Depreciation Crystal Ball | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Depreciation Crystal Ball

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by Piper, Sep 5, 2012.

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  1. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 6, 2010
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    Bob
    I've already got inquiries into Woodside. With the required 20% down, it appears I'd keep up with depreciation. If I win both my re-competes, which I'll know in a couple weeks, there won't be much to keep my from moving forward besides working out garage space or perhaps my own common sense.
     
  2. nfg2507

    nfg2507 Karting

    Sep 26, 2010
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    Peter
    Thanks for your answers!
     
  3. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
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    You sure about this - go look again :) The CF seats are the most comfortable and much more leg room for the munchkins. Seriously, probably 3 more inches if you look at the design of the seat.
    You probably should call us from the dealership so that we can do an intervention.
     
  4. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Actually, since I just went through the exercise with two Cali's side by side and two seasoned, veteran Ferrari salesmen by my side confirming, I'd say you need to go have another look. I know it seems counter intuitive. The headrest on the CF seats is obviously razor thin compared to the standard seats. But the CF seats do not have flat backs like the standard seats. They have a 3" bump out that eats right into the leg room, unless I were to ask my kids to sit spread eagle, in which case, yes the CF seats offer a modicum of extra space extreme left and right.
     
  5. hotbmwm3

    hotbmwm3 Formula Junior

    Jan 11, 2006
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    #30 hotbmwm3, Sep 8, 2012
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2012
    It's not impossible to fit a third person in the rear seat for say an hour or two

    It requires the front passenger to pull their seat nearly all the way forward

    I'm not sure how anyone over 10 yo could sit behind the driver, I'm short, 168cm tall, so maybe 5ft 5 inches roughly, and when I have the drivers seat in its normal position there is only 1 inch between the seat backrest and the rear seat cushion making it near impossible

    This is one of the reasons to get a dealer that will lend you one go test for the weekend or rent one for the weekend

    Better to "waste" a couple of grand deciding if it's really the car that meets your needs

    I do not consider the Cali a 4 seater and I doubt any owner here would say it competes with a 612 of FF for usability

    The cali is a fantastic car, and at a pinch you could argue its (almost) a 3 seater with lots of conditions

    But if you really need a true four seater I would recommend looking at cars that meet your needs better

    But if you rent one for two days and you anticipate the growth of your kids over the next three years and the rear seats pass all your tests, then it shouldn't be a roadblock

    I Cary a third person in the rear about 30% of the time I drive the car and it suits my needs perfectly

    Had the Cali been a two seater only I would not have purchased the car
     
  6. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    If you go back to my earlier posts, my children are 4 and 7. They're fit and trim. I also have a habit of flipping cars annually and will try like hell to keep this one three whole years, if I buy one. I'm 5'11" and adjusted the seat close but comfortable, and had about 5-6" behind the driver seat at the center. I would need to actually put the kids in it and take a test drive, make sure their little feet aren't crushed in the process, but we're talking short drives only. It's unique among Ferrari/Maserati products being a 2+2 hard top convertible. I'm thinking 2012 to 2015 and would pray I keep it that long. If I get to where one child can't sit behind the driver seat occasionally, it would be a two years down the road.
     
  7. mjc_123

    mjc_123 Formula Junior

    Oct 16, 2010
    512
    NYC - Long Island
    I'm 5 6" and my kids are on the small side for 5 and 7 yr olds. with me in normal driving position, I cannot fit any kid behind me. I move the seat up just a touch and they can be wedged in there. so for your kids, the seat behind you will most likely not be fought over. one of only a handful of advantages being short...
     
  8. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Ouch. Okay. All the measuring and hypothesizing in the world can't refute your real world experience, obviously. So I'm kidding myself.
     
  9. atomicskiracer

    atomicskiracer Formula 3

    Mar 30, 2005
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    Seems like the answer is to take the kids to the dealer!
     
  10. mjc_123

    mjc_123 Formula Junior

    Oct 16, 2010
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    NYC - Long Island
    yes, absolutely. take your kids. the variable that we cannot account for is the difference in our driving positions. I do not like to drive sitting too close to the steering wheel.
     
  11. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I don't particularly either, but have some tolerance.
     
  12. mixxalot@yahoo.com

    [email protected] Formula Junior

    Feb 9, 2006
    357
    Carmichael, CA
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    JD
    Well I have driven both the Ferrari California and Mercedes SL63 AMG cars. The Ferrari has the status and nameplate over the Merc. However, in my opinion I prefer the gutsy engine of the SL63 AMG and looks better. Much cheaper used as well. No, for me having an F430 for weekends and Mercedes SL63 AMG as daily driver makes more sense. If the California dropped like a rock as do the Mercedes SL cars, it would be different harder choice to make. After all having the choice to pay 60-80k for a used California would be sweet to drive to work and then have another exotic like a Lambo for weekends divine!
     
  13. hotbmwm3

    hotbmwm3 Formula Junior

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    #38 hotbmwm3, Sep 8, 2012
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2012
    That's a great start, but I think replicating the intended use is important

    With the roof up it's also claustrophobic for an adult in the rear

    If the intended use is to drop the kids to school 5 miles down the road and no longer journies are normally taken it might be fine

    If you plan to do three hour drive weekend vacations with your wife and the kids that's different again, in fact even if the kids can last that long squashed up, the bags for four people probably won't fit, and certainly wouldn't fit if you want to travel with the hardtop down because of the loss of boot space

    Its a big purchase decision to make, so I suggest replicating the intended use

    You might even ask the question of the kids

    "daddy wants to buy a fun car, but it's important that you kids are happy, were u happy with the room in the car, if I bought this car would you be ........."

    If you get a response like "I felt cramped and I don't like it" then all the measurements in the world don't matter unless the kids are "happy"

    I also subscribe to the ideas of the last few posts that suggest that another car with more room might be an option in addition to the Cali

    I have a BMW M5 for when I need to cary four adults and I have a BMW X5 for the rain and mud and snow

    I don't consider the Cali as an all rounder capable of doing everything

    It's worth living with one practically for a weekend, theory (kids sitting in the back with the roof down, the car stationary for three minutes) and practice (an hour? cross city on a hot/cold day roof up and tall front passenger) are often different

    All the consultative processes are personally unfamiliar to me, I would simply say "I work VERY hard to provide the family with materialistic goods like a house in a fancy neighbourhood, private schools for the kids and Louis Vuitton handbags, I have decided to buy a car to reward myself, I hope you guys fit in it, but the number 99 bus is a short walk from the house"

    Yes, as you suspect I don't have kids yet :)
     
  14. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    It really would be more like short trips around town. Currently, we have two SUV's, his and hers, plus my Corvette which replaced the F430 earlier this year. Hers is a GL450, mine a Cayenne TTS. I love the TTS and I'm a little nuts to be looking to replace her. But she's at 63k miles, has a year of CPO left, and selling now I have a little equity and the peace of mind to the buyer that it's CPO. Rarely do I need it for real SUV duty. 98% of the time, there's either a single car seat center of the back row, or I'm without car seat. Only a couple times a year would I have two car seats, and it would never be a necessity. When we're all going somewhere, it's the GL. There's just too much **** to haul with the kids. I often have that single car seat in my Corvette. I often have to pick up one or the other, but rarely both and if I did, it would be because the wife was busy and not with me, and therefore still would not "need" to put a child behind me. Having all four of us in the car is not critical at all. It's novelty, and rationale. I'm idealizing the scenario of driving us all together to fairs or around town once in a while, but truth be told it would be a manufactured event to get us all in my car rather than the GL.
     
  15. hotbmwm3

    hotbmwm3 Formula Junior

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    Well I think you have answered your own questions :)

    For the purposes of convincing the family, you are going to buy "the four seater" :)

    And it doesn't matter if they don't fit because you have an an SUV

    Problem solved

    Buy the two seater Ferrari with the rear seatbelts :)
     
  16. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
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    Wow just looked at Ferrari of Seattle's inventory
    - 2012 Maserati's are taking a 40% hit - new
    - 2012 & 2011 458 still at sticker for used
    - 2012 & 2011 California just below sticker for used

    So I guess the crystal ball says stay away from Maserati :)
     
  17. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
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    Or if you buy a Maserati, buy used!
     
  18. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    We'll be buying a Quattroporte at some point. My wife wants one. Sure as hell won't be new. Our ideal garage would be her GL, the Quattroporte and my Ferrari. I made a mistake buying the Corvette. I have a feeling the Chevy will end up parked outside by next year.
     
  19. Ice9

    Ice9 Formula Junior

    Jun 22, 2004
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    Great thread so far.

    I think you should consider the 612 over the Cali. While the convertible feature of the Cali makes it very versatile, you don't seem to need that as much.

    Based on the title of this thread, you DO care about depreciation and I think a 612 is on the flatter part of its depreciation curve. Your second biggest concern is rear seat room and your kids will have more room and comfort in the back seat of a proper 4 seater. Also, since you have already owned an 8 cyl Ferrari, it might be kind of fun to mix it up and experience a 12.

    Either way you are in an enviable position and I look forward to hearing what you decide!
     
  20. forgeahead

    forgeahead F1 Rookie
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  21. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I've been watching 612's for a long time, nearly bought a 2005 last winter. And I agree on your points, certainly. Car buying is always a tug-o-war between what I want and what makes sense, and what I can convince the wife makes sense :) Not sure trading a '06 Cayenne TTS for a 612 the same age would feel like a win in any category. I do like them though. An '08 or better OTO would be great, but then I'm close enough to the Cali price tag that it's a hard sell all over.
     
  22. WJGESQ

    WJGESQ Formula 3

    Dec 30, 2004
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    They constantly judge, critique and hound. Many men start a pattern of appeasement unwittingly. Then it spirals. And spirals out if control. Then these well intentioned men slowly find themselves explain every move. Then they find themselves asking permission.


    Slippery slope my friend.
     
  23. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Further derailing; my wife asked me to take over this evening so she could grab a shower. So I finished feeding our little girl, helped her through her homework, turned everything off and as I was walking her upstairs I could here my wife complaining from the other staircase that it was time to go upstairs. I responded, we're on to bed, right on time. She WAITS at the top of the stairs until I'm within two yards of my daughter's bedroom door and then starts complaining again that in the morning she couldn't get up and rant rant rant rant. She never has our child to bed any sooner, and I was already almost in her bedroom but she had to complain. It's in their nature. I'd been calm all day. Now tense. To hell with her Maserati :D
     
  24. mtarvydas

    mtarvydas Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2011
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    No get her the Maserati, it will break down every week and then let her deal with it :)
     
  25. Piper

    Piper Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Heheh...I'm actually getting pretty good feedback on Maser's '08 and later anyway.
     

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