Would you drive a Ferrari if it.......

Why does being different or uncommon make it the best? I could be wrong, but I thought there are plenty of objective reasons why Ferraris are the "best" or better. Guess not.



Like I said...you can be different in a lot of things.

 

Not what I said. If you find that something rare makes it the best, or something common makes it less so, than yes that is snobbery. If you find something is the best for what it is, than that makes you a connoisseur, and there is a big difference. One is the person who goes to the art show to enjoy great works, the other is someone who goes to be seen looking at art. There are lots of things about many Ferrari models that make them less than the best when judged objectively, a few where rarity is the only thing that makes them different than others when you look at them objectively, but they were designed, made and put together by craftsmen rather than by robots or low skilled assembly line workers(although now a little of both exist in the F-cars). Many of the early V-8 cars could be blown away by their Detroit contemporaries, and stood no chance against their Stuttgart competition, but they had a spirit that could be traced back to something a little more special if not as old.

I would say every vehical brand out there has their own style, and are a bit different from the others(except for maybe the Chrysler PT Cruiser and Chevy Clone). So saying that Ferrari's in themselves are different is not really what makes them special. And neither is rarity, as there are many lesser cars out there that are thankfully more rare. A Ferrari is what it is because of what was built, but also because of what came before it.

I do find it facinating that you will change the wheels on relatively rare vehicle to make them a bit unique, but the truck which is far from rare you stay away from making a little different from the herd.

 

Well if it was built like a piece of junk like for decades like the american cars were, then no, I wouldn't want to drive it everyday. But they aren't so that's why I like them. Plus they fit me like a glove. While growing up an american car with 100k miles on it was a bomb ready to go off. Either the transmission, or engine were waiting to go. Plus they also depreciated like rocks being thrown off a building. Sorry, not interested. They also handled like complete garbage. My father is a Buick, Cadillac, Oldsmobile guy, and so I could care less to drive one of those ever again. To me their unsafe. It's like putting 4 wheels on a couch and attaching wodden blocks to your feet in order to stop. Yes, american cars have gotten much better, but the depreciation on new cars is what deters me, especially american cars, plus the dealerships are absolutely horrible from what I've experienced. The salesmen no nothing about the products they sell, and they act like asses. If Ferrari parts were as cheap as american car parts, then I would drive it everyday.
Just my opinion.

Jim

 

Then it'd be a Honda.

F's aren't so much about what it is(a car) but what it represents.(status, history, elitism, art, dream, etc.)

 

I donno cause then Id have to sell my fiero .

Ferrari is a Ferrari! not a Pontiac Fiero. It shouldn't be drivin on anyweek day in my opinion except friday or holiday, special ocausion otherwise its a weekend warrior.

 

I mean brand spankin' new off the lot.

 

My up and coming generation only knows about the status and elitism, and dream to an extent. I think its kind of sad that nobody knows about the history anymore, even i don't know that much about the history and I know why too, its just not as interesting when you didn't live in or around that time. I think its pretty boring unless you start going into details of the history of racing.

All of my friends think Ferraris are just really fast and really expensive red cars with a horse on the back, and that you get one when you've "made it".

 

"And if you take cranberries and stew them like applesauce they taste
much more like prunes than rhubarb does." - Groucho

My new least favorite thread: 0% Ferrari substance, 100% poseur friendly.

 

Being in the car business i have the opportunity to drive just about anything. There are alot of cars out there that are ok, but they are just that, ok. BMWs Benz Lexus Corvettes Vipers and any others that i may be missing, they are all just ok both in styling and in performance. Ferrari however is a style that is its own, and the performance is great, not to mention that famous exhaust note. I am all about driving neat cars but there are very few that impress and that i would call great. The Ferrari is one of those that i can still get excited when i get to drive one. So the answer to your question is yes i would still drive a Ferrari. For me it is about performance and style and even if everone had one they still kick a** in both of those regards.

 

FWIW, the 599 is light years ahead of any other Ferrari in terms of its usability on a daily basis.
It doesn't fuss in traffic, it has a real trunk and the interior is easy to access and comfortable to sit in all day. The engine has enough torque to rattle around all day at 30MPH if it needs to and it has the most flexible transmission you could wish for in a car you want to drive every day. The only crappy element supplied by Ferrari is the stereo and a great stereo is essential in a daily driver, so out went the Factory POS, replaced by a nice Clarion unit with iPod and Sat Radio, making the car perfect for everyday use.
The only downside was the fact that the tires had to be replaced at 6,000 miles.

 

Not too many $60K 355's are available and if you find one it will most likely need a $10K major.

 

I COMPLETELY disagree with this thinking...

Ferrari (at least today's Ferraris) Are SO MUCH about what they are.... they are AMAZINGLY opposite of a car. They make all other cars seems unsafe, unreliable, poorly built, etc.... They are so much car, it's just silly. From the quality of the build mechanically as well as trim and interior etc.

I own and drive Ferrari because of how much car it is, and NOTHING to do with its history or whatever.

 

It is very interesting that the driveability comments you make are almost an exact repeat of auto writer Ken Purdy's words on the 250GT way back in 1962. He also compared the car to a Cadillac in driveability so long as you did not venture up into the outer RPM ranges; also admitted that it was only about half a second faster to 60 than a Corvette and that for most enthusiasts this kind of sophistication and marginal performance advantage were probably not worth the money.

That being 45 years ago, I would say Ferrari has done well to hold onto their special place in the market.

 

The way I'd look at this issue is thusly:
If I were stranded on a desert island all by myself, and this magical little island happened to have a road encircling it not unlike the targa florio, and I happened upon a Ferrari F430 sitting in a cave next to a Honda minivan and a giant tank of high-octane gas.......what would I do?
I tell ya exactly what I would do, (and every enthusiast on FChat would do)....I'd drive the piss out of the Ferrari around those roads until all the gas on the island was gone, then I'd use the Honda to sleep in, awaiting my rescue. (It would also be awesome if Ginger were in the Honda, or maybe Maryann...still haven't sorted out that titanic philosophical conundrum yet either!).

 

BAN HIM! OFF WITH HIS HEAD! FORM A LYNCH MOB!

 

You just summed what I've seen in my limited Ferrari owner's life. Some of us buy them because we like a certain model and don't care what others think. The rest buy because of the badge and/or price. (Hence the reason you see REALLY low mileage Ferraris) Can't just keep up with the Jones, we have to outspend them too! Since I am a "gear head", I bought mine because I love the way it looks, the way it sounds, and the way it drives. The badge part is only a really good bonus. So yes, I'd still drive it.

 

Now THAT would be a rare car to have around! Talked about limited availability nowadays.

 

Well, I see Amphicars going for more money than a Testarossa these days so you may have something there.

But obviously Ferrari merits its value today for more than rarity or obscurity; they were always at the top of the performance sports spectrum.

Not everybody would put up with one (particularly not one over 20 years old) to drive at all; but for some of us it the highlight of our car collection to actually drive, not just to look at. As the guy Alain de Cadenet said during a test drive of one of the Barchettas - "this is the vintage Ferrari driving experience - STIFF steering, HARD powerful brakes, and an absolutely solid unbreakable gearbox".

I think about this every time I take out the Testarossa - (well, all of it except the unbreakable gearbox that is_)