plunge and am so glad I did.

 

Nope, it has only enhanced it. The wealth of knowledge and support on this forum is tremendous.

Don't be swayed by the negativity you read in some threads. Some of it is certainly well founded due to horrible experiences, but tell me one make where you can't find lots of owners who have had terrible experiences.

What I have noticed is, as in society in general, there are some wealthy people on this forum who know the price of everything and the value of nothing.

 

Very true. Value is what it is all about. Get up on a sunny morning when you are free to do anything. If getting into your car and taking a drive makes you smile, then it has high value whether it is a Fiat, Ford, or Ferrari. Price is irrelevant. For me, that car is a Dino. Is it a real Ferrari? Truthfully, I really don't care.