A very good example is actually Rolex. A lot of people buy the Rolex Daytona in steel because it has a pretty long waiting time, in some regions up to seven years.
But the truth is: most of them buy the Rolex Daytona in steel because it is actually the cheapest Daytona model.
Those who claim that they buy it because it doesn't look too flashy, should go for the Platinum model instead.
And no, I don't have the steel or the platinum Daytona. I just mentioned it because I had a discussion with a friend lately about this and it reminded me a lot of the "exclusivity" discussion we have here on Rennteam.com.
It doesn't matter to me if an item is exclusive or not. I buy something because I NEED it, because I WANT it or because I LIKE it. I would NEVER EVER buy something because it is something "exclusive".
But to be honest: I don't know if a Ferrari F430 would really fall into the "exclusive" department. How many do they want to build? 4000 or even more per year? I don't know, a Lotus Elise or a Caterham would be very likely more exclusive, not to forget the Lamborghini Gallardo or the Murcielago. So is it really about exclusivity what makes Ferrari addicts buy a Ferrari? I doubt it. I think it is the same reason we buy Porsche cars and SOME Ferrari owners may buy one to be young again (and to reduce the consumption of Viagra
) or if they're young, some sort of Viagra for the young without the side effects.
The reasons I never considered buying a Ferrari are various: I actually liked the Testarossa, the first Ferrari I drove in but at that time, I couldn't afford one. Then, there was the F355, one of my favorite. But Ferrari always had that taste of the forbidden fruit in Germany, not to mention the well known "pimp" reputation. When Ferrari introduced the F360, I was pretty disappointed. I never liked the too feminine shape. The new F430 is indeed a beauty and from a design point of view, perfect. But availability is limited (first cars go to long time customers or to people who are willing to pay a premium), the next dealer is 70 km away from me, official Ferrari dealers are extremely expensive over here (regarding repairs) and reputation isn't too good and of course my neighbors and friends would probably turn their back on me if I would drive a Ferrari, THE symbol of the rich (and sometimes
) beautiful. But again to be honest: I never ever had the desire to own a Ferrari. I like the Lamborghini Gallardo and especially the Murcielago much more and regarding driving fun (not posing fun
), the 997 is worth every cent.
I'm not a Ferrari basher and I'll never be. I like Ferrari cars and I'm not quite sure why Nick has to bash Porsche all the time. Maybe it is really his "hidden" desire to own one or maybe he just enjoys it to tease and provoke us. But honestly, my time would be too precious to do a similar thing on the Ferrari forum.
I think Nick needs two little kids, a working wife and a lot of worries to let go, I'm willing to share some of these with him (of course with the exception of the kids and the wife...
).
And finally, I would like to point out that there is no 911 in my opinion. There is a 911 Carrera, a 911 GT3, a 911 Turbo and hopefull any time in the future a 911 GT2. And if Nick thinks they all look the same, he should ask somebody who doesn't have a clue about cars what a Ferrari F355, F360 and F430 is. To most people, a Ferrari is a red, flat sportscar. And all look the same. My wife can't tell the difference and other people I know have the same problem. And as if wouldn't be funny enough: if a Ferrari isn't red, a lot of people don't even recognize it to be a Ferrari.
And finally, I was driving yesterday through the city in my 997 CS. Usually, people are looking, especially young people and yes, I acknowledge it, young women. Yesterday, I had a very old (50's) Mercedes Cab in front of me. Now guess which car attracted the most attention?!
My point is: people are attracted by the unusual, something they don't see every day. This doesn't always mean that they like what they're starring at.