I think I'm done with Ferrari

Morgan Aero Supersport Mr Mayor? I would need to drive it first but might be a nice fun car.
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Well this post has elicited a lot of responses.....

That's the beauty of choice...you can decide what's right for you. Personally I'm surprised the 458 doesn't keep you excited. But hey, if it doesn't, it doesn't....

Time to move on to something else...good luck with whatever that is.

 

I would absolutely love a CGT! What color and miles?
It is definitely on my future list.

 

IMO, the BRZ needs 50-100 more hp, it suffers from the same problem that the S2000 does, you had to wring its neck to have any fun.

 

I just read all this now, and went back to the original post to make sure it wasn't started April 1st. It wasn't :-(.

There are so many different cars to choose from starting at the beginning of automotive history (and you probably owned several of them), we know that the fun starts now. I do believe there is more pleasure in the pursuit of finding the next right car than having it tucked in the garage. Good luck on your search.

Hope you keep visiting this site often and providing your insights, particularly to all us troubled and doomed Ferrari owners. Cheers (If you give up your tag line can I have it!?)

 

I just saw this thread and I must admit that I'm a little disappointed to see Mayor moving away from Ferrari at the time when I am finally moving over to Ferrari. Almost makes me feel like I'm making the wrong decision!

Mayor: Do you think that you are just tired of the marque and it's time to try another one? I have found this with my cars. I owned BMWs (528, 540, M Roadster, M5) for over 15 years and one day just decided I wanted something different. Same thing happened with my Astons that I have owned for about five years. Got in my V12V one day (recently) and just didn't feel the same sense of occasion that I used to. This is what inspired me to finally make the jump to a Ferrari. Maybe it's just a matter of a change of scenery behind the wheel.

 

Bob's owned six Ferrari's. That's not anti-Ferrari. That's pushing away from the table because you're full. Enjoy your new Ferrari.

 

Mayor - probably time for a break. You will be back likely in an older car. Its hard to avoid this brand. Its expensive and sometimes painful but also very rewarding.

 

If anyone knows the inner workings on ferraris .... it's the mayor. So I agree with everything he posted. What amazes me is that Ferrari is able to "continue" to charge excessive fees for both their cars and the repairs for a product that is not entirely rock solid. In the business world .... a lackluster product soon fades away and is replaced with better products. Ferrari works hard to keep the exclusivety intact, and again, with a less than ideal product. Whose to blame? The buyers who continue to buy ferraris or ferrari corporate? If nothing changes .... why would Ferrari change it ways?

 

I see Mayor's point of view as I for the first time in almost 7 years of F-car ownership, am questioning whether to move on or not. The reasons are similar to the Mayor's but on a smaller scale... meaning I haven't had the pleasure of spec'ing my own bespoke F-car... Nonetheless, When I finally decided to get a Ferrari, I was originally looking at older models such as the 328, then the 348 and after my short bout with cancer, I decided to get a 360 and stop procrastinating seeing how precious and short life is.... That being said, my ownership experience has been nothing short of a childhood dream/ fantasy come true... However, I'm also growing rather tired of the political BS within the Ferrari world... I know of people whom I have developed good relationships with at the local dealer quit because of all the A-list characters they have had to deal with and as they put it when they announced to me they were quitting, " I need to work in a place where we sell real cars..." . I didn't quite understand until lately what he really meant by that and I respect him for it... There's a bit of a game to play with the dealers and if you have the coin to do it then Godspeed to you... It is an expensive hobby putting it mildly that most people cannot even fathom the thought of ever owning one and it's something I remind myself of constantly... I've been rather fortunate to be able to say that I have owned 2 modern era Ferrari's that have cost me the equivalent of an average home/condo/cottage or college fund depending how you see it and I don't regret it one bit. The question is now, do I need to have a Ferrari in my life ? I think that is what the Mayor has asked himself and maybe that is why he's decided to leave Ferrari because he doesn't need to have one... I think you get to a point in life where you've seen it all, done it all and in the end you are not necessarily better or happier for it. If a car or any other inanimate object does not stir anything inside of you, then it's time to move on. As one poster said earlier, we clutter our lives with so much stuff, that once you unload all that clutter, you actually feel better and puts things back into perspective... I have friends, that buy expensive watches every year, sometimes twice a year and I was jumping on the bad wagon thinking that's what I wanted as well only to have my wife make me realize, " When are going to be satiated in life ? How much is enough ?". So without getting too philosophical about this, I understand you Mayor or Bob as to how you are feeling and it takes character to able to say " enough is enough" and walk away or walk into something else... I'm mustering up the courage to do the same, but the minute I take my bellezza out on the back roads I fall in love all over again. I don't hate my car or anything like that. My 360 will be more than enough car for me the rest of my life as I don't seek more speed as much as I seek to master driving what I have and knowing the car inside out... There are many differing views on this subject, but to ME, the 360 6 speed three pedal car is one of the last truly engaging mid engine Ferraris made that has a modern twist as far as tech goes but nothing compared to the newer cars.... And that's enough for me as far as F-cars go... If I get out now it's only because that phase in my life has passed or is passing... I say this now, but I know after this weekend's outing, I will want to keep her a little longer... As true car enthusiasts, I think it comes to a point where we all need to take a sabbatical of sorts and re-establish our priorities.
If you are truly done with Ferrari, that's fine as you will have a lot of history to keep sharing on this forum if you choose to. If you walk away and come back at a later time it means you needed a pause and that's fine as well... In the end it's you that has to be content... Life is way too short to be frustrated and unhappy about a car regardless of it stature.

Good luck,

Lino

 

I'm interested in the CarreraGT. Is the car in Florida? Please PM me.

 

I totally get the "too refined" feeling of modern sports cars as I felt the same way about my 997. Anyway, the solution to your problem could be a 993 Turbo. Tons of power, air cooled sound and not overly "refined" with all the nanny systems, subtle looks but fantastic performance. That's why the 993s are still commanding a high price, 15 years after the last one was delivered. I'd rather have a 993 than a 996 or 997. You can also tune the hell out of it.

 

I understand the feeling as well. Owned 3 mid-engine Ferrari's--two built as I wanted them. It was a combination of many of the things mentioned in the first post that lead to me selling my last one. I think it is a general trend in modern cars--they become more and more capable, but in ways less and less involving. Even though I will always have a foot in the track/HPDE world, I am starting to get into off roading. No nanny systems, life is less stressful at 3 mph, etc.

 

"How much is enough, Gordon? When does it all end, huh? How many yachts can you water-ski behind? How much is enough, huh?" -Bud Fox

 

Bernstein: There's a lot of statues in Europe you haven't bought yet.

Charles Foster Kane: You can't blame me. They've been making statues for some two thousand years, and I've only been collecting for five.

 

Hey, I still love my F430. Every time I drive it, I love it. More than raw enough for me and the sound with Fabspeed headers/cats is just crazy.

Saying that, I don't drive it very much. Why? Because it's a point A to A car for me. The potential for vandalism and door dings, the unwanted attention, and the looks my colleagues would give me are just too much.

I look at the Ferrari as my toy and I really feel privileged to own it. If I was like the Mayor and put down 300K on a new one, I might feel differently...

My daily driver is a M3 and I must admit that I like driving that car as much as the Ferrari. Why? Because it's fast enough and tail happy enough to make it fun AND I get to drive it everyday and anywhere.

Mayor, I know the attraction of buying new, but for the past 8 years I have bought my cars used- Turbon, 911's, Aston, Ferrari. I find it refreshing not to deal with a dealer and the chase of looking for the perfect used car is a thrill. Plus, you feel like you're beating the system when you find a car 30% off retail with 2K miles.

Best to you.

 

Simple & Logical answer as to " Whose to blame"?....NO business can survive without a customer base.

Best way to enjoy Ferrari ownership in my opinion, is to buy pre computer, which I believe was the 1991 Ferrari Testarossa & learn to utilize the crossover parts reference/s & learn to turn your own wrench, instead of turning over your credit card.

Is a Ferrari Mechanics time really worth $150.00+++ an hour?! to plug your Ferrari into a computer & read codes?...If you say "Yes", then don't *****, if you say "No", then take the necessary steps to, work on your own car/s...Alex

 

Is anyone here really paying that much for labor? Egads. My dealer's asking on labor is 10 percent less and I negotiated more from there.

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If I were internet-savvy enough to know how to embed the Charles Foster Kane clapping gif here, I would do so....

 

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Hello Bob; That isn't the highest!...as a comparison Ferrari/Maserati of Silicon Valley charges $165.00 as confirmed by my phoning them prior to my post...Alex

 

HFS that bites.

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I think the biggest upset today is the cop infested, idiot driver environment on the fking roads. Governments subsidized roads for decades and ruined public transport so you have jam packed roads with idiots almost 90% of the day, then hired steroided goon cops to keep them "safe".

You go out with a high end car and its a coin flip if you don't come back with a ding or a ticket.

I think that is why people get rid of these cars after barely any usage. Theres a video on youtube where some father takes his son out in the 458, low and behold within 5 minutes ticketed ie robbed on the road by some lowlife cop.

 

But Bob!!!...the $165.00 an hour includes a "Free" Latte whilst you get "Bent Over"...I mean..."Get Serviced"...Alex

 

360 daily driver for 18 months now, never been stopped YET and a few times I might have guilty of something that should have gotten me stopped. Drive them, don't fear them.