How reliable are cars like.....

Zip · 2 Aug 2006 at 20:14

....Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Bugattis?

Are they very reliable or not really?
For what you pay i would expect them to pretty reliable or is that just not the case? :confused:

NickXX · 2 Aug 2006 at 20:19

New ones should be reasonably reliable. But will need servicing a lot more to keep on the road, and will chew through parts much quicker than a normal car. However, if something goes wrong expect to throw thousands at them to get them fixed.

Raymond Lin · 2 Aug 2006 at 20:34

My friend's Porche 911 Turbo's Clutch broke after 6 months...

Duke · 2 Aug 2006 at 20:36

I heard the GT40 is very reliable

thepharcyde · 2 Aug 2006 at 20:42

I would say modern day Lamborghinis would be reliable using VAG engines etc. But things like tyres, brakes etc will be of a high premium, as most are custom to the car model and are not mass produced.

Ferrari like they say if you cant afford twice what the car cost, you cannot afford to run one. Personally I would not have a Ferrari, but something like a porsche which you can use as a daily runner while keeping running costs relatively low if you can afford one in the first place.

Lashout_UK · 2 Aug 2006 at 21:06

Neighbour runs a 308 GTB, held the hillclimb record at Gurston downs for 5 years in its class, it's a real fine piece of machinery - done 110,000 miles now (he's had it for 25 years, it's 30 now I think) and only had the engine rebuilt once, to upgrade to Daytona pistons to change the CR a little when unleaded fuel started filling the market.

It's bulletproof, has never gone wrong and still does 60 in under 5 seconds

(just!)

Then again, it's not a complex machine - provided you keep it fettled, it rewards you appropriately

TerryWogan · 2 Aug 2006 at 21:11

Lashout_UK said:
Neighbour runs a 308 GTB, held the hillclimb record at Gurston downs for 5 years in its class, it's a real fine piece of machinery - done 110,000 miles now (he's had it for 25 years, it's 30 now I think) and only had the engine rebuilt once, to upgrade to Daytona pistons to change the CR a little when unleaded fuel started filling the market.

It's bulletproof, has never gone wrong and still does 60 in under 5 seconds (just!)

Then again, it's not a complex machine - provided you keep it fettled, it rewards you appropriately

This is interesting. I'd say the most unreliable of the super exotic cars are of the late eighties and early nineties era. That's when all the electronics began to appear.

Like Lashout says, it's not a complex machine and that's what the older ones have going for them. The very new ones will be reliable because it won't be a case of hit and miss with all of the super electronic features like it was when they were first introduced.

FakeSnake · 2 Aug 2006 at 21:54

Duke said:
I heard the GT40 is very reliable

The GT40 was very reliable, Won Le Mans 24hr several times!

I am not sure about the Ford GT though

maybe too much electronics?

/pedant on ... the Modern Ford GT is NOT THE GT40!

The_Dark_Side · 2 Aug 2006 at 23:02

Lashout_UK said:
It's bulletproof, has never gone wrong and still does 60 in under 5 seconds (just!)

i didn't think the 308 was that quick from new :confused:

wasn't it more like 6 seconds to 60mph?

dannyjo22 · 2 Aug 2006 at 23:09

thepharcyde said:
but something like a porsche which you can use as a daily runner while keeping running costs relatively low if you can afford one in the first place.

They actually aren't all that reliable either. According to a mechanic I know that works at my nearest Dealership the return stats they have are much higher than you would think. He was talking major stuff too like a new engine inside of 3 or 4 months on a car with next to no milage.

Not that it would stop me buying one if I could afford it.

The_Dark_Side · 2 Aug 2006 at 23:23

dannyjo22 said:
They actually aren't all that reliable either. According to a mechanic I know that works at my nearest Dealership the return stats they have are much higher than you would think. He was talking major stuff too like a new engine inside of 3 or 4 months on a car with next to no milage.

Not that it would stop me buying one if I could afford it.

911's in particular are legendary for their capacity to build up high mileages.
perhaps your mechanic friend has experience of a bit of a lemon.

TerryWogan · 3 Aug 2006 at 00:55

Yeah, my dad used to have a 911 and he said it was built like the proverbial outhouse.

Lashout_UK · 3 Aug 2006 at 00:58

i didn't think the 308 was that quick from new

This is indeed true! It's a warmed over engine though with some go-faster goodies and it's the early all-fibreglass body one. Been timed at 4.9 to 60.

Got some ace photos of it, might bosh them up sometime

Was thrashed to bits quite regularly in the 80's, early 90's at Donington, Harewood, Weald and so on.

Duke · 3 Aug 2006 at 07:41

FakeSnake said:
The GT40 was very reliable, Won Le Mans 24hr several times!

I am not sure about the Ford GT though maybe too much electronics?

/pedant on ... the Modern Ford GT is NOT THE GT40!

Oops

Oracle · 3 Aug 2006 at 07:50

My old neighbour had a 355 and a XKR, the F355 needed servicing every 1000 miles regardless of how it had been driven and normally cost the same to service. The XKR was slightly better being 10,000 between services.

Serviced regularly and correctly, they should all be very reliable

Regardless of it being a VAG engine in a Lambo it will still need more servicing than your average TDi

The saying is "If you can afford to buy two, you can afford to run one"

and its probably still very true today

Nursie · 3 Aug 2006 at 09:16

Oracle said:
My old neighbour had a 355 and a XKR, the F355 needed servicing every 1000 miles regardless of how it had been driven and normally cost the same to service.

O RLY?

Yahoo Cars said:
Service intervals are every 6,250 miles, so check the service history to check that work has been carried out punctually. Every three years, regardless of mileage covered, the F355 will need its cam belt replaced.

Servicing chart

Oracle · 3 Aug 2006 at 10:31

Nursie said:
O RLY?

YA RLY!

What i'm saying is, he had it serviced every thousand miles according to him in accordance with his dealers recommendations!

ironman · 3 Aug 2006 at 10:37

thepharcyde said:
Ferrari like they say if you cant afford twice what the car cost, you cannot afford to run one.

'They'? Who is 'they'? A £100k ferrari is not going to cost £100k to run....

Oracle · 3 Aug 2006 at 10:49

gurdas said:
'They'? Who is 'they'? A £100k ferrari is not going to cost £100k to run....

Just what 'they' say!

And at circa £2k for a Belt change every 12k regardless of mileage, plus all the other stuff, it will soon mount up!

I would imagine though that this saying is for people who might intend to use such a car as a everday motor.

Nozzer · 3 Aug 2006 at 10:57

Oracle said:
My old neighbour had a 355 and a XKR, the F355 needed servicing every 1000 miles regardless of how it had been driven and normally cost the same to service. The XKR was slightly better being 10,000 between services.

Serviced regularly and correctly, they should all be very reliable

Regardless of it being a VAG engine in a Lambo it will still need more servicing than your average TDi

The saying is "If you can afford to buy two, you can afford to run one"

and its probably still very true today

That's a complete load of tosh. Apart from the regular service bit. The two people I know who still have 355s, service them once a year, with the big 'belts' service being done once every three. They probably cover between five and six thousand miles between services, which is well within tolerance. Neither have any problems with the cars.

A lot of the reliability myths surrounding cars like this come from the fact that a lot of owners have them sat in the garage for nine months a year without even turning the engines over. When the sun comes out, so do the cars and things start to break. If you use them as the manufacturer intended then there's no reason they're any less reliable than other small volume sports cars. The two 355s I refer to above get driven all year round, not necessarily every day, but it's enough to keep them ready for action.

There are plenty of Ferraris out there which are well past 100,000 miles, I know of a 360 which is used every day which must be nearing 120,000 now. When something breaks, it's replaced and the owner keeps on going. The engine is still solid.

The modern Lamborghinis are better than those of old, but read Simon George's column in evo to get an idea of the Murciélago running costs. I have also heard stories of a e-gear Gallardo eating a clutch inside 150 miles.