csf

Went to my nephews wedding in Reston Virginia (near Wash DC) yesterday.

One of the guests drove his one month old Ferrari California, red with a beautiul tan leather interior.

I've owned my C6 for a few months now, my first Corvette.

As I looked very closely at all the details on that $200k Ferrari I could certainly appreciate the fine Italian craftsmanship and beautiful materials in the interior. But the exterior, which I did not find classically Ferrari attractive, had seemed to have the same basic aluminum wheels, red calipers, black tires, clear headlights, and red taillights as a plain old Corvette. The body was low and sleek, but so is a Corvette. Oh, and it had a basic GPS and the same magnetic shocks as a Corvette.

Now that I have a Corvette I can't even begin to see how that Ferrari could be worth three times my C6 GS 3LT . . . and especially the upgraded C7.

I'm not saying the Corvette is equal to a Ferrari . . . . not at all. I appreciate all that Ferrari is and stands for. But $140k more than a Corvette is sure alot of money. Either the Vette is underpriced, the Ferrari is overpriced, or a bit of both.

peter pan

No doubt a Vette is the best bang for the $$

ls1121

How much of the price is Import and excise taxes? I was in Colombia last year and a new Audi selling for 55k here was 100k there because of taxes. I know that a Mercedes sold in Germany is a little more that half what we pay here.

dvilin

I would go with the Corvette is underpriced, when compared to other supercars.

Bigredwing

I have to agree that the Vette is an outstanding deal when compared to other supercars. There are several factors I believe that make the Ferrari more expensive but not necessarily better. Besides the name Ferrarri you have to look at enginering, production numbers and how much is hand assembled and even hand made from raw materials at the factory.

Red08

Any car is only worth as much as someone will pay for it. You get a lot of car in a vette...great looking, great handling, fast, great mileage, and most of all, fun to drive.

Wayne O

I don't know about one being underpriced and the other overpriced but I can well understand the comparison makes you wonder. I suppose each car's relative 'worth' is in the eye of the beholder. From what I've observed, exotic car ownership isn't all it's cracked-up to be. I can't speak to current Ferrari reliability but a man I knew used to own 2 Ferrari's. It was good he owned two because one or the other was always in the shop. Adding insult to injury he always had to have the broken car hauled 125 miles to the Phoenix area to have it repaired. Although money wasn't the issue, he eventually sold both his 'prized possessions.' They weren't worth the constant hassle.

From my perspective it's what you do with your high performance car that counts. I don't buy a high performance car for its plush, hand-stitched, leather interior or for the status of ownership....I buy the car for it's performance, looks and reliability. IMO Corvette has the performance to rival many exotics right out of the box; it has the looks; and, as Jay Leno says "It's a Chevy....you can fix it with a hammer." I don't own a Corvette to haul the family around, to go get the groceries or to sedately cruise the boulevard and profile....I road race my (modified) Corvette pretty much all year long. I run the proverbial snot out of my C6 and it's been (truly) amazingly reliable. I somewhat frequently see new Ferrari's or Lambo's at the track but they're inevitably parked in the paddock...the owner's don't race their exotic cars. Once running the (former) road course at Phoenix International Raceway a guy ran his new F450....he drove each session with his left hand out the window pointing everyone by him. I can't say that I blame him but he did not want to risk his Ferrari by pushing it in the least. He couldn't enjoy the performance he paid for. I must have lapped him 4 times in one session.

Once in a moment of weakness I seriously considered buying an F450. I'm glad common sense prevailed and I didn't. There's no way I could enjoy a ultra-expensive Ferrari and same way I enjoy my Corvette. There's no question Ferrari builds a gorgeous, high performance car. If a Ferrari gives you what you want in a high performance car and you can comfortably afford it...go for it! Personally, I'd rather buy a new Corvette, modify it to increase its performance and then use and enjoy that performance weekend after weekend all-year long! Without question, in the bang for the buck category Corvette is hard to beat!

BTW, if the Ferrari California uses the MR suspension I tend to think (like with the Ferrari 599 and 599XX) the controlled MR suspension is mated to coil-over's instead of the transverse leaf springs Corvette uses. There's pros and cons to either setup but I always wished Corvette would offer a controlled, MR, coil-over suspension.

Magic Vette

Another thing to consider: Cost of maintenance. 2 years of Ferrari maintenance could BUY me a new C7 with options

John harlen

You could also buy a mustang 5.0 for half of the price of a corvette. It has the same basic features, and some cooler. And it's close in performance.

acesx4

Well said!!

LS WON

This is so very true just the basic 5.0 Coyote 32 valve Mustang GT with 3.73 rear end with 6 spd. manual.

John harlen

Don't forget the track package.

RocketDawg

Not to mention insurance ....

nous defions

And, the way one has to drive in some of the big cities, like Bogota, I'd be afraid to drive an new Audi. But, yeah, I've seen those crazy prices overseas also, especially in South America.

FAUEE

The Corvette has great bang for the buck no doubt. But if I had the kind of money to have a Ferrari California, I would. It's gorgeous (more so than the Corvette), sounds better than the Corvette, has a nicer interior than the Corvette. and is in fact, better than the Corvette.

Is it worth the extra $150k or so? Depends on if you've got the money or not.

That said, the Corvette really is a bargain for the performance it offers.

thatonedude1

Exactly. I'm a working stiff and can't reasonably afford a car that cost almost two years income, so I'm glad to have the corvette available as my supercar. If I made $600K per year, you can bet your *** I'd pony up for a Ferrari. If you got the dough, you don't need to make the value judgement. That said, I find the new C7 simply amazing for the money. It's probably as good as anything up to $150k, with no apologies needed for anything. And just wait till the 600 HP versions arrive.

dev1360

I would have a Ferrari. But not a California. They are the Boxter of Ferrari. They are more for posing and cruising than performance.

Supersonic 427

A 5.0 Mustang GT with the Track Pack is an excellent performing and handling car! I think it is a great alternative to those who can not afford a Corvette.

John harlen

Even if you can afford the corvette, if you buy the mustang and add the difference in modifications, you'd have a ridiculously fast mustang. It's not overly difficult to make 7-800rwhp out of them, and you'd have spend around the same as a base model corvette.

LS WON

The track pack comes with 3.73 rear end.