Is a Ferrari for me?

EVERYONE is a Ferrari guy.
The difference is that some can and are willing to step up to the plate.
Some can't or won't.

I tell everyone that will listen; "Life is too short not to own a Ferrari"

 

You said "expand your horizons," you currently have a front-engined power monster.

It might be near the top of your budget but a nicely specc'd 458 Italia absolutely oozes exotic Italian Ferrari juice.
It handles like it is on rails, its engine literally screams to 9000rpm, the DCT shifts are a wonderment particularly with aggressive mountain switchbacks and downshifts in Race mode.
There is a surprising amount of luggage space. Bring a mock set of luggage to the dealer and see what fits, what do you have to lose doing that? I'll bet it will suit your needs depending on shape of luggage.
Have your wife drive it, there is a lot of visibility.
The car becomes an extension of you and is one of the easiest cars in the world to drive.

 

Or, you could buy the bags Ferrari sells that actually fit the luggage space in the car you are buying.

 

I


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For your use case and desire for a convert, perhaps you should also check out an Aston DBS. Rare and exclusive, and a sweet V12 with a sublime exhaust note. Music! Or - try a newer DB9 for almost the same experience and use the savings to stock your wine cellar...

 

hi eric. we met at driver's source a couple weeks ago when we took a tour of the vault together and you showed me your cars - very nice.

frankly i think you need to try driving the 430, 458, 599, and 612.
all of these will do what you need them to do - some variation in luggage space of course. but you need to figure out what you like.

my own 2 cts on this is that if you are NOT considering doing any track time, then the mid engine v8's will be kind of mis cast for your purposes.

the 599 and the 612 are both perfect for what you have described.

however, i know that ones own descriptions of likes and dislikes sometimes get completely turned around once you see and drive these cars.
one of them will catch your fancy.

i will be at the cars and coffee on market street in the woodlands saturday if you want to talk some more.

 

You better be. Rule of thumb is $3 per mile, if you actually drive the damn thing, which apparently most Ferrari owners don't. You also need to think through who is going to work on the car. I only know of one guy in The Woodlands area, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't do new stuff. There are a couple good independents in Houston. But I swear every time I took my car to FOH, it cost me at least $1,000. And don't even think about trying to work on the car yourself. The startup curve is huge.

Come to think of it. PM me for Grady Owens phone number. Not only is he on the north side of town, but he can give you the straight skinny on who's good and who' not when it comes to Ferraris.

 

What about a 550?

 

maintenance can be easily taken care of by driver's source

 

fine for you and me, but might be slightly vintage for eric's purposes. but i could be wrong.

 

Agree. And I don't think his wife will drive a stick...

 

Yeah, I can give Eric the name of the best flatbed driver in town.