You could buy a new 458 Italia but instead ...

I would easily take a 288 over ANY car on the planet. I don't know how practical it would be as a street car either, but, given the chance, I'd drive the wheels of of it too.

 

I would buy a nice driver Daytona like this puppy I saw at Tim Stanford's a couple of years ago. I will say that 355s, 360s and 550s are a fantastic value now!
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For everyday "ferrari" driving I would have a perfectly restored carb'd 365 GT4, and for my weekend blast it would be a perfect cond 246 Dino GT. I like the older stuff <shrug>. As someone else pointed out, the new stuff is too outrageously fast to truly enjoy on the roads. IMHO, you need a little tire squeal and body roll to have fun, and the new stuff won't do that below 100 over posted speed limit.

 

Well said, although for the money I think JazzyO's 330 GTC is much more car than a 458, F430, etc. That's a "forever" car that's uniquely Ferrari.

For $240K, an F40 would have to be actively on fire.

 

Good question and thanks for considering my premise; I feel that's subjective really. Believe me, I'm a car nut. And it would appear on the surface that the fantasy life of a Jay Leno type does hold some appeal, with no such thing as too many cars. However, even he cannot get to really know his 137 or so cars. It isn't possible.

But then, he's more about amassing and hoarding, a wealthy and "clean" version of the disease featured on the show "HOARDERS." Jay gets a passcard, though, because he's rich and famous and has all the approval from the car fans. But it's a disease regardless. The Sultan of B is actually far worse. At least Leno takes care of his cars and drives lots of them in daily traffic.

I would, at this point, put it at 5. That is a manageable and drivable stable, where you can get to know at least 2 of them really well by driving them often. The other three can rotate as weekend rides.

Sure it is possible, to a point. And I agree about limiting the stable. After a point, the number of cars becomes untenable. You become, then, more a collector and less a driver of the cars. I feel you can be both certainly, but will tend to lean to one or the other condition.

IMHO you have to regularly drive a car at the full spectrum of conditions for at least 4 to 5 years before you really know it, like it is an extension of your thoughts. Some savvy hotshoe would say no, I can name that tune in 1 year, but I feel that is the exception.

Also, my premise assumes that you are rich and can buy several Ferraris with cash at any time. Consider that and you will see who the collectors are versus the drivers. When I get a 512BB, and it sits among 4 other cars, I don't want to just have my friends come over and gawk at it, showering me with praises or jealousy. I want to drive it so I can actually talk about it.

 

I agree, and you will notice that JazzyO (as far as I can know from following his posts over the past 2 or 3 years) is building a well-balanced, prudent, tenable stable. He's a driver. Were he to add an Italia he'd still be good to go.

 

For me, I'd rather have one car that I know every aspect about how it acts/feels/sounds under every possible condition. Having several just means that I would have a bunch of cars that I don't really know very well. I have no personal interest in collecting/maintaining multiple cars. I just like having one to drive the heck out of.

I have never had the "collector" mentality though I have two good friends who have 10 and 14 cars respectively. In those two collections are some nice cars, including a original GT40, some nice old MB convertibles, a 427 Cobra, and other heavy hitters. Of all the cars they own, the only one I would take to have in addition to my 328 is an original 1964 Mini-Cooper S! Of course, as mentioned earlier, a 288GTO would be a welcome addition!

 

So presumably you'd buy LHD in a RHD country? Keep the leg you'd need the clutch. Otherwise, buy the 458 and leave it on Auto...

I'm telling you, a 365BB at full cry is seriously, seriously, seriously intoxicating (see tiny little teaser of my car attached, because of compression and poor recording it doesn't sound as good, as all involving, as it does in real life). Can't wait to drive mine again. Only 12 months to go...

The 288 is plenty practical. Certainly not less than a Boxer, for instance, and I have taken that on holidays in Europe (not yet without breaking down though... ). The only slight issue is the front spoiler, which in Europe can be a pain. I have unfortunately not driven one but seen a couple, also on the road. One of my all-time favourites too, just completely likeable. Except for the entry fee.

Very good point. It's another reason I decided to put my money into 2 restoration projects this year, and I plan to leave my collection as it is for a long time to come. I like getting to really know material things and becoming part of their history as they become part of mine.

It also depends on how much time you have, which is directly related to a) how much money you have, and b) how much time you put into your car hobby. If you do nothing else and you're retired with wallops of cash, I think you can enjoy up to 20 cars. But for normal people, it'd be much less. Personally, I'd have another 2 or 3 if I was retired with lots of cash. Something racy, something prewar, and maybe a historic rally Escort to do events in. You'd be pretty booked up for the year.

[EDIT: one thing I forgot, being a single guy with no life: it also depends on c) having another half or not. ]

That's very kind of you to say. But yes, I buy the cars to enjoy them and the only way that you can properly enjoy them (IMHO) is to drive them as intended. I decided to restore the Boxer because she just wasn't running perfect. And I don't want her to go for a drive, then mend something, go for a drive again, etc. The only way to get her to be enjoyed on the (too few) occassions that I am home in Europe is to have her in perfect condition. Then she'll be ready when I need her with little work to be done.

Hopefully, as my job is changing this year, I'll get more time to spend with my cars and take them out on the weekends as well as holidays.


Onno
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That is so what I would do if I were in the same situation...

 

The 458 is the first modern Ferrari I REALLY like. Not that I don't like the others, but I REALLY like the 458. My girlfriend told me, "It looks like a car the Devil would drive!" I'm sure it's a nasty car (in a good way). If I was given the choice, I think I'd wait, buy a TR drive the sht out of it, then when a year or two passes, pick one up for a good discount.

Jim

 

Love my 84 GTSi QV. Red/black 19K original miles and nice. Now, my 1198S is my fun ride and not even a 458 can catch me. That leaves around 170K for spending money.

 

That's a nice little teaser clip there, Onno, many thanks Sounds so inviting even if the car isn't properly sorted.

And yes, you can enjoy more cars the more time and money you have, or can to devote to the occupation. It does really take persistent seat-time, however, to really bond and create a telepathy with a car. It's just been my experience with multiple cars that the less I had, as I got rid of most of them, the more time I devoted to a couple. And it became more rewarding.

Perhaps I'm anti-garage-queen. I'd honestly rather go to a car show and enjoy 29 other Ferraris that just sit on the lawn --exactly as they would if they were my own-- sitting in a warehouse space, undriven. There's virtually no difference to me. I don't need to physically possess the cars that sit there to enjoy them as 1:1 scale models. Someone else can keep them for me

 

Definitely agree with you regarding the notion that there's a limit to the number of cars in a collection a guy can maintain properly. For me it's five or six - at that level there's a pretty steady, but manageable, rotating routine of brake rebuilds, oil leak fixes, electrical fixes, belt changes, etc. Any more cars than that and I would be falling behind for sure. Having four kids tends to lessen the amount of available time for garage fun too.....

 

"Now, my 1198S is my fun ride and not even a 458 can catch me. "

Well, the 458 should be able to catch you since, from what I've read, it has a top end about 25MPH above your Duck; it just needs a little room to do it! But I've been eyeballing an 1198 myself (sold my 996 in '06 when we moved to Mexico).

 

Having a 328 and a TR I would go for a 355 and a 550 and sit on the rest of the money for a couple of major down the road.

 

This is so true. I had 5 cars 3 years ago. I finally realized the daily driver is the one that really counts.

 

Completely in agreement.


Onno

 

Keep the Euro QV GTS. Use the 458 Italia car budget to get a factory race car - ex- F Challenge, ex-Porsche Cup and/or Ducati Corsa. Use the rest of the budget on O&M track expenses.

 

that's an excellent answer

you're a driver indeed +100

 

It will take more than a little while to catch me. Take my word for it. The 1198S is to the 996 what a 355 is to a 458.

 

I wasn't comparing the 996 at all with the 1198, just saying that the 458's top speed is higher than the 1198. I agree that there's no place in the real world that the car could, in practice, catch the 1198, assuming equally capable driver/rider.

Re the 458 and this thread. Frankly I don't seriously keep up with new Ferraris, even though the dealer is about 2 blocks away. I haven't liked the look of any Ferraris all that much since the 3x8 series though the 355 wasn't too bad. I never even heard of the 458 until this thread. HOWEVER, I decided that I should look at the Ferrari web site to see just what the heck a 458 is - since I didn't know. So I checked out the web site and then a bunch of videos/tests.

WOW, I'm sold! I'll agree that this is the first new Ferrari I'd REALLY Like to own since the 3x8s. Sadly, just as the 328 was way beyond my price range when it was new - it cost around 85k when cars I could afford were around 14k - the 458 is at the same relative level of being unaffordable. So there won't be one in my immediate future. Unfortunately, I suspect that in 20 years, when I might be able to afford a used one, gasoline will be a memory. Oh well...

 

Keep in mind that with the 996 you are experiencing performance that few Ferrari owners ever experience regardless of what they own. I hope that someday you realize your wish my friend.

 

Easy. 246 and 365BB/512BB though I may have to shop to get them both for 240ish.

 

I think I stay with Italia.

Sexy car. Best part is the front end, for me.
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