My Quest: Six cars in six years
Discussion
I had cause recently to use Wifeys car and she needed a car at the same time. This meant she would be driving the Vantage for the first time, with all of its quirkiness, not least a manual gearbox, something which she hasn’t driven for three years.
I thought it beneficial to let people know…
I thought it beneficial to let people know…
I may have been out spending again… 
.
This makes car number three of the aforementioned “6 cars in 6 years” plan!
Ferrari collection
So this is my story of my amazing day collecting my childhood dream car, a Ferrari. MY Ferrari.
This 360 Modena came up for sale at The Ferrari Centre (Kent High Performance Cars) in Maidstone and, after a brief chat with Simon, my sales rep at the dealership, I purchased it sight-unseen. One might consider this to be a trifle risky - and it is - but this car is my perfect specification and it had got several people already booked to view the car so I needed to do something to jump the queue. It was the right time for the right price and if I ever want to get one in these colours, for a relatively reasonable price, with this amount of service history, then I’m going to have to move fast.
Balls deep it is then.
I called and spoke to Simon, who talked me through all the history and gave me a run down of the condition. I had heard good things about this dealer from the inspector that I used when I last tried to buy one of these several years ago, so I knew they had a good reputation.
This car is a 2000 Modena in red with cream interior and red piping, along with red stitching on the leather everywhere else. It also has the Ferrari wingshields, red calipers, the F1 gearbox and a Tubi exhaust! This 360 has been known to the Ferrari Centre for more than 10 years and they have sold it several times over. I asked them lots of questions about service history (it’s comprehensive, with a folder of receipts) and Simon talked me through this. I also asked about anything that might need doing soon and the reply was very reassuring “Oh, that’s not your concern, sir. We check everything before it leaves us and we replace anything that is necessary. We will also give the car a service and change the belts”. Music to my ears! The 360 also has a 3 month warranty. The dealership have their own workshop to look after any potential issues, which I found reassuring as they are incentivised to not want to see a faulty car back wasting their valuable time. Therefore, the prep will be good. Sold! No time to mess about.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the start of my journey to collect my first Ferrari. It begins with 4 hour train journey south, and a 4 hour drive home. A mix of nerves (that the car might not be all that was said), and sheer excitement (I’ve bought a Ferrari!!!).
First train, on time down to London Kings Cross. Lovely and quiet.
Change over to St Pancras. Time for a little mooch around the London stations.
Next couple of trains via Strood to Maidstone. Lovely and quiet. The trains down south are so much nicer than the rickety old things we have in the north.
I arrive at Maidstone and Dan, the service manager is there to greet me. We have a good chat about the car, he knows it well, and he tells me more about the dealership and the owners. Unfortunately Simon wasn’t going to be in on the day due to medical reasons (which he had told me previously), but I’d be meeting Roger, the company owner…
We shortly arrive at the dealership, Roger is there to meet me - my car pride of place in the showroom.
Smiles and welcomes and he shows me to my car, giving me as much time as I need to look around it, ask questions etc. Roger spends ages with me. Nothing is too much trouble. He talks me through the quirks of the car, the operation of everything (except the aftermarket stereo system, but no-one in the universe knows how to work those, so that’s fine), and gives me the perfect amount of conversational space to take everything in, ramble about nonsense and generally just enjoy the experience.
I asked about the prep, and the warranty, and he took me through the offices to show me his workshop, a large space full of Ferraris all being worked on. These guys clearly know what they are doing, and Roger prides himself on a 40-year business successfully buying, selling and servicing Ferraris of all ages.
We then sit down and go through the paperwork in detail, the cars history, Roger’s personal experience of the car (which he has bought and sold several times to and from previous owners) and the ownership papers.
After a hour or two, the deal is completed, paperwork signed and Roger starts the car for the first time in my presence and drives it out of the showroom. Oooooh it sounds nice, one can’t help but smile. Roger has explained to me his top tips on driving the F1 cars, as they are a different experience to traditional automatics. A few minutes later, a shake of the hands, and I’m ready to head home in my very own Ferrari 360.
For the first couple of hours I’m in maximum concentration mode, but once on the motorway, I settle at a steady 65mph and start to relax into it, becoming familiar with the controls, the size and the layout.
I stop at a services after an hour and realise that I most definitely can’t park the thing very well at all! Thankfully there were plenty of spaces.
For the second leg, a small issue appears in that the air con doesn’t appear to be working. But at the next service stop, it all comes back to life again and has worked since.
As I arrive within a few miles of home, my wife is taking our daughter to Guides, and based on the timing they muse that I’m probably not far away. And sure enough, shortly afterwards our paths crossed on the road. Later she said they could hear me long before they saw me.
It’s a noisy beast! Really loud! When I got onto the estate where I lived, my wife had a message from one of the neighbours asking if that was my Ferrari - they heard it first too. Haha! The Tubi exhaust really makes the car sound great. It’s a deep (DEEP) rumble, but the higher up the rev counter you go, it turns into the screaming banshee that Ferraris are famous for.
Driving wise, I’m still very new to this car, so we are nowhere near extremes (and probably never will be, I’m not a max-out kind of driver) but it does reminds me of the Boxster in terms of handling. It’s not an intimidating car to drive.
Comfort is amazing for a car like this. Loads of head, leg, shoulder and knee room. The 4 hour journey home with only a couple of 5 minute stops and not a hint of back pain. I couldn’t do that with my Aston or Camaro. I don’t know how the Italians have managed to come up tops in the comfort department for tall people, but they have, and I’m so very pleased about that!!
This car is the realisation of a dream that I never thought as a child could be a possibility. But here it is, looking all fabulous!
What a lucky boy I am.
Next update i’ll talk about my first attempt at a school run in it (terrifying!), and the plans for the Vantage…
. This makes car number three of the aforementioned “6 cars in 6 years” plan!
Ferrari collection
So this is my story of my amazing day collecting my childhood dream car, a Ferrari. MY Ferrari.
This 360 Modena came up for sale at The Ferrari Centre (Kent High Performance Cars) in Maidstone and, after a brief chat with Simon, my sales rep at the dealership, I purchased it sight-unseen. One might consider this to be a trifle risky - and it is - but this car is my perfect specification and it had got several people already booked to view the car so I needed to do something to jump the queue. It was the right time for the right price and if I ever want to get one in these colours, for a relatively reasonable price, with this amount of service history, then I’m going to have to move fast.
Balls deep it is then.
I called and spoke to Simon, who talked me through all the history and gave me a run down of the condition. I had heard good things about this dealer from the inspector that I used when I last tried to buy one of these several years ago, so I knew they had a good reputation.
This car is a 2000 Modena in red with cream interior and red piping, along with red stitching on the leather everywhere else. It also has the Ferrari wingshields, red calipers, the F1 gearbox and a Tubi exhaust! This 360 has been known to the Ferrari Centre for more than 10 years and they have sold it several times over. I asked them lots of questions about service history (it’s comprehensive, with a folder of receipts) and Simon talked me through this. I also asked about anything that might need doing soon and the reply was very reassuring “Oh, that’s not your concern, sir. We check everything before it leaves us and we replace anything that is necessary. We will also give the car a service and change the belts”. Music to my ears! The 360 also has a 3 month warranty. The dealership have their own workshop to look after any potential issues, which I found reassuring as they are incentivised to not want to see a faulty car back wasting their valuable time. Therefore, the prep will be good. Sold! No time to mess about.
Fast forward a few weeks, and the start of my journey to collect my first Ferrari. It begins with 4 hour train journey south, and a 4 hour drive home. A mix of nerves (that the car might not be all that was said), and sheer excitement (I’ve bought a Ferrari!!!).
First train, on time down to London Kings Cross. Lovely and quiet.
Change over to St Pancras. Time for a little mooch around the London stations.
Next couple of trains via Strood to Maidstone. Lovely and quiet. The trains down south are so much nicer than the rickety old things we have in the north.
I arrive at Maidstone and Dan, the service manager is there to greet me. We have a good chat about the car, he knows it well, and he tells me more about the dealership and the owners. Unfortunately Simon wasn’t going to be in on the day due to medical reasons (which he had told me previously), but I’d be meeting Roger, the company owner…
We shortly arrive at the dealership, Roger is there to meet me - my car pride of place in the showroom.
Smiles and welcomes and he shows me to my car, giving me as much time as I need to look around it, ask questions etc. Roger spends ages with me. Nothing is too much trouble. He talks me through the quirks of the car, the operation of everything (except the aftermarket stereo system, but no-one in the universe knows how to work those, so that’s fine), and gives me the perfect amount of conversational space to take everything in, ramble about nonsense and generally just enjoy the experience.
I asked about the prep, and the warranty, and he took me through the offices to show me his workshop, a large space full of Ferraris all being worked on. These guys clearly know what they are doing, and Roger prides himself on a 40-year business successfully buying, selling and servicing Ferraris of all ages.
We then sit down and go through the paperwork in detail, the cars history, Roger’s personal experience of the car (which he has bought and sold several times to and from previous owners) and the ownership papers.
After a hour or two, the deal is completed, paperwork signed and Roger starts the car for the first time in my presence and drives it out of the showroom. Oooooh it sounds nice, one can’t help but smile. Roger has explained to me his top tips on driving the F1 cars, as they are a different experience to traditional automatics. A few minutes later, a shake of the hands, and I’m ready to head home in my very own Ferrari 360.
For the first couple of hours I’m in maximum concentration mode, but once on the motorway, I settle at a steady 65mph and start to relax into it, becoming familiar with the controls, the size and the layout.
I stop at a services after an hour and realise that I most definitely can’t park the thing very well at all! Thankfully there were plenty of spaces.
For the second leg, a small issue appears in that the air con doesn’t appear to be working. But at the next service stop, it all comes back to life again and has worked since.
As I arrive within a few miles of home, my wife is taking our daughter to Guides, and based on the timing they muse that I’m probably not far away. And sure enough, shortly afterwards our paths crossed on the road. Later she said they could hear me long before they saw me.
It’s a noisy beast! Really loud! When I got onto the estate where I lived, my wife had a message from one of the neighbours asking if that was my Ferrari - they heard it first too. Haha! The Tubi exhaust really makes the car sound great. It’s a deep (DEEP) rumble, but the higher up the rev counter you go, it turns into the screaming banshee that Ferraris are famous for.
Driving wise, I’m still very new to this car, so we are nowhere near extremes (and probably never will be, I’m not a max-out kind of driver) but it does reminds me of the Boxster in terms of handling. It’s not an intimidating car to drive.
Comfort is amazing for a car like this. Loads of head, leg, shoulder and knee room. The 4 hour journey home with only a couple of 5 minute stops and not a hint of back pain. I couldn’t do that with my Aston or Camaro. I don’t know how the Italians have managed to come up tops in the comfort department for tall people, but they have, and I’m so very pleased about that!!
This car is the realisation of a dream that I never thought as a child could be a possibility. But here it is, looking all fabulous!
What a lucky boy I am.
Next update i’ll talk about my first attempt at a school run in it (terrifying!), and the plans for the Vantage…
Thanks everyone for the replies, I love reading them! 
Last week, we were back in the Aston for an old friend of mine whose eldest was heading off to college. A family of Aston Martin fans, so we had smiles all round, and the Vantage got what will likely be its last prom outing under my ownership.
And yes, I’ve decided it has to go up for sale.
I can’t put all of my cars in the garage, and I particularly don’t like having them on the driveway, or in storage really. And let’s not forget that financially, with all of these old and potentially expensive cars to maintain, it’s a bit like playing automotive money roulette. It was a tough decision though and has taken me weeks to actually do it. I got as far as the payment screen on one of the selling sites, I entered my credit card details initially, but couldn’t bring myself to press the button so I abandoned the idea for another week. 
But the decision has now been made!
Spin the wheel, which one will bring financial disaster first….?
School Run in the Ferrari.
This was always going to be an interesting experience. I’m still new to the car and learning its ways and the Aston gave me a similar level of stress when I first got that until I was familiar with it. But there is no denying that the Ferrari amps this up quite a bit. The school run is already a sensory overload, it’s a narrow road to school, kids going back and forth across the road on foot, on bicycles, there is a mini (painted) roundabout to contend with, no pedestrian crossings, cars parked literally everywhere and buses parked so badly that most days you have to mount a very dicey grassy curb to get around them. Yellow lines and parking restrictions mean absolutely nothing on the school run and it brings out the absolute worst in driver decision making. Whilst you can marvel at the bewildering levels of daily ridiculousness from afar if you can walk to school, its a different story when you are driving in it trying to avoid (or actually be) the chaos.
And the Ferrari is big. And it doesn’t do curbs. And it doesn’t like traffic. There is lots of traffic. It’s a bit grumpy on hills too. There are lots of hills. Hills with lots of traffic. And if you make a mistake? Everyone is watching whilst one fumbles about with this throbbing red manhood extension. I know they are, because a sheepish glance around, eyes are always looking back. They can all hear what one is doing too because it’s sooo freakin’ loud. So yeah, you are really on display and I’m still getting used to the controls too. We’ll cover controls and gearbox in another update.
Porsche Logo is staying
So the school run is probably the stuff of nightmares for a car designed predominantly for racing and going fast for large portions of the day and not really what its designed to do. That said, the experience does have its plus points, as some of the kids reactions upon seeing the car are really fun. One lad literally covered his mouth in surprise seeing us drive past, whilst another one across the road mouthed “Ferrari”. I think back to when I was a kid, I would have loved to see a Ferrari at my school, it would have been unbelievably motivating for me.
My daughter is used to me driving her about in my silly array of cars, so no issues there, but given all of the above I don’t think I’ll be using the 360 for too many school runs - certainly not daily ones as the opportunity for things to go expensively wrong are just too high, and I don’t feel that people would offer much by way of tolerance to a driver of this type of car making any kind of error.
Reactions
I took Mrs Cloudy out in it earlier this week for the first time and on the journey we stopped at a petrol station. Whilst there a lady came over and asked if her son could have a photo with the car. Then on the journey home I noticed the passenger in the car behind was taking photos/videos too. Lots of people do look at it - enough that, in traffic, I did consciously reach for the sunglasses as a rudimentary cloaking device.
I’m really looking forward to getting it out on the country roads and getting more familiar with the car in the coming weeks and months.This is where this car will make sense and be an absolute joy to drive. I can’t wait!! Whether you like it or not, this car is always going to be an event to drive. I’m just going to make sure that they are the good type as often as possible.
I’ve not managed to drive it beyond this as my spare time over the last couple of weeks have been helping families out doing prom runs in the Camaro and the Vantage. But with those now finished, I’ll be sure to get more pictures and drives out in the 360 and will report back!
Here’s to an exciting summer of driving!
TheDoggingFather said:
This sounds like a great plan, entirely without terror
PRO5T said:
Out with the old and in with the new?
Pretty much yes. Well, I suppose it’s more ‘out with the old, and in with the older’. Last week, we were back in the Aston for an old friend of mine whose eldest was heading off to college. A family of Aston Martin fans, so we had smiles all round, and the Vantage got what will likely be its last prom outing under my ownership.
And yes, I’ve decided it has to go up for sale.
I can’t put all of my cars in the garage, and I particularly don’t like having them on the driveway, or in storage really. And let’s not forget that financially, with all of these old and potentially expensive cars to maintain, it’s a bit like playing automotive money roulette. It was a tough decision though and has taken me weeks to actually do it. I got as far as the payment screen on one of the selling sites, I entered my credit card details initially, but couldn’t bring myself to press the button so I abandoned the idea for another week. But the decision has now been made!Spin the wheel, which one will bring financial disaster first….?
School Run in the Ferrari.
This was always going to be an interesting experience. I’m still new to the car and learning its ways and the Aston gave me a similar level of stress when I first got that until I was familiar with it. But there is no denying that the Ferrari amps this up quite a bit. The school run is already a sensory overload, it’s a narrow road to school, kids going back and forth across the road on foot, on bicycles, there is a mini (painted) roundabout to contend with, no pedestrian crossings, cars parked literally everywhere and buses parked so badly that most days you have to mount a very dicey grassy curb to get around them. Yellow lines and parking restrictions mean absolutely nothing on the school run and it brings out the absolute worst in driver decision making. Whilst you can marvel at the bewildering levels of daily ridiculousness from afar if you can walk to school, its a different story when you are driving in it trying to avoid (or actually be) the chaos.
And the Ferrari is big. And it doesn’t do curbs. And it doesn’t like traffic. There is lots of traffic. It’s a bit grumpy on hills too. There are lots of hills. Hills with lots of traffic. And if you make a mistake? Everyone is watching whilst one fumbles about with this throbbing red manhood extension. I know they are, because a sheepish glance around, eyes are always looking back. They can all hear what one is doing too because it’s sooo freakin’ loud.
So yeah, you are really on display and I’m still getting used to the controls too. We’ll cover controls and gearbox in another update.Porsche Logo is staying
So the school run is probably the stuff of nightmares for a car designed predominantly for racing and going fast for large portions of the day and not really what its designed to do. That said, the experience does have its plus points, as some of the kids reactions upon seeing the car are really fun. One lad literally covered his mouth in surprise seeing us drive past, whilst another one across the road mouthed “Ferrari”. I think back to when I was a kid, I would have loved to see a Ferrari at my school, it would have been unbelievably motivating for me.
My daughter is used to me driving her about in my silly array of cars, so no issues there, but given all of the above I don’t think I’ll be using the 360 for too many school runs - certainly not daily ones as the opportunity for things to go expensively wrong are just too high, and I don’t feel that people would offer much by way of tolerance to a driver of this type of car making any kind of error.
Reactions
I took Mrs Cloudy out in it earlier this week for the first time and on the journey we stopped at a petrol station. Whilst there a lady came over and asked if her son could have a photo with the car. Then on the journey home I noticed the passenger in the car behind was taking photos/videos too. Lots of people do look at it - enough that, in traffic, I did consciously reach for the sunglasses as a rudimentary cloaking device
.I’m really looking forward to getting it out on the country roads and getting more familiar with the car in the coming weeks and months.This is where this car will make sense and be an absolute joy to drive. I can’t wait!! Whether you like it or not, this car is always going to be an event to drive. I’m just going to make sure that they are the good type as often as possible.
I’ve not managed to drive it beyond this as my spare time over the last couple of weeks have been helping families out doing prom runs in the Camaro and the Vantage. But with those now finished, I’ll be sure to get more pictures and drives out in the 360 and will report back!
Here’s to an exciting summer of driving!
Adenauer said:
I am so glad to have found this thread, what a great read, inspiring and entertaining.
Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Really kind of you Adenauer, thankyou! As for which car, go for both! Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Mr Tidy said:
A school run in a Ferrari is always going to be a nervy experience, but it sounds like you made some kids' day!
Good luck working your way through your list.
Thanks Mr Tidy!Good luck working your way through your list.
Update
It’s been a busy few weeks with prom runs! I do these for friends and also for people who are either big Transformers fans, or perhaps can’t afford the costs of hiring a prom car, without charge. They are always really uplifting experiences, all that young excitement and enthusiasm, everyone well dressed and looking great, and parents who are on an emotional rollercoaster of seeing their young ones practically grown up, whilst also wanting their special day to be just perfect for them. And of course all of the teachers are there to celebrate with them. It never ceases to amaze me just how much effort our teachers put into so many extra-curricular tasks, wonderful humans that they are. This year I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the next generation of beauticians, chefs, archaeologists, engineers, and even a glass blower, amongst other things! My best wishes to them all!
Bumblebee making a huge fan of the movie franchise very happy, arriving at her prom
Whilst the Aston is still around, it has also had a few outings with the nice sunny days, so here’s a picture of that too!
Doesn’t it just look fabulous!!
Ferrari Drive
Returning to the Ferrari though, I had a physio appointment today, and her practice has moved, now around 40 minutes from me. The journey there is all motorway and A roads, with very little by way of traffic or traffic lights, so it’s a nice free-flowing journey. The sun was out too! Perfect for Ferrari stuffs then.
So out came the big red lizard-like motor, bringing the sounds of the gods with it and I had a great drive there and back. A couple of short tunnels gave the opportunity to squeeze the loud pedal, Tubi mixing the blend of thunder with that old school Formula 1 soundtrack. Out on the open roads it sounds absolutely magnificent and hearing it as you pull away from a standstill is just out-of-this-world fun! Acceleration is very brisk, and whilst the 360 is docile enough to pootle around at 30mph if you need it to, any hint of force on the go pedal (and you want to press it for that noise), will put you over any speed limit pretty rapidly. It has bags of power in reserve.
Handling wise, I’m still very much on the cautious side, so we are most definitely not powering into corners with reckless abandon, but it does feel very similar to my old Boxster in terms of how it handles and the weight distribution. This is a very good thing as that car was wonderful to drive. Similar in some ways, but an overall different proposition entirely as the overall package of a 360 really does feel like a racing car to me. A racing car first that can also do road things. Compared to, say, my previous Porsches which felt the opposite; road cars that can also do racing. This makes a big difference to how these cars feel to drive - and also the opportunities when you might want to drive them.
The stereo system can’t match the engine sonics though, and is barely audible. If you crank it up, it just makes the speakers vibrate and rattle in torturous pain, but no extra musicality can actually be heard. My car has a full Pioneer system fitted, including speakers so someone has clearly had a go, but it’s no match for Tubi.
I have to admit, I do feel quite self conscious driving the 360 at the moment. I love everything about cars, it’s my hobby, my passion, and this is the ultimate dream car for me, but driving about in a Ferrari does feel a bit ‘show off’ - a feeling that I’m not very fond of. I found myself thinking about how much more enjoyable it would be if there were fewer people around to see me driving it.
Comes back to the track focus again - it’s the natural home for this type of car for plenty of reasons…maybe I need to look into that? Or therapy. But that emotionally complex nugget aside, this car feels special. Really special. I feel so very happy and privileged to get the opportunity to own one and I’m looking forward to learning more about the car and getting out on some drives, likely visiting the Motorist cafe sometime soon.
User error
This afternoon I gave my cars a clean, but the 360 wouldn’t start after I’d finished. The engine just wouldn’t turn over. Turning the key, and all the lights came on, along with the “OK” message, but then… nothing. I thought it was the immobiliser so I tried that, but still nothing. I called Roger (who I purchased the car from), and described the situation. He asked if I could get the car into neutral, which I couldn’t, at which point he said “OK, when you go to start the engine, REALLY push the brake pedal hard”. So I gave it some force and it started right away!! Woohoo, panic over! Turns out this is because I’d had my foot in the brake at some point when the car was turned off. The pedal goes solid and therefore it doesn’t easily register that you have pressed the pedal, and so won’t start the car.
Anyhow, panic over and here’s a pic…
Parking
Yeah, I still can’t do it. I can get my Camaro inch perfect every time, first time….
Ferrari on the other hand, miles away!
More practice required!
That brings us to the end of this update, and if you’ve made it this far, thanks very much for reading my ramblings. Hope you are enjoying it.
Mr Tidy said:
Providing free prom transport is a really thoughtful gesture.
I'm not sure why you feel a bit self-conscious in your Ferrari - I think I'd feel the same in any of those 3 cars! But does what other people think really matter if you are enjoying yourself?
My paranoia wouldn't let me park that close to a wall in case I came back to a flat tyre!
And I'm very much enjoying your ramblings.
Thanks Mr Tidy, the proms are certainly good fun! I'm not sure why you feel a bit self-conscious in your Ferrari - I think I'd feel the same in any of those 3 cars! But does what other people think really matter if you are enjoying yourself?
My paranoia wouldn't let me park that close to a wall in case I came back to a flat tyre!
And I'm very much enjoying your ramblings.
Re: Flat tyre, that’s something I’d never even thought of! Let’s hope that doesn’t happen lol.
360 Update
Garage parking - I’ve found a way that works, it’s not ideal, but it works. I fully recognise this is the most first of all first world problems, so I’m certainly not complaining, just updating on the experience. Rather than reversing the 360 into the garage, I drive it in forward until both sets of wheels are past the wind-stop on the floor, then allow it to freewheel forward. The Mrs tells me when to stop, then I turn it off in neutral, and just push it forward the extra few inches. Easy!
Downside? It means I can’t get the Camaro out without moving the 360 first. But whether it’s driving or reversing it in, I am getting better now I can gauge the throttle more. It’ll always need pushing in though due to the clutch on F1s being a bit lurchy and the space being so tight.
Driving - So far, I’m finding that all of the things that make it utterly amazing, are also its biggest drawbacks….
It sounds amazing, like a racing car, especially in the tunnels!!
It handles really nice and it’s pretty easy to drive now I’m used to the gearbox. It’s also big in there, an unusual amount of room for us tallies. Leg room, knee room, headroom… I’ve got plenty of it all. Contrast to the Aston which has a really small cabin. I could drive the Ferrari long distances, but I need a lot more breaks in the Vantage as my back is too squashed.
But the noise also means you can’t hear much at all when driving it. So you got to really keep an eye out on what everyone else is doing… but because it’s really big, low and wide, whilst that makes it look really striking, visibility is pretty s
t as a result. You can’t see past other cars because you are sat on the floor, emphasised by the fact most of us now drive tall vehicles of some description. You also can’t make split decisions in traffic because it’s a bit dimwhitted when compared whizzy modern cars. And other drivers are generally not very patient.All of which I found to my cost….
Thankfully mostly just on the surface and all cleaned off barring a tiny scratch which you only notice if you know to look for it, and I’ll get that tidied up..
People also look at it a lot. That’s cool on a motorway. Less cool on a complicated and congested, traffic light riddled roundabout that you’ve never been on before and you are trying to work out which of the 4 lanes and 6 exits you’re trying to navigate to.
But driving it in a straight line (motorway), or on the twisties without anything else on the road to get in the way, it’s probably unmatched as an “all-senses switched on” driving experience!
In summary, all of the drama which makes the Ferrari 360 absolutely sensational is also… just drama… the rest of the time.
It really will be an interesting ownership experience this one. I reckon it would be extremely fun on a track as none of the compromises would apply. But I feel that is its most natural home anyway. Will I ever find the time to do a track day though? Probably not.
Other news…
What else is going on? Well, the Vantage is still up for sale. I’ve had a few enquiries on it, but nothing serious just yet. My temporary insurance ran out so I decided to just insure it fully which, at just £210 for the remainder of the term (10 months), I really can’t grumble. I’ll still be driving it about until it sells. Here’s my sad face:
I love the look of this car, whenever I go out in it, giving it a backward glance when I’ve parked it up always makes me really happy!
In the meantime, my bank account will continue to clench its buttcheeks.
As for the Camaro, it has got its own thread ( click here if you are interested), but as a brief update, I attended a Comic Con with the car last month, and there was a short promo video made featuring my car which is quite cool….
That’s all for now, thanks for reading!
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 23 July 22:50
Called at The Motorist cafe this morning, part of the Collecting Cars coffee morning event.
Was good fun, loads of nice cars and people there. I was directed to the hard standing section next to the main cafe entrance.
I went for the space next to the disabled one to give a bit of room for manoeuvre. Still can’t park the thing. Felt better when the McLaren opposite pulled up. He had two goes at parking wonky before giving it up as a bad job as well.
Had a few brews and good chat with a whole bunch of car guys, including the owner of the 912 that parked next to me, and the owner of the very rare Aston Rapide!
Lots of cool cars were there….
Some nice Porsches of all ages were there. I do like the 996 with the GT kits in silver.
Mitsubishi GTO. A Supercar from my youth!
This Porsche looked the same as my old 997, including the wheels. Aaaah, good times!
Famous Lambo!
Finished the morning off with a game of pinball. I LOVE pinball!
A great car morning out!! I’ll definitely be back again soon. The Ferrari behaved flawlessly and was a very enjoyable drive, and a few people asked me about my ownership so far, so was nice to share the experience.
Was good fun, loads of nice cars and people there. I was directed to the hard standing section next to the main cafe entrance.
I went for the space next to the disabled one to give a bit of room for manoeuvre. Still can’t park the thing.
Felt better when the McLaren opposite pulled up. He had two goes at parking wonky before giving it up as a bad job as well. Had a few brews and good chat with a whole bunch of car guys, including the owner of the 912 that parked next to me, and the owner of the very rare Aston Rapide!
Lots of cool cars were there….
Some nice Porsches of all ages were there. I do like the 996 with the GT kits in silver.
Mitsubishi GTO. A Supercar from my youth!
This Porsche looked the same as my old 997, including the wheels. Aaaah, good times!
Famous Lambo!
Finished the morning off with a game of pinball. I LOVE pinball!
A great car morning out!!
I’ll definitely be back again soon. The Ferrari behaved flawlessly and was a very enjoyable drive, and a few people asked me about my ownership so far, so was nice to share the experience. Good news: I’m getting used to driving the Ferrari now. I’m a bit better with the clutch, and with hills, and I’ve also found decent positioning for the mirrors which means I’m actually able to see things on the flanks. All of this is making the driving experience more enjoyable and I’m feeling far less self-conscious about the whole thing now. I just get in and drive it like any other car.
It was a nice morning today so I thought I’d drive up to Ferrari Leeds and register my car with them - and get my personal number plates made up at the same time. The registration was successful, and they updated my cars details on the Ferrari database as well. So my name is now officially on the Ferrari register somewhere. Yippee!
This gives me access to the Ferrari app too!
For owners only. Don’t I feel special!
It’s quite good actually, it gives me details about my car, the spec from new, recalls and campaigns completed, details of upcoming events and all sorts. Very nice!
Also invited to a breakfast meet at the dealership in a couple of weeks time, which I’ll definitely attend if I’m able as that sounds like fun.
The showroom itself is lovely. For those who haven’t been, it’s a newly built showroom specifically for Ferrari sales and service, and is on two floors. A few pics from today:
Unfortunately I didn’t get the number plates made up as I didn’t bring the V5 doc, so I’ll have to go back another day. Hardly a chore, just another (positive) reason to visit and give the car a run.
All of this is making the driving experience more enjoyable and I’m feeling far less self-conscious about the whole thing now. I just get in and drive it like any other car.It was a nice morning today so I thought I’d drive up to Ferrari Leeds and register my car with them - and get my personal number plates made up at the same time. The registration was successful, and they updated my cars details on the Ferrari database as well. So my name is now officially on the Ferrari register somewhere. Yippee!
This gives me access to the Ferrari app too!
For owners only. Don’t I feel special!
It’s quite good actually, it gives me details about my car, the spec from new, recalls and campaigns completed, details of upcoming events and all sorts. Very nice!
Also invited to a breakfast meet at the dealership in a couple of weeks time, which I’ll definitely attend if I’m able as that sounds like fun.
The showroom itself is lovely. For those who haven’t been, it’s a newly built showroom specifically for Ferrari sales and service, and is on two floors. A few pics from today:
Unfortunately I didn’t get the number plates made up as I didn’t bring the V5 doc, so I’ll have to go back another day. Hardly a chore, just another (positive) reason to visit and give the car a run.
Last weekend was the first child-free day that my wife and I have had in a long time, so we decided to go to a stately home for a bit of culture and a nice lunch in the Ferrari.
We went for Harewood House as we have been past the entrance a few times recently but neither of us had been before. What we didn’t know beforehand was that we had picked the weekend of the VW camper festival, and the fields were rammed with tents, vans and dub-stuff!
Nevertheless we parked up in the field …
…and went down to the house and had a nice time looking at the fancy rooms and learning a bit about the history of the house. Finished off with lunch in the cafe and a quick wander around the VW stalls.
A group of modified Sciroccos. A car that’s still on my list. Rising Blue please!
After an enjoyable time there, we headed to my wife’s Auntie’s house, and her husband asked for a ride in the car. For the first time since I’ve owned it, I gave it some beans in first gear and holy shyate, this thing doesn’t half take off. It feels like a jet the way it hunches at the back, launches forward and pins you in your seat. By the time we’d got into second gear, we were at the speed limit and that was that. My goodness it’s so quick. I’d like to find a run way or a max-speed type day where I can really feel the full force of the acceleration through a few more gears, that would be a lot of fun!
Comparing it to the Vantage, and even the Boxster before it, they are both quite linear, revvy cars that need to be worked to get the most from the power. Contrast with the Ferrari which feels so much more powerful in the middle of the rev range. But I’ve only done it the once, so need a bit more practice to properly compare.
When it comes to the Ferrari, I’ve mentioned before the attention it gets, so will note anything on this as well because it is certainly a part of the experience, whether you’d want it to be it or not! Kids often take photos as they go past on the motorway, but one particularly comical interaction came on a dual carriageway on the way home whereby a lady in the passenger seat had her head completely out of the car, staring at our car with an expression I can only describe as a muddle of delight, surprise and confusion. My good lady says that, from the passenger seat, it does seem to be more noticed than our Camaro - which itself is quite an eye catcher, musing that more people probably know what this is, and you don’t see them often on the roads.
When we got home I gave the Ferrari a quick clean and back in its toy box for now. Today I took the Vantage out to my visit my parents, no dramas, a nice comfortable cruise with the great music system that’s in these cars.
Facebook Memory…
Last point to note, that I found this coincidentally yesterday on a Facebook search… ten years ago almost to the month when I bought my car. I’ve been looking all this time, and now I’ve finally done it - and so has my friend who posted this on my feed!
We went for Harewood House as we have been past the entrance a few times recently but neither of us had been before. What we didn’t know beforehand was that we had picked the weekend of the VW camper festival, and the fields were rammed with tents, vans and dub-stuff!
Nevertheless we parked up in the field …
…and went down to the house and had a nice time looking at the fancy rooms and learning a bit about the history of the house. Finished off with lunch in the cafe and a quick wander around the VW stalls.
A group of modified Sciroccos. A car that’s still on my list. Rising Blue please!
After an enjoyable time there, we headed to my wife’s Auntie’s house, and her husband asked for a ride in the car. For the first time since I’ve owned it, I gave it some beans in first gear and holy shyate, this thing doesn’t half take off. It feels like a jet the way it hunches at the back, launches forward and pins you in your seat. By the time we’d got into second gear, we were at the speed limit and that was that. My goodness it’s so quick. I’d like to find a run way or a max-speed type day where I can really feel the full force of the acceleration through a few more gears, that would be a lot of fun!
Comparing it to the Vantage, and even the Boxster before it, they are both quite linear, revvy cars that need to be worked to get the most from the power. Contrast with the Ferrari which feels so much more powerful in the middle of the rev range. But I’ve only done it the once, so need a bit more practice to properly compare.
When it comes to the Ferrari, I’ve mentioned before the attention it gets, so will note anything on this as well because it is certainly a part of the experience, whether you’d want it to be it or not! Kids often take photos as they go past on the motorway, but one particularly comical interaction came on a dual carriageway on the way home whereby a lady in the passenger seat had her head completely out of the car, staring at our car with an expression I can only describe as a muddle of delight, surprise and confusion. My good lady says that, from the passenger seat, it does seem to be more noticed than our Camaro - which itself is quite an eye catcher, musing that more people probably know what this is, and you don’t see them often on the roads.
When we got home I gave the Ferrari a quick clean and back in its toy box for now. Today I took the Vantage out to my visit my parents, no dramas, a nice comfortable cruise with the great music system that’s in these cars.
Facebook Memory…
Last point to note, that I found this coincidentally yesterday on a Facebook search… ten years ago almost to the month when I bought my car. I’ve been looking all this time, and now I’ve finally done it - and so has my friend who posted this on my feed!
After a fun trip out in the Camaro today (see my other running report for an update on that), when I got home my daughter asked if we could go out for a drive in the Ferrari to get a milkshake and “try the rollercoaster thing”, to which of course I said “yes”, not least because I get to drive the car for a bit, but also because dad-daughter time is precious time, and she’s growing up so fast that those opportunities are getting fewer. So when they do come up, I take them all.
Rollercoaster thing? I told her that a few weeks ago I took her uncle out for a drive and how the 360 felt like a rollercoaster with the way it pushes you back in your seat when you accelerate.
So we went for a nice drive to get the car up to temperature, then found a really wide, very empty road and I gave it the beans. It duly pushed her back into her seat, which knocked her hat off her head, in turn making her laugh. So we did it again, and then cruised over for milkshakes from the BP station, along with a Costa for Mrs Cloudy.
Returning home, I’d forgotten the additional order of a Lion Bar for Mrs O. Seizing the additional opportunity, I grabbed the Aston keys and asked my daughter if she’d like to come in that car too, as we can listen to her other music cds in that car. She is really into her music at the minute and is enjoying the physical aspects of collecting and displaying her favourite artists, so we have a growing CD collection in our house. She was happy to come along.
We went to the Shell station this time, purely for a change of scenery and purchased the aforementioned chocolate snack, still drinking our BP milkshakes.
It was great to get to drive all three of my sports cars in the same day for various reasons, not least it was great to spend some quality time with my daughter. Her favourite car is still the Camaro, she likes the others but thinks the Camaro is the coolest. It’s rare in the UK and of course it’s got the movie connection. It is also the quietest car of the three, notably so, and with my daughter having particularly sensitive hearing is also the primary reason that I’ll never change the exhaust on this car to make it sound more fruity. It’s our family fun car, and I want it to remain that way and for my daughter to always enjoy it and have those memories.
Vantage lights and overall shape looks really cool at night, I think.
As for the Aston and the Ferrari, I enjoyed the drive in both and am really getting to grips with the Ferrari now. I do enjoy the process of getting to know new cars, their quirks, their features and of course their personalities.
I parked the Ferrari nose first into the garage when I got home because it’s easy and I can do it first time now without wifey having to watch me in!
With nose in, there is plenty of space to get out…
But not a lot of space to get into the Camaro…
But neither car will be used for a few weeks now, so it doesn’t matter.
Floor needs a good wash though, its on the to-do list.
Engine bay never fails to look dramatic.
Rollercoaster thing? I told her that a few weeks ago I took her uncle out for a drive and how the 360 felt like a rollercoaster with the way it pushes you back in your seat when you accelerate.
So we went for a nice drive to get the car up to temperature, then found a really wide, very empty road and I gave it the beans. It duly pushed her back into her seat, which knocked her hat off her head, in turn making her laugh. So we did it again, and then cruised over for milkshakes from the BP station, along with a Costa for Mrs Cloudy.
Returning home, I’d forgotten the additional order of a Lion Bar for Mrs O. Seizing the additional opportunity, I grabbed the Aston keys and asked my daughter if she’d like to come in that car too, as we can listen to her other music cds in that car. She is really into her music at the minute and is enjoying the physical aspects of collecting and displaying her favourite artists, so we have a growing CD collection in our house. She was happy to come along.
We went to the Shell station this time, purely for a change of scenery and purchased the aforementioned chocolate snack, still drinking our BP milkshakes.
It was great to get to drive all three of my sports cars in the same day for various reasons, not least it was great to spend some quality time with my daughter. Her favourite car is still the Camaro, she likes the others but thinks the Camaro is the coolest. It’s rare in the UK and of course it’s got the movie connection. It is also the quietest car of the three, notably so, and with my daughter having particularly sensitive hearing is also the primary reason that I’ll never change the exhaust on this car to make it sound more fruity. It’s our family fun car, and I want it to remain that way and for my daughter to always enjoy it and have those memories.
Vantage lights and overall shape looks really cool at night, I think.
As for the Aston and the Ferrari, I enjoyed the drive in both and am really getting to grips with the Ferrari now. I do enjoy the process of getting to know new cars, their quirks, their features and of course their personalities.
I parked the Ferrari nose first into the garage when I got home because it’s easy and I can do it first time now without wifey having to watch me in!
With nose in, there is plenty of space to get out…
But not a lot of space to get into the Camaro…
But neither car will be used for a few weeks now, so it doesn’t matter.
Floor needs a good wash though, its on the to-do list.
Engine bay never fails to look dramatic.
You may recall from a previous update about the Vantage that I coincidentally met a fellow who happened to be the neighbour of my car’s previous owner, at a car meet last year.
When I purchased the Vantage, it only came with the service book, but Andrew - the fellow that I got talking to - said that he would ask said neighbour if he would mind requesting copies of the history from Aston Martin Leeds, where he had a lot of work done. Well I’m excited to say that they both came good on their promises and a pile of receipts was emailed through to me today!
I’ve spent the past hour or so printing off the docs and having a jolly good read! I’m sure you all feel the same as me in that as a petrolhead, finding out more about a cars history is akin to finding treasure!
And so what did we find? Well, firstly there was an additional service in there which was carried out by AM Leeds that I wasn’t aware of as it isn’t stamped in the service book, so that helps to fill one of the few gaps in the service history, great news!
Elsewhere, the list of invoices from AM Leeds, going back to 2018 show a huge raft of maintenance work. These include the clear rear lights purchased and fitted, some sensor replacements, a new driver module, new relay, new seals, alloy wheel refurb and new wheel nuts, wiring fixes, new thermostat, a spring replaced, bonnet+boot+door struts, new engine plus several pages of related components all refreshed to new, as well as bolts, clips and fixings. A brand new lightweight clutch and flywheel were also fitted along with new suspension arms, a handbrake cable and remanufacturered brackets, mounts and heat shields. There was also a new CV boot and a drop link, oxygen sensor and front and rear mesh grills fitted!
The engine and clutch were both fitted less than 10,000 miles ago!
Finally, the last invoice shows a replacement headlight unit, rear springs and an 02 sensor.
The previous owner certainly has deeper pockets (and a greater tolerance!) than I, with the total coming in at £36,240 over four years ownership.
But that has been to my benefit because it has been flawless in my ownership to date.
The Vantage is still being used regularly. My daughter loves listening to her new CDs in this car (having both a CD player and a great sound system to enjoy them on), so we take it out for drives quite often on an evening to get milkshakes or occasional treats.
This week I had meetings to attend at the office. My usual mode of transportation is the train, but as I arrived on the platform, it was announced that the train had broken down and therefore cancelled. With the next train an hour away, I instead walked back home from the station, grabbed the keys to the Aston and had an enjoyable drive into the city in my Vantage instead.
I do like these empty car park shots.
This is such a lovely car. To say I’m luke-warm about selling it would be an understatement!
I’m so incredibly grateful to Andrew, the fellow owner that I happened to meet at a car event and who agreed to ask the previous owner if he might try and get all the ownership history for me from AM Leeds. And of course I’m very grateful to the previous owner for doing it for me, purely out of kindness. What a great bunch of people we have in this car community!
When I purchased the Vantage, it only came with the service book, but Andrew - the fellow that I got talking to - said that he would ask said neighbour if he would mind requesting copies of the history from Aston Martin Leeds, where he had a lot of work done. Well I’m excited to say that they both came good on their promises and a pile of receipts was emailed through to me today!
I’ve spent the past hour or so printing off the docs and having a jolly good read! I’m sure you all feel the same as me in that as a petrolhead, finding out more about a cars history is akin to finding treasure!
And so what did we find? Well, firstly there was an additional service in there which was carried out by AM Leeds that I wasn’t aware of as it isn’t stamped in the service book, so that helps to fill one of the few gaps in the service history, great news!
Elsewhere, the list of invoices from AM Leeds, going back to 2018 show a huge raft of maintenance work. These include the clear rear lights purchased and fitted
, some sensor replacements, a new driver module, new relay, new seals, alloy wheel refurb and new wheel nuts, wiring fixes, new thermostat, a spring replaced, bonnet+boot+door struts, new engine plus several pages of related components all refreshed to new, as well as bolts, clips and fixings. A brand new lightweight clutch and flywheel were also fitted along with new suspension arms, a handbrake cable and remanufacturered brackets, mounts and heat shields. There was also a new CV boot and a drop link, oxygen sensor and front and rear mesh grills fitted! The engine and clutch were both fitted less than 10,000 miles ago!
Finally, the last invoice shows a replacement headlight unit, rear springs and an 02 sensor.
The previous owner certainly has deeper pockets (and a greater tolerance!) than I, with the total coming in at £36,240 over four years ownership.
But that has been to my benefit because it has been flawless in my ownership to date. The Vantage is still being used regularly. My daughter loves listening to her new CDs in this car (having both a CD player and a great sound system to enjoy them on), so we take it out for drives quite often on an evening to get milkshakes or occasional treats.
This week I had meetings to attend at the office. My usual mode of transportation is the train, but as I arrived on the platform, it was announced that the train had broken down and therefore cancelled. With the next train an hour away, I instead walked back home from the station, grabbed the keys to the Aston and had an enjoyable drive into the city in my Vantage instead.
I do like these empty car park shots.
This is such a lovely car. To say I’m luke-warm about selling it would be an understatement!
I’m so incredibly grateful to Andrew, the fellow owner that I happened to meet at a car event and who agreed to ask the previous owner if he might try and get all the ownership history for me from AM Leeds. And of course I’m very grateful to the previous owner for doing it for me, purely out of kindness. What a great bunch of people we have in this car community!
SOLD.
A happy-sad day today as my Aston Martin V8 Vantage has now been sold. It’s gone to its new owner over in Manchester who I’m sure will have many years of happy times with this fabulous car.
It remains, to my eye, the prettiest looking car of modern times, with its clean lines and beautifully understated elegance.
I took it for a final drive yesterday into work, and the drive home was great. I left after rush hour, so the journey was calm and enjoyable through the city centre and then out onto the motorway. It felt great.
A very special car - and now I can say I’ve owned an Aston Martin! What a privilege.
COSTS
Total costs over 20 months ownership not including car tax, insurance or MOT:
Depreciation: £3,000
Servicing costs (it didn’t require any additional maintenance): 2x services, £672.
TOTAL = £3672 over 20 months.
£183.60 per month.
I don’t think there is a better car out there that could be had for £183 a month!
A happy-sad day today as my Aston Martin V8 Vantage has now been sold. It’s gone to its new owner over in Manchester who I’m sure will have many years of happy times with this fabulous car.
It remains, to my eye, the prettiest looking car of modern times, with its clean lines and beautifully understated elegance.
I took it for a final drive yesterday into work, and the drive home was great. I left after rush hour, so the journey was calm and enjoyable through the city centre and then out onto the motorway. It felt great.
A very special car - and now I can say I’ve owned an Aston Martin! What a privilege.
COSTS
Total costs over 20 months ownership not including car tax, insurance or MOT:
Depreciation: £3,000
Servicing costs (it didn’t require any additional maintenance): 2x services, £672.
TOTAL = £3672 over 20 months.
£183.60 per month.
I don’t think there is a better car out there that could be had for £183 a month!
It’s been an extremely long time since I’ve gone for a drive, just for the sake of doing it. But that’s what I did today. Earlier today, my family and I had had an enjoyable morning out and about in our local town, with the weather being surprisingly bright and sunny. It could even be described as warm if you were out of the shade. Perfect weather for an autumn drive, before the rain comes and soaks us into winter.
So when I got home I decided to take the Ferrari out, with no journey or destination in particular, just driving along for about an hour and learning more about the car in the process. With just my own thoughts for company I began considering what I might do next time, maybe even get a map out and properly plan a fun route to explore. This car actually makes me want to do that, I’m starting to understand why so many owners do extensive road trips in them!
The last few drives out have been me and my daughter, which are always enjoyable, but they wasn’t really a photo opportunity in them, as were generally either to the petrol station (the long way around, of course), or to our local HMV for some new CDs (also via the long way around ). So today I decided to add a park to the journey and get a couple of photos along the way.
Great fun!
So when I got home I decided to take the Ferrari out, with no journey or destination in particular, just driving along for about an hour and learning more about the car in the process. With just my own thoughts for company I began considering what I might do next time, maybe even get a map out and properly plan a fun route to explore. This car actually makes me want to do that, I’m starting to understand why so many owners do extensive road trips in them!
The last few drives out have been me and my daughter, which are always enjoyable, but they wasn’t really a photo opportunity in them, as were generally either to the petrol station (the long way around, of course
), or to our local HMV for some new CDs (also via the long way around ). So today I decided to add a park to the journey and get a couple of photos along the way.Great fun!
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