Why Are Ferrari Owners Afraid To Drive Their Cars? Let's Talk About Mileage... 

Another reason to drive unique cars is the amount of happiness you can give to OTHER people. I picked up my Viper the other day and in about 20 miles of driving I saw so many people smiling at it, a painter raced down off his trestle while I was sitting at a set of lights and ran over just to tell me he loved the car, had a bunch of school kids wave, it was awesome! It always brightens my day when I see something really cool drive past and it's pretty great to be able to have that effect on other people.

Adding some mileage is not a problem. I put 26,000 miles on my 360 Stradale over 7 years and the car was in immaculate condition and it didn’t really affect the value that much. More problems arise when they are not used, sat or not driven. I know of someone who put 50,000 miles on his F40 over a few years and another 360 with 180,000 miles without affecting the value too much. You are dead a long time so get out and enjoy it and use it!

Not driving your sports car because of resale value is like having a really hot girlfriend but saving her for the next guy.

You're on to something here and I have the same line of thinking. I bought a 44K mile 997.1 Carrera S in 2015. It wasn't particularly special and I felt comfortable putting miles on it, accepting whatever depreciation came. That point was driven home further when my IMS bearing failed, requiring the engine to be replaced within 20k miles of me purchasing the car. When I finally sold that car, it showed 124k on the odometer. In my 3.5 years on ownership, I put over 80k miles on that car. Everything from long, multi-state road trips throughout the US, backroad driving, and scenic routes through state parks made that one of the greatest driving experiences of my life and I would not have had them if I kept the car under it's cover and parked instead of burning up the tarmac.

I bought my GT500 from a guy who had only driven her a whopping 6200 miles in 6 years. 7yrs later with me and her odometer is at 37K. AND her current valuation is quite a bit above what I paid. Thank you guy for breaking her in for me to enjoy!

Let’s watch this before James realizes he accidentally uploaded two videos.

You forgot to mention that there are men who buy Supercar just to brag that they have one, but they hardly drive with them so that they do not lose value when they have to exchange it for another supercar to brag about. I have noticed here in Sweden that many do, just to brag. In my opinion, you buy a supercar to drive, have fun and enjoy driving it and completely shit completely in if it becomes many miles and loses value. For the greatest value is just driving the car, having fun and enjoying driving and you get memories every time you drive and it can never be replaced with money.

Most Ferrari owners care more about their car appreciating in value and catching dust in a garage than actually driving them, which is a shame if you ask me. I mean, what is the point in buying an expensive car if you don't get it outside for once in a while?

Great vid. I live in Germany and it is not uncommon to see sports cars with well over 160,000km. but the TUV, the German version of the MOT is so much more stringent, that cars are just in better condition for longer, ive even seen loads of 996s and 997's with over 200,000kms, a testarossa over 180,000kms and in really good condition. the low mileage obsession really is a UK thing.

I’m usually rather proud of how high mileage the cars I buy are - give me the cheapest car on the market of the type and spec I want. And if everything still works and it’s reliable, I get a great sense of satisfaction from it. Happy days!

Jay, I know this video is 2 years old. But wow! I am a "New to me" 2000 360 Modena owner. I have learned SO much from watching your videos! This one made me feel so much better about driving my Ferrari. With only 17K ish miles on it when I got it I now have 19989 in only 3 months! Thanks for making these wonderful videos. God BLESS!

Great video, I put 90k on my TVR Griffith and my 997.2 has got 105k, I bought the cars to use them, in my experience the more you use them the less trouble you have with them, all imho.

i remember some of my old cars back in the day had "been round the clock" happy times. many thanks for the memories yet again. personally i say screw the value, drive the car.

Both happy and sad to see you on my local roads! Wish I’d caught you ;) Our F12 is on about 30k Miles, had some paint corrections done under warranty but other than that it’s been a peach. Is used to commute in 😀

I keep expecting to see Harry Metcalfe in full angry-farmer-mode leaning over a gate, waving a pitchfork at James and yelling, "Get orf moi laaaand!" 🚜

The reminded me of a vinwiki story, a guy selling his pristine bmw which was pretty much unused apologied to the buyer because he couldn’t remember if he put the dust caps back on the same wheels as they’d come from the factory.

Jay, I couldn't agree more with those comments. It always amazes me when I see incredible cars, many 40 plus years old, advertised with ridiculously low miles on them. They were built to be driven and enjoyed. The fact they are worth obscene amounts of money today is simply due to market forces and the world being awash with squillionaires. I drove my 355 enough to enjoy it but was careful about the kms I put on it.. when I bought my 575M I decided that I would probably keep the car long term and so I drive it regularly, on average 4,000 kms a year. It gets serviced annually and is about to get the premium service. Consequently, it's in great condition and drives superbly. If I have it for another 11 years, and am still driving safely when I turn 80, I won't care what it's worth, because as you state, it will have given me so many great driving memories. And that's what driving a special car, like a Ferrari, is all about. A final thought that is a regular talking point amongst us "older" car guys is this. Who will be buying these cars in 20 years time? Certainly not us baby boomers. ICE cars will be no longer made, and petrol will be more (a lot more) expensive. Speed limits, congestion taxes, road usage taxes, autonomous cars, etc will have taken the thrill out of having these cars. Anyway keep up the discussion..

I was getting gas one day and I noticed an older gentleman filling up a 2020 Miata RF. Since I have a 2019 Miata RF I struck up a conversation with him. He told me that he only takes it out on perfect days so he doesn't put to many miles on it. This was and is incredibly confusing to me since mine is my daily. I love my Miata, it's a wonderful car, but it's no high end sports car and in my opinion getting it as a trophy of sorts is the exact opposite of what these cars are about. I love your channel Jay and I greatly enjoy your videos and look forward to when a new drops. Thank you for actually driving your cars and enjoying them, that always makes me happy to see. Keep up the good work. 👍

Wonderful stuff (as always) James. I keep coming back to this video because it helped ease my own Ferrari mileage anxiety - the real joy-killer of my Ferrari ownership if I'm honest. I'm one of those people who over-paid for the ultra low milage example - mostly because I'm a perfectionist and wanted a pristine car. I bought my dream-spec 3yo Pista with 600 miles on it last year. In my first year of ownership I put 400 miles on the car and kinda freaked out as it rolled over 1,000 miles. I'd almost doubled the milage in a year. Ouch! After watching your video a few times it really hit home that I didn't buy the car as an investment. I bought it to enjoy its drop-dead-gorgeous styling and the sheer thrill of blasting my (first ever) dream modern supercar around fantastic local Scottish driving roads. Pista values have softened since I purchased the car and I know I've already lost a chunk of money. My favourite bit of your video is when you mentioned that the "return on investment isn't a financial one" - it's the fun, the memories, the smiles, shared experiences, the drives, the conversations, the meet-ups and lovely people you meet by taking the car out and sharing it. This really hit home. You're totally right. I put another 450 quality miles on it this year and it'll mark it's 5th birthday at 1450 miles. I recently spoke to a local Ferrari dealership buyer and shared my mileage anxiety experience with him. He laughed and said "1450 in 5 years is nothing". He said "Go and enjoy the the car. You can afford to put a good few thousand miles on the car. It wouldn't change the price I'd offer you for a trade-in." This totally opened my eyes and along with your video has me all-set to finally stop worrying about mileage in 2024. I've got no plans to sell so it's time to go enjoy the car. It's what I bought it for. PS. If you're planning a trip to the west of Scotland, give me a shout. Maybe we can figure out a way to get you in the car to make a video for your channel.

I bought an FF a month ago with 5000 miles on the clock. Already getting close to ticking past 6000

As someone who as never owned a Ferrari, and never will, the reluctance to drive an expensive car is realtive to what you can afford to buy and run not just the brand name. Having owned Maserati's, and Aston Martins that i bought as low milage mint samples, then wanting to keep them that way, is fine when you decide to sell them but sad that you have been too frightened to risk driving them.

You gotta drive em..i like my cars with a bit of patina on them as well. I keep them clean but if theres some stone chips on ah so be it shows it’s been enjoyed..that’s why I didn’t bother with PPF on my 911..as I’m planning on keeping it anyway 👍

After a 360 and F430 I found myself driving with a knot in my stomach. Every bump or dash light or odd noise is liable to cost thousands of dollars. Went through almost 30K in maintenance in 4 yrs on the 360 and a little over 10K on the F430 in two. The only thing I've put in my 911 this last year is gas. The 360 had cost me over 5K at this point.

19:50 - The ten seconds of the video that tell the story that really matters

As a Ferrari salesman in Sydney it became very clear that there were two types of Ferrari Buyer. The "Motoring/Engineering fancier" who liked the 5 valve per head technology or the use of aluminium in the chassis. These were the very active driving members of the Ferrari Owners Club. Then there were the "Art collectors". You would speak to them very differently. Group A you would talk about the cars engineering and technology. Group B you would just stand there and say "Isn't it stunning". We also had a 365 Berlinetta Boxer that had sat in the showroom for 13 years. It needed a major engine rebuild as every seal, gasket and piece of rubber had dried out and perished. It was worse having not being driven.

The quality of one's life is worthy of spending the value of any Ferrari. The experiences are the journey. The costs are way too high if you have a Ferrari but are unwilling to drive it.

We do seem very mileage obsessed in the UK, even on cars more than capable of covering big miles. I’m sure some of the bills people end up with on cars like Ferrari’s is because they don’t get used enough although there are exceptions such as yourself. I think the reason a lot don’t get used because they’re concerned with value rather than lack of time.

I can't afford a car these days. My sad old bicycle, owned from new, has done an unknown number of miles; fifteen years ago it was worth £30 [thirty]. Today it's worth £20 [twenty]. Er, which probably says a lot about something. No idea what, though.🤔 Frankly, my dear, I'd rather be driving. (Sob, sniff, etc.)

As a bloke who's never been interested in sports cars much your rants about these things are very entertaining. Thanks for these shows James.

Manual 360 Modena. Semi-stored for 8 years before I bought with 10's to few hundred miles a year. I'm now doing 3k to 5k miles per year & working through all the seal issues / fluid leaks due to previous lack of use! Getting there! & a smile every single mile.

That B4437 is an absolute peach of a road! Cotswold's own Corkscrew

I was always under the appreciation that it was because they didn't want to replace their clutches so often.

What would bother me about a 10 year gap between services would not be that the oil hasn't been changed, as it'll be synthetic so will probably be fine, it would be all the seals in the engine etc. that will have dried out through lack of use. When Aston did the One-77, the local dealer told us that many would effectively be static displays and they would go and drain the fluids. If they wanted to get them on the road, then there would effectively be a whole recommissioning process to replace dried out seals before new fluids are added and it can be used. As you say, that process is not cheap because of the labour involved. Buy a car like this that's been in stasis for 10 years and it might have low mileage, but could be hiding a huge imminent bill if suddenly used.

I have a 2012 458 coming in a few weeks, served every year. I also plan to service it every year as I expect to put on at least 2-3k miles a year. Can hardly sleep waiting for it. Great video, I like your no nonsense style, I know you have a few knockers but I do enjoy your videos

I live in Sweden and 2 of the 5 cars i owned were way past 250 000 km (150 000 miles). One died due to shitty electronics (it was a 166) and the other (an E500) i sold it for a little profit as it was pretty rare here. The issue is always the previous maintenance done and the general condition of the car. I totally prefer a well used car than a garage queen. Generally, my advice would be this: Get a used great car, well maintained, and drive it to death. It will be less expensive that just about anything and more rewarding to drive that the modern shitboxes

Couldn't agree more. I have friends who religiously change their car and went consider anything over 40k miles as it's seen to be 'high mileage'. From my experience the cars I've bought with higher numbers have generally been the more reliable ones. Always been confused why people pay so much attention to it. Much more important to look at the history and see how much it has been looked after. I've also found the cars I drove everyday I generally had less problems with than the cars I have only driven at the weekends. Modern cars are designed to be driven everyday.

Exchange miles per hour for smiles per hour. That's the best investment! Love your car, Jay! And love that you use and enjoy it. Cheers!

How amusing that at about the 5 minute mark you mentioned the Evo magazine while driving through some corners that Harry Metcalfe features. He is not afraid to put the mileage on his collection. Jay, I love the drive by shots. We get to hear what the car sounds like. I call my son and ask him to come and get my cars and drive them up and down particular roads so I can stand by the side of the road and enjoy the sounds they make. It also helps me to analyze the state of the engine. I have gone so far as to let others drive my car at competition events to hear the engine driven at high revs. I agree with the comments Peter Siestrzewitowski's comments.

I love how much you have loved this car James and I love the fact you've made someone else's day by showing it to them. I can't afford a ferrari but I think these videos alongside the ones where you explain the much lower cost than people think about the official ferrari maintenance and warranty packages will make more ordinary people drive them.

We face the same problem over here in Aus, especially in relation to euro cars. Anything over 100k kms people do not want to touch and cars are harder to move on past this point.

I have a 997.1 C4S and can relate to what is said here. Obviously not on the same scale. You summed it up perfectly at the end.

Great video Jay. Just bought a 22k mile scud, plan to add a hell of a lot more to it!

I have 200k miles on my 16 year old Civic. Original clutch. Changed the front brake pads once. Original rear brakes.

Get around this by buying 2. One for collecting dust in red. And the other for actually driving, maybe in a less desirable colour.

Always an interesting topic James, there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground, you’re either a driver or collector. We have members who are both, and we appreciate both sides. Great video as always. ✌🏼

Excellent video Jay. I think people’s reasons for owning cars like a Ferrari are very varied. Some want to show off their status to others, some want an investment (more fun than putting it all in a pension) and some just love driving and the amount of mileage each person adds during their period of ownership fits their unique set of priorities (in short, it’s their money so who is anyone to criticise). That said, I do agree with many on here that it’s a shame not to drive these cars as much as possible (without regular use the owner is inviting reliability issues and extra costs down the line). Being in the UK I’m limited to driving my F355 between April and November due to the weather but a weekly run out in the dry between those months means I get to enjoy the car a lot without adding huge annual miles.

That window wiper arrangement is as mad as the car. Always loved the look of a 430, still do.

Lovely shirt, perfect for autumn 👌🏻 My sprinters just about run in at 132,000 miles. Just keep changing that oil 😈

This is one of the most beautiful cars I've ever seen. To see it in person will blow your mind.

Bravo… The classic car market has been ruined by people buying cars as investments. They should be owned and DRIVEN by enthusiasts.

You know, everything...everything you have said about ferrari in this video is exactly correct. In my 20 years of Ferrari ownership I realized this after only a few years. Spot on jay🤗

Really enjoyed this one! I think the true value in cars is a balance between using it and holding a bit of money also in the car. To just keep a car in storage for so many months/years is not my thing personally.....it is there to be used and enjoyed as a car enthusiast. We are all going electric soon so let's use them! Many congrats btw on your Scuderia along with driving the car.....if you wanted too you could just lock it away for ever but where would be the joy in that?

The biggest issue that a lot of expensive car /motorcycle owners don't understand that a lot of parts need to be changed not only at a certain milage but most importantly at a certain age because the parts have rubber in them that hardens with time = is more likely to crack so more likely to leek or brake. For example my Moto Guzzi California Audace 1400 has one belt in the engine it is an alternator belt that need to be chamge every 60K miles or 4 years(it is a engine out job) . So technically I can keep the bike in the garage without enjoying and I will still need to do the big service every 4 years to change that belt! Cause I wouldn't risk riding my bike with out it being change cause well it can snap and then I would be f*cked! And stuck at the side of the road. Same things can be said about cars! So if You have to do all this required replacements in a specific time scale might as well go and use them so you get Ur enjoyment of achually ownership!! High mileage with a full service manual at a dealer that knows that they doing is not a problem!

I buy low mileage exotics, but I also drive the heck out of them. I am not worried about mileage once I get the car. Cars that sit are way more problematic than drivers.

1:34 that gear change sound

Another good reason for driving these petrol cars as much as possible is who knows how long petrol will still be available or indeed affordable regardless of what we are being told about availability after 2030

Jay you covered this topic very well. I wish more people would think like you and me. I tried to by a high mileage F8 and found it does not exist. In fact used F8s are more expensive than ordering a new one and paying MSRP. I guess the difference is ordering new takes a year of patience vs instant gratification of buying one used with a few thousand miles. Ferrari is great in offering UNLIMITED mileage under warranty for the first 3 years, free maintenance for 7 years, and can offer extending the warranty for up to 15 years, but not beyond 56,000 miles in the US. What happens beyond 56K?Are they afraid of something?

Loved your video. REALLY appreciated the fact U drive your FERRARI for the shear fun of it, Memories, and just enjoyment. Because your right on your death bed you will never say i should have driven the car less. Purchased my American Ferrari, a NEW 2004 Chevrolet CORVETTE C5 Z 06 torch RED brand NEW, off the showroom floor. i, DRIVE it for the shear FUN of it, ENJOYMENT, and ALL the great memories have had with it for 18 years, and nearly 60,000 very well meticulous maintained miles. DRIVE it, ENJOY it, and let it put a 🙂 :-) smile on every time !

Shmee 150 has a Senna that’s 3 years old with 3000 miles on it lol and his ford gt also has 3000 miles at 3 years old What a shame he pays 30k a year for his insurance. Which is crazy.

Very healthy attitude to buying and ownership.

None of us gets out alive; get out there and drive your dream cars! I purchased my Porsche 981 last year w/ 55k miles on it. It's my daily driver and just passed 65k miles. Won't be long until it's past 100k. That's 10's of thousands of miles of sheer bliss my friends!

I love your last comment - Whoever said on their deathbed “I wish I hadn’t driven that Ferrari so much”. Spot on. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

One of the first statements an auto technician said to me, "When these exotic automobiles are driven correctly. These auto engines operate at roughly twice the RPM of normal auto engines!"

Totally agree, smiles per mile is far better than a few extar ££ in your pocket.

A couple of additional points: 1. Cars that wren't driven develop problems such as corroded fuel tanks and lines, dried out suspension bushings, etc. 2. As a RU-vidr, it makes sense to use your cars as content. and drive them.

Because in the Ferrari world, anything over 30k miles is considered high mileage. Also, because they are appreciating assets. The low mileage special models go for big money. With regards to keeping standard cars standard to keep it's value, that's not entirely true. You can remove the OEM exhaust, clean it and store it, put on a brand new aftermarket exhaust and when you come to sell it, you sell the aftermarket exhaust and put back on your clean OEM exhaust. Likewise wheels, same thing. Remove the OEM ones, refurbish them, store them etc.

I know that if you disconnected the speedo drive from the gearbox on a ferrari 355 manual transmission the mileage won't move but obviously the speedometer wont work either😁

I enjoy your videos but the sound of this car from the outside flyby shots, just sound epic! 👍

brilliant video and great advice !

I think any car get better with mileage, as long as the loose and perished bits get attended to. Even an old Ferrari 308 is probably a much better car when driven regularly. People think Ferraris are fragile, but I reckon that they can be as robust as Porsches if used properly. Speaking of Porsches, mine is a well-oiled machine and better now at 133k miles than it was 5 years and 40k ago, when I bought it. It didn't like not being used during the lockdown but it's a happy car if driven at least twice a week. It was expensive to replace worn bits, but that would be true of any 20 year old car that is daily driven on salty UK roads. It should now be good for another 10 years / 60k, and then it will get yet another lease of life and probably and engine rebuild. Try doing that with your most comfortable old boots...

Very good analysis and well shot video. I believe you're a spot on for your rationale. I'm thinking the Ferrari Roma is the perfect car as a GT sports car. It is fun and comfortable and you can't come anywhere near it for beauty. When it comes right down to driving, you're right about that investment being non-financial but fun, smiles, memories, and honor.

Anyone else usually not much of a fan of gold wheels but FUCKING LOVE THEM on Jay's car? This is the best looking 430 I've seen.

Good for you Jay for driving your car. I would have to say that I am not afraid to put miles on my Ferraris; however, I would drive them more often if I had more time and if the cars were a bit more practical.

People have been tricked into thinking 'investing' in pyramid schemes like housing or classic cars makes them astute investment experts. You'd have to still be reading the Economist or newspapers to think that high classic car prices are good for the hobby, or that high house prices are good for your children.

as you said a car should just be for fun but not investment. It takes away the reason for buying a car which is cold if it is for just investment.

I just got a 2007 Toyota Tundra for $10k with 100,000 miles - super low mileage for a Tundra. Sad to say I love it, and that’s after M3s, S4s, Range Rovers etc. so nice to have a vehicle where I can put 200k on it and not care. So glad I left Birmingham now!

You’re right !!!!!! Great to see the big motor out for a run 🙌

Love the videos where you talk about car ownership and drive the cars you own!

Brilliant and Well Said; Keep Living the Good Life!!!

Top class, fun and informative. Any who have some nice driving roads to be explore?. All the best.

Granted that this was a couple of years ago, but £215,000 seems like a bargain where I’m from. They seem to average around the equivalent of the £335,000-£340,000 mark in my market.

I have an F430 with a manual box, which I love. I don't care about the mileage as I have no intention of selling the car anytime soon. Not using it, to me is silly, as my enjoyment comes from the driving. Having a a fantastic car and leaving it to sit in the garage is rather like having a beautiful painting and putting it under the stairs.

I'm thinking about getting one in every color next year 🤔 I don't know how I'm going to do it but I'm on my grind 💯

I am the chap that has a couple of beers looking at his car. Two camping chairs in my garage, garage fridge full of beer. Enjoy the view, sad I know.

Ferraris are often someone's first supercar. They often are nervous about maintenance, can't really afford the deprecition (maybe due to finance balloon), or just plain overspent

I bought a 2010 911 C2S earlier his year, a dream car for so long. I drive it pretty much daily and yes I feel a bit of angst about the mileage (just crept over 50k) but I have no intention of selling it ever. There is a worse problem that I’d like you views on and that is when you buy a classic car and then it becomes too valuable to drive! I sold my Integrale to buy the 911 (it was good from far but far from good) but a lot of Evo owners were saying that they couldn’t enjoy the cars anymore as they had become worth so much money and the insurance was becoming ridiculous…..

My 1988 Mondial 3.2 coupe has got to 71,250 now and at 33 years old is not a high mileage except when talking to UK dealers!

Look at Harry Metcalfe from evo/Harry's garage and his Ferrari 550 maranello way back in the day

Can we have a video where you drive the 6k and 40k Scuds blindfolded as you suggest? That would make great viewing!

Got a manual 997.2, it's apparently rare and going up in price, a lot, I had/have zero interest in value beyond the joy I get on curvy roads and the track. I feel supremely lucky and don't take this for granted.

YES. SIR. THE. BEST. REVIEW. MORE. REAL TO. LIFE. AND. THE. BEST POINT OF VIEW. SOON MINE. WILL BE HERE AND. I AM GOIN TO DRIVE IT. EVERY DAY. THATS. THE. WAY IT. SWOUD BE. TNKS. AND. BLESSED. BE. SIR...😇😇😇😇

(00:35) Fingerprints! On a Ferrari! _RIGHT THERE!_

Depends which Ferrari. If it's an F12 TDF (or a Scud) it absolutely will affect its value. If it's a standard 360/430 with 30 odd thousand, getting it up to 40 odd thousand won't make a ton of difference. Going past the 50k mark does though. That's something I see as a bit of mental barrier for most Ferrari buyers. And with most Ferraris, more usage = more bills. It definitely = more petrol expenditure. It definitely dulls the overall buzz, albeit that buzz of driving can soon become a buzz needed to service an addiction (no, that isn't hyperbole). At this point, driving the car 3 times a week can feel necessary. Any Ferrari purchase needs to be as clear headed as it can be from the outset. Know what you're buying and know what you want from the car before you buy it. Only a handful of Ferraris are "investments." Don't believe that salesman crap. Most will cost you overall close to 10 grand a year (if financed) (less if a newer car due to warranty but depreciation could sting more). You need to factor in potential depreciation on top of thet BEFORE you jump in with both feet. Sometimes the cheaper, older car can be the wiser purchase / "investment.."

It's only a problem if you intend to sell it at some point otherwise drive and enjoy it.Those who worry about losing value should remember how much you actually pay back when you have a mortgage for a bit of a sanity check

The hill at 5:35 looks like the one Harry Metcalfe drives in his test runs ?

I'd much rather pay a fair price for Trigger's new broom than buy a low miler that falls apart as soon as you leave the driveway. You often get hit twice with low mile cars, first in the acquisition cost and then the cost of repairing faults which become apparent when the car is actually used properly for the first time in a while.

Aesthetically, the 360 and 430 just don’t work. The 488 is quite a leap forward.

Cars like that are meant to be driven and driven hard sometimes.

Superb content and video, thank you

thats why I bought a gr yaris, fun and cheap to drive/maintain