$82,000. Click on his link.

You should not let anything stop you from driving the car of your dreams.

Guess which "regular working guy" just bought a 360??? ME. Thanks to this thread I realized the prices and maintenance is not what I thought. Put a deposit on a 360 yesterday and should receive it sometime in the first week of March.

--JK

I actually just chose a 09 911 TT over a 360. I was looking at ferraris in the 90-120K range (spiders) and had a hard realization that it would really be a weekender versus something I could enjoy throughout the week. I can carry my young kids to soccer, I can pick em up at school, and my little family of 4 can take it up to Lime Rock (beautiful 1.5 hour country drive) and other events.

Although I am a little sad to think I didn’t get the 360 I was after, I know I will love having a 52 mile car (versus a 3 owner car I was looking at), 4 years of warranty, a dealer system that is 1/2 an hour away and eager to please, and a 480 hp monster that I can use as a grocery getter without hiring a security detail to follow me. I think I'll secretly save up for a 430 when they depreciate a little more!

Thats kind of my line of thinking with the Vantage. I could have got a 360 for less. I can drive the vantage to work everyday. I wouldn't drive a ferrari every day-my patients would have a cow. My car had 7k miles and a warranty. There is zero storage space and no room for kids!

My first ferrari after opting for other (newer & warrantied) cars in the past.
I also enjoyed leasing cars (Porshce/BMW's/Viper) so that I could know my depreciation costs up front and I could put 10 - 12k miles/year on new cars without resale worries. Great experience all around, but I'm pretty sure the banks have discontinued leasing many flagship sports cars.

Now that I have a track car and a daily driver, I no longer want to "settle" for my sports car. I got to drive my 360 for a few miles before the snow but I've been smiling ear to ear since. As a street car nothing I came across compared to the stunning looks, brilliant sound and exceptional value of a 360.

Looking forward to seeing everyone when this snow melts.

-Regular working guy

first, GREAT thread....

Lots of comments on how hard you all work for your pay....(same boat here) and surprised so many have no issue working so hard just to give it back? Let me explain my thoughts and what has held me back from purchasing a Lambo, F car, AM, Maserati, Noble or other.... The upfront cost of let's use 100K+ range is no issue for me... I would sleep like a baby if my account was down 100K but I had an amazing F-car parked in my garage. Where the luster would wear off -and quickly- would be the upkeep costs on such cars, brake downs, parts failing, inflated services and general maintenance charges etc. + dealer availability... (in general) To spend so much on a car that isn't all that reliable (OK 360's maybe more reliable then other cars but think you know where I am going with this....) and then have it cost so much more $$$$ to own, while its value drops would just make me bitter. I work too hard for what I have...

So as someone earlier suggested I bought an 05 997 (modded it to my liking) and have been very happy. It is a great balance, while not a true exotic like an F car it moves right along, has never broken down, I bought it used and haven't lost to much in depreciation and so forth. I am NOT a bean counter... I have nice watches, homes, live life well....also dropped 20K in mods that I will never see back... so please do not question if I am real car guy here... just work too hard for my money to buy a car that costs so much more then the other sports cars, performs many times not as good and suffers in quality thus costing even more money to maintain. Quality may not be the right term.... again forgive my attempt at relaying my point.

That said, admire those that take the plunge and never look back... and still poke around and think about my next car buy...just the above always holds me back....I don't think it will for ever but to date what keeps me from pulling the trigger. For those that took the plunge, congrats, love seeing your cars on the road and drive in good health!

Me and my poor mans exotic none s base but modded 997....

If you really want one spend some time searching on Fchat, you will see from the 360 on is quite dependable with reasonable maintenance costs. Depreciation has hit these cars already and they are ready to be bought and enjoyed!

--JK

Love the 360, by the time I am 25 I will have one

This post is funny!!!

Funny how?

From a guy with a nice stable of cars as yourself not sure you would qualify as a normal working guy...but maybe? .....Congrats, on attaining the rides below.

2008 Ferrari 599 GTB Nero Black/Black, F1
2007 Ferrari F430 Spider, Russo Red/Tan, F1
2007 Porsche 997 Twin Turbo White/Black, 6-Speed
2002 Porsche 996 Twin Turbo Black/Black, 6-speed

I was all set to buy a used Maserati GT within a year of college graduation with just my BS in Mechanical Engineering--I'd done research, the finances were mapped out, etc. A miserable investment by any measure, but it was a passion, so I was willing to sacrifice all the usual amenities people have. I was going to buy the car, a garage, and a hovel to sleep in.

I ended up marrying a girl instead. She was in her ~3rd year of medical school. Now we share that load of debt, so I replaced my college beater with a new Honda S2000 instead. Italian toys will just have to wait 5-10 years.

But for those who have an exotic because you made cars a high priority, I can certainly relate! Where there's a will, there's a way.

My wife wanted to be a doctor since she was a young child. She doesn't care much about money except when it prohibits us from traveling. She wants to do Doctors without Borders etc when she's practicing. I think it's great! It makes her a better woman and makes us a happier couple.

But business tracks seem to be by far the best way to go for someone with money as their top priority.

In net lifetime earnings, even just an engineering-for-wages track is ahead of medicine tracks for about 20 years, and that doesn't start to consider investments early on / later starting a firm / getting a PhD to consult / etc.... the gap in wages between medicine and other professional tracks is considerably smaller than the pay stubs make it appear. Medicine pays well, but it's really just the most specialized of traditional skilled labor fields, so doctors have 12-15 years of delayed gratification before a "doctor" wage starts.

You need to work with money if that's what you want--just like a good cook will always have great food to eat.

The s2k is a very capable car and will help tide you over a bit.... many porsche owners came from a s2k, as did I... smart move to wait till time is right to make the car purchase.

great post. i understand exactly the point you were trying to convey and i am starting to lean in your direction. a 997 is my next choice if a 360 isn't in the cards. preferably one with the gt3 bodykit. yours looks spectacular so enjoy it in good health!

Whats the retail on one of those things?