I need a counselor (kind of long)

Would you feel better about getting one if the price was still much higher? Is it an "I can afford it and you can't" ego thing for you? If it's really all about the "Ferrari experience" then experience the Ferrari.....

Call the quote dep't!

 

While I'm going on nearly 10 years of owning a lowly 2V 308, I have had the opportunity to experience a fair number of different cars, some of which are also in my garage alongside the 308.

I Don't know why I mentioned that, but to me it makes sense as it pertains to the rest of my response....

In my stunted exposure to the true super cars of the world (sarcasim), I have found that Ferrari falls into a unique niche of "overly valued objects".

The OP is basically saying, why was "X" Ferrari 2x the price of "Y" car and now it is not? Was "Y" car that good all along, or has "X" Ferrari come back down to earth and has a more reasonable valuation? Glad you asked..... becasue IMO, late model Ferraris are overpriced to begin with. Why do you think all the car mags compare the $250K cars with the $85K ZO6.....????

If a car performs to your specs, why would you pay +60% more for the same performance or experience...unless that "brand" name gets you into "X" nightclub or a prefered tee-time at your CC or more attention from the 25 YO hotties (hooches) that can't spell Amerika, and will cost you 1/2 your shxx in 3-5 years?

I love Ferrari, I love it's heritage, I love that the motorsports world is what it is today because of the drive and contributions of Enzo Ferrari and the company he founded, but there are dozens if not hundreds of cars past and present that can deliver "world class" performance & drivign experience right on par with any Ferrari, but don't have that magic word on the rear decklid or it's nose.

I know people who couldn't find the oil dipstick on a ford f-150 with a manual, both hands and a seeing-eye dog. Yet their garage contains a Bentley GT, 575, 996 T....etc. Only because that is what they feel validates their existence/lifestyle/standard of living.

The bottom line is that person needs to evaluate their true reason for owning whatever car they choose. If you want world class performance numbers, but don't need the full-on attention, buy a Zo6 or hyper charged stang (sarcasim again). If you have the extra $ and don't mind overpaying for performance, but want to be a part of the "mystique", buy the Ferrari. If you have the extra $ and don't care about either and only want your johnson stroked at every stop light, buy a Lambo....=)

Man I feel feisty tonight... that Woodford Reserve kicks ass on ANY Crown Royal product...alas, my whole point wrapped up in one scentence. Most people who think they know shxx about shxx, think Crown is the end-all-be-all, and there are dozens of whiskies and Bourbons that are better....

Forza Ferrari. Love the machine for the machnines sake.

 

Scotty, this thought process and argument if you will is the very basis of the reason for this site...

I thought about a new M3 (my daily hack is a 97M3) and test drove Porsche's (C4S) and some others. But Nothing, and I can quote Vince Vassallo who told me, "they are all cool, but they are NOT A FERRARI".

Work with me; close your eyes for a moment and think about the street car of your dreams. What do you come up with? If it is an M3, go get one - but my guess is it is red and costs a lot of money or you wouldn't be here on this thread.

But nothing, and I mean nothing is a Ferrari. Mystique, Passion, the sounds, the sounds, the sounds. Enzo, Ferrari Formula One Team, Tifosi, F-Chat, "Look, there is a _______ FERRARI!"

It is just worth it - as a lover of cars, there is nothing like this. Nothing. So if everything that goes along with ownership (all the negative issues) overtake the good ones to you, than perhaps something more conservative would be to your liking (Aston? Maser?) There are a ton of great cars out here, but they don't look like the one or sound like the one you are sitting in in the photo on your info page...

Forza Ferrari!

MB

 

Well said Matt.

 

Scott...

It sounds like you're trying to rationalize the irrational. When it comes down to it, no one needs a Ferrari (except for me, but I'm not well adjusted). Now is the time to buy - there's no question about it. Considering what's gone on in the Ferrari market as of late, it makes sense that you'd be hesitant to buy right now with the possibility that prices could drop even further. If you were in the market for real estate, that would make sense. But there's nothing practical about a raging V12 inches behind your head. It's a V12 - and it's raging!

In terms of sports cars and sports car ownership (take this for what it's worth, I've never owned a sports car), it's far more 'practical' (I use that term loosely) to buy a nearly perfectly balanced Boxster S or, an RS4 or an M3. They're fast, handle well and and can sound really cool and go really fast on a limited budget. But my first ride in a new E55 AMG (driven by an ex-Can Am driver) didn't hold a candle to the first time I drove a Testarossa. Different animals entirely, so replace Testarossa with 3.2 Mondial Cabriolet, Mondial 8, 308 GTS QV, et al (still different animals, but you get my point).

The clickity clack of the gated shifter alone is worth the premium of a 360 over a GT-R. The acceleration while sitting just a few inches off of the ground yields a higher level of intensity than that of any souped up BMW. There's not one single thing that makes a Ferrari more special than another car; it's the culmination of all of its nuances. Impractical, yes; but unparalleled to anything else.

If you're in a position to buy a Ferrari - and you want to buy it because of the unbridled pleasure piloting one brings, and not because of the ease with which you'll get laid parked in front of the local Starbucks - then I say go for it. You can try to gauge the market in the immediate future and maybe save yourself some money. But what's $10K-$20K over six months if you can replace that time with the smile-stretching, highway-apexing, endless thrills that come with being behind the wheel of one of Maranello's finest. Don't want to suffer through the depreciation of a new one? Buy pre-owned! Let someone else take the hit. But don't let indecision scythe through your time and means, slowly cutting you down to the point where you're drowning in a rising market. If it would somehow bring me enough money to buy a Ferrari, I would cut off my own balls with a rusty butter knife. Save your man bag and go get yourself the car of your dreams!

 

Any response I thought I would have for the OP is useless now. NNO your opening line alone is killer but your entire post nailed my sentiments right on the head. Nothing has the feel of my 430. I drive it a thousand miles a month. It's an occasion every time I start it up even after 2 yrs of ownership. Bottom line, there just is no way to rationalize buying a Ferrari. For me I didn't want a 430 I NEEDED ONE!!!!

 

It doesn't sound like you really want one bad enough again and at this time. Get your new car and see how that goes? You can always get an F-car later.

If you're looking for performance there are newer/other alternatives and if you really don't like the negative attention then it might just be a bad choice for you right now.

 

Well put.

 

Scotty,
You certainly can over analyze a situation that (after all is said and done) calls more for passion than logic.
If the zeal and passion are not extant then pass Ferrari for now.Once having tasted the Ferrari experience it will reappear-guaranteed!
Regards,
Marty

 

how else will you ever know?

 

There is absolutely no rational reason to buy a Ferrari. It is an irrational purchase which makes no sense whatsoever except to bring you joy. If you are concerned about depreciation, cost of service, practical transportation, what others may think or anything other that how much joy/fun the Ferrari will bring you, then DO NOT BUY. If you want an exciting car that will bring a smile to your face most of the time as well as make you miserable on occasion, then a Ferrari may be for you.

 

I find myself positively shocked to agree with some of the people in this thread, but that's another story. The above is pretty much dead-on.

I'm not a rich man, never have been able to afford a "big time" sports car. I've owned a few cars though, including an Alfa Romeo Spider (spent more time in the shop than on the street), a Ferrari 308 GTSi QV (never drove a day without being terrified of the car overheating and spontaneously combusting), a Porsche Cayman S (fantastic, balanced "baby Porsche" and MUCH more reliable than anything Italian), and now an Audi S4 (a deceptively fast "sedan" -- not quite the beast of the RS4, but not a wimp either).

What was the absolute most thrilling, unique feeling from all of these? The Ferrari, without any doubt, and it was slower and less reliable than all of them (except maybe the Alfa).

You will get all sorts of people arguing Ferraris are pointless, Ferraris are overpriced and underpowered, Ferraris are this and Ferraris are that.

It's simple. Ferrari is... Ferrari. It is unique. There is NOTHING like it. Anyone privileged enough to own one at some point in their life, should.
I'm getting married in a few months, and trying to buy a new house, and start a family, and so on and so forth, and the plain, sad truth of my life is I probably will never again have the kind of discretionary income it takes to own another Ferrari. As lucky and as privileged as I am (and I consider myself lucky, there are many people SO MUCH WORSE OFF than me), I don't go a day without feeling just a tad bitter about that. That is the power of Ferrari. It is not logical. It just is.

 

I had to own and let go to really get it. I had to throw it away because of the lack of reason to get to where I understood that the reason is the experience, and the experience is what life is about.

We only need food, water, shelter. The rest is the experience. How do you want that to be?

The GTR is the perfect example. At the end of your life, will you look back with a grin and say "I owned a GTR"..?

 

jhsalah, you are a wise, wise man. Cheers to a great new year for you and your new life, full of wonderful experience!

 

Oh, man, an Exige S...! Another car for which I lust nearly as much as a Ferrari. Is it simply a track car, or do you drive it on the street as well...?

So your dilemma is that you want another car, and another Ferrari is really tempting considering the current market turmoil, but since everything else has come down as well you want to keep your options open...?

I have the perfect solution. Buy a Ferrari you haven't previously owned! Which brings me to my final question: what three Ferraris have you owned hitherto?

 

Scott, you sound visceral-centric. If you're going to get a 550, you might as well get a 575M with the Fiorano Handling Package. I think a Testarossa, 512 TR or F512 M would be right down up alley. And the brilliance behind a Ferrari engine is its ability to run flawlessly the more it's used (so driving to and from work everyday with a wailing flat 12 behind your head would be both exhilarating as well as healthy for that 180-degree powerplant). The Modenas, the S240, the track-modded M3, the Porsche - those are all 'drive me and be THRILLED' cars. A GT V12 might not cut it for you unless it's lowered, has a stiffer suspension, Tubi exhaust and a manual transmission.

Why are you getting rid of the Cayman...? I would think it's an awesome car. I remember the first time I drove a Boxster S - I thought it was so incredible for an 'entry level' car. If you think getting in and out of a Lotus is difficult, you should try a Koenigsegg. Although the market isn't really soft on those.

Have you considered a vintage Ferrari V12...? No modifications necessary - a Daytona would definitely make you take the long way to and from work.

 

My first ride in a Testarossa with someone who knew what she was doing at the controls was incredible. That big-assed car is very rewarding on tight roads if you know what you're doing. Inadequately heated tires will get those hips swinging, but if you can keep them in line, the end result is pure bliss. If you're a track guy - and with such a collection of different cars - you'll get the hang of apexing in a gnarly red head in no time.

While you're still trying to decide, go find a 550/575M with a manual transmission and have a go. See how it fits, what you like and don't like. This will at least refine the decision-making process once you're ready to drop the hammer.

Maybe you should replace the Cayman everyday driver with your Lotus. Sure you look silly in the company parking lot trying to get in and out of it; but let's be honest, after a thrilling jaunt down some windy, 45-minutes-each-way-to-work, empty road, do you really care if people think you look like you have scoliosis when you're exiting the car...?

 

I think a 550 hits the sweet spot.
Beautiful styling, yet understated.
Front engined V12 with 485 hp.
Beautiful ride, with Tubi mine makes heavenly noises.
I get some looks but no tthe head snapping "hey there's a FERRARI scream."
Service longterm is likely better with traditional 6-speed...love that gate!
The prices are beyond belief.....from $225K now down to $85K!!!!!!!!!

 

Here you go...!

 

Scotty:

First, buy a trailer. Then figure out which race/track car you're going to buy to fill the trailer ( I keep telling you to go racing).

Second, buy a gift certificate for the best Italian restaurant in your area. Then buy a Ferrari to drive to the restaurant.

Third, remember price always follows passion. The other way around requires too much thinking.

Cheers,

Tony