build quality and reliability?

I understand your point of View ... I have owned maybe a dozen or so Ferraris and still have 5 .. the biggest common real problem for me has been LEAVE IT ON THE BATTERY TENDER... no kidding even if you drive it everyday most of my problems have been solved by charging the battery.... crazy... they are finicky and driving them is what they are meant for... all of that being said your R8 should be a great car but the worst modern experience I have had with any car was with an RS7 I finally had it towed to the Mercedes dealer to trade it in on my E63S .... so high performance cars can break

 

Hi, Just get the Ferrari you will not regret it. I thought about it a lot before I bought my F430 have had it for 8 years, no major issues. Just maintain the car and you will be fine. Enjoy it! Good thing is if you don't like the car you can sell it and probably get your money back.

 

If you get a 488 GTB just pin the exhaust valves open

 

If you dont wana do that, then drive on Race Mode all the time .

 

I think you have some problems. To begin with, you need to sort out whether you want to have a mid-engine 488 or a front engine F12. If you can't make that decision on your own first, then you have no business getting any Ferrari because you will always second guess your decision. With that, don't buy any of them til you figure out what you really want. I can tell you this about my 2015 Speciale Aperta, it is everything I wanted and I knew that going in. Furthermore, it has been completely flawless as is perfect in every way. Not only that the price appreciation along with it has been nothing short of spectacular. But of course I have expected certain "things" to come up with any car I might have and budget in a certain amount each year to cover unexpected items because, after all, it is mechanical and anything can happen. Lastly, give up on the idea of "finding" one located in your backyard, search for the specification you want and not make a compromise with a spec that you really don't want simply because it may be close to where you live. Its all about the hunt.

 

So I’m curious about the German car thing. Yes, they have crushed every endurance series and the engines seem to hold up. Check that box. But I’ve owned 3 BMWs and currently have a Macan. I cannot with a straight face say any of those cars were more reliable than even my 3 Range Rovers. Of the 7 cars listed here, the RR are most comfortable and trouble free for me. I know that statement is an outlier but all of my German built cars have spent more time in service shop than any of my other vehicles, including my Ferrari 458.

So, I sorta miss the point on the “German Engineering” thing. While I don’t drive an American car, I have family members who do. They aren’t plush, and maybe fit and finish reflect UAW craftsmanship (personal negative bias) but there is nothing in their lasting power or basic engineering that seems lacking.


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Knock on wood, the fit and finish on our Ford F-450 had been outstanding in the 18 months we've owned it. Its HMI blows away all the other cars we have. It's the right combination of helpful without being too distracting.

The German cars have been generally good. The 911 blew a fuel pump, but that was a known problem and covered under warranty. Only one small radio button is sticky after 11 years in the Texas heat. The Pepper had an issue with the transfer case. Known issue. PITA that it blew about a half year after warranty expired.

Cali has been solid once we replaced the battery and tender. Sticky issues will need to be attended to one of these days, however.

T

 

The most unreliable car I have ever owned was a Ferrari F12. The most reliable car I have ever owned was a Ferrari 458 Spider.
YMMV.

 

My most unreliable, overall, was a Triumph TR6. But...I never got stranded. Thankfully, it always broke in a good spot!

 

Perhaps coincidence, but several weeks back at Watkins Glen International, a guy in an F12 stopped dead in front of me (I was driving the 458 spider). Couldn’t get it going. Bottom line, it was some electrical glitch that none of the techs at the track could figure out (and there were many).

Most people don’t realize the time, effort, $$$ it takes to even get a car ready for the track - especially one as remote as WGI. Ever seen a grown man cry? I did that day.

I ran all 23 sessions in 4 days of pretty intense driving, so your experience would appear to be in line with mine.

 

What do ya get in that F-450 monster, 12 MPG? on a good day. Large tank too, I bet! But who cares right

 

BMW fixed a lot of issues with Range Rovers when they owned them… I’m just saying.

 

A Land Rover Discovery. It broke down with less than 2,000 miles on the clock. They replaced the valvetrain under warrantee. It could climb any obstacle though, monster of an off-roader! Miraculously, it never broke down after that. It even towed a tractor!

Mine was a BMW owned Landie... same ****.

 

I love ferraris but people here are making the negative points of them to actually be a positive aspect of their character when imo their character is their looks, engine, styling, how they drive, the drama etc as well as their history

there's nothing fun about dead batteries, sticky buttons, electrical issues and paint problems etc

i'll still continue to buy older ferraris in the future just because the pros far outweigh the cons, i'm fully understanding of OP's concerns and expectations for a 400k car purchase though

as mentioned, buying a decent aftermarket battery from the outset is worth it!

 

LOL. Great, they shouldn’t have got distracted and paid more attention to their core business [emoji6]


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13 mpg, when not towing. 45 gallon tank. It's a blast to drive though!
T

 

This is an odd thread full of gatekeeping for a man who seems to want to be told “no”.

Gates open dude, come on in.

 

Sadly I disagree with the Ferrari sales rep. A 488 feels completely different to a manual V10 R8. I’m sure you agree. I love R8s but they are almost GT like mid engine cars. A 488 is a full blown exotic sports car. I’d love to have a manual R8 and 488 in the stable. Love manual R8s, enjoy the hunt!

 

Yeah, I should probably start saying "buy a Japanese car" instead. Modern BMW's and *cough* Range Rovers are terrible - german or not.

My daily driver is a '90 Toyota pickup for a reason

Ray

 

Hated my 2 Lexus. Wife liked them. Cost more to own than the Range. Sorry Ray, I’ve just had really good experience with RR and probably won’t own another German made car. Of course, that’s just me.


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RR has been shockingly good. All my BMW’s had issues. Ferraris post 430 and 599 have been very good.

 

Which Lexus models did you own?

These days, for me, it's older Toyotas and older Ferrari and that's about it. I'm actually thinking about getting a wrecked 360 Modena to rebuild

Ray

 

RX350. Both of them. Had a Camry years ago. That one was bullet proof.


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I used to fool around a woman who owned a RX350 and she was always saying, "This car is too expensive to maintain if you don't have a rich husband" lol

Ray

 

She’s right. That or trade before warranty is out.


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