Will Ferrari ever have an entry-level model again?

Not a Ferrari owner at this stage but my Esprit Turbo is keeping me happy for the time being. Ill have a 308 or a Mondy ragtop at some point in the not too distant future. Anyways... that brought me to thinking about how Ferrari used to *seem* to have a wider range of models to select from - like Porsche for instance. Way back when, you could get a Mondial, a 308/328 or a Testarossa. Plenty of choices and a decent price range as well.

Lately, it seems as if they have gone esoteric and the 458 clearly sits in the "boutique car", hard to get category. There is NO 308 equivalent anymore. There is no Mondial. Its just $250K or nothing. Thats fine and all but I would think they'd want to at least have a Gallardo competitor or something aimed at the Porsche GT3 as far as cost goes. But, they dont. Keep in mind that a LOT of enthusiasm for Ferrari cars comes from the used-market drivers/buyers. If it comes down to just being for the Jay Lenos of the world - a lot of that will disappear and the cars will just be swappede between collectors forever and ever. Boring.

Of course, the other really bad news for those of us that have to wait some years before F-cars are within reach is that there wont hardly be any models to choose from. 458's seem destined to be collectible and probably way out of range for many years, if ever in range at all. The california is kind of bleh, IMO and is still very pricey. I feel as if the 348 and 355, maybe the 360 will be the last of the decent/attainable used-Ferrari buys out there. The later model stuff is just way off the charts.

I realize that Ferrari is a proud brand and using the term "entry-level" probably scares some of the faithful. But, there isnt any reason why they couldnt come up with a Mondial/308 type of car for like $90K or so new that would then get into the $40K-$60K range down the road.... or is there a reason?

 

Honestly, the 308 was not an entry level car. At $33,000 in 1978, it was very expensive.

You can't have it both ways. You can't want exclusivity and cheap cars. Even if Ferrari sold the 458 at 80 grand, it would still sell for 300 given only about 1500 of them will reach the US this year.

Besides, Ferrari has plenty of entry level cars. It's the 360 and F430 and many 12 cylinder models you can buy for 60 to 150 grand.

 

They sell everything they make at 250K+ If you were doing that, would you lower your income by replacing some of those production spots with a 90K car?

"Used cars are our entry cars. We are not going to do any Dino. No way. Or a small or cheap Ferrari...what do you mean small? Less technology, less innovation...no, no, no. I don't know why that story came out, I deny it." -- Luca

http://www.motortrend.com/features/112_0709_luca_di_montezemolo/viewall.html

 

Paging bdelp... (who wrote the best post on "entry level" Ferraris).

- 458 will not be a collector car.
- 458 is the Gallardo competitor.
- A used Ferrari is an entry level Ferrari.
- Mass production will ensure faster depreciation than ever before.
- Only the halo cars will be modern collector cars.

Edit: That was fast Bob!

 

Totally agree on the collector issue. Only the limited hi-performance product cars will be collectible -- even the F40 has a problem. If they only made 500 of them, it would be more valuable than an Enzo today.

If McLaren had made 5000 F1's, the value would be half of what they go for today.

 

Back when they were new, the 308 and the Mondial cost about like four years at Harvard. And that's about what a new Ferrari will cost you today too - there never was an "entry level".

This ad from the '70s pretty much says it all:
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Great ad!

Actually the variety at Ferrari today is probably as wide as ever - FF, California, Italia, GTO. Pretty distinct range on design and function (2+2 to GTO), yet the pricetag will always be exclusive.

As far as a true "entry-level" F-car, you may find a few used examples at a reasonable price, but when it comes to service and maintenance you're paying full freight and "entry" goes out the window (quickly, and with style at least!)

 

Remember it was Luca himself that said an entry level Ferrari is a used Ferrari. Works for me since most of the cars Ferrari now builds depreciated faster than the models of 10-20 years ago. It won't be long before we see that first $100K 430. It wasn't long ago that the dealer was getting $25K over list.

 

"The Ferrari 308 costs more than the average guy makes in 2 years."

Today, or at least in 2006, the "average guy" (male, 25+) makes $39,403/yr. A new Ferrari 458 costs more than the average guy makes in 6 years.

 

Comparatively, the California IS today's Mondial and the latter was never an "entry level'' car when new ($63,939.00 in 1981). In addition, the Mondial’s price was above the 308.

 

If you walk into a dealer today and ask "What do you have under 100k?", he'll point you to a 360 or even a 360 spider with probably less than 10k miles on it from new with a perfect service record.

Tell me how Ferrari could make a low priced model and compete with that? You can't get more value for money

For what you get for a used 360, you can't beat it. It's a complete and total bargain.

 

Well - OK.... I get the "used Ferrari is the entry level car" thing. Maybe entry-level wasnt the right term to use since the connotation is usually negative.

To put it in perspective - you can buy 308 QVs in great shape right now in the $30K range or so. You can get nice Mondys from the same vintage for even less. These are roughly 25 - 27 year old cars, give or take a few years depending on what model.

Will 458s be $35K or so in 25 years? I have a feeling they wont even be close but I could be wrong.

Fair enough though - the used market is where the action is at. Im with ya'll on that. Guess we'll see, wont we

True - but the 360 doesnt "do it" for everyone. I dont believe some of these newer models are as timeless or as desireable as the 308 is but thats subjective anyways. I see what you are saying though - they certainly dont want to compete with themselves.

 

No. My guess is that Ferrari will "never" have an entry-level model. The entry level Ferrari is offered by Maserati, Alfa Romeo, ... within FIAT. They (FIAT) would be competing with themselves. It probably makes little sense from a corporate perspective.
Jes

 

I doubt that you'll see many 458's in 25 years. Too many specialty electronics and parts which are custom made and will make repairs and replacements cost prohibitive at a certain point. I feel this way about most modern day cars as well, not just Ferrari.

 

I think this is probably the most important reason why there will never be a "cheaper" Ferrari. The well-to-do are a LOT wealthier than ever before. Even after this week.

With the incredible choice and value in performance cars we have today, Ferrari doesn't even have a choice. They can't compete at the low-end where their cost structures don't match those in more crowded segments. Their market niche is at the top, with premium margins. Additional volume would undermine that.

 

Yes. It will be not so fast as the normally incredibly fast Ferraris. It will have a range of about 50 miles.

A grocery getter for posers should do well. Also, let me catch myself. They may not be posers. There are, in fact days that I drive fewer than 20 miles. 5 miles to school, 5 miles back. Wifes turn.

I am a viable candidate for this car as I select from various cars daily while being close to home and able to change at anytime. I for one, can easily see the attractiveness of a specialty vehicle. When I want to drive a thousand miles I take the appropriate car.

The real answer to your question though.

Well, I've committed to never say never with this car company again. We can only hope. In the meantime I'll continue to love the unloved. Think 308GT4. I love'm.

 

Look what Porsche has done with their product line and company. Brilliant IMO.

 

Theoretically, if you re-engineered an F430 so that it could be put together on an assembly line, reduced the HP/torque to "normalized" levels, dropped in a corresponding double-clutch, and lowered the quality of some of the materials, I bet you could produce a vehicle that falls in the category of "entry level." I guarantee that people would stand in line around the block to buy one.

 

I just think that an "entry level" Ferrari would defeat the purpose of the brand. Besides, who would want to say they have the entry level vehicle after still spending 100k? Even if the Italia/Cali have the lowest MSRP I would never ever regard them as the entry model.

Porsche has a completely different market than Ferrari (except for certain models). You can buy about 3 or 4 Carreras for one Italia depending on the options.

Ferrari knows what they are doing. Even with price tags where they are the company sells every build slot quickly.

 

308 at $33,000.00 in 1978 is $116,471.93 in 2011 dollars

not entry-level

 

I personally thought it was really cool the first time to brag about getting a quarter mil $ car for under $100k with only 4700 miles on it. Entry level owners are very well served by massive depreciation.

 

But is the brand only defined by new models? The "entry level" price of a used F430 is getting to the point where it can actually be considered "affordable." Would a $100k new car really defeat the purpose of the brand if it dominated the market segment?

IMO, a car loses its "exclusivity" branding once there is an over-supply of them on the used car market.

 

I hate to sound crude but.... tough.

If the 360 doesn't do it, some watered down Ferrari won't do it either.

Porsche makes some excellent cars, many of which sell new for 100K or less. Ferrari is not Porsche, nor should they be. That's what Audi is for.

BTW: The 308 is only timeless because it's been around for nearly 35 years. When the 308 came out, everyone hated the Dino. Which is more "timeless" today? Personally, I can't wait for my 458 to arrive. I think it's the best product they've made since the 308 and perhaps the best all around mid engine sports car ever.

 

Apples and oranges. Ying and Yang. Felix and Oscar. R u really trying to compare Porsche and Ferrari?

 

In 1978, $33K was an incalculable fortune to a 28 year old guy. I could have bought the house I have now for less.