Ferrari as my first supercar?

Sticky buttons (yes it will happen with all of them eventually, but easy fix with a little elbow grease and cleaner, leather stretch on the dash and binnacle would be a concerned to me too if I lived in Houston TX and left the car out in the sun. This is real leather, so it can stretch in the hot sun, but not a huge issue in the hands of an upholster. The $40k issue you mentioned was probably the DCT transmission. When the cars were first produced, they could develop faulty speed sensors that would malfunction. At that time, no one was removing the transmission and repairing it, they would simply replace it. Now you can simply replace the electric harness in the transmission. Still expensive, but no where near $40k. This is not as likely of a repair, but it has happened.

I'm on my 2nd Ferrari, F430 was my first and now I have a 458. The most important thing to me when buying used is to buy one that is well documented, been garaged during ownership etc. I would "buy" the previous owner over the type of Ferrari. The 488 is faster and more modern, but the 458 sounds better and looks wise, I think it just looks better. However, those are all personal tastes. If you buy a well taken care of car, the biggest adjustment isn't repair bills, it's getting used to all the attention you get, especially with the red cars, both good (mostly) and bad (rarely).

I wouldn't worry too much around repairs. Just make sure the car doesn't sit for extremely long periods of time, get out and drive it. It's like having your own personal roller coaster ride and amusement park, the driving experience is unlike any other car you've ever owned.

 

Kent Adams gave you a perfect response. He is absolutely correct in everything he wrote. So I will just move along to the McLaren/ Lamborghini part. I was looking at both of those before going with a 488. The McLaren has a high risk of being in the shop a lot. It looks great especially with the doors open. But it’s not a Ferrari. The Lambo Hurracan felt very claustrophobic to me. Not a lot of leg room narrower seats and I would a say a little less refined than my 488. Great car no doubt. But there’s a certain elegance, in my opinion, that the 488 has over the Hurracan. But again, it’s personal preference in the end. Good luck.

 

I would describe Ferrari as the gentleman's supercar. It is sophisticated and extremely capable, but without the need for in your face braggadocio.

 

Younger people I have found, and I was one myself at a certain time, love the doors on the MClarens and Lamborghini's, gives it a more "exotic" look when opening the door. I don't disagree with that at all. That would be fun to have for awhile, it's kind of showy so to speak. But......there are more circumstances where I don't want to "show-off" than there are circumstances I do. The Ferrari is kind of the perfect balance for me in that respect. I don't want the attention of the "bro or that's fire" crowd.

In regards to bad experiences, for me it's been assumptions made when I tell people I have a Ferrari. People will judge you, mostly out of envy or assume you are an a*hole pompous pig. None of my co-workers know I own a Ferrari. None of my clients know I have a Ferrari. That's on purpose. Heck, I think I've made a mistake when I bought an RSQ8 as my daily driver. I never thought of an Audi as envy inducing, I just thought of them as a fancy VW. They're only aspirational to me when I was a teen, but not as an adult. But I've since learned that for a lot of people, even Audi's are aspirational well into adulthood. To me, they're ok, but from a reliability and general use, Lexus is far better in all aspects, except Lexus doesn't make a crossover with 600hp/600lb ft of torque. Otherwise, I wouldn't own an Audi, I would have continued with my Lexus SUV. I never got vibes of envy when owning a Lexus. People see them for what they are, upscaled Toyota's.

Good luck with your choice. I think the 488 will be my next car, simply for the speed bump, but who knows, I may not take the next step. F8 is out of my budget (I'm too heavy in real estate leverage and I'd rather keep my real estate), but I love the looks of them. I've made it a point not to drive cars out of my budget, except for the Purosangue, which I test drove. It's no faster than my RSQ8, actually handles worse, but it's far better looking and more luxurious. If I lived in Switzerland and I needed an SUV, it would be my first choice.

 

I know this is cliche and hackneyed, but buy the car that speaks to you.

All the cars you've listed, Lambo, Mclaren, Ferrari, etc., will have their problems and each has their own pros/cons.

There is no perfect car, supercar or otherwise.

For example.

The Mclaren is great, supercool suspension, fast as bat s1hit, but those dihedral doors are a pain in the ass, and the high sill on the carbon makes ingress/egress worthy of yoga lessons.

The Lambo? Nothing beat the sounds of a NA V10, right behind your ears, but the visibility (while not as bad as an Aventador) makes you feel like your piloting a tank sometimes, with the periscope "down" and the cabin while providing a good driving position, is a bit cramped.

The Ferrari (either the 488 or F8) is not as lithe and light on its feet and feels slow compared to the 720s, and the steering while fast can be twitchy, but the fit and finish (esp. the leather if you get it) is some of the best in the business.

You really can't go wrong with any of them, just buy the one you like, not the one that the peanut gallery here recommends.

Good luck.

 

. No matter which car you choose, there is always a guy like this in it.