how many of you guys commute in a 430??
how many of you guys commute in a 430??
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Discussion

tuscaneer

Original Poster:

7,970 posts

251 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
just about to push the button on another 430 and part of the justification process with 'er indoors is that there is functionality to the purchase.my last one went in favour of the rangey(2 kids etc. etc.)
i found my car could sit in the garage for a couple of weeks at a time and so it was hard to argue against the wife's rationale really.
my proposed deal is to give her permanent custody of the rangey(she likes the sound of this)and help myself to another donkey...

.....while i loved my silver one i didn't NEED to use it daily.

anybody commute in theirs rather than have it for a weekend toy and if so is it useable on a daily rather than weekly basis??or will i get pissed off when rain,hail and snow inevitably strike??


BelfastBoy

779 posts

186 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
I'm sure people will tell you that the 430 is robust enough to be used everyday, but - and this is purely the personal opinion of an aspirational dreamer - would that not dilute the 'special' experience of owning a Ferrari? I've read many threads on this forum where owners chronicle the negatives that can occur when driving a supercar in the UK (where I presume you're based):

- Verbal / physical abuse from jealous idiots.
- Danger of physical damage (accidental or malicious) if parked somewhere unsecure like a supermarket car park, onstreet etc.
- Wear and tear on major transmission components in everyday traffic.
- Impracticality of parking and manouevring in places not designed for wide cars with restricted visibility.
- Potential dangers of driving powerful car in autumn / winter conditions, especially if you'd have to go anywhere near potentially untreated roads.

As an occasional car, I'd imagine the benefits and thrills of driving a Ferrari would largely outweigh all of the above. I've no doubts that a 430 could be used an everyday car, but personally, I wouldn't use one for my daily driver even if I had the means. It might make the drive to / from work more fun, but I'd want my drives in a Ferrari to be special and when I'd choose to have them, not because I'd need to go from A to B.

However, if you go ahead with the purchase, enjoy the car whatever way you want to - cars are, ultimately, designed to be driven. It's your vehicle and I'd much rather see it getting driven regularly than hiding away under covers somewhere.

tuscaneer

Original Poster:

7,970 posts

251 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
BelfastBoy said:
I'm sure people will tell you that the 430 is robust enough to be used everyday, but - and this is purely the personal opinion of an aspirational dreamer - would that not dilute the 'special' experience of owning a Ferrari? I've read many threads on this forum where owners chronicle the negatives that can occur when driving a supercar in the UK (where I presume you're based):

- Verbal / physical abuse from jealous idiots.
- Danger of physical damage (accidental or malicious) if parked somewhere unsecure like a supermarket car park, onstreet etc.
- Wear and tear on major transmission components in everyday traffic.
- Impracticality of parking and manouevring in places not designed for wide cars with restricted visibility.
- Potential dangers of driving powerful car in autumn / winter conditions, especially if you'd have to go anywhere near potentially untreated roads.

As an occasional car, I'd imagine the benefits and thrills of driving a Ferrari would largely outweigh all of the above. I've no doubts that a 430 could be used an everyday car, but personally, I wouldn't use one for my daily driver even if I had the means. It might make the drive to / from work more fun, but I'd want my drives in a Ferrari to be special and when I'd choose to have them, not because I'd need to go from A to B.

However, if you go ahead with the purchase, enjoy the car whatever way you want to - cars are, ultimately, designed to be driven. It's your vehicle and I'd much rather see it getting driven regularly than hiding away under covers somewhere.
cheers for the reply,i must admit that during the early days of ownership of my first 430 i used it a few times a week.but that was last april coming into summer,not october going into grotty winter!!
as for worying about damage and so on....not too concerned as it would be parked outside work on an industrial park with security access

the commute is on well used A roads so shouldn't have a bother there..............


...............looks like i've mostly already answered my own question!!

ferdi p

1,535 posts

198 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
I used my 430 every day thru winter...

To be honest it took the shine off it after a while & snow/ice was a nightmare!!

Get a cheap runabout for the really crappy weather & you'll be fine smile

traxx

3,143 posts

248 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
I used to drive into the City everyday in my Scuderia and I loved it

Only problem I used to have was that I couldn't hear Radio4 over the engine noise

lambo_xx

2,199 posts

223 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
I bought my 430 Spider in the middle of winter and used it as often as I could i.e. when the snow wasn’t so bad that I couldn’t get out of my driveway!

I used it more or less as an everyday car and honestly I felt it became a bit of a pain! It was HORRIFIC in the snow (now that probably isn’t surprising but I can honestly say I have never come so close to dying as I did one day on a country road in the 430!). Admittedly that was a couple years ago when we had the worst snow in 5 million years etc etc. Now if you tend to get a lot of snow, maybe look at a set of winter tyres.

I ended up buying a 911 turbo and began using that every day, it was much better suited to what I needed and I started to enjoy the 430 more. One the other hand, I have since gone back to using a supercar as a daily driver (I bought a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera in May) and I’m enjoying it much more. I think the main difference this time is that I still have my 911 to use it I want and last year I also bought a old Audi TT to use over winter (no hairdresser jokes I’ve heard them all already :P) which I ended up keeping. Long story, but it was going to cost a fortune to get winter tyres for the 911 and I thought well why not just buy something cheap and with 4 wheel drive and stick some snow tyres on it. So that’s what I did.

I think using a supercar every day is fine as long as you have another car to use on those days when you have to go somewhere and not look mega flash or take it places you’d be worried leaving a Ferrari.

So take my advice buy another 430 and an old style Audi TT and then stick a set of winter tyres on your TT and everyone’s happy! biggrin

tuscaneer

Original Poster:

7,970 posts

251 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
sounds like my trepidation about 5am snowy trips into liverpool aren't completely unfounded then!!
seems the best idea is for the wife to get involved with some sort of carpooling for the school run and let me take the leviathan on particularly stty days over the winter then!

steelej

1,761 posts

233 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
tuscaneer said:
sounds like my trepidation about 5am snowy trips into liverpool aren't completely unfounded then!!
seems the best idea is for the wife to get involved with some sort of carpooling for the school run and let me take the leviathan on particularly stty days over the winter then!
We won't tell, just tell her PH said driving it everyday is a great idea, surely she won't make you sell it once you've got it smile

John.

roygarth

2,674 posts

274 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
traxx said:
Only problem I used to have was that I couldn't hear Radio4 over the engine noise
LOL!!

tuscaneer

Original Poster:

7,970 posts

251 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
steelej said:
We won't tell, just tell her PH said driving it everyday is a great idea, surely she won't make you sell it once you've got it smile

John.
...........well.....she did last time!!!but i will never let that happen again!!

911Thrasher

2,573 posts

225 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Sorry not a 430 - but when i had the 360 i used it daily in Central London.
Parked outside the house at night, parked in the City during the day.

I don't drive to work anymore, but my CStradale is used as a semi daily...no worries again.

Never had any problem at all, nor abuse of whatever kind. People don't mind these cars here.
And yes they are robust enough.

I know of quite a few 575, 599, 430,...used daily and never hear any complains from their owners either.

Edited by 911Thrasher on Monday 17th September 13:23

London John

341 posts

166 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Have used 612 and 599 as daily drivers, likewise from SW London into the City.........no problems, but you can get a bit jaded with the whole Fcar thing. My next will be an FF....perfect all weather daily driver.

kbf1981

2,345 posts

226 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
tuscaneer said:
just about to push the button on another 430 and part of the justification process with 'er indoors is that there is functionality to the purchase.my last one went in favour of the rangey(2 kids etc. etc.)
i found my car could sit in the garage for a couple of weeks at a time and so it was hard to argue against the wife's rationale really.
my proposed deal is to give her permanent custody of the rangey(she likes the sound of this)and help myself to another donkey...

.....while i loved my silver one i didn't NEED to use it daily.

anybody commute in theirs rather than have it for a weekend toy and if so is it useable on a daily rather than weekly basis??or will i get pissed off when rain,hail and snow inevitably strike??
I've been commuting in mine. Perfect day to day car imho. Only downside is the mpg but aside from that it's a fun way to commute.

traxx

3,143 posts

248 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
London John said:
Have used 612 and 599 as daily drivers, likewise from SW London into the City.........no problems, but you can get a bit jaded with the whole Fcar thing. My next will be an FF....perfect all weather daily driver.
I think there are a group of 10-12 Ferraris and Lambos which I regularly see on the A3/Wandsworth one way system which are used daily

kbf1981

2,345 posts

226 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
traxx said:
I used to drive into the City everyday in my Scuderia and I loved it

Only problem I used to have was that I couldn't hear Radio4 over the engine noise
This is a point. The radio and sat nav in a 430 is crap.

MDahmen

8,677 posts

203 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
used a 355 to commute in London for about a year. never had a problem with it, fuel economy was comically bad though. regularly saw quite a few 430s doing the same.

RevHappy

1,840 posts

188 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Just make sure you have a good layer of wax to protect the paint, have heated seats and an ipod jack.
Oh and live with the milage haters when in comes to re-sale, just saying wink

ArtVandelay

6,692 posts

210 months

Monday 17th September 2012
quotequote all
Note to self, read other threads first, this is very similar to what I've just posted hehe

rawkyjnr

259 posts

197 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all
I predicted this Dave! Knew you couldn't be without for too long!

Not fancy a fast Porsche with four wheel drive? An R8? Just thinking about winter/rain use, the 928 is like a beached whale in any sort of frost.

rawkyjnr

259 posts

197 months

Sunday 23rd September 2012
quotequote all