Please. Would you rather take 60 seconds to make a short video on your phone, or would you rather cough up millions of dollars in depreciation on cars you don't even want, just in hopes that maybe some day you'll recoup your losses by being sold limited edition Ferraris you can resell? And even then, you'll always be -1 car on the guy who started doing that a year before you. You'll be waiting for people to die unless you start spending obscene amounts of money on Challenge racings and such. The FGT is a mere $400K. The car is way oversubscribed. It's barely any more expensive than normal Ferraris, Lamborghinis, and McLarens. Hell, an Aventador SV is more than it. You'd never in a million years get one if they just did it by brand loyalty or something like that because unlike Ferrari or other exotic brands, there are people and companies who are buying waaaaay more Fords than anyone is buying Ferraris. For every new Ferrari you might buy, some 100 companies just bought $1M worth of F150s or $1M worth of transit vans, or $1M worth of random rental cars. Of course you'll still have to compete with VIPs who get one regardless of anything, like Leno or Ford family members, CEOs, etc. At the end of the day, it's completely optional and it takes like a couple minutes to record on your cell phone.
I've never made a video of myself, and i'm not going to start with an application for a car Nor am i going to describe my entire car collection ... including its value ... to anyone (other than my insurance company). My prediction : many of the social-media savvy generation, who value a high-profile public "presence" and consequently get "approved" by Ford, won't be buying the car when the payment is due. At that point, we'll see quite a few cars become available. I'm reminded of the LFA, and how supremely important the customer's "public profile and presence" were to Lexus ... wonder how that worked out?
At least Ferrari doesn't ask you to post a YouTube video of yourself for evaluation to buy one. I'm trying to think of the outrage on Fchat if that was the new policy to order a new car.
I see you're gonna gloss over the whole thing I posted. Just in case you missed it: Let me help you here. On the application there are a number of questions that *require* answers. These are mandatory, and if not filled in, you can't proceed. The final section includes space to provide link to a video or picture. Before these spaces, the applicant reads the following language: I eagerly await hearing how the language above is "forcing" people to do so, but they are indeed optional, and you can leave them blank.
Because it's legal language. Everyone knows that if you want to get one you better do it. They will get thousands of these -- which is what Ford wants. Why in the world would they even suggest sending a photo of yourself? You're buying a car. It's not Match.com. The reason is Ford's PR team wants to use it. That's why. I say again: what if Ferrari said you have to send an "application " with photo or video to buy a new 488? Would people say that's acceptable?
This is an award-winning commitment to being wrong and believing the fallacious scenarios you've crafted in your head in the face of overwhelming evidence. "We'd really like to sell the cars to people who will use them." "No you don't! You want them in bubbles for high resale!" "You can submit a video if you'd like, but it's optional." "No it's not! It's required!" Also, I can confidently state that the option to include images isn't the pursuit of, uh, a headshot. What level of narcissism do you have to be inflicted with to even think that? I think most people would read that and think "oh ok, I'll include a picture of my car on the track" or "here's me driving along the coast on a road rally." The thought of a personal picture never even crossed my mind, but I thank you for the entertainment value in imagining that scenario. I suppose if you really believe they are interested in bubble cars for high resale, you could convince yourself a photo splayed on a Ferrari flag wearing a Ferrari mankini kissing a picture of LdM is the type of thing they're after. You have arrived at one nugget of truth - it's a positive to have people like a Shmee150 or a Salomondrin on YouTube telling the world how much they'd like a Ford GT. For free.
Understood. And point taken and accepted. But my friend, consider this; Instead Ferrari just make you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on cars you don't want! Wanted a LaFerrari - easy - just had to buy a 599XX. Wanted a TDF - just buy an F12 and FF and Cali T etc... Yes, you might fight Fords request outrageous (and in a way it is) but it's a whole lot more palletable than Ferrari's and Porsches.. Just a counterpoint....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKlGDzkxHL8 Seriously though, it's in good fun. TheMayor has always had an ongoing coronary about the Ford GT and an inability to admit he's been bested in an argument regarding it, and that provides entertainment for us over at "Ford Chat." I love this site. Love Ferrari. Think I'll go drive one now.
Again, i'm more reminded of the (failed) Lexus LFA application process, rather than Ferrari's (successful) application process : $350K Lexus LFA requires you to pass 'coolness' test before you can buy it - NY Daily News " 'We want people who will drive the car, who will be seen in the car. We want it to be seen on the right roads, in front of the right restaurants and not just being enjoyed by one individual in their private garage,' Paul Williamson, national manager at Lexus College, a dealer training school, told the Wall Street Journal." The Lexus LFA Sports Car | Driver's Seat - WSJ "But simply having the $350,000 to buy one of the 500 LFAs Lexus plans to produce won't be enough: Buyers must be tapped by the company to be owners. People selected to purchase the car will be based on factors such as the other cars they own, where they live, and how often and where they drive." A year ago, there were still new, unsold LFA's sitting in dealer showrooms ...
I actually agree somewhat with the both dbk and the mayor on somethings. First and foremost the new Ford GT = Awesome - no two ways around it. Yes, just my opinion - but Ford has a long and glorious history of motorsports. Something to be very proud about. Second, with such low quantities - everything is mainly a marketing push. So many of the things they do to promote it will fall in the 'stunt' category. To yield maximum exposure as a halo car. Both are not mutually exclusive, it is an amazing car, and they can use that said amazing car for publicity 'stunts' - every car manufacturer does it - think LFA. They will first have a certain allotted for corporate/marketing purposes. Second would be for key high profile (read: more visible the better) personalities. Third would be long time Ford advocates/supporters. What's left is zero for everybody else. So I do see the application process a stunt, the videos submitted would be used for some awesome video for the super bowl, yada yada.
Hi Jeff, I thought they were all sold out before release? (I think you could only lease them too or something funky like that) Might be just my ignorance. Cheers
Nope. I was getting calls from more than one dealer, a year or two after release ... offering me a "really good deal". A quick internet search will tell us, how many new LFA's were still available last year ...
Thank you sir - wow - what a disaster...I've often read the $$$ they wanted just didn't equal the performance/cachet/ascetics. The market has spoken, and your story proves it. Cheers
Great fight dbk, cool! The Ford "ad campaign" does not matter, the GT seems to be an absolut great car, well done Ford!
Here's one story, found in a quick search : https://www.yahoo.com/autos/bp/new-lexus-lfas-still-unsold-two-years-after-production-ended-192812270.html Seems to me, that Ford (as a high-volume supplier) is following the Toyota (another high-volume supplier) model, in an attempt to break into the megabuck, exclusive/exotic market. Seems reasonable, right? Problem is, the LFA was a market flop and it wasn't because the LFA was a performance pig ...
The previous GT 40 (2nd Gen)/did pretty well right? Seems like asking prices are still good. Your thoughts Jeff? Cheers
I owned one (Ford GT, purchased in 2004). Loved the car (except for the terrible gearing). The application/sales process used by Ford 10 ~ 12 years ago was a SUCCESS, as far as i can tell. So why follow the LFA-model now, instead?
I'm thinking since the GT 40 has such a storied history, and the previous models did well - Ford can pull it off. Just my $0.02 Be well!
I'm a HUGE fan of Ford. Have been, for well over 20 years. And yes, I've expressed my love and respect for Ford with my wallet, not just my words I wish them well, with the new Ford GT. But it's clearly marketed to a crowd that doesn't include me.
I am not defending Ferrari or Porsche either. This process of buying an exotic because of rampant speculation is getting ridiculous. There's a Pagani in a London showroom with zero miles on the clock that has never left the showroom But it's had 6 owners from new and has increased in value over $1 from the first sale 5 years ago. Stupid.
When I was a kid, Ford produced some brilliant sportscars. The Escort Mexico, the Lotus Cortina, the RS 2000, even the tail happy 2.8i Capri. Not forgetting ethos of the original Mustang. Big thrills, small bills. Halo nonsense, this new GT and the pathetic screening process (if what's written here is true) is marketing's response to some focus group research that Ford's image is boring. Their advertising is dull as dishwater and their cars bland. The GT maybe a great car but it will do nothing for the marque and even less for its residuals. Ford went racing the 60s and shocked Ferrari at Le Mans. Ford helped make one of the greatest F1 engines that powered goodness knows how many champions. Ford went rallying and dominated for years. And they translated all that into terrific unruly huge bang for your buck road going sportscars, which helped them sell squillions of their less interesting variants. They've forgotten what made Ford great.
Ferrari doesn't have a successful application process, they just have more guaranteed demand than supply and a giant list of customers who have been buying very expensive cars for ages. There is no real application process. They have a giant list of customers who can afford and want just about everything, and after accommodating all the VIPs who get cars regardless (team drivers, executives, family members, ME royalty, celeb enthusiasts) they just go down the list, and the list tends to start with those who spend the most money. Ford, much like Toyota, doesn't have a history of making exotic and expensive cars, and they have no intention as far as I know of getting into the niche either. Once every decade maybe they'll make a car as a marketing exercise and they'll have their own set of criteria for who will get one. Many will be the same types of VIPs as Ferrari, but after that, there is no real list. There's probably some old guy who has been buying Mustangs for the last 50 years, but even if they wanted to sell him one, he wouldn't have $500K to buy it. The GT and the LFA were cars far out of the price range of the most dedicated and loyal customers, yet in the price range of many normal exotic owners. So what do you do? Just sell it to speculators and shaft the people who really want one? The LFA's application process was not a failure, but rather the car just wasn't that popular. It's not like they turned people down and then realized they didn't have enough "qualified" buyers. They just didn't get much interest period.
