So, what I've discovered about having a Ferrari in the garage is that I will take just about any excuse to get behind the wheel. Low on milk? I'll go pick some up! What? We need napkins? I'm your man! Back in a few! We only have six disposable plates left? I better run to the store and get more! This appears to be a progressive disease as the excuses are getting weaker and weaker, even to the point of fabricating reasons to go out. Stuff like needing to go pick up some copy paper for the latest manuscript while knowing full well that I have a pack of 500 sheets hidden in my desk). Does this go away? Does anyone else suffer from this malady? Is it just a "new owner" thing? Or am I doomed to spend the rest of my days searching to any reason, any reason at all, to drive my car? There are certainly worse things...
With 60k miles on mine Im the same way. I feel bad for the sub 20k owners who dont have the level of freedom we do with cars with miles on them... The only thing that stops me is rain.
Not good on the motor to go and do a 3 mile milk run Oil not hot enough....seals partly saturated,etc. They need a good 20 mile run taken up to high revs and held there for a bit once warmed up properly.
I used to do the same thing when I first got my Ferrari. Stopped doing it for many years, but the last few months I have been doing it again. I have driven my car A LOT this year, it's been great. Especially now it's Summer here with ice cold a/c in the Ferrari again.
Where does the OP state that when he "pops to the shops" he only drives 3 miles? The other week I needed to get some top-up oil for My BMW so I decided My options were: 1) Take the BMW and drive 3 miles across Town to the local motor factors and back home again. Or: 2) Go fetch the Ferrari, get the roof off, drive 20 miles to the next nearest motor factors, then go for a spin on some of our nice, twisty country roads before begrudgingly heading for home. In the end I went for the sensible option! When I got back to My car there were people looking at Me quite incredulously, as though they couldn't believe someone would use a Ferrari to do some shopping! I have to say that there is something strangely satisfying about using a Ferrari for what would otherwise be a daily mundane chore, and although a 348 TS is completely the wrong model, it still gives Me a bit of a Magnum P.I experience in that, throughout that series, the Ferrari wasn't just taken out at weekends or for special drives, it was used as a car to do daily chores, just as other "lesser" cars are. A Ferrari can make even the most mundane of tasks special!
My milk runs get plenty of high revs and oil temperatures. Another advantage of living in the sticks.
My 348 goes to the local store to pick up the Sunday Times - have to say that I warm it up and take the long way round - brings a smile to any Sunday morning. Then the car is good to go for the rest of the day as well.
Thats funny David... Thats exactly what i do any excuse to drive it. It took me an hour and a half and quarter tank of gas to get fast food from the store .5 miles from my house. This sounds like me all the time any excuse. Lets see people post excuses to drive car. I personally have had the usual ones, milk, bread,screw driver,light bulb,had to wear nubs off new tires, propane,where the noise is comming from,chase the icecream truck that went by an hour earlier,bacon,eggs,lots of diff foods,tools. Computer cable,movie,etc etc
Ice cream runs, take the small bin to the recycle center, grocery store, Dollar store, hardware store, they all get their turn with the Ferrari. I get to meet a lot of new people and they are more apt to approach and ask questions in the mundane locations. Alden
Shopping with a 348 is pretty fun. I love the funny looks when filling the trunk with grocery bags. Also great for those "one more thing" Home Depot runs, though not so good for hauling lumber Sometimes it's just a run for a cup of coffee though, even though I already have plenty at the house
If it ever goes away you buy a Prius and finally start saving money. The answer to you original question is NO.
High winds, rain or snow, below freezing temps? I leave her in the garage. I usually sit at the end of the driveway, waiting for the temp gauges to rise to close to 11 o'clock...making up places to go. 1/2 tank of fuel? Seems low let'***** the gas station! Looks like I need more detailer too. I drive it very conservatively, warm up the gearbox, and then visit 7500 RPM a few times, taking the long way just so I can floor it under the highway overpasses. It never gets old. I actually have a ten mile tour that takes me under 5 overpasses. Oops, the milk got warm. I think there is a cow about 40 miles from here. Let's roll.
When I had a PPI done on a car I didn't buy a conversation with the tech who is a Fcar trained and certified Master tech always rings in my ears. His words: "if you're going to Dunkin Donuts for a cup of coffee, don't go to the one 5 miles away, go to the one 50 miles away" True story
I am looking forward to taking my kids to school in the Ferrari also. I take turns now with their day care, unfortunately twins cannot go in the 348 at the same time. Might be time to buy a Mondial.
I don't bother with the excuse pretense any longer, I just do a point a to point a drive for the sake of it
With this weather in NE and gas prices, go for it! I'm driving a ton and still have only 14K on mine.
About a year ago, when I first started giving serious thought to getting a Ferrari, I strongly considered a Mondial cabriolet for that very purpose. The idea of loading the family up into a Ferrari and taking a nice weekend drive is appealing. In the end, two things turned my attention elsewhere: 1) The back seat of the Mondial is tiny, and not exactly car seat friendly. 2) In my opinion, the 348 is a much better looking car. I still like the Mondial, though. I could see myself buying one in the future.
I had to drive my F355 for 6 days straight while I lent my daily driver to a family member. By the 3rd day the car ran smoother & better than any other time I can every remember in my 10 yrs of ownership. This has opened my eyes. The F355(my F355) needs to driven. & it doesn't need to be driven hard. Just driven.
