Did your Ferrari make you a better person?

Dear all,

as some of you may have already read on other threads, few weeks ago I got my Ferrari after nearly 40 years of uninterrupted childish desire.

I got it because I truly loved the brand, the car shapes and the driving sensations, and I never thought to use it as a status symbol; in fact I decided not to tell my friends, with the only exception of those who genuinely love sportscars, and to completely avoid driving it to the crowded places where one would go just to be seen.

Before the purchase I doubted that the car might risk to change me a bit for the worse, like making me somehow snobbish or haughty, while my social environment is made of nice friends who are very intelligent and do not care at all of material success or status symbols.

But after the purchase I actually realised that the Ferrari changed me for the better, and I would like to tell you how.

First of all, the positive conclusion of the search cancelled what I'd call a sort of "chronic mini-anxiety" due to the fact that, until you really get your Ferrari, you can't know if someday you will have one, and you keep asking yourself how you will feel in case you will never make your most childish dream real. Certainly there are tons of more important things in life that dwarf any Ferrari ownership, like health, family, friends, being a good person, being helpful to the others and so on, but a child dream can really get stuck to the identity you perceive of yourself in an inexplicable way.
And the effect of the disappearance of this "chronic mini-anxiety" is that, immediately after the purchase, I got in a general state of lightness and relaxation, like a mini nirvana .

Second, after nearly 10 years and hundreds or thousands of evening hours wasted on the classifieds (how many billions of human hours were wasted by all the Ferrari dreamers of this world?), I finally freed lots of time that I use to read more and to tidy up our home - but it seems that wify noticed only the reading part so far!

Third, I realised that I started to care a lot less of all the other objects, with very few exceptions, and that I am embracing a more minimalistic lifestyle. It is as if the Ferrari filled a sort of void that before was compensated by one more t-shirt, one more swater, that 17 years old pair of shoes connected to that memory, that rusty bycicle of my teens, those hundreds of obsolete CDs, and so on. Suddenly a lot of stuff became totally irrelevant, and I already started to prune the wardrobe (I am even pondering what is the minimum necessary amount of socks or tennis shirts...) and to trash or sell lots of unused things with the goal to become as tidy and as light as possible, determined to keep only worthwhile objects.

In one word, I would have never expected that my Ferrari could be such a great investment to improve my personality and attitude too!

And what about you? Am I the only one this crazy out here or are there other psycho ferraristi like me?

Enjoy your day. All the best,
Nic




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Loved your post. My situation is similar to yours, except I still have lots of stuff to get rid of. Psycho Ferraristi of the world unite!

 

It’s funny - I never really correlated some of the same behaviors I’ve developed over the past few years with my Ferrari purchase, but your thread caused me to reassess… I think I’ve experienced something very similar! Thanks for sharing your perspective and experience! And, congratulations!


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Nah. I'm still the same ol' jerk I've always been

 

God I hope not. Hope I started from a good place and my cars are just desert

 

I definitely drive super friendly in my Ferrari. Ironically I never drive it when I'm in a hurry. So yes, it probably does make me a better person because I really don't want to put it in a position to get damaged.

 

No, it's been vandalized repeatedly by haters, and I will hunt them down, and kill them all.

I was not a killer, before.....

 

It’s a drug that’s made me fall deeper and deeper into addiction….waste tremendous hours on Fchat and Autotrader, blow all my savings on Fcars, ignore my children and work for the purpose of owning more Ferraris.


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Im a naturally talented driver, ever since I first got behind the wheel of a car and on a motorcycle , so my 328 made me a better driver, not a better person, Im lucky and blessed than I have not had my license grabbed for good, it made me a worse person in that respect. Now that I am 57 , I dont drive the 328 like I used to, I take very little risk, and I found out I can still get ear to ear smiles every time I get in the car , I have nothing left to prove to myself. I cannot say the same thing when I ride my motorcycles, my eye to hand coordination , and my timing is impeccable, and second to none, my eyesight is as good as any 25 year old fighter pilot. I like to test my skills almost every time I ride, I can wheelie my monsters through 5th gear using the clutch to switch gears while the front wheel points to the sky. My 328 is a pure driving machine, and for many years I drove it just like it was meant to be driven. Remember when Clint Eastwood said, " But Ive always been lucky when it comes to killin folks " ( Unforgiven ) The same goes for me behind the wheel lol . PS. Good thread by the way !

Thank you

 

The best part: A boy, maybe with his dad, come over to look at the car. They are afraid to get within 3 feet of it. I let the kid sit in it. Both go home with an amazing memory.

The worst part: Mustangs and Hondas and BMWs hassling you as you drive along.

Am I a better person? No. I just had a new way to express my feelings.

 

I have a jar of Gray Poupon in the fridge right now......and I'm planning on Crepes in the morning.

 

Since most people around me can tell that I am driving something very expensive,I am extra courteous to other drivers when in the Ferrari.

 

It changed me in that I became almost infatuated with the brand. In recent years that has ebbed a little. I don't think it has changed me as such.

 

This is me.^^^ sharing with others,best feeling for all concerned.....and If possible (after qualifying the driver),taking them for a burst then surprising them with a short drive......I usually have a spatula in the car for the dropped jaw

 

OP you pose an interesting question. My son daily drives a 2019 Portofino and I myself, I just added a 2021 812 GTS. We just had a similar conversation a couple days ago, but on the opposing end of the spectrum - “ do our cars bring out the worst in people”?
We both definitely are very happy with our cars and generally feel like, yes, they do make us better people. How can you not be a good person when driving a Ferrari? It’s utopia and everyone is a good person in utopia right? NOT!
It ceases to amaze us with the number of f@&&!: bombs, middle fingers, curse words, etc that we get while just going down the road with big smiles on our faces minding our own business.
Makes me realize, yes, I am a better person because I would never give that kind abuse to anyone else like that. I feel sorry for them I suppose. Must really suck to be so angry.
What I haven’t figured out is, I can take out the AMG GTR, and you would think I was a Hollywood icon. People just can’t go by without compliments and taking photos, or iPhone video down the highway, but not the fcars.
Granted, the Merc is a great looking car, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the beauty of the 812 GTS.
Something about our cars makes us better people, but brings out the absolute worst in others.

 

Curious about your demographics… you’re in Arkansas? Bummer people have such a negative reaction.


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Oh im just lovely ask my wife! LOL hahaha, she is still mad at me for getting one!

I actually find that first times driving it, i had to sit in a quiet dark room after and just rest, it was very tiring experience when going for longer drives!

 

I’m definitely a more courteous driver in my 458 than in my Mini! Generally I find people’s reactions to the car are positive. There’s always the occasional nutter who thinks it’s their life’s goal to pass you. I let them go with a smile in the full knowledge I could leave them for dust if I cared to but they’re simply not worth the extra gas.

 

Big thank you!

 

Vandalized??? Really?
Must be a joke...

 

Thank you! I appreciate when I go a bit wild and some of you like the ideas

 

Well, actually before getting seriusly into the purchase process I also felt sort of a bit afraid to get too close to a F car if the owner was nearby. It's as if F owners had an alien halo to my eyes, like coming from a different planet, while now that I am one I understand that in general we are quite friendly people, even conscious to be overblessed.

Second thing, I am a bit shocked to read that you the BMWs are among the key jerks in your area too (where are you from?). Here in Italy it's the same, and many BMW drivers are true idiots. Not all of them, of course, but it looks like that BMW is the ****'s preferred brand. Is this worldwide? We might open a thread on this, lol.

 

Ehi, thank you for this long reply. This is not the first time I read about bad or angry reactions to F cars and drivers (I remember someone writing he preferred a GTB over a GTS to have a better protection against milkshakes thrown at him!) and I am always shocked. I imagine it must be in some miserable areas of a town, like a poor suburb, or can it be anywhere? Here in Italy I never heard of such reactions. On the contrary I might tell you the story of when, at my very first gas station with the 208 GTB, an alcoholic came along babbling and screaming silly things like "I own the Ferrari Missile! You understand? I own the Ferrari Missile!" He was getting closer and closer, a bit out of control and annoying. I asked to stay calm, that I just got the car, and in the end he kissed two of his two dirty fingers and with them touched my front badge! I was a bit disgusted, but finally he went away with his mantra "I own the Ferrari Missile!"
I mean, over here even drunken people respet Ferraris, at least!

 

You can tell your wife that I am with you! Lol
I explained to mine that my brain was tweaked forever, and that I felt I did not have a choice - or go to a psycho, spend the same money and do not solve anything.

 

And just remember…. You can live in a car but you cant drive a house!
Thats what I told her hahaha

My other wisdom for the day: if it flies, floats, f#%ks, or has wheels it will cost you $