I can't imagine how much it cost to insure that ride. Declared value $25,000,000. If I see one on the road, I would change lane to get away from it.
Thanks so much James, Karen, Phil and Keith for the complements. I truly enjoy taking it out for rides. "Enzo, Is that you??" The photo was taken in Carmel in 2014. See Keith's comment below. It was an interesting exercise. The results were exciting to see. I have another one, but it is brighter and at a low side angle. --Hoffman
First picture, July 2015, when I took it to a model airplane and camped out. It had just over 179,000 miles on it. Second picture, October 31, 2015, at the Hilton Head Island Motoring Festival with just over 181,000 miles. HINT: If you have a vintage Ferrari, don't be afraid to drive it. It was designed and engineered to be driven, no matter what you hear to the contrary. Don't preserve it for the next owner. Bob Z. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
So what are your impressions? I adore the 550 series as well as the 456 series so I am impressed that you went this route, well played sir. Would like to see more pics of the interior and engine bay if/when you get a chance.
Thank you! I attached some more pics for you that I had handy on my phone. Haven't taken any of the engine bay yet but need to. The car is still very new to me so I'm not fully familiar with it yet. But here are my impressions so far: *The handling and turn in is as lot better than I expected. It's very nimble for such a big car. *It's very easy to drive. You can just cruise around comfortably if you want to. It has so much torque that you don't have to always be in the perfect gear. If you up shift too soon it's not the end of the world. *The looks grow on you a lot the more you see it in person. I wasn't always the biggest fan of the 550's looks, but I rarely ever saw one in person. When I did I noticed that it looked better in person than it does in the pics. Now that it's in my garage and I get to see it every day the lines are really growing on me. *It doesn't feel particularly fast if you are driving it normally. But if you drive it with some gusto and let it get into the higher revs before upshifting then it really comes alive! I love the 456 too. That's another car that I think looks better in person than in the pics. If I had a couple million to spend right now I would literally buy every single manual Ferrari that you can still get for under $400K. A manual 456 would be a must as there aren't that many of them and it will be impossible to buy one for a good price in the future. It would be a great DD since the small back seats can come in handy at times just like they do in my Carrera. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you! If you like the 456 GTA then you might like the F1 612 HGTC too. They keep getting cheaper, for now. I think soon people will figure out how nice the 612 is and what a good bargain it is and prices might rise. The FF is awesome too but a very different car. People who want a modern V12 2+2 but don't want the shooting brake style would prefer the 612.