Pista pricing question...dealer sent my total today

A line?

 

At least in the US, the dealers have lists of customers that want a Pista but Ferrari has not approved them including me and I have bought 8 new Ferraris in the past 9 years!!

 

I have tracked every single car of mine (for the exception of my wife's SUV) and there is no more joy or better/safer place to enjoy your car. Well, for those of us living around places with rolling hills, it's awesome thrill too; but hopefully at legal and safe speeds.

 

“Too big to fail?”

 

I don’t love the Pista pricing anymore than anyone else, but there’s nothing to suggest that Ferrari has a current weakness. Despite how good others in the category are, Ferrari is trouncing them and they only seem to be getting wiser. Their product mix is very well received and it would seem that they have every intention of evolving this even further to feed a greater audience (I’m not just referring to the SUV). Lastly, their balance sheet and margins are extremely strong. At least for the foreseeable future I don’t seem them struggling.

 

Too big? Hardly! Ferrari has a niche market and serves it extremely well. The cars are exciting, emotional, and fun to drive. The limited edition ones are just out of this world; for people who can afford them, it's no brainer to have at least one in their garages. And, with the performance of the stock market and the economy since 2009, there are many who can afford them these days. So, the demand is very high; then why not make money out of it? I do understand that gouging the market has consequences; no matter which position a company may be in. I am not sure if Ferrari is price gouging the Pista or not. I am still willing to pay for this car; time will tell how I would feel about it in the future!

 

I would say that there is not necessarily a line but a lot of demand and those that didn't get one just went to something else or to another brand. I even heard people were offering a $100k cash for a spot but nothing can be done. They would not take your money for something they know they can't get you and Ferrari has even seen my bill of sale (deposit confirmation) and a copy of the drivers license. So they are taking allocation management pretty seriously compared to previous SS cars. We will see the demand in secondary and I think it will be high, maybe not TDF high, but strong for sure.

 

This is the crux of the debate: As a public company, should you allow your clients the "gift" of appreciation in the value of the product? The simplistic answer is no. You should make as much profit as possible. However, this simple answer ignores what Ferrari must know, and I think most of us know. The strong residual values, the appreciation in special editions, means Ferrari has a competitive advantage over anyone else. So this is something that allows for even more sales of other models and builds the brand- which provides shareholders a greater multiple because Ferrari is a luxury company. Ferrari has been very smart with this and I think they would be really playing with fire if they were to take such a short term approach. Thus, while I concede the Pista pricing is high, they must know what they are doing. High/ Low are relative terms. Perhaps they have gone too far this time? Perhaps they know something we don't. We will only know after its happened. Right now I believe Ferrari knows what they are doing.

 

I totally agree with you. But there are two things to keep in mind:

- We assume there isn't more space in the secondary market.
- Ferrari, for good reason, knows they have been leaving money on the table. The market screams of this reality given the demand.
- They may have felt they could push it further but didn't, so as to leave some meat on the bone. We don't know.
- They are a public company, and as such, often look sorter term rather than longer.

 

Although I love the car, I won’t spend 450,000 for a car that will drop like lead, just like my 488 Spider did.
If I’m going to buy a Pista it’s going to have to be the Aperta like my 458 limited edition model, or I’ll just pass.
But that’s just me


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I can confirm that cars are being sold over sticker, and not for little money. The demand for those purchasing on the secondary market is real at the moment.

On the other hand, when considering the "investment value" one must take into consideration the hits of buying a Lusso and Portofino to maintain the current relationship.

 

Where are they selling for more than sticker? Who is getting allocations in the usa to be flipped? Ive been around this for 20 yrs so im curious as alot of people tend to speak as if they know something when really...


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9548565880 . Im happy to give you some more insight.

 

You just put your phone # out there?
Are you nuts?

 

Ok will try u tmrw


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This thread is entertaining to say the least.. popcorn please!

 

You haven't seen drop like lead if you think a 488 spider does, probably one of the least depreciating cars in their range right now. Try my FF, or CaliTHS, or Lusso.. now those are lead. Pista will hold nicely in my opinion just not a lot left on the table after but this is all speculation for now

 

Well good luck


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IMO there comes a point where the amount you're spending is better put as a down payment on something else.

$500-600K "normal" exotics don't make sense to me. Why not put $500-600K down on a $1M car that is much rarer and collectible?

 

+1

 

Does anyone else feel,like we are part of some science experiment, that ferrari is testing how high it can push the 8 cyl. market with nice but unlimited cars. They are pushing the boundaries to see how many people they can get to buy an 8 cyl. coupe for the price of a well optioned 12 cyl. by adding the cache of seeming unavailability while not actually limiting the number of cars. Feels like this newly public co is pushing the limits, testing what they can charge going forward and how best to do it. They far surpassed the starting price of a standard 488 coupe and then jammed in mandatory CF "options", for a true base price 60% higher than the standard coupe. I feel a bit like a hamster on a wheel seeing how far I will go to catch the same old cheese just for a bit more carbon fiber in my diet. I know it's still just cheese, but I can't seem to stop myself.

 

Maybe a little history lesson would be helpful here:

When I ordered my Challenge Stradale in 2003 the base price of the car was $193K with just a few available options including a $5700 stripe. That represented a modest premium over the regular 360 coupe which was about 20% cheaper. The CS turned out to be a great car as we all know, and a good value. As such Ferrari felt like they "left money on the table" as it were......

Next in this series was the Scuderia. Mine was $297K sticker which was typical and included the mandatory "US carbon package option". This was much more aggressively priced from Ferrari - much more expensive than the standard 430 of the time. Well the world economy collapsed and Scud values plummeted with it. Many were sitting around with no miles on them at $100K plus discounts with no buyers.

So 5 years later the Speciale comes along, and this time with lots more expensive options including Taylor Made but the base price was reasonable. A modestly specced Speciale was a good value; mine was $319K and well specked for my taste with stripe and some extra carbon, etc. With a stronger economy values have held and again Ferrari feels like money was left on the table....

So now we have the Pista with it's sky high pricing. Anyone see a pattern here?

It will all depend on the economy but I would suggest that any customer who is at all price sensitive may want to look elsewhere. Pista's are for the "big boys" - a term I've always used for those who could afford new 612's, FF's etc. and not give a hoot about depreciation. Yes the Pistachio will hold value better than an FF but you get the picture.....

The whole game is cyclical and it is all tied to the economy, even at the extreme luxury level.

OK history lesson over......

 

Sorry Pista not Pistachio !!

 

I laughed out loud at "a bit more carbon fiber in my diet." I know that feeling. It does appear they are testing limits as a public company. Another example is 812 production looks like its being delayed if quarterly numbers look good so they can make numbers the following quarters. Maximize profit short term I guess.

 

Good perspective and Im of the opinion that we are headed for a downturn in the cycle. Im still buying the Pistachio though.