Buying a Ferrari during a pandemic - am i crazy?

I”m new to this forum so forgive me if I’m covering old ground. I’ve owned several exotics in my lifetime - Porsches, Maserati, Aston Martin but never a Ferrari, Maybe it’s the boredom of isolation, or just time but I decided to buy a Ferrari. I did my research, which generally included finding what I liked aesthetically and hoping it was reasonably reliable. I settled on an F430. It’s a beautiful and by all accounts it could be a daily driver - well at least on sunny days! I’ve been following the market for a few months now and feel comfortable with what I’m looking for but struggle with putting down the cash based only on pictures. While slightly more expensive, I’ve decided to at least puchase from a Ferrari dealer. Somehow that still seems wrong. Am I crazy?

 

I don' understand what seems wrong or crazy here.

-Did you do a PPI and does it check out well?
-Do you like the car?

If you answered yes to both questions above, go for it. Nothing else to debate (with us, or yourself)

 

Ok, you've never owned an exotic (unless the Porsche was a CGT)....LOL

As long as you feel comfortable with your employment, why not? While my job was fine at the start of COVID (I bought a car last year), I'm now spiraling towards unemployment as are many co-workers (alot of clients canceling projects). So I might have made a different decision.

As the poster above said, perform due diligence.

 

I love the F430 but I do not believe it would make a good daily driver. The single clutch is not great in traffic and it burns the clutch to go in reverse on the slightest incline. And the clutch wears easily. Not that it can't be done (just that its usually not done). Great car though. Hard to beat the exhaust note. and love how you can see the engine from the rear view.

 

Well if the number of new used car plates I see every day on our local streets and highways is any indication, there are a lot of people buying cars of all types these days. Sports cars and supercars are, I'm sure no exception.

 

Peter,

there’s nothing crazy about buying a Ferrari, or a 430 specifically. I have a couple of 430s and they are magnificent cars. I wouldn’t commute in them for reasons outlined above, but for fun, they are fantastic, great value, modern but analogue, and very “Ferrari”.. Mine are gated, though, and the F1 could be a pain in city driving.

if you trust the Ferrari dealer you could buy sight unseen. The used Ferrari market in the UK is pretty strong so a lot of people are doing it. But I would personally always try to see a car as well as have a PPI (unless it’s dealer warranted).

every day you hesitate is a day when you could have been driving a Ferrari!

 

I don’t know about that. My 430 makes a great daily driver. Of course, where I live there is very little stop and go traffic, and the nearest thing we have to a hill is a highway on ramp, but I find it a very usable daily.

 

Wouldn't count a 959?

 

The F430 is one of my favorite cars but I wouldn't call it "a daily driver". The California or Portofino are closer to that.

As to a dealer vs private party --- I would trust someone here who had one just as much. I would trust someone on an auction site the least.

No, you are not crazy but you should have any car checked out. If purchased by a dealer most likely you can't get a second opinion but you should be able to discuss the car with their service department. The people in the F430 section can give you a lot of tips to look for. Little things like check to see that the flashlight is still in the glovebox.

Good luck on your search.

 

Thanks for the encouraging comments. Just needed that extra little push. Deposit made!! Whoohoo

 

I understand your feelings, I just bought my 612 Scaglietti last week...

 

Nothing to feel guilty about. At the start of the lockdown I decided I wasn’t going to drive the 458 until things in the world improved and after 2 months I realized how dopey that was. Not only did I miss out on tons of empty roads, but I sat in the house for absolutely no reason. Get the car, drive the car and enjoy the car because next year at this point things will be back to normal and you’ll kick yourself for the opportunity you lost.

 

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I was also about to suggest the California or FF as a daily driver more than a 430. But that seems to be a great car and doable if traffic and road conditions are inclined to it.

 

Life is short and you don't know what tomorrow brings. If it doesn't cause you financial stress, what are you waiting for?

Go for it!

 

I just bought my first Ferrari three weeks ago, go for it. If you want a more practical reason, many believe inflation will skyrocket in the future, buy now before that happens.

 

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Hey congrats! Welcome to the club.

 

Three posts and each one a unique and varied glimpse into....well I'm not sure what it's a glimpse into. Most likely a pretty disturbed mind or at least a really poor sense of humor. Carry on!! You are entertaining if nothing else.

 

There’s never a bad time to buy a Ferrari my friend. Enjoy.

 

Thank you!!

 

Bought my 00' Red Gated Manual 360 Coupe sub 20k miles during the pandemic and sold it also during the pandemic at a profit after using it for 2500 miles.
Now I have a 99 F1 Silver 360 Coupe sub 30k miles and I hope to put more miles on it than the last, and hopefully break even.

 

There is nothing, I repeat nothing, which can beat social distancing in a Ferrari.
One of my friends, an Orthopaedic surgeon in Manhattan ridiculed several of us who live outside the city during the pandemic, alone, isolated and getting to sit in our Ferraris in the garage. Well I took a group zoom call one day while sitting in my 812SF and as we signed off I let him know I was off to social distance in my Ferrari. The laughs from the group were never ending.
Meanwhile he got to freeze outside at a sidewalk restaurant [emoji846]


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

I *heart* this trolling comment for a few reasons.
1) I'm actually driving around with my middle finger in the air if you see it when not shifting
2) It's my reward for not being a bartender and studying in school. Yeah you got the girls.. but they're hitting on the guy with the job now
3) People are where they are in life because of the decisions that they make. If they don't like where they are or who they're with, they need to make better decisions.
4) Dying? Yup. Worked to save them. Put own health on the line. How about you? I can't drive in a nice car as a reward?

 

Hey, wait. I was a bartender while in college, and didn't study. I still got the Ferrari and retired at 47!