LHD Ferraris in the UK | FerrariChat

LHD Ferraris in the UK

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by SavagePower, Oct 17, 2019.

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  1. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    LHD Ferrari owners, how do you find driving them in the UK?

    (And related, worth the saving? An example being a Testarossa, my budget won’t go over £100k)

    Thanks
     
  2. jtremlett

    jtremlett F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    4,696
    Probably better to ask this question in the UK section. However, it makes almost no difference at all. Doesn't effect insurance. You have the power you need to overtake things. Might occasionally get stuck behind something you can't see past but unless you're intending to use as a daily driver (and I wouldn't suggest you do) you'll not even think about it after a bit.

    That said, LHD cars aren't any cheaper to maintain than RHD cars and there are some about with next to no history and that may not have been looked after so tread wearily when buying.

    I'm not sure you'd need £100k to buy a RHD Testarossa currently though.
     
  3. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    I have a LHD F512M in the UK. It’s better around town and you exit onto the pavement. Slightly more annoying when overtaking on country lanes. Otherwise very little difference, except if you enter and exit car parks, when you have to park and exit the car (or have a passenger) to collect a ticket. Would probably be annoying at a McDonalds drive-thru also.

    As Jonathan says, be careful of provenance and I would not buy an ex-US car here. And LHD are more difficult to sell on.

    If you can find the right car at the right price, you’re getting the same car for 30 percent off.
     
  4. willcrook

    willcrook Formula 3

    Feb 3, 2009
    2,128
    UK
    could be worth renting any old lhd car to see how you get on first, I personally hate the experience but there's lots of benefits if you get on with them
     
  5. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Definitely no daily driver.

    Good point on overtaking.

    Testarossa below £100k I’ll keep looking!
    Thanks
     
  6. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK

    Thanks that’s helpful.

    Leave my Ferrari in a car lark- NO WAY! I don’t trust people in my daily (park away from everyone always)

    As for McD... I prefer ‘Waitrose Drive-Through’ ;-))

    It MUST have great history otherwise it’s a no go.
    What’s the situation with ex-US cars?

    cheers
     
  7. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2002
    36,206
    houston/geneva
    Full Name:
    Ross
    i had my lhd 512tr in the uk for years.
    its fine on the open road of course, somewhat of a pain on small country roads, and you have to remember to drive on the correct side of the road since the interior of the car is not reminding you!
    pita when coming to parking machines etc.

    the upside is that when you drive to the continent, you are like all the other cars !

    btw, other pita for a tr in london is you are too wide for some of the streets....dont test the bollards....they win.
     
    sammysaber and MalcQV like this.
  8. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
     
  9. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK

    Good idea! Thanks
     
  10. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    cheers!

    I live in the North so London is unlikely aside from meets.

    Bollards ugh I shivered at just the thought!
     
  11. Ferrari 308 GTB

    Ferrari 308 GTB F1 Veteran

    Feb 21, 2015
    7,716
    Tropical
    Talking of bollards, i imported a couple of 124 Spiders from California some years ago.

    Great fun around London until i managed to misjudge a narrow road in Highgate and scraped the right hand side.I had been through that dozens of times in the RHD 308 without a problem....

    But on a good day with the top down it's almost as much fun as a 250 Cali,hell from 20 metres with a squint it even looks somewhat similaro_O.
     
  12. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Mar 25, 2009
    12,655
    London
    Full Name:
    Sid Korshak
    I’ve had a few over the years, I didn’t get a lot of seat time in them all. The worst was a corvette C5, due to being on the left, overtaking was a nitemare on all but the straightest roads. Bugatti EB didn’t seem as tough, but maybe i didn’t drive it as much so the Vette gets more memory of scary overtakes!
     
  13. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    I did a 6 foot 6 width restriction in the 512M once. In Church Row, Hampstead, north London. Never again. Though LHD or RHD would have made no difference.
     
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  14. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Ouch!
     
  15. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Thanks, yeah that is my thought.
     
  16. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Christ that must have been tight! You brave man.
     
    daytona355 likes this.
  17. Rosino81

    Rosino81 Rookie

    May 25, 2013
    36
    London, UK
    I had a speciale in LHD in the UK. No real issues bar the overtaking which is a real pain.
     
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  18. Themaven

    Themaven F1 Rookie

    Nov 2, 2014
    4,252
    Eastdown
    Full Name:
    Darius
    Yes two white van men behind me were not going to back down. There was a tiny scrape thru the wheel as I edged thru but thankfully it was the tyre not the wheel.
     
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  19. jtremlett

    jtremlett F1 Rookie

    Feb 18, 2004
    4,696
    My experience is that you park at the far side of a car park as far away from anyone else as possible and when you come back all the spaces around will still be empty apart from the one right next to you which will contain a battered Fiesta or similar parked so close you can barely open the door to get back in.

    Incidentally, I haven't done it myself but I saw someone suggest getting one of those litter picker arm things to use for ticket machines etc. when you're on the wrong side of the car (RHD in Europe or LHD in the UK).
     
    SavagePower likes this.
  20. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Haha yes I’d already considered one of those, although not very ‘FERRARI’ cool is it (laughing face)

    car parks - don’t even start me... I’ll end up ranting. The sheer lack of respect & thoughtfulness in car parks is truly sad.
     
  21. Priley

    Priley Rookie

    Jun 15, 2015
    26
    Essex, UK
    Full Name:
    Pete Riley
    I ran a LHD 550 in the UK for a couple of years (I saw it went through auction recently). No serious issues but overtaking is frustrating and in these cars you’re going to be doing a fair bit of that. With this in mind I wouldn’t have another as it affected the experience too much. However I also run a Fiat Dino Spider, which were all LHD, but in that it’s much less of an issue with its relatively meagre 160/180Bhp making overtaking somewhat less frequent.
     
  22. SavagePower

    SavagePower Rookie

    Jul 10, 2019
    44
    UK
    Thanks for the feedback. It will probably come down to either having my dream car (Testarossa) in LHD or my back up plan a F355 in RHD.

    Hard decision.
     
  23. Priley

    Priley Rookie

    Jun 15, 2015
    26
    Essex, UK
    Full Name:
    Pete Riley
    I can recommend a 355 :) Never driven a Testarossa though. Plus with a 355 you have the option of a Spider or GTS too, with the open-top motoring definitely adding something to the experience IMO. Good luck with your search.
     

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