458 Ferrari is so pompous

You won’t buy or drive a Ferrari because you couldn’t go on a tour for two dates you gave them in the height of their tourist season?
Huh?
They’re supposed to offer up alternate dates for you, and then go back and forth with you to see if those dates work for you? Has a hotel or restaurant ever done that? Certainly not for me.

How about you gave them two dates, they looked on their computer and saw they were filled and said “sorry, no room at the inn on those dates.”

 

I get it. I’m sorry. It’s frustrating AF.

If it’s any consolation the tour is meh but the experience is what you make it.

If you’re in the area the bus tour from the museum is 80%. You actually see more but don’t go inside. Book ahead it’s worth it.

The other way to get a tour is through FCA.

My son and I were almost turned away at the factory due to his age after confirming etc. Despite the fact I’m a multi car owner son of a who had been to the factory 40 years prior with my father also a multi car owner. I explained that Dr Franchi had invited me back with my son at that point 40 years ago.

Send an email again and ask if there are any other openings during that timeframe. Or ask to be waitlisted.

It may also be that with the new cars coming they simply are not touring at that window.


Good luck. It’s special because it’s hard.

Scott


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Sorry to read your experience and frustration. I believe the factory is closed for much of August, and during that time prior to closing, they wind down a lot of things.

There's a lady that answers the phone and schedules the actual factory tours in Italy. I can trace her details (if she still works there) and message you as she will be the one to directly coordinate and work out a mutually acceptable time. Keep in mind June will be very busy and they limit crowd numbers throughout the year to manage them.

It's a wonderful experience and truly believe this unfortunate circumstance shouldn't deter you, and your son, from enjoying.

Simply going to the museum only would be a let down.

 

The factory tour I did was just ok, and we didn't get to see the V8 line because of the impending 488...

Go to Modena and tour the Enzo Museum instead ... you WONT be disappointed I promise you...and its only 45 minutes drive from Maranello

 

Man, my family and I are traveling to Italy next week and I have a factory tour scheduled. My wife and kids are doing the bus and museum tour. Starting to wonder if they are going to have the better experience. Either way, excited to be making the trip.

Later

 

Summer is their busiest time of year. Remember also that they are shut down the entire month of August for summer holiday. You have to schedule quite far in advance to get an appointment for summer time frame. Don't take the declination personally, almost certainly it is a result entirely of having so many people who booked way in advance for that busy time of year.

 

I am sorry the dates you have planned are not available and I know that can be frustrating and disappointing but the tour at times can be a very small group of people. Only 6 at a time were allowed on our visit so one can see with all the owners and favors of owners in the world space is limited. The factory tour was important to me so I began my request a year in advance and gave them a week of possible dates and then could adjust my trip to accommodate. It so happened my tour date landed on my birthday following the Italian GP and the factory personnel could not have been more incredible. They went above and beyond to make my wife and me feel special, they were engaging and knowledgeable. It was a beautiful day so the guide just said “let’s go for a walk” not only did they take us on the factory tour which I found amazing but they knew it was my birthday and just continued to take us everywhere including through Ferrari Classiche with the restoration of priceless works of art and the level of detail was unreal. We talked about the Italian GP so they took us to the Scuderia design and build center and asked “Do you want to see the cars?” Of course so they took us on the floor with Seb and Kimi’s cars were being inspected and rebuilt, talked with the engineers and designers, just amazing. They took us to Fiorano and into the Cliente storage building with all the FXX program vehicles and F1 cars from history Schumacher 2004, Kimi 2007, etc and we were able to watch trackside as Vettel circled the track and Enzo’s home. It was an unreal experience, one that I feel blessed to be a part of and I would say worth the opportunity to return to Italy if it can’t be done this time. My wife, who could not care less about cars, loved it! It felt like they took us everywhere they could from the wind tunnel to Tailor Made. My only complaint was it took me at least 2 days to get all the glue off of my iPhone lens where they put the world’s strongest sticker to ensure no photos of the areas.

Anyway I agree, that the trip to Modena and the Enzo Museum was worth it and Modena is a much more engaging town vs Maranello. If you start now you may get lucky and get a seat at Osteria Francescana with chef Massimo and enjoy a meal in the World’s number 1 2016,2018. That would be an incredible consolation prize for yourself.

In either case enjoy Lamborghini and Pagani tours, both are on my list when I return.

Best


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Your dealer is supposed to take care of that for you! What did the dealer say?

 

That's fair. Sorry, mate, on your experience.

 

With BB being shown in May I am sure Ferrari have other things on their mind

 

Another way of getting a factory tour is to schedule a factory atelier for a new car. While I suspect that's probably not practical it is a more personal way of seeing the factory. You get to see the paint samples on the line on cars, so it helps with deciding which colours. It's also just you and the designer, not a tour group.

 

yes, that would be best.
Did just that and decided to change my spec based on what I saw at the factory!

 

That's a shame indeed. Plenty of brands out there will welcome your hard earned dollars.

 

Chris.....I believe this is a problem with your Dealer. At Ferrari of Washington DC they have a coordinator that manages the process with Ferrari North America and the Factory as well as other events. The Factory maintains the calendar and who has been approved to attend. In your case it appears that your dealer handed off your request to the Factory without any dialogue and their answer came across as disconnected and blunt. It is a worthwhile trip so don't blame the Factory when the dealership needs to assist in the process.

 

I thought you were a little overly bent out of shape, But once you mention kids, I totally get it. I'd be bummed too if I was planning to do this with my son and got shot down, I get it!
But, 3 months seems like not enough time to reserve your tour.
Hope it works out for your family.

 

Sounds you were planning a special, memorable trip with your 19 year-old. One would think 3 months would be enough advance notice. Understand your frustation.

 

Noting a lot of info mentioned here as I'd like to visit the factory next year with my old man assuming I become an owner as expected lol. Very helpful

We did the Lamborghini factory/museum visit as well as both Ferrari museums in Modena and Maranello last year, incredible and highly highly recommend all 3. Loved the food at Museo Ferrari and the Lamborghini factory visit was amazing/exceeded our expectations. Insanely cool how in-depth and comprehensive it is and that anyone can sign up and do the tour, no owner requirement

 

It's not just Ferrari. I'm now on to my 3rd Lamborghini, all bought brand new and my current Performante has almost $30k in Ad Personam options. My first request for a factory tour couple years ago was a joke. My dealer sent all my info, upon arrival they said they couldn't find the booking. Supposedly there's a cost the dealer has to pay for the owners our which my dealer paid. So basically they told me I couldn't do the "owners tour" and they would try to fit me in with the "tourist" tour which was OK by me. However, they wanted to charge me money to do the tour. Lets just say I e-mailed my sales guy middle of the night and he called his contact at the factory and it was "we're so sorry, we have found your booking".

The last tour I did was last year after the Geneva auto show which was the actual owners tour, the experience was much smoother and the tour was excellent with some free souvenirs. Lamborghini has actually launched a new owners experience at the factory which will take the tour to the next level.

I wouldn't let one bad experience turn you off about the brand. There is a bit of arrogance with not only Ferrari but also Lamborghini. It's just the way Italians do business. In Ferrari's case their mentality is you're lucky you got allocation from them so you should be thanking them, lol.

 

I will just email the GM directly myself and even said all other owners on Fchat have very different owners. For us, we were the one who ditched the tour at the end sure to sudden change in schedule. The dealer were so helpful the whole time.

 

The Lamborghini tour as a "customer" was awesome. They gave my wife and I a private tour of the factory apart from the ordinary tours. Our guide would stop people when they were working and have them show us what they were doing. An engine builder even handed me an Aventador piston to inspect as he was assembling an engine. Pretty cool, especially since I had only been dating my wife a few months at the time.

That being said, Ferrari is much more impressive. I've been through it 3 times and found you need to be flexible with dates. I've had my dealer call me and say they have 2 spots next week can you be in Italy, and I've found the factory and the entire experience so impressive that I jumped on a plane just to tour it again.

The groups are very small and I suspect they have a limited number of spots.

 

The Lamborghi factory tour last July for the 3 of us was phenomenal , and im not an owner. it was easy to book and on time, the guide was fantastic, she held us up at a station to watch a Aventador engine marriage! At the Interior station a Lady worker made a blue leather swatch embossed with the lambo logo and gave it to my son! In other words my second time denied by Ferrari for a tour. Once in 2005 and then in 2018