The running costs of a Ferrari

 The running costs of a Ferrari
Ferrari 550 Maranello

Expensive to buy, costly to run

It is very hard to join the Ferrari ownership club. The number one obstacle is money, or lack of it for that matter. Let’s say you have just won the lottery and you have decided on that brand spanking new Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. It's a lot of money but you have triple checked your new found fat bank balance and you're happy that you can waltz straight into the local snobby Ferrari dealer and earn a little respect from the salesman.

You’re seated down and the salesman confirms that your bank balance will indeed buy that gleaming Rosso Red V12 thoroughbred sitting on its carpeted platform in the showroom. You notice the salesman smirk briefly. You enquire “what is so funny?”. He says “oh nothing sir, nothing at all. Let me show your new Grand Tourer”.

Over the ensuing years of ownership you will slowly realise what the salesman was smirking at. It's one thing to be able to afford a Ferrari, it is truly another to be able to maintain it.

Linked below is an article documenting the history of one Ferrari 550 Maranello purchased new in 1998 for the not so diminutive sum of $225,000 USD. During the cars 36,000 miles (wow a Ferrari that gets driven!) it has over $65,000 USD lavished upon it just to keep it in roadworthy condition, and that is with a two year warranty in which costs were minimal. Click the link below to find out why Ferrari’s are driven so infrequently.

Source: SportsCarMarket.com

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 dmanero dmanero
come really, if you can afford a Ferrari, then the maintence fee is nothing to be worried over. If that is the case that you have only enough for a Ferrari, then you should have gone with it in the first place.
February 22, 2008 6:54 pm
 jsb jsb
V12 car from any marque is always going to cost a premium to maintain. I think this 550M is probably a better buy than, say, a Jag XJ-S V12. Why not consider the V8 Ferraris, such as the 355 and 360? They're still a Ferrari at heart and cost less to maintain.
February 22, 2008 7:18 pm
 benz_man benz_man
A 20 year-old Hyundai is a better car than any Jag XJ-S V12. Bad example. LOL
February 23, 2008 6:00 pm
 radmeister radmeister
Actually even a F355 is about the same, my dad's friend bought a used one with 20,000km in 2 summers he put on another 10,000km and then stuff started to go all wrong, he took it in to the dealer and it needed rotors, pads,shocks, timing, and head gaskets. With labour and taxes the bill was roughly 35,000$. He did all that and once the R8 was announced he traded it in for a downpayment on the R8 which he will be getting this spring.
February 23, 2008 6:52 pm
 afey45 afey45
when did that car do that mileage? it seems like it was in the shop for most of the year
February 22, 2008 7:48 pm
 kevoluetion kevoluetion
No wonder so many people sell their Ferraris after 10,000kms or so.
February 22, 2008 7:57 pm
 Pentium Pentium
I don't think that I will consider maintain cost when I'm going for Ferrari.. anyway...I prefer to get a BMW instead :D
February 23, 2008 1:03 am
 eddie eddie
Maintenance is still equated with the origin purchase price. A $200,000 car you buy 7 years later for $90,000 does not suddenly have repair costs of a $90,000 car. These cars cost as much as a small airplane and if you consider that, you realise that they really are not that expensive to maintain and well worth it.
February 23, 2008 12:43 pm
 Bristol411S3 Bristol411S3
I am suprised it is that cheap. A friend of mine worked out that in 6 years of TVR Cerbera ownership it cost me £60K (c. $115K) in running costs and insurance to do about 40,000 miles, excluding petrol bu including depreciation. Clearly, depreciation wasn't factored in with this example, although it is clearly a cost.
February 23, 2008 4:55 pm
 Get_real Get_real
'36,000 miles (wow a Ferrari that gets driven!)' Yeah, WOW, 36000 miles in 10 years. That's using it... Forgive the sarcasm, I'm not into Ferrari's. One of the reasons is this thing.
February 24, 2008 11:34 am
The Porsches is the best Sports Cars in the world Ferrari no.
February 25, 2008 8:22 am
The comments that I have read are clearly from non Ferrari owners. I have a F355 purchased with 18,000 klm. Now 2 years later I have done 29,000 klm. The only problems that I have had with the vehicle is from the previous owner having the car serviced by a non specialist who used non genuine parts. Having replaced all parts with genuine Ferrari parts she runs like a dream. I drive the car on a regular basis including city traffic jams. She runs beautifully. When there is a gap in the traffic further ahead, no problem to overtake to fill that gap. Point her towards a winding road or a racetrack you then understand what Ferraris are all about and the passion that goes into creating each one. The cost of ownership is only high if you have the dealer supply parts. All parts for any model Ferrari can be purchased directly from specialist Ferrari dealers for a fraction of the cost that a dealer charges. TI find the Ferrari dealer labour rates are no different to the labour rates that my BMW and Mercedes dealer charge. The car is reliable and delivers a driving experiene that no other make can deliver. To the Porsche die hards do not try to get involved as to the merits of a 911. I can afford one and have driven them. The Ferrari wins hands down on all levels, style, performance etc. Porsches are no more reliable than a Ferrari. For those of you that disagree are your comments from ownership or of what you have heard? Unless you have owned both you cannot make a valid comparison. Finally, anyone that is concerned with the costs of running a Ferrari, Porsche, AMG or M car you cannot afford that car in the first place. Supercar performance does not come cheap. That is why those cars are so expensive to begin with.
February 28, 2008 4:10 am
 BMWdude BMWdude
My impressions about Ferrari has been shattered. I now prefer only BMW and Porsche( Ferrari has been cancelled from the list)!!!
May 21, 2008 11:43 am