So what does it feel like ?

The day I drove my 550 off the lot I was scared. I knew everyone was going to hit me and I would side swipe every car on the road. Darn. I was a nervous wreck driving it home. It took me many weeks before I felt comfortable drive the 550. Now it is Bonzi.

Only drive 12 cylinders

 

Unreal. I got the shakes for about the first two weeks of owning it. After almost 8 years, its aquired that "well broken in baseball glove feel". Still love it.

 

The best feeling any car can give you... When I drove mine back, the feeling was unbelievable... yes, I never really believe that I actually own a Ferrari. The car wasn't perfect but that didn't really matter. I was so proud, so excited, and happy. Then the car stolled right in the middle of the street for about twenty minutes then it started again. Actually, It has been terrible with the problems before all problems were discovered and fixed but that did not matter, I enjoyed every minutes with it... It can never be a disappointer, because it makes you so happy that however she drive you forgive her.... because she is a Ferrari...

 

Well, the first time I drove mine was a test drive before I actually bought it, with the then-current owner in the passenger seat, so I don't know if that counts. But it was the first time I had driven any Ferrari, so that was a thrill in itself. (The first time I had even ridden in a Ferrari was about 2 hours earlier, when he had picked me up at the airport in his Testarossa!)

When I got the car back to Georgia, I couldn't even drive it for over a week because the insurance hadn't been set up yet. (I did back it into the garage but that doesn't count.) That week was rather excruciating!

When I did finally take the car out, it did seem a bit surreal. After all, this was now my Ferrari, the culmination of a 30+ year dream. I took it easy for awhile, since I was still learning the idiosyncracies of the car (like the useless right-side mirror that I very quickly replaced the glass in!).

 

Better than sex............well, almost.

 

I spent 16 years dreaming about getting my 308. Finally got it and drove 175 miles home with an engine missfire. As soon as I turned onto my street I blew the water pump too. I couldn't drive it until the next weekend. I would come home from work and just sit in it.

It was a MUCH better experience when I was simply dreaming about that day.

 

Bliss. Joy Unadulterated.

 

Funny, that's how I felt the first time ever I drove a Ferrari.

However, driving for the first time "as an owner" was an entirely different experience. Like a few others on this thread, I was scared sh*tless. And to top it off, I picked it up at 10PM. Needless to say, it now fits like a well worn shoe. Although I still don't drive it with reckless abandon as I do with my daily driver.

 

It just felt natural.

DL

 

I love this response! I really can't wait to own my first Ferrari. In fact, I can't even say I have had a ride in one. Although I'm sure that day will come sooner or later.

 

The sweaty palms and paranoia go away after a little while.

Still a special drive but more fun and less nerve racking now.

 

First time I drove mine was on a beautiful afternoon in Seattle Wash.
The sales rep pulled it out and drove a few miles then pulled over and we switched. It was certainly very surreal. Then after we got back there were some people at the dealership looking around (mostly BMW's) and were drawn towards the car. I'm sure the grin on my face was huge as I told them I was buying it. In fact the dealer already had a sold sticker with my name on the windshield when I arrived. Everyone was genuine. Owner of the dealership even gave me a Porsche boxter to drive until the next day. On the way home at the Seatac airport most people were grouchy about their flight delays or whatever as usual. not me, I was still all grins, When asked by the security personnel about my Ferrari travel bag I told them and they were all grining and wanted to see pictures, which of course I showed them, It was great.
It broke up the monotony of their day. That drive and overall experience in Seattle resonated with me all the way back to Texas.

 

Got an old carbed 308 with a few issues. The throttle and idling was very erratic running from 700 to 2200 RPM at stoplights, probably from a couple years of inactivity. That made it a little tricky to get off the line cleanly and the first 100 miles or so were tricky. Once a few Italian tuneups were gingerly administered, It felt and still feels as Darth 550 said; perfectly natural.

As a matter of fact, the Boxster S wen't unused for a good two months. I just couldn't stay away from the thing.

 

That about sums it up for me. A couple of days after my purchase I went to an exotic car event. I met someone that had just purchased his first. We kept talking about how we couldn't believe we actually owned these cars. It just seemed so unreal.

 

First drive: Well, after 15 minutes of the transport driver trying to get it started ('82 308 GTSi), pulled it into the parking lot at work (where it was delivered in front of several hundred co-workers).

Another 15 minutes to get it started to drive it 1/2 mile home.

Day 2: 15 minutes to get it started to drive it to Emissions Station, where it over heated and had smoke pouring out of the engine grill. Inspector said he had never sen a car fail so bad in 10 years of doing inspections.

let it sit until Day 7: try taking it to a more 'fly-by-night' place for another emissions check....they wouldn't even hook it up, said it would be a waste of their time and my money.

Day 10: take it local Ferrari shop, ask them to adjust FI and whatever to get it running right. 14 days and $12,500 later I pass emissions.

Day 10+: my 308 had now become one of, if not the best, running cars I ever owned....if only it didn't need something new and expensive every 4-5 months I would still have it!

Got another porsche now....

 

It took me several weeks to get used to the look outside the front: Those wheel arches made it look so big. Normally I drive always close to the edge of the road, but with the 308 I kept it dead center for several weeks until I developed the feel for how wide it really is (which isn't that wide, but it just looks that way). Now it is second nature and every drive is pure joy.

 

Like a warm apple pie... Oh wait, you said to drive your own ferrari:

I remember picking it up at the mechanics (I had bought it sight unseen) while he finished up some work. Checking out every inch, sighing in relief that it was just as the photos and PPI suggested. Then the wait for him to finish up so I could begin the drive home.

The car was in San Jose, and a friend and I flew up from Orange county that morning to pick it up, and drive it back. When the mechanic finished, he took it out for a test ride to make sure it was all working correctly. It was, and we were ready to go.

The car needed to be turned around in the parking lot, and there wasn't a whole lot of room, and several nice ferrari's around. I was scared to do it, afraid I might hit one of the other cars and asked the mechanic to do it. He did, and we got in and left.

First stop was just down the road at a taco bell to get some lunch before we left. I parked it and went inside. We ordered our meals, and just ate by the window, looking at the car.

Back out, and out onto the highway. After about 5 minutes on the highway, I just yelled out: "Holy SH-T, I'm driving MY ferrari". It was a wonderful feeling. After 2 years, the car is still a pleasure to drive.

Dom

 

I live in Manhattan, where no delivery truck can enter, so I asked Intercity Lines to meet me in Jersey. They called the night before and we scheduled a pickup for the afternoon. As I jumped into a cab, I felt a medley of emotions. Excited. Nervous. Somewhat apprehensive. Seeing the car being backed out of the truck was amazing. Getting into it and driving off was unreal. Never having driven in or around Manhattan was nerve-wracking, as the roads are spaghetti-central, not to mention pot-holed as heck! But driving her and, at the end of it all, seeing her tucked away was an unforgettable experience.

 

The first time behind the wheel was accompanied by a mixture of feelings - "after all this time, can this be real" - "dreams can come true", etc. If I had to pick one word it would be exhilaration (with a light overlay of disbelief). When not driving, regular trips to the garage to look at were and are a regular thing. It brought home the real meaning of the beautiful phrase - "That's MY Ferrari". Silly perhaps, but the feelings show no signs of abating and each drive is more fun than the one before.
John

 

I bought my TR in Florida and immediately left it at a local place for a major service. Went back to SC and waited six weeks until I got the call that it was done. Near insane from anticipation, I took a Greyhound bus back to Jupiter to pick it up because I couldn't find a buddy that was free on Valentine's Day weekend to give me a ride.

Absolute paranoia and misery for the first six hours as I drove 'my' wide-ass TR in pouring rain up I-95 with construction and Jersey walls nearly the whole way.

Stopped in Jacksonville for gas, and like a movie, the skies cleared, the roads became passable and I was grinning like an idiot for the remaining three hours.

That was eight years ago and it's still the same, even with two more exotics in the garage. I really expected some buyer's remorse having dreamed of a Ferrari my whole life and having shopped for 18 months for the 'right' car. You would think that you would build it up so much in your mind that it couldn't possibly be that good in real life. But you'd be wrong...

 

A wonderful feeling I couldn't believe it had really happened. I felt like I was flying on the express way, but I wa only doing 70.

 

I bought my 1967 330 GTC sight-unseen but the dealer agreed to return my money if I was displeased. After spending an hour or so with the car, I drove it from Atlanta, Georgia to Rochester, NY. As soon as it was in the garage for the winter, I started taking it apart - I did not like the blue color so I painted it yellow.

Painted it over the winter and drove it everywhere during the summer. It was fantastic.

By the way, I bought it in November of 1975 and I still use it regularly.

Bob Z.

 

good