How to properly enjoy a Ferrari?

People buy Ferrari's for all manner of different reasons, you can't generalize it as your post suggests.

Some people buy a Ferrari and keep it forever because it's been their life's dream and they'll never part with it.

Some people buy a Ferrari because they have an idea of what it will be like to own one and then find that the reality is completely different to what they thought and it's not for them.

Some people buy a Ferrari and discover that the running costs get too high and are forced to sell them.

Some people buy a Ferrari, enjoy the experience and are fortunate enough to buy additional cars to sample different types of Ferrari.

Some people buy a Ferrari and then want to try a later model and so work their finances to buy a newer version.

Some people buy a Ferrari just to pose in and show off to others.

Some people buy a Ferrari as an investment to make money off.

Some people buy a Ferrari because it's something that they have simply decided that they must do before they die.


How to properly enjoy a Ferrari?: Simple! - Drive it!

 

Yep. That's all there is to it.

 

The best way to enjoy a Ferrari is to drive it aggressively. Just make sure you have the skills to do so and conditions are appropriate. In fact, if possible, you should drive a Ferrari at least once on a track.

 

I can't speak for others on the board, but for me the dream started when I was around 9 years old and I saw a 308 GTS for the first time. I fell in love with it and dreamed of owning one for almost 30 years before I fulfilled my dream five and a half years ago.

For me its still a thrill to look in my garage and see it there. Its still a thrill to get behind the wheel and feel the precision of a 30 year old car. Its still a thrill to watch other people's reaction when I pass them on the road or come up to me at a gas station or other social event. The list goes on and on....



PDG

 

This covers it.

Not sure how old you are, but if it's something you really want to do, don't wait forever.

With regard to investing and resale, you have to look at your bank account and decide. For me, new car depreciation seems like a massive waste of money in order to get a car with performance that you can't use. On the flip side, vintage Ferraris have been the best investment in the collector car world, but most of them are closing in on or have passed the million dollar mark.

An F430 won't kill you with depreciation at this point, and if you skip the Scuderia version it's the last Ferrari with a three-pedal manual (as opposed to F1-manual), which may help it retain value. I don't think it's a good "investment", but I do think it's a good idea to buy a Ferrari that's not headed for a depreciation cliff. A 550 is also not a bad option. Someone else probably already "spent" $100K in depreciation in order to stare at the car in his garage for a few years.

And yes, most Ferrari owners have multiple cars (and even multiple Ferraris), so they tend not to see a lot of mileage. A high mileage Ferrari scares off buyers, except in the vintage Ferrari world - and all of those are beyond F430/550 budget. If you plan to put 20,000 miles a year on your car, you will lose money on an F430. But, you will have a lot of fun...

The other thing that's probably true among longtime Ferrari owners is that they maintain their cars pretty religiously. This helps resale, but maintenance is also a point of pride for a lot of owners. I remember a previous owner of my ex-328 telling me how strong the compression numbers were -- and this was several years after it had already left his hands. You'll feel a sense of stewardship for the car, much more than for your daily driver.

 

It is a totally immersive experience from every sense and angle.

You set a (usually childhood) goal to own something that hit you like a bolt of lightning and then you achieved it. Some hit early and some take longer but the feeling is the same. It is a deep breath of satisfaction that not much else can equal.

I've sat the dealership just looking at the beauties feeling and appreciating all of the literal energy that went in to creating this one-of-a-kind piece of "thing." I was then so very thankful when an owner who spent their life dreaming of what they had came to me for advice on how to keep her healthy.

Then there was the drive proofing. For a brief window, Richard (Competizione) didn't want to contort into F40s anymore and I became the defacto QC before delivery. I have probably over 40 hours in them now and (even with how I treated him after the split, for which I will forever be contrite) I have no way to thank him for getting to spend time in cars that only few could ever dream of being in or near much less driven to original expectations. To have a clean record after this is something that shouldn't happen!!! I did 160 on 28 once and the car was just coming alive.

Sit in it and not do a damn thing but breathe (we have ALL done this.) The smells create a flood of memories of pure pleasure and synergy with the car and any race you've ever seen. You feel a rush of Hx and I've never been able to explain it.

If you *do* drive it, you are a truly integral part of the machine. The missing design piece. She will stand on her own forever without you, but when you interact with her she will respond directly in kind with equal love. I used to coach new drivers to "dance" with the car. She will respond to gentle leads, but if you want to boogie, she (not so secretly) really wants to go. How happy have we been when a woman says f*&$ me harder!!!??? Yes ma'am. But sometimes it feels even better in the car.

I had the rare chance to care for a lot of these cars for a few years and I remember EVERY ONE because I love them all so much. A large piece of me was taken when things happened the way they did...

 

Sort of the same here... saw my first real Ferrari (as opposed to photos in Road & Track, etc.) in 1985 in Cleveland, where they are almost unheard of. Brand new red 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, parked in an end space at my high school at graduation. It was gorgeous, it was unbelievably low, and it made every other car in the lot look like a junior design school project. Photos don't convey the impact. I saw it and I was hooked. (My then current dream car, a Porsche 944, vanished from my want list that day.)

The other aspect is that I like driving cars that people never see any more. The 308/328 are like that - icons that people loved and then forgot about and now remember. My Porsche is similar - most of the real ones either rusted away decades ago or are locked up in collections. To me, preservation of iconic cars is the icing on the cake (the cake being driving the car...)

 

Well.....Lets blame it on Ferrari! I had a 360 and loved her dearly! Then I made the tragic decision to take a F430 Spider for a drive. Yeah, you guessed it...I was smitten! Um, dare I say a very good friend just let me drive his 458 Italia!!!! Dear God...someone shoot me!!! These amazing cars keep getting so much better!!! So the moral is don't ever drive the latest and greatest......LOL

Just my .02

 

Given that these cars need more maintenance and sometimes more investment than a "normal" car, I think you're best served to get the one you really want, even if it means saving up a bit more. When I had my 328, and it was due for a major service ($5500+), I actually enjoyed going over to the shop and seeing what was being done, and felt good about investing in the longevity of the car -- because 308/328s are my favorite modern-ish Ferraris, and I like doing my part to keep them on the road. If I could buy a new one, I would. But... we can't. They are my favorite Ferraris to drive, and every time I see one I'm blown away by how beautiful Ferraris were. (Granted I've never driven an F40 or a LaFerrari, etc.)

If you buy a Ferrari just for the badge, or because a certain model is affordable right now, you won't feel good about spending thousands of dollars maintaining it.

 

Part of the problem in "knowing exactly what you are looking for" is how difficult it is to drive a variety of Ferraris before making the decision.

How many different Ferrari models have you driven?
For example, have you ever driven a 550?
How do you "know" the 430 Scuderia is the best model for you?

I understand the emotional attachment to a particular Ferrari model.
It can be compelling.

I wish it was easier to borrow a friend's Ferrari for a long spirited drive.
But, as you can imagine, most owners aren't willing to risk that.

My first Ferrari was a 328 GTS. Loved it. Might buy another some day.
Then, I had a 360 Modena with a manual transmission. Great fun, more power, sexy.
Then, I got a chance to buy my first NEW Ferrari, a 430 F1 Coupe. Wow, fast & beautiful.
Then, I bought my 550 as a second Ferrari.
I really wanted to experience a front-engine V12. Incredible.
Then, I traded the 430 for a 458 Italia. Wow, again.

So, my journey has been one of trying to experience a variety of them.
Everyone is different.

 

I dont think anyone meant to come across as irritated. For those of us who have been around a while its common to see these types of threads. Then it comes down to "why cant someone use the search feature?" And a whole list of others that are trollish and wish to stir up unnecessary drama.

I figure you are a guy like most of us here who is asking a few questions to get some info. I have zero problem with that. Ask away and feel free to pm me if I can help.



PDG

 

I can't see any offence being caused so don't go worrying about that.

Owning a Ferrari is pretty much like all other relationships:

You get some who are committed to their one and only true love forever and a day, and then there are those who simply don't want to settle down forever and a day with a single partner, but would rather have relationships with several different partners and have different experiences over the years.

 

Ron , I have a question . Going from a 430 spider to a 458 spider do you think the difference is worth 150 k additional ? I have some friends that said no they thought it might be 50 -75 k better. Your thoughts ? Thx.

 

There is no right or wrong answer. The question is really how to you want to properly enjoy a Ferrari?

Some are content to leave it in the garage and admire it in their spare time. Some drive it as little as possible in the hopes that it will appreciate (see the 599 GTO threads). And some like to drive it as much as they can. My only regret is I live in the snowy northeast.

 

Drive it until it becomes more of a pain in the bottom side than it's worth.

For some, that means a lifetime of ownership. For others, that's maybe a year or two.

These are toys. They are completely impractical and downright illogical. They make no sense other than to make us happy. The day they stop doing that, it's time to get rid of them and move on to something else that will.

 

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Some people buy a Ferrari because price was less than they thought and want to give it a try and sell it later, BUT, fall in love with the car realizing how special it is and keep it for many years to finally buy a couple more.

Can't be explained, you have to live it the way it is for you!

But yes, DRIVE IT!

 

Great points.

Some extra things to consider: Ferrari changes the personality of their cars with each truly new model (not the refresh models like the 430 was to the 360). So Ferraris change over time. And then we all change over time. Our priorities might change. We might have the same passion for the cars but maybe someone has a tough financial situation that overcomes that passion and they are forced to sell- or on the other side maybe they some how come into more money and now they can buy a second or third or God bless even more Ferraris.

Its also hard to really know what you think of these cars based on a short test drive so sometimes you get smitten with the performance and discover the personality is a bit one dimensional for you or maybe you want more performance etc.

So as its been said before, its hard to generalize. So yes, the best way to enjoy it is to drive it. The second best way is to look at or wash it. And then drive it.

 

A Ferrari is nothing if it is not driven!
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Interesting question. I'll try to provide a few thoughts.
I'm sure others may disagree with me on them.

The big difference between the 430 and 458 is the dual-clutch transmission.
It is instantaneous as it upshifts under hard acceleration.
So, the 458 will pull harder g-forces in a straight 0 to 80 mph run.
It is the first car I've owned where it really does pin you to the back of the seat and the blood rushes out of your brain if you really rev it up.

My 430 had steel disc brakes so on my 458 the standard carbon ceramic brakes were also a big difference.
I can only tell the difference in the brakes on the track and only at the end of a long straight-away when it is time for hard braking before going into the turn.
At my local track, I get to 148 mph down the straight and need to be at 35 - 40 mph before going into the turn at the end.
The 458 can scrub off that 110 mph difference in an amazingly short distance (as long as you're willing to have your full weight against the seat belt holding you in).

Other than those two extreme situations (max acceleration and hard braking), there isn't much difference between the 430 and 458.
When the 458 first came out in 2010, the design was a stunning one.
But now that we've all seen the 458 shape for 5 years, the design passion has kind of mellowed to the point where the 430's design is no longer overshadowed by the 458's new design.

I would think it would be in your best interest to wait until the 458's replacement comes out (maybe in 18 months or so?) before trading the 430 Spider for a 458 Spider.
The arrival of a new hot model will likely make the 458s somewhat more affordable.

 

Time out. It may take awhile but You're going to get one and it will be one of the most remembered best days of your life. The first question you must answer for yourself is front engine v12 gt with luxury,comfortable cruising,roomy,easy to get in and out? Or mid engine,less room,more agility. There are if they are honest some more older or less agile owners of 16M and the like that will tell you how great the driving,brakes,handling is for 20-30 minutes and then they're looking for a nice spot for a time out. So first things first. Continent crosser or ultimate sport drive? GTS Bruce

 

I agree with this!

This is about as good as I could hope to describe it also! Great Post!