RayJohns and Mahwon, Both of you guys must be in the delivery business working out of your garage! I have had my 430 for about 5 months and I put on perhaps ~2500 miles. And that is with me trying to drive it as often as I like, perhaps 2 to 3 times per week. But I must say, I do not enjoy driving the Ferrari in traffic because it gets frustrating to not be able to really drive the car. As a general rule, I do not enjoy using the Ferrari as a transportation car. Almost all of my miles are pleasure canyon drives since I am fortunate to live close to lots of nice twisty roads.
The nature of the beast is driving. It wants to go places. It doesn't want low mileage, you do - so not to hurt resale value. If something breaks, fix it. I know that is easier said than done, but you have to remember that you are driving a car that most cannot afford. You can probably find some extra cash to feed your pleasure. Those who do not drive them are posers, as Sam said. They want the image and the prestige, but they have no real interest in experiencing the magic of Ferrari. Don't go 100mph+ in school zones, but have some fun (if you don't plan to go to the track). Hell, I like my car. It's no Ferrari, but it runs like one. If it breaks down, I'll fix it with my bare hands. Why can't this be the same with Ferrari's?
I would think that it is an extreme over generalization to say that anyone with low milage Ferrari is a poser, whatever that means. I am sure there are lots of Ferrari owners who either don't have enough time, or because of personal preferences on when and where he/she wants to enjoy driving the car, simply does not put a lot of miles on the car. A lot of people who can truely afford the car will not really care about milage related depreciation. Cars, as a general rule, are bad investments anyway. I don't know which car you have but what would you think if someone starts accusing you of being a poser simply because they think that you are not putting what they think is enough milage on YOUR car?
It's a generalization, but true in most cases. I know that daily driving an exotic is silly and for the most part not practical, but you know what type of low mileage I mean. If they don't have time, why buy a Ferrari? By a Mercedes that you can use. And I agree, cars are bad investments. If someone accused me of not putting enough mileage on my 951, that's their opinion. I daily drive it, and I enjoy it all that I can. It isn't practical, but that's a sacrifice.
Having two cars tends to keep my miles reasonable. While I had the Murcie and Diablo it was usually a 50-50 split. Whith the arrival of the F430, the 430 is getting 75%-80% of my drive time. I drive mine as much as I can...5000 miles between the two cars and that is enough due to our winters. Just enough to keep it special and not boring.
I understand what you are saying. But I still think you do not necessarily have to put a certain number of miles to enjoy a particular car. I am sure you will agree that there are many ways a car can be enjoyed. A person may enjoy driving it, looking at it, or simply having one in his garage knowing that it is accessible anytime that he/she wants to drive it. I really think it is none of anyone's business to be critical of how a Ferrari "should" be driven. Even though I am a great fan of Ferrari, after all, it is just a car. An exceptional car, yes, but ultimately just an item that anyone wishing to spend enough money can easily acquire.
True in most cases? True by what standard? Maybe in your world. Some people will buy a Ferrari because, maybe they WANT TO. I'm sorry if that's not a good enough reason for you. And have you ever thought that maybe the person with the Ferrari may ALSO have a Mercedes. By the way, in general, cars are not investments, good or bad. Sacrifice? Some people don't need to sacrifice comfort in their daily/utility driving to be able to afford an exotic for their personal driving pleasure. Don't hate ... Appreciate G
I drive mine everyday 20,000 per year, I dont have another car to use and enjoy the car every day... they do always seem to need something or other repaired or adjusted though... I am careful when parking it but it goes everywhere with me What the hell you only live once!!
What the heck does that even mean? If you do not drive a Ferrari at all yet you own one, you are a poser. I have no Ferrari in my world. If they want to waste a perfectly good car, so be it. That isn't a perfectly good reason to buy an exceptionally built race car for the road, no matter how you look at it. The guy with the Ferrari may have a Mercedes too - but if he drives them both the same way, it's back to my original argument. I don't think, in this sentence, that you know what you are replying to. I don't own an exotic, but I drive a capable sports car that I drive everywhere. I sacrificed comfort for speed. It would have brought pleasure with the extra couple hundred pounds that I dropped, but I didn't want it. As far as how a Ferrari should be driven goes: it should be driven. Garage queeners can take a hike, and that's all I'm saying. Those aren't car enthusiasts. That's like being a fan of football, but never even thinking of playing it.
To each their own. Drive or no drive. Everyone has their own way of enjoying ownership. In my opinion, neither is better. Do what makes you happy and don't look back.
I just picked up my first. 02 360 FI spider with 4200 miles. The dealer thought that was high. I put 11,000 on my 911 C4S cab in 2.5 years, and I live in hell (boston) for good weather driving. I intend on driving. Reality however dictates you can't drive these cars like you can a porsche. I'm still getting used to the paranoia of letting it sit without me in it somewhere. I never even thought about leaving the porsche somewhere, and that was an eye catcher. I also didn't freak when I hit a crappy road in the porsche, but I find myself planning a way out of the way route to get myself to the office so i don't hit any unecessary bumps. I'm hoping this is a faze. Of course these things are so freakin sexy that it's ok just to let them sit and get looked at too. Maybe that's why they sit still....
When I purchased my Ferrari and it is my first Ferrari I planned and will drive my car a few times a week. I agree with most people why own it if you don't take the time to enjoy it. I have put 1700 miles in 6 weeks with the car being in the shop for upgrades two of them. I figure about 6k a year on the light side with 10k on the heavy side will be my milage. I am sure that Ferrari designed their cars to put more than 5k in 5 years. I put more miles on my bicycle than some owners put on their Ferrari ...
I have a red Ducati 998 monoposto sitting in my office. After 3 years of ownership, it has 1200 miles on it. I haven't ridden it 40 miles in the last year. I look at it lovingly when the light strikes it just right. To me, its a rather affordable piece of Italian art. Does that make me a poser?
It seems silly to me for someone to post "Drive them already...". Some may have many cars. A neighbor has an Enzo, a 360 spider, a 355 spider, a 456, and a few other non-f cars. He also travels a lot, but when he is town he enjoys his toys. I bet he does not put over 2000 miles on each car in a year.
Yes, the miles are a slight financial concern. The real problem is the leaving it unattended. There is a huge percentage of the population that are jealous and hate the fact that YOU have something beautiful and they can't see the reason why you should spend soooo much money on justa car. For them, the temptation to deface your pride and joy is irresitable. I had lunch with a fellow racer in Watkins Glen yesterday and was very dismayed to learn that someone had smashed a kiwi fruit on the hood of his new Porsche carerra GT. It actually did no permanent damage to the car, but I know it did a lot of damage to the owner. Whenever I have left my Ferrari at a restaurant out of view,I can't enjoy the meal. I am constantly worrying about the car and remembering when my first Ferrari, a 1985 308gts was plowed into by a Range rover while I celebrated my mom's birthday. The culprit fessed up and wrote me a check for the damages to my amazement. People are so carless and clueless as to anyone but themselves. I came out of a store one occaision to find a todler climbing on to my 355 by hoisting himslelf up by the side mirror while the father stood by watching! With my 360, I cover it when parked and don't let it out of my sight. This means, unfortunately, I will not drive it as often as I would like. If I did, it would most certainly get trashed and I don't think I would be able to deal with that. The cover prevent people pawing all over it and stopping to take their picture with it. With my first Ferrari, I found this behavior flatterin, now I find it really annoying, worry inducing and the worst part of Ferrari ownership.
I am with you on that one. Racking up the miles does not conern me, but I just don't feel comfortable leaving an exotic out of my sight. However, I once saw a red F430 coupe parked at the grocery store parking lot near the entrance with cars on both sides. I didn't get a chance to see the driver but s/he is very brave of not worrying about door dings or scratches.
It's very simple. You buy a car, it's yours. You drive it as much or as little as you please. As far as anybody else's opinion, who gives a s_ _t.
Totally agree with the 'drive them' mentality. I don't live where my car does, but whenever I am in the UK the car goes everywhere I do. When I'm not there, it is stored and looked after at a professional storage location, who valet the car, alter tyre pressures, keep the car in de-humidified storage and start the car each week. When I am away, I really do miss the thing. I feel a trip coming on very soon !
Scenes from Crystal Cove, Newport Beach, CA Saturday morning car gathering. I think this is a 275GTB, and it is definitely a "driver". Note scraped paint on the nose above the grille. In a bow to modern technology, the two guys chatting in the cockpit are discussing the GPS. I think one is a short nose and one is a long nose 275GTB. Someone jump in and correct if I'm wrong. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you for posting this, because I think it highlights a lot of the thoughts that many owners have about their cars. My suggestion: I think you'd enjoy your car more if you worried about it less....just relax! It's a car. If someone damages it, then get it fixed. Accidents like the one you experienced with your 308 suck, but thankfully they're rare. I don't think your car would "most certainly get trashed" if you drove it more -- I think it would get worn, yes, but trashed? I just think there'd be more enjoyment in the world if there was less anxiety about little things. I own 13 exotic cars and put them in the hands of strangers every single day. Sometimes they come back mint, sometimes they come back a few pieces short. When the latter happens, we put 'em back together and do it again the next day. One thing it's taught me is that these wonderful machines are just pieces of metal, and everything can be painted, polished, washed, hammered, and sewn out nlh
I agree Noahlh, and I note the strange reality in our culture where the majority of expensive car owners will not allow their vehicle to be left unattended for fear of even the slightest scratch, despite a mere automobile being repairable, while many in society will allow complete strangers to babysit their children for many hours each day, without even offering a second thought to the irreversible damage that may result. Some are more concerned with caring for their expensive car than ever more important, priceless family and friends, all of whom can at least recognize and appreciate the attention that is being offered to them! I agree that anyone who buys a car can agree to drive the vehicle as infrequently as he wishes, but it seems to completely defeat the intended design purpose in my opinion when a vehicle lay dormant. Buy & drive without guilt, or if art is the goal, purchase a 3D color sculpture or professional painting for your garage, which seems to be more cost effective, and fits the goal of beauty without function.
