If you sold your EMIRA what’s next?

[hellasf1]

Just for fun. If you sold your EMIRA and bought another vehicle what would it be? (Around the same price or less than the EMIRA)

 

[crestima]

I remember when those were “cheap”. One of the best looking cars ever designed.

Then I read about the service requirements, and tried my best to forget about owning the prettiest Ferrari made since the 1960s…

Yes, at 64 yrs old myself, I also remember them as much less expensive within the realm of Ferrari, but never really cheap for its time. Lately, they have appreciated like crazy. IMO, similar to the Emira, the F355 is a timeless design and one I should have bought a long, long time ago. I almost pulled the trigger on one, but somehow, regrettably, didn't. There's no further space in the garage now, but I'm contemplating selling my 911 S and, having been so disillusioned with the direction of the new 911s, who knows, I may want to take a second shot at an F355. As for its service requirements yeah, that just comes with the territory, specially for Ferrari classics, but then again, Porsche servicing costs in Miami aren't that far behind. You only live once, I think...

 

[cyanmauve]

Yes, at 64 yrs old myself, I also remember them as much less expensive within the realm of Ferrari, but never really cheap for its time. Lately, they have appreciated like crazy. IMO, similar to the Emira, the F355 is a timeless design and one I should have bought a long, long time ago. I almost pulled the trigger on one, but somehow, regrettably, didn't. There's no further space in the garage now, but I'm contemplating selling my 911 S and, having been so disillusioned with the direction of the new 911s, who knows, I may want to take a second shot at an F355. As for its service requirements yeah, that just comes with the territory, specially for Ferrari classics, but then again, Porsche servicing costs in Miami aren't that far behind. You only live once, I think...

I try to do as much work on my own car as I can, even big stuff. Granted, my experience is rather limited to common domestic cars, but in reality they all work pretty much the same. An alternator is an alternator, and a window regulator is a window regulator. BOSCH, Delco, Denso, etc., make most of the unsexy guts of a car anyway, so on the one hand doing work on a Ferrari doesn’t really intimidate me. It would just me sourcing a good complete shop manual for a car, ponying up the bucks for some car-specific tools, and figuring it out.

What bothers me are the service intervals themselves. I’m not sure I’d want to mess with that much involved maintenance on a regular basis, and I would have to, because I put a good number of miles on my cars. I think it would ruin the fun of working on my own car. And then I would end up paying someone else to do it, and then I would resent the labor cost. So, probably not the best car for me!

 

[cyanmauve]

That’s said, they tick all the other right boxes!

 

[seriously]

Yeah the F355s along with all the other vintage exotics were cheap just a few years back. But the engine out service was always a non starter for me. I don’t have that kind of money for maintenance. Was more drawn to the F340 but am glad to have the emira. It really does feel like the old sportscar formula at its height in a modern package.

 

[seriously]

The car I missed out on was the 912. All the g body vibes without the high cost. That’s a thing of the past now.

 

[cyanmauve]

Yeah the F355s along with all the other vintage exotics were cheap just a few years back. But the engine out service was always a non starter for me. I don’t have that kind of money for maintenance. Was more drawn to the F340 but am glad to have the emira. It really does feel like the old sportscar formula at its height in a modern package.

I’ve never understood the argument that Ferrari and other exotics are so much better built and engineered than anything America could ever make.

Like Corvettes or not, there ain’t a single one made in my lifetime (born in 1984) where routine engine out services would ever be acceptable to owners. It begs the question what quality means. After all, and F355, or any Ferrari for that matter, is a street car. If race care maintenance intervals are acceptable, anyone can build an engine and drivetrain that revs to 8,000 rpm.

 

[cyanmauve]

I still want an F355 though…

 

[seriously]

I’ve never understood the argument that Ferrari and other exotics are so much better built and engineered than anything America could ever make.

Like Corvettes or not, there ain’t a single one made in my lifetime (born in 1984) where routine engine out services would ever be acceptable to owners. It begs the question what quality means. After all, and F355, or any Ferrari for that matter, is a street car. If race care maintenance intervals are acceptable, anyone can build an engine and drivetrain that revs to 8,000 rpm.

This was the wonder of the NSX. Exotics were never expected to be reliable or easy to maintain. Just maximize awesomeness. Then the NSX came along and changed the game.

In many ways Lotus thinking is a bit old school. Maximize driver engagement but don’t pay as much attention to things like being able to drive in the rain. Lotus has come a long way but is still trying to grow up.

I don’t want a F355, but I would like to find a friend with one. Kind of like the yacht my neighbor has. It’s great