Scottish Elises

So, when I was 25 I promised myself that by the time I was 35 I'd have a Ferrari.

Not very original I know but I have always had a thing for them ever since I saw a red 308 as a wee boy. Come this Saturday I'll only have 4 years left to accomplish this goal. I have a feeling that I'm not going to get there (what with life getting in the way and such) but it's good to keep the dream alive.

Strange thing is it's not a 355 or a 360 or even the original 308 which my heart desires, it's one of these:

http://pistonheads.com/sales/3045160.htm

TDF Blue, Tan Hide, Manual. You can pick them up for around the £30 - 40K mark these days (yes I know running costs would be astronomical )

Am I alone in thinking this is the prettiest Ferrari made in the last 20 - 30 years? Something about it just makes me want to buy one, take a month of work and head down to the south of France with the wife and tour europe.

Fast, elegant, a gentleman’s Ferrari. The new FF does cock all for me and tbh, I'm not even that blown away by the 458...

Bit of a pointless post but I guess it'd be nice to find out peoples dream cars......

StiflerMR2 wrote: Am I alone in thinking this is the prettiest Ferrari made in the last 20 - 30 years?

YES!

Not pointless at all mate, and believe it or not something that's been at the forefront of my thinking recently.

When I was 15, my mates were all into football, boozing and smoking. I took a decision one day whilst sat on the throne reading a copy of Top Gear Magazine that contained a review of the Bently Azure, Porsche 993, Merc SL and I think a Diablo. I thought that if I was ever going to own one of those I'd have to sit down and study for it. I made myself a promise that if I did that, I'd reward myself with a ferrari by the time I was 30.

30 came and went last year and no prancing horse. Instead there were mortgages, a wife and a nipper .. with nothing even resembling a performance car on the driveway. This got me a little more focussed on what I really want to do about the situation. I was down in the cotswolds recently and from a garden 200 yards away from a noise I heard, I knew I heard a V8 ferrari starting up. Out I went with the nipper and sure enough, a black F430 spider was burbling away down the road.

Porsches are great cars, but they'll never evoke that sense of desire that a fezza will. Needless to say I've been thinking about how to get hold of one since.

In my view the prettiest ferrari of modern times is the 355. I've never really got on with the 360, but I do feel I'm warming to it. The 355 has all of the boyhood supercar essentials: pop up lights and a mid-mounted V8. Ideally I'd have a manual as the F1 boxes in them are pretty primitive y today's standards. Downsides? I hear they're not the cheapest to maintain (Interested to hear how Rossatron's is going btw) and they will be getting on a bit. They might not even be 'that fast' given how we've all become used to 200bhp+ hot hatches thesedays!

So, to the 360 - apparently one of the first fezzas you could use as an everyday car where the engine is easily accessed to servicing costs are more paletable. I'm told that the one to get is the manual - quite difficult to find given the popularity of the paddles. I am warming to the shape of it more (is it because I think it is in budget? I have a habit of convincing myself I like cars I previously didn't once they look affordable...) but I think it would have to be black. My 355 would have to be black, too. I love the idea of a stealth Ferrari with the wing shields. Not too fussed about interior colour, but it has to have a stick shift.

Anyhow, I don't see me owning one until I buy a garage. No-one in their right mind leaves a fezza parked in the street. You could leave a porsche parked in the street and 9 times out of ten (GT cars aside) no-one would notice it. Perhaps that sums up the difference.

I said I'd have a Cosworth by 25 (well it was the 80's). I did acheive this goal but because I'd gone all out for it, it turned out to be a bit of a distaster when I couldn't afford to repair it when it broke. Sat on my folks driveway for years and then I got rid and haven't looked back. It's not all what you expect it to be, and don't rush in when the opportunity arises are just some of the lessons learnt there. I suppose with an older head on ones shoulders these young boy mistakes are easier to avoid.

Gareth wrote:

StiflerMR2 wrote: Am I alone in thinking this is the prettiest Ferrari made in the last 20 - 30 years?

YES!

Its nice but a long way from being the prettiest.

When I was in my teens I vowed I would have a Lotus before I was 30 - got my first Lotus when I was 28 thanks to some good property deals and my first brand new Lotus when I was 30. On number 8 now.
My other aim was to get a pilots licence before I was 40 - Long term Lotus ownership saw to it that my money went into cars instead

Great post Greg. The lure of a Ferrari is always going to be there for me and I understand the 355 vs. 360 comment. This morning on the walk to work a red 360 drove past, as fate would have it I was walking past a tunnel and the chap kindly obliged with a bootfull It seems to get better with age and a CS is a hell of a thing (I actually prefer them to Dave's 430 scud).

I think come Saturday I may revise my goal down to getting back into a Lotus in 4 years time. That'll make me a happy boy and is a much more realistic target (considering the wife is banging on about kids on a daily basis....)

Better hope F1 2011 sells a load of units and I get a nice juicy bonus

ETA: seems I am alone - oh well that can only be a good thing - perhaps that'll drive the price down further!

StiflerMR2 wrote: ETA: seems I am alone - oh well that can only be a good thing - perhaps that'll drive the price down further!

Don't think so :-


http://www.scottishelises.com/phpbb/vie ... t=+ferrari

I think the 456 has got to that age where it's looking old as opposed to classic. I think it's got the potential to be more of a Daytona than a 412 though - I think age will see it come back into vogue. Still won't ever be the most classic, but I think a strong following will be had in the future...

Maybe I lack imagination but....

I never did the drool over cars as a kid as I was more interested in lego, starwars and my sinclair spectrum, it wasn't until I passed my test that cars were of any interest. And as Rallying was cool and even though group B had passed me by I wanted a 6R4 (still do) so at 18 I settled for the only thing I could afford on £35 a week an austin metro 1.3l and set about changing it into a 6R4 alas (or maybe not ) that fell through when the police parked a panda car on the drivers seat

So parents car it was for a while until I got myself a Metro Gti, I really wanted one, I really like the shape.

I put that in a ditch

The only thing I wanted after that was free insurance (i'm a practical sort) I got the clio and I didn't bother much in that period of time I did have a thing for a detomaso pantera but never really went I want and will get one.

During that period howerver I watched the elise making of video on men and motors or something and as an off the cuff remark said I will get myself one of those before I am 30. This didn't go down well with the people I was watching it with as apparently I should be getting married instead (WFT!) as thats what the bloke sitting opposite had done he could of bought a porsche but choose marriage instead (muppet)

I escaped that and the idea went to the back of my mind until I was 29 years 8 months old when while searching autotrader for something sporty and 2 seater I realised my disposable income and elise depreciation had become synchronised and on the 26th of August 2006 I bought one.

Best descision ever (Don't tell Ann)

As for what I really want in the future who knows, supercars although fantastic I don't care for having one sitting on the drive, this is also the same reason why I haven't replaced the clio yet. Nothing is floating my boat.

Red Ferrari Daytona, and very nearly bought one.

Had a V12 E-Type back here when I was out in Oman, but I was not the sensible, law abiding citizen then as I am now, and wrote it off on the M3 after an all weekend debauchery session. Insurance company paid out the £2.2K replacement value for a two year old car, War finished so came home shortly afterwards with a Gulf Air Hostie in tow, and started looking for the Daytona. Bought a new Alfa Sud Gti to get around with, had a short list of two at £6.5K, then next thing I know I am at the Registrars Office with said Hostie.

Bought a house instead near Derby.

tut

i have a soft spot for a 612 - own one I dont think so.

I do prefer the 355 over a 360 or a 430, unless we are talking CS or Scud. 458 but i think thats just lust over love.

this is my friends pauls new toy.

I just want a Murcielago

Peter wrote:I just want a Murcielago

out of the frying pan.............................

Scotty C wrote:

Peter wrote:I just want a Murcielago

out of the frying pan.............................

Into the furness! At least I'd be bankrupt and happy Oh and i'd like an EC120 Eurocopter too..

456 does hee haw for me either 328, 355 then 458 is by far the prettiest of the new ones and I'd love one although the 430 sounds the best of the V8's to my ear