I think I'm done with Ferrari

Though I've never owned a Ferrari newer than '83, I'm pretty much on the same page as some of the previous posters in this thread.

To finally be able to buy my 330 2+2, the dream car of my teens, at age 53 was one of the biggest events of my life. After it was gone I had to have another Ferrari, thus the 308. I'm going on 11 total years of Ferrari ownership and though still a huge fan of the brand, ownership itself has lost its luster in the wake of other interests and pursuits, as well as by way of a range of operation severely limited by location in the inner part of a very large city.

So this beautiful 308 GTS - kept in perfect mechanical condition by the best indy shop in town and insured to the hilt - sits in the garage and gets driven to the store couple of times a week. Save the yearly $2K or so for the insurance and maintenance, I don't have any compelling reason to sell it, but with the cash from a sale half could be chucked into savings & investments and the dough left over used for some much wanted travel, needed and wanted home improvements, and a couple of high-ticket items for the medieval collection. That yearly $2K would be freed to be invested or used as needed. So it seems I'm sitting on the fence with the knowledge that after this one's gone, most likely I'll not be able to have another one.

 

Though you think you are done with Ferrari, how about Maserati?

 

If I were in your position, I would sell it, and do the things you want to do. Seems like you have some good ideas for the cash it would free up.

 

Haha

 

I found ordering a new Ferrari to be an unenjoyable experience-- they act like they are doing you a favor.

In fact I just cancelled both my Ferrari deposits today. I had one on a 458 Spider and one on their next generation car. I was told I was looking at Aug 2014 delivery and got fed up with the wait so i finally gave up. I totaled my 360 Spider back in March so being without an FCar made the prolonged wait extra painful. I did not have an enjoyable experience with Ferrari of Tampa Bay, so that along with the wait soured my interest. If they had treated me well I would have bought this car and many more as I was looking forward to being a regular and getting earlier allocations. I think I'll move to a CGT or FGT... possibly buy a used 458 spider. Hey... on the plus side at least I might be able to get a car with 3 pedals!

 

I believe what Mr. Mayor is forewarning us is that, in these days and ages, super cars are like dinosaurs.

When you have a E-class wagon doing 0-60 in 3.7 seconds, with air conditioned seats, four zone climate control, a good entertainment system/great HiFi and enough room in the back for all your ever need, etc. etc. all that for under $130k, the argument for forking out $400K for a Ferrari becomes harder.

30 years ago, my first Ferrari on European roads was usable up to, say 75% of its potential with my limited means as a driver and was highly enjoyable.

In today's environment, in Northern VA, any nice 4 x 4 is a better transportation choice.

I do love my '90 Mondial, but mostly on runs in the Appalachians mountains on week days when no one is around and anyway, with its 300 hp, the car isn't going to get me in too much trouble anyway.

 

The thought of getting schooled by a soccer mom late for practice is a little disheartening to say the least.

 

Remember when 300 hp was a lot? My minivan has close to that now out of a six banger.

Exotic cars are cool, make neat sounds etc..but other then that, what do you really get? Stuck in traffic like everybody else. Everybody else gets to really see the car in motion except you..the driver. You get to stare out the windsheild at the car in front of you, while they get to look in the mirror at a Ferrari!

I think they are more a social thing then any thing else. You go to the meets, rallies etc, that part of it is fun. But Porsche guys, corvette guys, miata guys etc, all do the same thing. They are just toys at the end of the day. Sorta like that tyco slot car set you had as a kid. Fun when it worked, but it wasn't offen they would last more then a year before mom and dad would have to buy you a new one.

 

Hello WilyB; Very Astute comment in regards to the power of even a utilitarian vehicle as your example of the E-class wagon.

Famous Muscle cars of the 60s-70s, ie; 426 Hemis, 427 Corvettes, 440 6-Pack Plymouths, cars that used to Rule the Streets, would now be humiliated by modern day Soccer Mom grocery-getters.

I have a nice eclectic collection of both American Muscle & European Sports cars..from 1959-1991. NOT a single computer NOR nanny system in any of them...PURE driving machines....as it should be...Alex

 

I disagree. Sure, manufacturers can drop big engines and multiple turbos in their luxobarges to create low 0-60 times to advertise, but there's no way those pigs can give you the experience of a Ferrari or other exotic sports car when the road starts to bend. I had an E39 M5. I considered upgrading to a new one but passed because they're just too damn big and heavy. Sure, they have great 0-60 times, but so what.

 

So you agree with me.

Somehow.

My previous DD was a '08 Cayenne Turbo and I could drive it on some of those little known Appalachian roads with much pleasure and much faster than my '90 Mondi. I still have m Mondi and sold the Cayenne. Just saying.

I am seriously thinking about putting back my '66 goat on the road.

 

Hello Dave; and YES the "luxobarges" DO handle. Even if you find it not to your liking. Don't let the facts get in the way of your prejudices...Alex

Just how fast is Benz’s Superwagon? It tops out at a claimed 186 mph. That’s fast enough to Vmax alongside a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. To rocket from 0 to 60 mph, the E63 needs just 3.4 seconds, making it a clean 0.5 second quicker than Chevrolet’s all-new 460-hp C7 Corvette Z51. It’s even 0.1 second quicker than the 640-hp SRT Viper. Quarter mile? That takes only 11.7 seconds and hits 120.4 mph, again making it 0.5 quicker than the C7, which had a trap speed of 117.3. I don’t mean to pick on the new Corvette; I’m just showing just how crazy fast the E63 Wagon is. In fact, it’s quicker to 60 and in the quarter mile than the following exotic machinery: Aston Martin Vanquish, Bentley Continental GT Speed, BMW M5 and M6, Ferrari California, Jaguar F-Type V8 S, and the Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. And remember: It’s a wagon! Of course, it’s not just any wagon. No, this one utilizes a hand-built, 5.5-liter twin-turbo V-8 good for a staggering 577 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. So, despite weighing a hefty 4703 pounds, the E63 Wagon boasts an impressive weight-to-power ratio of 8.2 lb/hp, or 0.3 better than the 3401-pound C4S. That said, all that power and pound-feet are worthless if they can’t be efficiently put to the pavement, and that’s where the Superwagon’s standard rear limited-slip differential, seven-speed MCT automatic, and rear-biased 33/67-split 4Matic all-wheel-drive system come into play. Whether performing a drag-race launch, accelerating out of a hairpin, or making a pass on the highway, the E63 Wagon is always surefooted and ready to pounce. 2014 Mercedes Benz E63 AMG S Model 4Matic Wagon Front Three Quarter And let’s not forget about the AMG-upgraded chassis, which keeps the Superwagon’s mass and oomph in check. Utilizing front struts with coil springs and a rear multi-link setup with air springs, as well as three-way adjustable dampers (Comfort, Sport, Sport plus) all around, the E63 Wagon can pull maximum lateral acceleration of 0.95 g, not to mention a figure-eight run of 24.3 seconds at 0.84 g. (Corvette fans, rejoice: The E63 cannot out-handle the C7, which puts down 1.11 g and 23.9 sec at 0.82 g, though it’s interesting to note that the Benz holds a higher lat g through the figure eight.) Plenty of that figure-eight greatness can be attributed to the massive brakes (14.2-inch vented and drilled discs with front six-piston and rear four-piston, red-painted calipers) and sizeable Continental ContiSportContact 5P summer rubber (front 255/35R19, rear 285/30R19), both of which collaborate to deliver a curt 60-0 distance of 110 feet. So what’s the Superprice? Considering the stratospheric performance and baked-in wagon utility, a very reasonable starting point o

Read more: 2014 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG S-Model 4Matic Wagon First Test - Motor Trend

 

Hmm, I don't think I do. I haven't driven a Cayanne turbo, but I seriously doubt it could give the same driving experience as a modern low-slung Ferrari or equivalent sports car. Porsche can do a lot, but they can't break the laws of physics. A heavy car with a high center of gravity but a great 0-60? Pass.

 

I stand corrected.

 

I understand, been there, done that. Now I know. Please try it. The Cayenne Turbo is the Swiss Knife of the automobile world.

 

Ha, I had a sneaking suspicion you'd cut out just that portion of my post.

I'm open to test driving it.

 

Shoot, my '13 350GLK SUV will do 0-60 in 6.0, perhaps a hair less - not near supercar performance but still quite respectable; fully equipped for all practical purposes. Total drive-off a good chunk less than $50K.

Thinkin hard about it as I type.

 

Have a look on YouTube. Search Mercedes sl63 vs Yamaha R1. You wanna see something astonishing and stupid at the same time, check it out..

[ame]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rVY51Q7q0os[/ame]

Fast machine for much less then what Ferrari charges..

 

Sorry, I can't relate. But, it may be because I wrench myself, appreciate and understand the engineering in the car, have miles of great driving roads right out of my driveway, and have one of the best road courses in the country a couple of hours away. I also generally do not care one way or the other about attention the car gets as I didn't buy it for anyone's enjoyment but my own. Most of these complaints sound the same as they've been since the '60's. "Difficult to deal with the company." "Expensive and complicated to maintain." "No fun in traffic." Blah blah blah. It's a Ferrari, ffs. They are never going to beg you to buy a car. They are never going to be cheap and simple. I know you expect that if you buy a few new ones, they'll kiss your ass like most other brands, but you need to realize that they don't need to, and that they have sultan of brunei types out there that are way bigger fish than a guy that buys a few cars in a decade. You want your ass kissed, go buy a mclaren, they apparently do that well. But, realize that no real car guy would ever base a purchase on whether his ass was kissed.

 

So stupid, but Im a bike fan at heart. The Ferrari is more of a socialization toy. It takes you into a more mature car fanatic crowd. If I want to go fast and get an adrenaline rush, bikes are the way to go. But dont do that crap anywhere other than a track, wearing full gear. 180mph on a public street is just dumb.

BTW, top speed of any of the Jap liter bikes is supposed to be limited around 300kph (186mph) due to a gentleman's agreement (much like the 276hp car agreement back in the day) Anyone who says they've gone faster on a stock jap bike is full of crap.

 

HOLY F___!

 

What amazes me about it, is the fact that the bike could not catch the car..not even a chance. This is how far car technology has come. Ferrari even with the 458 is behined the game when compaired to a car like the sl63.

 

Agree. The Mercedes is equally reckless. My thought is that if you want to kill yourself, fine. Just don't endanger others by driving like a total jackass on public roads.