488 Replacement

I'm not sure I agree. Shmee owned an FF and loved it. He's now got a Ford GT and a Senna. Watch Mr. JWW's review of the 720S....his enthusiasm for that car is commensurate of a new and emerging population preferring "those cars" vs. Ferrari's. Mr. JWW would rather have a 720S vs. a 488...

I just returned from a trip in India last summer. Lamborghini and McLaren are hands down the preferred brand of awe there vs. Ferrari; generally-speaking. Look at the Chinese and middle east market....McLaren is continually becoming the the brand to own. Moreover, actually read the user comments on reviews by Shmee and MR. JWW; much of the public love the "other cars" with thrilling enthusiasm. I'm not knocking Ferrari per se...I spec'd and bought a new 488 and love the car. BUT, I'd be kidding myself thinking this is generally the car MOST people would pick over the other brands currently. Park a 488GTB next to a Huracan EVO or a McLaren 720S and watch as the crowds literally walk right past it and drool over the "other cars". I've experienced this first hand..multiple times. SO...if Ferrari and Ferrari folk think that people will still gravitate towards future models "just because it's a Ferrari", they have an altered sense of reality. Ferrari had better come out with a serious replacement for the 488 (which platform has essentially been out nearly TEN years) and NOT price it out of the stratosphere if they want to remain competitive. Right now, a 720S or a Huracan EVO are admittedly better vehicles and don't have the snobby dealer games that Ferrari dealers try to play. The public is speaking out...

 

They'll never fall as much as current Ferrari offerings. 488s dropping like fighter bombs from the sky. My 2018 GT3 Manual will ALWAYS lose less in depreciation as compared to my 2018 488GTB.

 

Agree with you. Am curious to see what the new Ferrari offerings are. I have a feeling all their prices are going to go through the roof and unless its a dramatically better car than my 488, ill sit tight and not upgrade anytime soon.

 

£ 500,000

 

"The public" has apparently endorsed Ferrari for selling the Pista at an objectively crazy price - so the dynamics is not clear to me, apart from the fact I was certainly personnally not ready for this pricing (for the record, I was awarded (?) the right to buy a Pista but could not stomach the price difference with my GTB).The funny thing is that at a slightly lower price I would probably have bought a Pista, although still thinking it would have ben a questionable value for money.
But Ferrari does not need my money now, which I suppose is good for them.

 

All I can say is I've been fortunate to enter into this space recently coming from my GT3 as a younger guy, and for me it was Ferrari or nothing. If I couldn't get my 488 allocation I was going to stick with my GT3 because nothing from Lambo or Mac appealed to me.

Love the class/heritage/design language from Ferrari as well as the pedigree. Sitting in a Huracan was cool, but just didn't feel right for me, too showy. Sitting in a McLaren was cool, very tech/futuristic, but just didn't feel right for me. Sit in a Ferrari and see the CF wheel, yellow tach, leather everywhere, engine behind me, mamma Mia bellissima. My eyes already love the car inside and out just looking at it. Maybe I'm just an old soul at heart, but for my first supercar it had to be Ferrari and I hope it begins a wonderful journey with the brand..even the way I specced my car hearkens a bit back to an older age with Titanio over Cuoio. But I agree seems like the younger gen are very excited by Lambo & Mac options

 

Funny, i was also there this tuesday morning, speccing the Pista at the Atelier Did you went to the finish room with all the pistas in red and silver stripes. All the clients did the same spec, it was so funny to see. The best part was that the pista spyder in the entrace - the battery was dead, could not open the frunk.

 

a pity not to have succumbed to your instinct: why live with regrets?

Carpe Diem

 

The good thing is, it has opened me new opportunities - I will race the Caterham Academy this year, a cheap but very interesting and thrilling experience; and I'm considering a new motorbike also...
So I definitely do not have regrets.

 

Well done

 

...by buying Ferraris at a factor of well over two to one compared with McLaren and Lamborghini. Show goers who are interested in cars that they see less of because there are less around is no indication that they are falling out of love with one brand and into another. Car people love cars, period. And ones they don’t see often are all the more interesting.

As for Mr JWW, he didn’t buy a Senna, he bought a TDF, significantly over MSRP and loved it. Not saying he doesn’t like Mac but you just can’t say he is disapproving of or in any way bored by Ferrari.

 

Ferrari does what it does because it has leverage. In Hong Kong where I sit, Porsche does the same. And Lambo and Mac would do the same if only they could. And if you were in their shoes running a business, why wouldn't you?

As a consumer, I of course wish they would reward my loyalty to the brand. I have had the good fortune of buying many over the years and still own around 10 F cars, alongside with some Porsches, Lambos and others. But I'm realistic enough to know I'm only as good as my last purchase.

Macs don't excite me...souless, some downright ugly. But that's me. Porsches are great driving machines...but again, so boring in design.

And anecdotes are just anecdotes...my 308 do get more attention next to a SVJ or 720s..maybe all should try one?

I'm not going to waste time ranting..off to my morning drive!



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Good to hear the 308 getting some luv in Honkers.The first mid engine V8 Ferrari.

 

While I agree with a lot of what you are saying and you have very valid points about the younger generations, if I take a step back at look at all the evidence, it just doesn't add up.

I am referring to how often you see these cars on the roads and how easily you can buy them. I want to preface this by saying that I have been living in Newport Beach California for just over a year now and obviously my observations around here are not representative of the rest of the world.

With that being said, I would estimate that I see somewhere from 10-15 488s a week. Usually 1 or 2 on my drive to and from the office on weekdays and more like 3-5 per day on the weekends (give or take). On the other hand, I maybe see 1-3 720s all week long (weekday or weekend) with maybe another 3-5 570s. If these McLarens are really selling like gangbusters and really are the automobile of choice, then why do see 3 times as many 488s? Also, why can I walk into the McLaren dealer tomorrow and buy a brand new 720s? I surely can't just show up and buy a brand new 488. This just doesn't add up to me.

Edit: After a bit more research, I'm not sure I could walk into a Mclaren dealer tomorrow and buy a new 720S (anyone know more info on this?); however, the ratios of how often I see them on the road mentioned above still hold true.

 

Very cool, I am sure we crossed paths, I was with my wife and sales manager from the dealership (10amish). After TM we headed over to restaurant Montana one of the best eating experiences of our trip. I didn't get to see the finishing room because I thought the tour guide would take us but she didn't, saying it was off limits to her. So I should have had Stefanie take us.. anyhow glad to hear we didn't miss much because I was a bit bummed about that. Funny you say the battery was dead because when we want back for the tour the spider was gone, vamoosh.

Anyhow can't wait to see what Ferrari will do with this 488 refresh, we just got back to Toronto tonight from Paris, what a trip! Not sure how I will ever go back to configuring cars at the dealership.

 

Well said. Nice chatting via IG with you.


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Thanks Anir, funny did not realize you were on Fchat as well. Your GT 488 spec inspired mine although interior wise we were quite different. Love your 812 in Blu Simond, absolutely gorgeous. Makes me somehow want that color for my next one... why am I saying next one!


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Thanks, Had not seen that!

 

Can we stop derailing this thread into some silly brand vs brand debate and stick to the topic? If you wanna discuss this stuff, by all means make a different thread about it and go nuts.

 

Ferrari sells as many cars as Lamborghini and McLaren combined. What we see with our own eyes is irrelevant in the grand scheme of things.

 

ABSOLUTELY

 

Thank you. Ferrari addiction is real!

Congratulations!


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Mclaren hype is fueled by social medias and youngster customer .
Nevertheless it's a wake up call for Ferrari .
I hope ferrari will react in the same way they have reacted in 1990 with the honda nsx!

 

(@the Motorwerks comment) Not trying to defend the brand here, to each his own, but if it bothers him that spectators "walk right past..." the Ferrari, and "kidding myself thinking this is generally the car MOST people would pick....," I suggest his ownership is more about stroking the ego, and misses the finer points of ownership.


Jim

 

Well, the 348 was less than brilliant. Nowadays Ferraris are brilliant. I don't think they have anything to worry about. If anything, I am a bit sad that the production has increased to almost 10,000 units annually.