Jul 7, 2010 12:26:21 AM
- JoeRockhead
- Rennteam VIP
- Loc: Topside , Monaco
- Posts: 8033, Gallery
- Registered on: Sep 17, 2007
- Reply to: ISUK
Re: 458 Italia Supertest
ISUK:
Guys,
You are seriously behind the times on Ferrari reliability, sevicing costs and build quality. The new generation of cars can hold their own against anything from Porsche.
That's all fine and dandy for people who buy new and flip them every 18 months, since the car is under warranty the whole time. That seems to be the norm for a lot of folks and it seems to be what you have done as well. What about the enthusiasts who want a 355 or a 360/CS or even a 348? Guys are celebrating that they have reached 50,000km on their 25 year old Ferrari's! I've read on another site about owners of 430s who have had F1 tranny issues. Tarek, who used to post here, has had his car at the dealer for about 2 months now while they try to figure out what's wrong with the clutch. CS wheels seem to crack if you look at them the wrong way. There's always an excuse for Ferrari reliability and quality issues along the lines of "well, they're hand made" and "exclusive" and "it's a Ferrari" etc. Being hand made is supposed to be a hallmark of quality, not an excuse for half-assed assembly and sub standard parts. I'm glad to hear that the attitudes in Maranello are changing, hopefully because buyers are asking for more. Maybe now that owners are actually getting hit with real depreciation, they are demanding more from the company as that would be a great thing.
Yes, the switch to chains on the 430, and being able to do a belt swap with the engine still in the car on the 360 has started to make some difference with cost of ownership. The 458 and Cali may be reliable and well built now, but that isn't all of a sudden going to change the reputation of the brand. It will take some time (if it's true) to sway the masses. In the meantime, low mileage cars with a complete service history will be the pre-owned F-cars that sell first.