Everyday Exotics

I used to have a 900SS. I really miss it. I love Ducatis!

Scott

 

I work from home - so kinda hard to drive it every day. but when I used to go into an office I used to drive my car regularly depending on how much driving i was going to have to do... getting stuck in Atlanta traffic on a100F day in a 328 - while in a suit is not as much fun as it sounds like! I will drive my car in the rain - no matter how much its raining...but what I hate is when it as to sit out in the rain - cause it leaks! otherwise i've never had a running issue with the car getting wet.

 

This is a fantastic article. I admire those folks that drive their exotics like this, I enjoy driving them also but on nice days and sometimes to the office or off to a cars n coffee. Just try to avoid crappy city pothole and salty roads, construction, and client sites.

 

I think the article is great and I am happy to see people who could afford to have one of these cars as a daily driver. I fell into the owner who put 2500 miles on the car a year while having it for 14 years. I think there are a lot others like I was and it was because of cost. Maybe a modern Fcar is more usable but for the older ones there was more reluctance to drive them daily. To me it came down to parts availability and costs. I was a 308 guy who got into the low cost Fcar world. My income wouldn't allow for a belt service unless I did it. Same with normal maintenance . The folks in the article had no issue with costs as seen by their collection. If I had disposable income like I assume they did I wouldn't have a problem using any exotic as a DD. My hats off to all who are in that category.

 

I don't really own an "exotic", but after some fettling next month, I plan on driving my Mondial daily through the year (until I deploy), then the winter break starts all over again...My goal is to put 8,000 miles on that car this year. I DD'd a '61 MGA 1600 roadster last year, that was eventful when the storm clouds showed up (no top)

 

Bob:

You are my hero.

 

Great thread. I hope to see more people responding with stories of thier daily drivers.

Bob Z.

 

Some gorgeous cars and a beautiful dobey.

 

Not high doller exotic, but exotic none the less.
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Although I don't hold a candle to the previously mention owners, I do have 79k on my 2001 911 turbo (mainly track days, now), and put 5k on my (new to me) 2007 F430 since I picked it up back in August. When I put new tires on it, I put Michelin all season tires on her; better traction in the rain!

You can bet I'm gonna put some miles on that EVH 348 when I get her fully functional, too!

I even drove my '91 Diablo in the rain during Lambo Festival and Ferrari Festival last year.

I bought my cars to drive, too. I worked hard and smart my whole life to make my dreams happen and I am going to live them!
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Well I guess I am the opposite of most of you here.
The reason I dont drive my Ferrari every day whenever possible is simply
because I want to enjoy the car when I do drive it.
The fact that the mileage will increase etc etc has absolutely no bearing
on driving the car.
Maintanence costs, traffic, petrol prices, etc etc have would not stop me
driving the car when an where I wont too.
The only reason I dont drive it all the time is because when I get into
the car, it is a thrill, it is not the same old thing again today.
I would get absolutely bored if I had to drive them everyday.
Its like having chocolates for breakfast, lunch & dinner.
Just too much.
Iwant to keep that excitement all the times I drive my Ferrari.

 

Which is worse, daily driving a Ferrari, or buying one and keeping it locked up in a cocoon?

I won't be on my deathbed saying "I wish I'd driven the Ferrari more..."

 

Great article.....having an unlimited MX budget also helps haha. I drive my F car like Red Barron does. Ok a little more. Its a special car and she gives me a thrill every time I climb in. I have been averaging about 1,000 miles a year which isnt bad considering im gone half the time and have 2 other daily drivers.

 

This thread does my heart good! The old saying "I never heard a guy on his deathbed say he wishes he hadn't driven the Ferrari so much" continues to ring in my ears. (And I too was inspired by Malcolm)

 

While I understand this sentiment, I think if you have to spend time in a car every day, it might as well be a nice one. No point in eating ramen noodles every day so the once-a-month steak tastes better

 

I sort of get his point -- there's a lot of driving I have to do that is pretty hard on the car (1 mile round trip to the grocery store; parking at the airport; bumper to bumper rush hour on the freeway). Not fun, regardless. Maybe even frustrating.

That said, I don't understand guys who only drag the car out from under the cover to take it to a car show and then put it back into hibernation. The biggest issue with exotic cars is that they're typically hidden away. When people see a 308 (or Speedster) actually being driven, it gets them excited about classic cars. I don't remember putting gas in either car without having someone come over for a conversation or just to have a look.

 

I think 1500 - 2000 miles a year per car is good spread over a few exotics. You still get to drive and enjoy them but you just rotate them around to keep the mileages even keel. best of both worlds! I would rather have a nice comfortable sedan daily driver than an exotic anyways, they are just more feasible for everyday type errands and so forth, something like Mercedes, BMW, Cadillac CTSV, or that sorta thing.

 

I by no means have any disposable cash, but I do drive my cars. It's never ever been any boring ride. My 911 4CS drove year round, but now I have a 360 I won't drive it in the salt but as soon as the salt is gone it will be my DD. Cars are meant to be driven, more bad than good comes from not using it.

But under no circumstances of any sort should a Ferrari be in the McDonald's drive thru!!!

My son tricked his mom into taking the 911 to McD's and txt'd me a picture, Grounded him for a weekend!

 

Every weekend I find myself wondering why I don't DD the 360.. If only I didn't have the court of popular opinion and its condemnation holding me back..

 

I hear ya. I frequently took a lot of crap from strangers when I had the 355 out. Never really bothered me much, but when I sold it I took just as much crap from other owners/potential buyers who felt the need to tell me what a moron I was for putting so many miles on it. Oh well.

 

When you are talking about driving the car, where exactly do you drive it.
Some Ferrari's I would drive mainly around the local area, although not down to get the groceries as someone suggesed, others you keep for the events, whereever they are,
that are just dam fantastic especially in a Ferarri.

 

I would never drive my Ferrari through a McDonald's or Burger King.
I really don't like their food.
Wendy's and Arby's?
That's another story. I have no problem driving my GTC through either of them - I really like some of the Arby sandwiches!

If you own a Ferrari, drive it whenever and wherever you please - it's just a car and it's YOUR car.

Unless, of course, you're saving it for the next owner.
Then, you might see him/her driving and enjoying it and you'll be so glad you hardly ever drove it!

Bob Z.

 

There's a Zonda that was daily driven with over 150K kms (I'm ignoring the Zonda Nonno, the factory test car with over 1.1m kms). A murcielago with well over 250K miles on it before someone crashed it (now repaired and back in the game I think). There's a german chap who still dailies his F40! Last I heard he had over 280K kms on it. When I was little a man in my street daily drove his Donkervoort (a Dutch build Caterham), witnessed it in very bad downpours many times. I think it was his only car.

It's a car. Of course they can be dailied. I draw the line at when you have to put on a wet suit when it rains (ariel Atom, KTM X bow).

 

Just about anything can be a daily driver as long as you can afford the upkeep.

Scott

 

THIS:

“So why buy a car and not drive it?”

Read more: Everyday Exotics: A High-Dollar Exotic as Your Daily Driver
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