Currently it's the 12C,R8-V10GT and Gallardo.Thats 4 other choices All of them did not exist a decade ago. Now Porsche 960,BMW M8 and the new NSX are heading our way Will this segment get overcrowded and hence a weakening of pricing power for the manufacturer's and dealers ?
Ferrari will always be FERRARI.... the pinnacle of automotive and F1 development that brings its technology to its customers and fans!!!
For my dollars, Ferrari has no competition. Perhaps, when a company designs a car that is vastly superior to Maranello's, this will change.
Doubt it ... as long as Ferrari stays on top of their game producing cars like the 458 in limited numbers, they have nothing to be concerned about in terms of market share or pricing power. There will always be buyers ready to sign the check.
People said the Nissan GT-r would kill the 458. Wrong. People said the Mac MP4 12C would kill the 458. Wrong People said the Lexus LFA would kill the 458. Wrong. How many times to people have to be shown to be wrong before they give up?
The extra competition will not kill Ferrari.But the engineering prowess that Volkswagen is continuing to build will one day come to bear. Maybe with the Porsche 960 because they are aiming for a slightly higher price point at 300k euro for that they will deliver something significant.
I think regardless if there is a superior car out there "I think not" or if one were to come out "I doubt it" and even if I decided I would buy something else like a porsche or a lotus, lambo whatever... I will always keep at least 1 ferrari in the garage because of the history the sound the felling the looks the character. Not to put anyone down but I think when someone buys a lamb all they are buying is the performance and looks but I think most ferrari owners usually share a passion for the cars and the brand and the history is something to talk about and be proud of
All the challengers are testament to the greatness (and resulting profitability) of Ferrari and the 458. However, as the song goes: "Aint nothing like the real thing baby!"
Not anyone I know and respect (said that). As you have said, competition improves the breed (I completely agree). All, Just because there are alternatives doesn't mean the Ferrari won't be the choice of many/most. I fail to see why whenever anyone says there is competition it elicits such sycophantic responses...I'm glad to have choice and welcome them all...sometimes the crowd here sounds like they would rather not have choice or competition...strange view for any consumer...
Rule 1. Competition is always good for the customer. Always. Rule 2. Markets make for competition. Governments do not. So we will get better Ferraris and maybe lower prices because of competition. It should be welcomed. Government interference is not.
Ferrari seems to have their fingers on the pulse of what exotic car buyers want. I, for one, continue to drink the kool-aid and love doing so.
Ferrari competetiors are too focussed on matching or exceeding objective part of performance, purely a numbers game. The emotional appeal ferrari offers is not captured by others. Ferrari blends cutting edge technology and emotional appeal. Maclaren and Gtr are great cars , but they Lack the aural and visual appeal of ferrari. I am on my second ferrari , totally love the experience and will keep coming back to this brand.
+1. Competition is always good for the consumer. Always. But a producer or manufacturer will always dislike competition! I know from experience!!! I believe Ferraris today are so good because of competition.
I believe Ferrari has figured out what the supercar buying public wants. Their challenge is to keep performing research to determine what this special buyer wants and building cars to satisfy those wants. I have also "bought in" completely to Ferrari. I have looked at and driven just about everything else and I keep coming back to Ferrari as the supercar of choice. Ferrari has the responsibility of keeping the brand "pure" and true to the Ferrari vision. I'm sold, IMHO nothing else even approaches the combination of style, technology, comfort, quality and market recognition. Enjoy!
Interesting thought, and I agree in theory, but in practical terms it's a negative to me (at the high end) when you see so many VW parts in Lambo's as you will in Porsche's as they leverage stuff from VW to Lambo to Audi to Porsche to Bentley in order to make the numbers work. I had an old Audi S8 v10 when shopping for my first mid-life crisis machine and I just couldn't get past the fact that the Gallardo, while well executed, had an engine based on the same V10 architecture and an interior that felt like a VW version of a supercar. Any Ferrari that I looked at just felt much less like a brand management exercise, and more authentic. I couldn't believe how easy the choice was to buy a Ferrari. IMO, Lambo needs more of that feel, and VW can't let Porsche slip into this if they want to sell a $300k car at any meaningful volume. The VW approach clearly works with most consumers (hey honey, I can get you a Porsche V6 SUV for $48k!) and for the company's overall business results, but over the long term I believe the brand sacrifices image, authenticity and pricing power required to go head to head with Ferrari volume at $300k. I guess it's a strategic choice. On the other hand, FIAT Group also has significant engineering resources (though not as powerful as VW) and while you clearly see some shared parts in a Ferrari it does not go so far as to feel like a FIAT Group brand...it has it's own distinct feel/personality and you're left with the mirage that it's a standalone company that is simply sourcing some parts. I think that formula works much better at the very top of the market. And god forbid we find a 458 block in some kind of future Chrysler!
Actually Ferrari WELCOMES the competition because they want to keep their #s limited. Plus the more competition actually hurts Porsche, BMW, Mac & Lambo. They are basically fighting for car sale scraps when Ferrari has the problem of not producing "too many" cars. Ferrari is like Apple, they just have a mystique like no other car, like Apple has a mystique about their techonology and products. They have nothing to worry about as long as they keep doing what they are doing. Its almost not fair to other car makers.
The 458s biggest competition comes from other Ferraris. (but not all. thanks to competitors SF keeps bumping up the hp.) Many will opt for the F12, 599 GTO or a Cali (cuz the wait is so long for a 458 Spider). Others may buy F430s, 360s, CS or Scuds. Life is good. Life is better driving a Ferrari.
Totally agree with this. Ferrari competes internally more than externally. Ferrari are the only dealerships that actively purchase older models (as opposed to simply taking lease returns). Look at most of their inventories and you will see plenty of 430s, 599s, Scuds, and even a 360 now and then. This is a brilliant cornerstone of their 458, Cali, FF, F12 marketing campaigns because it controls the amount of competition from these older models (which are still excellent as evidenced by the number of long "V8 vs. 458" threads we see here). Also it dictates the terms of the competition by controlling the price references for these older models. Lastly, it gives the new buyer some assurance that there will be a buyer for their car. Brilliant marketing which will be very hard for Porsche, MacClaren, Etc to challenge if they only target one value element of the 458 (the product features) and not the others (pricing, etc).
