Motorists Reactions

when i see a nice car, i shut my music off and open the window. i just listen to that engine! sometimes owners notice this and rev a little. that just makes my day...

when i'm driving around in my '79 monza hatchback (a rare sight in belgium) people sometimes ask me what it is. when i say a chevy, they're slightly disappointed! i understand...

 

LOL...OK, THAT has to be one of the funniest things I have ever read!!!

 

The thing that always brings a smile to my face is when some kid, usually under 10, points and stares...you can sometimes see them mouthing the word "Ferrari".

I think back to when I was 10 and the world was a lot simpler. There were only 2 sorts of cars...Ferrari and all the rest.

 

The 550 did not get much attention I had people mistake the car for a mustang or a corvette many times but the Lambo is a different story. I never knew so many people carry camera phones, it is just ridiculous and here i thought black would subdue the effect of the car a little.

 

Are you crazy?

 

Still true today!

 

Wow! reading all these makes me happy
i can't wait to be a ferrari owner

actually the first and only 360 i've seen was at a BMW dealership, it was the dealer's owner's. My friend and I were checking out a Z8 in the dealership and then the 360 pulled up!! i almost had a heart attack ... i didn't talk to him but when i was looking at his car up close i saw him talking to a guy who was buying a Z4 and he looked at me and waved. that was awesome. then i felt bad because i just wanted to pop open the door and look more closely at the interior ... but as soon as i opened the door a crack the window started coming down! i was a little surprised and closed the door immediately but the window was still cracked open so i left hoping he wouldn't think i was intruding too much or trying to steal it or something...

in any case ... do all 360's open their windows when their doors are opened?
what exactly happened there?

 

Yes... Such is the case with 360s and 550s (maybe even earlier models, too)... When the windows are rolled up and you open the door, they automatically come down a crack... Once closed, they go back up...

 

One time, i was with a Ferrari owner and we pulled into a parking lot to go into the store... There was some kid outside, probably in close proximity to my age and he was just enthralled by the car... Said Ferrari owner was really cool about the whole thing and just smiled as i took it upon myself to let the kid sit in the driver's seat and really check out the car... Then i started it up for him so he could hear it... It felt so awesome to be able to give to someone, what's been given to me, over and over... i really enjoyed it and look forward to experiences like that being a significant part of ownership when i finally get a Ferrari...


As for being an 'onlooker', i usually go crazy, in a very subtle way... Inside, i'm going absolutely nuts... My mind is racing, my heart is pounding, i'm breathing heavy and my eyes just dart every which way, to soak in as much of the experience as possible... i try to act calm, though, so the owner doesn't freak out and bolt... i NEVER ask about price or ever bring up anything about money... If i see a Ferrari and the owner isn't around, i'll check it out... If the owner comes up to the car, i usually say "nice car" or something not very multi-syllabic or difficult to mutter...

Seeing a Ferrari on the road is so awesome... Going to and from The Breakers during Cavallino, we saw a few Ferraris on the road and they just look so awesome out there... Coming back to Georgia, i saw a yellow 360 and almost lost it...

 

that is exactly me when it comes to vipers, z8's, nsx's ...
it was 10 times worse with the 360
good thing the 360 is the only ferrari i've ever seen up close
i don't want to know what will happen when i see my first f50
and thanks for the info about the window

 

The one time in my pathetic life I drove a Ferrari was a few months ago in Atlanta. I drove Dick Barbour's red 330 GTC on the roads around Road Atlanta.


The reaction of other motorists was really surprising. Especially a fellow in an Alfa Romeo spider.


Not a single person seemed to notice the car. Not one . Not even the Alfa guy. I was totally invisible.

If I saw a 330 GTC on the road, I'd **** a brick.

 

I saw an F50 in the Philippine Island of all places. It was dropping of an actress at one of the malls. I wasn't familiar and didn't car about the actress. When the people flocked to the girl. Only a couple of us surounded the car and eye-f@cked it for a few minutes, before the driver decided to drive off. I just couldn't believe such a bad ass car was in such a poor country where it is bumper to bumper traffic 24 hours a day.

I forgot to mention, but when I saw Free's post, it reminded me. Being I live on a tropical island and all the Japanese tourists are camera obsessive. All the businesses insits I part the car by thier front door. Its great for me, I feel like VIP. Its great for the business because they get people come off the streets to check out the car and some end up going into the establishment that they probably would have walked past if it wasn't for the car.

Lastly, I have a 740il which did cost more then the 308 as everyone here knows. You would be amazed at how many people ask why did I buy a BMW when I can afford a Ferrari. I never comment about the price of a 308, but I just say that I needed something for the wife and my boy. Even though my car has been down for restoration, many people whom I don't know run into me and the first thing they ask is, "Hey, aren't you the guy that owns that Ferrari?"..............Just wait until they see it when it rolls out of the shop!!!

 

At least the 3 series will be no drama to own. My wife prefers my Carrera to my f-car. I like owning Ferraris but I prefer when driving to groove to music when I drive so the on-going waiving, thumbs-up, and questions get to me. I at times don't want any attention. The Spider makes you more vulnerable to that.

I'm a very very friendly guy and love meeting new people. But at stop lights you are hardly going to make a bond.

Give me a clear coast hiway and Neil Young singing "Ohio" or some other burn-out rock and I'm in heaven.

One last thing. I was going to Frye's Electronics, and parked my 360 at the outside edge of the lot. Dude pulls up next to me and jumps out of his car. Started asking me the typical. $$$ then even asked what do i do for a living, then asked me to take him for a ride. I said I was late for a meeting, so no. Another guy came up with his wife...guy #1 asks for a ride again. It's whacky.

 

Driving around town or where ever in the 512tr or the F40 is like being Michael Jordan for a day but better. When it's parked everything is back to normal, and I like that. It's why I work so hard.

 

When I drive my Ferrari and stop for gas, I see a lot of people looking at my car and seem interested in the car. But not many walked up to my and talk to me about my car. They just kept distance. However, when I drive my MGA and stop for gas, I would say 90% of the time, people walk toward me and asked questions about the car. That's just show how people think about Ferrari drivers....

 

Kids rubberneck for sure.
Minimum wage people love the car. No pretenses about never being able to own.
Wannabe's despise you and drive like you are invisible with a " i have 10 of those at home and just happen to be driving my BMW today"

I have never seen breasts from within my F's cockpit and generally wont light 'er up for anyone over 12 as a subliminal snooty reproach to older folk with silly requests.

Funny thing too. Is it just me ? but when stuck in traffic with the roof off and the sun up and the birds tweeting looking and feeling great, i always find myself behind a truck or next to a car with an old lady in it. Car fulls of nubile blondes escape me on days like this.

I had a cellphone pic request once at the garage last week actually. He turned down my offer to take the pic for him with him posing with the car though, so i thougt he must have been with the revenue services as he took pains to take an angle capturing the the rear plate. Sorry for him if he was, my car is paid legit and my taxes paid up to date ... or he thought i was going to run off on foot with his phone ...?

Plenty of ' please take me to the farewell ' from family and please drop me off at my "girlfriends" house from friends.

Skin.

 

I wave by-by to any that think they can pass ME.

 

Here' one
One evening as I was on the way home in the F-car a guy on a rice rocket kept trying to race me.
He would zip off then brake to end up beside me, I guess it was an ego thing for him. I just shook my head and waved my index finger as in no.
Then I noticed in my rearview mirror there was a police cruiser behind him with his overheads on. The biker was so busy looking at me trying to impress me he did'nt see the police car. After I pointed behind him he Finally he saw it and pulled over.
I thought that was rich !

 

I may have posted some of this before. I have a very nice 928GT that gets driven ~12K/yr. The 928 get some looks and more than its share of muscle car/rice rocket challenges.

I've had my 328 less than a year. I expected some head turns, but frankly never imagined the degree to which its happening. A few examples:

(1) Pull off I-5 at Lost Hills to gas up. Attendant comes running out to check out the 328. He's having an orgasm. Wants to know if it's new. What the color is called. He runs back inside and returns with a camera and starts taking a bunch of pics. Turns out he's retired and a total gearhead/muscle car fanatic. Had a great time talking with him.

(2) Still filling the tank @ Lost Hills. Shiny new black/black/chrome T-bird rolls in. Guy gets out, walks over to the right rear of the 328:
"Is this a new one?" (Didn't have plates at the time.)
"Nah, it's old...an '86."
"You're kiddin'"
"Nope. 60K miles."
About this time, his (very nice blond) wife joins him:
"That's a really pretty car!"
"Thanks!"
"If you don't mind my askin', what does something like that run?"
"Well...this year, this many miles...somewhere between $30-36k, depending."
She turns to her husband and smacks him on the arm:
"You mean we could have gotten one of these instead?!?!?"
THAT was PRICELESS!!!

(3) Get lots of flyarounds (behind, along side, in front, back along side). Four guys in a new Nissan Xterra do a flyaround. The two guys on the passenger side roll down their windows and give "thumbs up".

(4) Two chicks in a newer Z28 flyaround, then follow me off the freeway. I pull into (another) gas station. They get out and come over to check out the car. "That's really pretty. Do you mind if we look?" Not at all. Took some pics with/for them.

Most people really seem to dig the 328. It's amazing how many people look and comment or at least give positive acknowledgement(e.g., thumbs up). Of course, a few wanna race. But no negative reactions so far.

 

My black VW Golf doesnt get any attention......it sucks

However, Once i was with a friend in his red 360 F1 with Tubi though and were driving along the A40 London...when a guy in a black Toyota MR2 came flying past us...'we both thought whats the point?!'...but then he slowed down and gave us a hand gesture has to 'do the same' .....and we didnt have to be asked twice!! so my mate dropped it a gear and floored it ...with the tubi balring it was great! when we were parallel again he went past with a huge grin on his face and with both hands off the wheel was 'bowing down' at us......was a funny experience.

 

LOL What's even funnier is ... "why, yes, it does."

Having been a Mopar fan when I was young and foolish, I've noticed that Italian cars have been quietly running hemi heads all along.

I guess familiarity does breed, if not contempt, at least apathy.

My most disappointing encounter in the 328 was when I'd had it for about six months, I pulled up to a traffic light, one nice summer day, right next to a red 355 spider. It was warm, both were running sans top.

I commented, "nice car".

He ignored me.

C'est la vito.

 

BLUE328GTS, I am now convinced that Blue is the "chick magnet" color.
Wow!

 

hmm ....I think I know the feeling from my recent Viper. But like all the others non-owners described here I always slow down or find a way to get a look just to wonder at the beauty and grace of the cars from Maranello.

P.S. (no slowing for some though, including the new 430 I am sure!).

 

Here's a "magnet" pic...
Some girls from around the neighborhood on their way to a prom. They ALL wanted pics of them in the car! It was actually pretty funny.
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Oh that is just TOO funny!
Add some rims like these and then LOOK OUT ! ! ! !
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