Ferrari Mass Market?

I keep hearing that it's going to be $200k+. That is NOT mass market.

Also, what are you defining as "mass market" I personally don't know anyone who considers Porsche to be "mass market". not quite "exotic"... but certainly not mass market.

 

People said there were too many Dinos. What, 6,000 or so total 206/246?

Then people said there were too many 308/328s. What 12,000-14,000 of them? (guessing with all of the numbers here)

Then people said there were too many 348/355 cars, which sold even more than the 308/328 series.

Aren't there something like 18,000 360s alone, now, not to mention 430s?


But then, there are 2,000,000,000 more people in the world now than at some point in the 60s or 70s.

And building a car costs a whole lot more money.

Ferraris may be seen daily in LA and Miami, but they are still a rare sight in most parts of the world, and many car enthusiasts around the world will live their whole lives without ever seeing a single Ferrari in the flesh.

 

Looks like the V8 front engine 2 + 2 is a go

I dont know if this is a Chinese market special or if it will be sold everywhere

I think the Chinese F will definately be cheaper

 

will be a great car. Glad they are trying to keep the car affordable.

Art

 

Times change and so do companies. Ferrari is still a low-production car even though many fans bemoan the Ford Crown Victoria F360/430 government/rental fleet vehicles. You still get the limited editions of these models such as the CS and the Scud.

And you get the occasional one-offs and limited number super-Ferraris. So we still have the exclusivity factor mixed in with the Ferrari mini-vans and Ferrari Yugos, but the glory days of the very limited numbered 250SWB or 250GTO --a legendary lineage of custom hand-built cars that doubled as both race cars and road cars-- is pretty much done. That Ferrari is gone. Forever.

If it's any consolation, almost no human being alive will ever own a Ferrari or even drive one. About only .0001% of all human life forms alive at any time presently will have a Ferrari. Most will have bikes, carts, wagons, skates, then some will have Plymouths and Fords, and maybe a few will have a Maxima and maybe --maybe a BMW. But almost nobody will own a Ferrari.

 

I mean except for a few countries/cities, Ferraris are VERY rare.

 

I think you all seem to forget that's not Ferrari that call the shots, It's FIAT.

 

if 200+ is the definition of "mass market" then saying that a new model will turn them mass market is kind of irrlevant. I would imagine there are already 200, or close to it 599's are out on the road, and the upcoming Bentley Brooklands at $400k plus is set for 550 units.
That may be considered "mass market" in government terms... but then $60k/year qualifies as "rich" in government terms.

Mass Market to me implies that it appeals to a vast majority of consumers from an economical/practical stanpoint.
Maybe in some areas of Florida and California a Porsche 911 is considered "mass market", but around here (Allentown, PA) I don't remember the last time I saw a 911 on the road (except my 73... which turns heads everywhere it goes). If I asked the average person I run into on a daily basis they would tend to consider a 911 an "exotic" car. My mom drove a 2000 911 daily for about a year, and constantly got comments, thumbs up, etc.
Around here and most other places I've lived (I've lived in 5 states) $200k+ is expected to buy a pretty decent house. I do know ONE local car dealer who owns 3 Ferraris (Mondial cab, 308 and TestaRossa), but I have never seen a Ferrari on the road in this area any time of year, whether it be a 308, or 250 GTO.

I've been to the Monterey Historics 3 times, and I do know what it's like to see Ferrari's and 911's everywhere. We saw a McLaren F1 getting a parking ticket, and a Lambo Muira on the road. The first year I went there were so many 250 GTO's in the paddock that I was bored of them. If this is your daily life, I guess I can see how a $200k car could be "mass market". Here in the rest of the world, people I know are trying to figure out how to put their kids through college, and dream of maybe someday if they had the money owning a used Corvette. And I work in an engineering department, everyone here is professional/well educated, 2 MBA's in the dept. My boss owns a new Corvette (financed, stored for winter, rarely driven etc) and a co-worker has an Audi S4, and those are the nicest cars of anyone around here.

As far as status symbols... I'm a young guy (22), but from everything I've read, even back in the 50's Ferrari's were always "status symbols" usually bought by the fat cats who cared more about impressing others than driving the snot out of them. Isn't Enzo even quoted as saying "I make cars for young men, that only old men can afford" or something like that?

I have MANY friends who are world class car-nuts (I go to a college inhabited primarily of aspiring automotive engineers), and I know maybe 3-5 who actually dream big enough to think that they might actually someday own a Ferrari... the rest just have them as computer backgrounds and write them off as "dream cars".

 

Will it have lead based paint?
If so, then it is definitely for the chinese market!

BT

 

I hope this "tanks" the market for Ferrari. Here's why:

#1 - teach them (Ferrari) a lesson... usually arrogence is not appreciated

#2 - the cars keep getting farther and farther away from reality for my budget. A big adjustment in prices (i.e. a bit of reality) would be welcomed, in my opinion! True fans can't get cars... you currently need to be in the "super elite" category, or just have stupid money to blow.

#3 - periods of adversity make the company better. No offense here, but the 348 was not a great effort. The NSX appears with incredible build quality and Ferrari had to up its game (thats good for everyone!)

#4 - don't worry about "brand dillution"... they put their name on EVERYTHING: computers, cologne... I think a high performance condom is next. Brand dillution is already present.