575m. my first drive | FerrariChat

575m. my first drive

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by parkerfe, Dec 24, 2003.

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  1. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
    12,887
    Cumming, Georgia
    Full Name:
    Franklin E. Parker
    I drove a new 575m 6 speed at FoA yesterday for the first time. What a wonderful machine. While it is similar to the 550 I drove a few years back, it seems a little more refined from the 550 as I recall. It has the comfort of a luxury car with the power of an exotic! How anyone in the market for a new Ferrari could chose any other model baffles me. And, yes I have already driven a 360 which pales in comparison to the 575m. While I'm not currently in the market for a new Ferrari now as my wife is insisting on re-landscaping our five acres and add a tennis court, when I am the 575m will be my choice.
     
  2. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,391
    Texas!
    Frank, have you ever driven a 550? If so, just curious as what you think between the two.

    DrTax
     
  3. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    6 Speed or F1...?
     
  4. jeff

    jeff Formula 3

    Feb 19, 2001
    1,924
    North America
    Geez Frank, I'm glad you enjoyed the 575 and I know your bias towards 12s. But get real. The 360 "pales" in comparison to the 575. I guess you forgot that the 575 is $70K more money and that the 360 spanks the 575 on the Fiorano test track. Looks to me that the 575 pales in comparison to the 360.
     
  5. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
    12,887
    Cumming, Georgia
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    Franklin E. Parker
    Jeffro, I didn't drive the 575m on the track nor would I expect to race it if I bought one. But, for a weekend toy, as most Ferraris are, the 575m spanks the 360 IMHO. And, if you want to compare "race cars", the 550GTS is much faster than the 360GT regardless on what track it is ran. The 575GTC is even faster. If you want the fastest street car you wouldn't be buying a Ferrari anyway. The 360 is a fine entry level Ferrari. But, the 575m rules as the flagship production machine, excluding the Enzo of course which is a limited production car which has a 12 cylinder engine too.
     
  6. redhead

    redhead F1 Rookie

    Dec 26, 2001
    4,869
    Full Name:
    ~Red~
    Frank, Agree 100%.
     
  7. Chiaro_Slag

    Chiaro_Slag F1 Veteran

    Oct 31, 2003
    7,789
    CA
    Full Name:
    Jerry
    He mentioned in his 1st post it was a 6 speed.
     
  8. mw575

    mw575 F1 Rookie

    May 30, 2001
    2,924
    Lake Oswego,Or
    Full Name:
    Martin J Weiner,M.D.
    It's a miracle-------I FINALLY agree with Frank!!
     
  9. mensi

    mensi Rookie

    Dec 9, 2003
    43
    No Frank, the 360 is not an "entry" car into Ferrari ownership, it IS today's Ferrari. Internally, the 575 is almost as bad a commercial flop as is was the 456. Even at 1-2 cars a day, 550/575's are depreciating on showroom floors. My dealer has a decked out 03 with a $265K MSRP (every single option) and 100 miles on the odometer; he'd be lucky to get $200K.
    I just finished glancing thru the 03 Ferrari Annual book (thanks Sodacom) and I am glad I did; it reminded me that Ferrari is about technology and "constant innovation" (their own words). Nostalgia has its place but being at the forefront and "winning" is all what today's Ferrari is about. I drove the 575F1 and decided to keep my 360. It's a great car but obviously not what Ferrari BUYERS want.
     
  10. Mark(study)

    Mark(study) F1 Veteran

    Oct 13, 2001
    6,052
    Clearwater, FL
    Full Name:
    Mark
    I like the silver 550 and when they hit $80k it would be a great 2nd luxury car. My girlfriend thinks the 550/575 looks like an old-man car. I'm too young, I still need some exotic look in a sports car, whether it be the next 420 8 or Lambo 10.
     
  11. Steve Darrah

    Steve Darrah Rookie

    Nov 5, 2003
    35
    Midlothian, Virginia
    Full Name:
    Stephen C. Darrah
    I had the pleasure last year to drive a 575 F 1 at Moroso during the Cavallino Classic.I own a '01 550 6 speed with the Fiorano package aand Tubi exhaust. I track the car at every opportunity. I could tell absolutely no difference between the two cars. Acceleration was identical, same for steering, lateral movement etc.The 575 was easier to drive on the track with the F 1-could brake deeper etc., although my 550 with the Fiorano package had better brakes and much better handling overall.
     
  12. 550

    550 Rookie

    Sep 19, 2003
    46
    MENSI, Your right. I hope I can sell my 2000 Maranello in 04. I'll then buy a 05 porsche turbo. Bullet proof value. If I read ferrarichat before buying the 550 I would still have my Porsche.
     
  13. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,391
    Texas!
    Have you driven a 550 w/o the Fiorano? Besides squealing brakes, I'm curious as to how much it adds to the car.

    Thx, DrTax
     
  14. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
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    Carbon McCoy
    Crap, you're right; sorry, Frank...
     
  15. CodeRed

    CodeRed Formula Junior

    Nov 8, 2003
    368
    LALA LAND
    I have a highly tuned and heavily optioned 996TT which I love, but I also lust after a 550 which I will buy as soon as they hit $100K or less for a US model.
     
  16. dwood1969

    dwood1969 Karting

    Nov 1, 2003
    67
    Charlotte, NC
    Full Name:
    David Wood
    I am always amazed at comparisons between the 360 and the 550/575 - they just seem to be such different cars that I don't think that anyone can say that one is better than the other (apples vs oranges etc). Certainly, everyone is entitled to their own personal opinion - but that is all it is and is likely to differ for everyone you ask. What is for certain is that they are both wonderful automobiles each in their own right and for different reasons. I now own a 550 and I will proabably add a 360 spider to the "stable" in the next 2-3 years. I have no doubt that I will be able to purchase the 360 spider in a couple of years for about what I spent on the 550 - especially when the new model comes on in 05 thereby immediately depreciating the current model. That way I will have my classic V12 and my fun little V8. Depreciation wise I believe that they will follow very similar curves with the 360 about 3 years behind (given the fact it came out 3 years later).
     
  17. Steve Darrah

    Steve Darrah Rookie

    Nov 5, 2003
    35
    Midlothian, Virginia
    Full Name:
    Stephen C. Darrah
    Yes.To me, there is a significant difference. I have not driven a 550 w/o the Fiorano on a track-only the 575 as mentioned at Moroso. Several people with racing experince who have been in my car have commented about how well it handles compared to a "normal" 550. I would say that the package provides less lateral movement under hard cornering, later breaking points,better steering "feel", and a sense that the car is in balance more often. I would not, however, pay the extra money for the Fiorano if I was only going to drive the car on the street.
    I also had the squealing brakes problem when I picked the car up after buying it.We changed the pads, which I also do before each track event, and I have not had the problem again.
    Hope this helps.
     
  18. Doody

    Doody F1 Veteran

    Nov 16, 2001
    6,099
    MA USA
    Full Name:
    Mr. Doody
    i didn't see any smileys in your post. i'm confused.

    996TTs depreciate(d) substantially right off the lot - just like most cars do. i traded my 996TT in on my 550 - i didn't get MSRP back on it (nor anything close!). PAG grossly overproduced 996TTs.

    the 996TT is a GREAT car, but let's be realistic on all fronts about painful depreciation curves.

    i see zero reason why PAG is going to behave differently with the 997TT (or whatever it gets called). they're going to produce the crap out of it and mess the secondary market. they're a public company that has to answer to its shareholders - restricting production isn't what the shareholders want to hear about. the 997TT will be similarly "aggressively" produced.

    if you want to own a 911 turbo that'll retain value, pick up a 993TT.

    doody.

    PS: this is part of the reason we never want to see a Ferrari IPO!
     
  19. kenneth

    kenneth Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2002
    701
    Hong Kong SAR
    Full Name:
    KCCK
    There is no need to drag in the 456. Many people buy 456 for a special reason. As for worries about depreciation? That might well be the last item on their list of priorities, perhaps?
     
  20. maranelloman

    maranelloman Guest

    My one regret regarding my 550 is that I did not order it with the Fiorano package. At the time I ordered it (11/99 for a 2000 model delivered 7/00), I had never driven on a racetrack, nor was I planning to, in any car. Subsequently, I began tracking my M3, and then the 550. And then I became pretty good. And then I began instructing at dozens of track events a year. And, while I only track the 550 in cooler weather anymore, it still has nearly 19,000 miles, at least 3,000 of which are on track. And I really regret not having the Fiorano package, for exactly the reasons Steve Darrah describes. I have subsequently fitted it with Castrol SRF fluid & much more track-appropriate brake pads that still work OK on the street (in 55 degree + temps), so that made a big difference on braking. But I would love less lateral movement & more consistent feeling of being "in control" on track. The car is a real handful in the corners--nod "bad", since it is so damned well balanced, but lively, and prone to heavy understeer that moves to oversteer upon heavy throttle on exit. It really needs much more delicate throttle inputs than the M3 does---and I understand that the Fiorano package eliminates alot of that nervousness.

    Oh, well...
     
  21. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
    12,887
    Cumming, Georgia
    Full Name:
    Franklin E. Parker
    mensi, if the 360 is not Ferrari's "entry level" car, what is ? The Enzo ? As to depreciation, don't let short term prices fool you. A good indicator of the future is almost always the past. I remember when you could buy a Daytona or a 275 for less than the then new 308 model. The 360 is still seen as the new car on the block. Once the newness of the 360 wanes, the alure of the front engined low number V12 550/575 will slow down their depreciation and the value of the mass produced 360 will fall to below their prices. My guess is that the 550/575 models will level off in the $90-110k range with the 360s in the $75-85k range . They are just making too many 360s for their value to stay up for much longer. Don't get me wrong, I think the 360 is a fine motorcar. But, IMHO the 550/575 is better and will have a higher long term value. And, lets not forget that the buying habits of the masses are not what determines the value of rare items whether exotic cars or works of art. The 360 is the Ferrari for the masses whereas the 550/575 is the Ferrari for the enthusiast.
     
  22. yelospyder

    yelospyder Rookie

    Dec 16, 2003
    3
    If you could afford a Ferrari, you should never worry about depreciation. All the fun that comes with owning and driving on is simply priceless.
     
  23. Jason

    Jason Karting

    Dec 1, 2001
    127
    Ah yes, the 4000 lb. tank is the Ferrari for the "enthusiast". Thank god you're not in charge of Ferrari because they'd start making SUV's and pickup trucks...
     
  24. Hubert

    Hubert F1 Rookie

    Jan 3, 2002
    2,642
    The Left Coast
    and you have exactly how many days of resetting track lap records ( slowest lap ever recorded not withstanding) in either car to give this claim any credibility?
     
  25. parkerfe

    parkerfe F1 World Champ

    Sep 4, 2001
    12,887
    Cumming, Georgia
    Full Name:
    Franklin E. Parker
    Hubert, in case you haven't noticed, my post were referring to "road cars", not race cars. If you wanted the best race car, you wouldn't be getting a Ferrari anyway.
     

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