This fascinating story appears in the August, 2008 issue of Hemming's Sports and Exotic Car, The mere fact that more than 100,000 MGAs were sold is a testament both to MG (and MGAs) and the growing popularity of sports cars and driving as a sport. This particular car, produced on May 16, 1962, was specially appointed, getting an unique all gold paint scheme, chrome wire wheels, special badging and a deluxe white leather interior with 100% Australian lambswool carpeting - that the carpet was white indicates that MG intended this vehicle to be a strictly a show car.

So it was, arriving stateside aboard the Queen Mary in time for the 1962 New York Auto show. After that it was sent on a tour of US dealerships, except that it didn't get very far, one of the first stops (and ultimately the last stop) being a MG dealership in Nashville. It seems the purchaser came in on a Sunday, eyeballed this beguiling British beauty and it was love at first sight. The rookie salesman wrote up a full price sales contract, and stuck it in front of the sales manager, who was only to willing to sign off on a full ticket sale with only a glance. Next day, a frantic phone call from the dealer came, begging out of the sale, but the new owner, after a call to his attorney, stuck by his signed contract and the show car hit the streets.


Fast forward 40 years later and the car is parked behind the barn, 9000 miles on the odometer, weeds growing through the floorboards and the original buyer/owner deceased. The widow calls the younger brother, who had lusted after this special A since the day it was bought, and says it's yours, take it away. This is a car most MG aficionados had given up for lost.

Many dollars later ($12K just for the paint) this baby is back to looking like the gussied up Princess that rolled off the Queen Mary in 1962 - check it out and smile at www.100000thmga.com.

Labels: 100000th MGA, 1962 New York Auto Show

Are you a coupe or convertible person? Most people have a strong preference one way or the other. For those who like convertibles, having a top on the car botches the experience. Our Club Members are often pretty vocal one way or the other.

Personally, I am a coupe fan. Though oddly, for the past six years I have driven three different convertibles as my daily drivers with another two previous targa top cars before that. I think it is sheer coincidence I've been driving so many convertibles, but it was probably about five years ago I became more a fan of coupes than convertibles. Hopefully here soon I can finally get back to enjoying a coupe for my next car. ;) I have/had a 2006 BMW Z4 3.0Si, 2005 Honda S2000, 2002 Honda S2000, 1982 Ferrari 308 GTSi, 1995 Honda Del Sol Si (in order of ownership). It's a motley crew, but all were fun cars when I had them.

I like coupes for several reasons. One, I am not a big fan of getting tons of sun and wind while driving, plus all the noise top up or down. Besides, in San Francisco, it is often too cold to drop the top. Keep in mind, I am using my car as a daily driver, not a weekend car, so that has an impact on livability. I'm on my phone a lot while in the car commuting and coupes are quieter. Also, as the hard core sports car fan I am, I like a bare bones sports car, and that is typically not a convertible. Though the S2000, one of the cars I drive, is one of those pure sports cars and happens to only come in convertible form.

These days, more car manufacturers are introducing folding hard tops that solve this issue. The key is when the top is up, the design has to look fully integrated and not make-shift when the top is up such that you are compelled to put it down. The folding hard tops are improving, for sure and even Ferrari is getting into it now with the new Ferrari California.

So, in which camp are you? Do you prefer the sun and wind of a convertible? Or do you prefer the sleek roof line and chassis rigidity of a coupe?

Labels: Club Sportiva, convertible, Driving experience, exotic car share club, sports coupe

You know those words have come out of the mouth of an owner when he got home...a massive understatement, certainly. Here are a few photos of those lousy drivers who didn't have the skills or brains to keep their cars on the road.

This topic is a monthly series, so keep an eye out for regular updates. ** This blog post series isn't an encouragement for reckless driving, but instead a good hearted mockery of those dumb enough to get in such a predicament. Thanks to WreckedExotics.com for the photos.

Labels: Ferrari F430, wrecked exotics

Many aficionados of boutique British sports cars may have noticed the NY Times obituary on June 13 for the legendary Trevor Wilkinson, founder of carmaker TVR.

The true extent of Wilkinson's influence on modern sports car design may not ever be completely acknowledged, being a contemporary of Colin Chapman, whose on track success far exceeded any of those of TVR. However history ultimately views his accomplishments, he had a legion of fans both in the UK and US and many of the sometimes outlandish (both in name and styling) vehicles he created are sought after classics - Griffin, Tuscan, Sagaris, Cerbera.

Many of the early TVRs were available as kits, with parts being sourced from the entire spectrum of British auto manufacturers. Driver/passenger comfort and street practicality were not hallmarks of TVR design - most proved woefully inadequate in those respects. It was on the track prowess that made them capable weekend club racers.

I am very proud to announce a new program that has just been launched. Club Sportiva clientele may now pick a single monthly payment that includes both their leased luxury daily driver as well as a Club membership. Simple, convenient and easy! We've had such rave reviews about access to the exotics with many questions about why we also don't offer access to high-end daily driver vehicles along with our Club membership that we decided, let's add an additional service.

Now you can lease your regular car with Club Sportiva? Yes! Club Sportiva can provide you a luxury car for everyday use. Using our custom LeasePlus program, you get the best of both worlds. Our popular LeasePlus program allows you to lease a luxury car, as you already do, for daily transportation plus the enjoyment and excitement of a couple days per month of use with the exotic and luxury cars of the Club Sportiva collection.

You benefit from our buying power as we negotiate the best traditional lease rate through our brokerage service and pass on the savings to you while allowing you to pick an easy, single monthly membership payment plan that also gives you easy access to the entire Collection for those fun opportunities when a Ferrari or Bentley is uniquely suited.

LeasePlus is straight forward, simple with a single monthly payment. Leaving you nothing to do but enjoy full access to a luxury daily driver plus the variety of exotic cars a few days per month. Check out the dedicated page on our website as well.

Club Sportiva has consistently been the most innovative company in our industry and LeasePlus again sets the bar high for others to follow. Call to inquire when your next lease approaches.

Labels: Buying Experience, Club Sportiva, daily driver, Driving experience, exotic car share club, LeasePlus, simple and single monthly payment

Next door to Club Sportiva's back Paddock is On The Fly. Most Members are surely familiar with the high-end purveyor of all things luxury for the modern gentleman. The company's founder, Ami Arad and I met through Club Sportiva nearly five years ago and On The Fly has been subletting from us now for over two years.

Among thousands of unique items, On The Fly offers bespoke stationary with your name on it along with your choice of about 20 different images or your custom graphic. There are also leather coats perfect for touring top down in an Aston Martin or a Maserati on a cool day of coastal cruising. Even cuff links can be a tell tale indicator that you are into cars, though for $250, they are indeed top shelf, as is everything at On The Fly.

Here is a cool link to some great top notch places Ami has personally selected as a guide to New York City, Las Vegas and San Francisco. From the man who many consider to be James Bond's younger brother, you're likely to enjoy what Ami selected!

Next time you are visiting Club Sportiva, be sure to enter On The Fly through our back Paddock and see for yourself. Ask one of the Member Liaisons for the password to get a substantial discount for being in the know as a Member of Club Sportiva. Enjoy the good life!

Labels: Ami Arad, Club Sportiva, driving apparel, driving gear, everything for the modern gentleman, On The Fly

This question is both the bane of many car debates (Ferrari vs Lamborghini) but also addresses the more elemental question, does any car compete with Ferrari? Well, driving both brands extensively and back to back is the only way to honestly answer this great debate. Driving them for a short jaunt (like a media ride & drive) isn't adequate to really get to the heart of the issue as is not driving them back to back - a year apart isn't going to work.

I've driven or ridden in a number of Ferraris and Lamborghinis ranging from 308s to an F40 and from a Uracco to Murcielagos. But, in May 2005, when I visited Club Sportiva's partner operations in Germany to test drive the then-new V8 Ferrari F430 F1 coupe for a high speed autobahn fling against the V10 Lamborghini Gallardo e.gear, I was certainly anxious (massive under statement) to experience some new exotics. It also opened pandora's box for what Club Sportiva's future would hold because until that point, the company specialized predominately in classic cars since being founded in 2003.

Being, at that time, a lifelong Ferrari nut who defiantly bought my first Ferrari 308 while working at Ford Motor Company's headquarters in Dearborn, MI at the brash young age of 28 in 2001, I plainly assumed the Ferrari F430 experience would easily trump the Lamborghini Gallardo. It's a Ferrari, right? Duh... Whoa, not quite so fast or easy there boy. Is there an underdog theme appearing here? Maybe.

My first back-to-back comparo was in Germany on the autobahn. One day spent zealously tearing about in a yellow Gallardo followed by a glorious day in a red F430. Both paddle shifted. Both phenomenal. I drove the Gallardo from southern Germany past Lake Constance to Zurich, Switzerland for the night, so it was a blend of Autobahn blasting mixed with some country environs. I then immediately piloted the F430 to Strasbourg, France via the amazing Black Forest. Miles and miles of twisties, need I say more? Point being, both jaunts were more than adequate opportunities to familiarize oneself with the brands in question and to issue a judgment.

After the initial two days, it was actually a tough call. The Ferrari was everything it is cracked up to be and probably worth the three year wait if you don't have the $30,000 premium to pay to cut the wait list and get a car in a month. Screaming good looks, wailing engine and exhaust causing adrenaline highs, easy to operate. Actually, maybe too easy - almost to a fault, quite honestly.

It practically didn't feel like a Ferrari having driven many others that set a low bar; the F430 is very easy to get in and out, excellent visibility, great ergonomics, generally tight fit and finish, the front valance has great ground clearance without scraping, the passenger is completely at home and comfortable, unlike most exotics. Hmmm, maybe Ferrari hired some Toyota engineers - hope not. It was a very satisfying experience, but not wholly exotic in nature due to the well-rounded engineering execution of the car. Not what I first expected, but impressive nonetheless.

Another simple yet ingeniously well engineered feature is the rear view mirror that is shaped such that the lower inch allows you to see the engine every time you check your mirror reminding you of the V8-wonder pounding away just behind your shoulders. No other car maker has designed the engine to be at one with the driver as with the F430 and I suggest being sure to adjust the rear view mirror as such to allow you the honor and pleasure when you are out in an F430, be it Club Sportiva's or your own!

The handling is very twitchy with the rear wheel drive and the light weight nature of the car. It feels less well planted and raw, keeping the driver constantly aware of throttle input and keeping an eye out for wet pavement in the corners, Altogether, an existential driving experience approaching that of being in car heaven. Now, how is that Lambo?

Well, Lamborghini is managed by corporate parent Audi, so might I expect some German influence? Let's see. Yes. The interior is buttoned down unlike any previous Lamborghini that had fragile, finicky, fit and finish. The interior is robust, but who the hell cares about that. Let's hear the good stuff.

First, the exhaust note was entirely different from Ferrari. If you can't beat their race bred tenor, simply do it differently. And differently the Gallardo's V10 engine and exhaust note is. At first I was disappointed, expecting it to be much like the resonate scream so distinctly and patently Ferrari. But instead, it was a deep rip-roar of a V10. More an angry growl than a scream. When about to down shift the e.gear transmission, the driver must nearly excuse the car to passengers for the abrupt and loud flatulent sound that the car emanates when matching revs. This is actually a good thing, but much different from the daintier scream of the Ferrari. The deep growl of the Lamborghini that first disappoints for not being more extroverted quickly settles in as the more livable day to day as you don't have to pause a conversation until after the shift, as with the Ferrari. In 2007, the Gallardo exhaust was re-tuned to combine the angry growl at low rpms with a shriek starting at 4,500 rpms and it is glorious.

The Gallardo is AWD and feels tremendously well-planted as a result but also 200 pounds heavier. This is a real trade off. Surprisingly, I preferred the security of the feeling of planted traction with 500 horsepower as opposed to the hang-on-by-the-seat-of-the-pants feel of the F430's rear wheel drive. As such, I felt more confident to carve the corners even if the Gallardo is at slight a weight disadvantage.

The Gallardo's seats are not comfortable over long distances, which I've further confirmed with Club Sportiva's Gallardos in the U.S. Annoying, but something I am willing to put up with. The car is also viciously low in the front and loves to grind on many drive ways, though they now raise the front end to resolve that issue. The front of the car quickly dips out of view leaving the driver to wonder just where is the front bumper. These traits give the car an exotic feel which I prefer in an exotic car which I felt the Ferrari was too polished and trying too hard to be a daily driver for anyone wealthy enough to get in line for one. The Gallardo can certainly be a daily driver for a lucky few, but you never forget you are piloting a $200,000+ sports car, where the Ferrari lets you over look that fact.

The result: the Lamborghini Gallardo wins by a hair in my books. The best facet of the two cars is that they are truly designed to be different. Someone lucky enough, like Club Sportiva Members, can really enjoy these two cars and not feel that they are clones of one another. If you had a different car to drive for each day based on your mood, these two would suit different needs, much as the Bentley Continental GT and the Aston Martin DB9 have also carved out their independent niches. This is fortunate that the manufacturers have recognized that they can't each try to be a Ferrari knock off, so each has its unique claim to fame.

For those tiffosi who can't imagine liking the Lamborghini, I'd suggest not scoffing at the brand any longer and get educated with some first hand experiences, if you haven't already. You will likely remain a Ferrari fan, but I think many people will have a newfound respect for the raging bull from Sant'Agata.

Club Sportiva can put you behind the driver's seat and let you be the judge. Ultimately, that is what it is all about, not reading my comments on the blog but having the opportunity to drive the cars you want to experience. Then you can post your own first-hand comments. Now it is your turn! Comments encouraged.

This blog post was first published as an article in Ferrari Life Quarterly's March Issue. Check out some of FLQ's other great topics.

Labels: Autobahn, Club Sportiva, drive and decide, Driving experience, exotic car share club, Ferrari F430, Lamborghini Gallardo

Club Sportiva has been fortunate to have so much media attention over the past several years. And it continues - we are mentioned in the feature story of "San Francisco" magazine's June issue on page 102 as part of an article called "The Seven-Year Rich." A fascinating article on the continued expansion of Bay Area wealth even during tough economic times. Club Sportiva was selected along with PlumpJack's Carneros Inn and XOJet as three exciting options to enjoy life without the commitments of ownership. Our phones have been busy as a result of yet another important recognition by the media that shared access is the wave of the future. Grab a copy quickly!

Club Sportiva is also featured this month in the What's Hot section on page 20 of "Front Desk," a recent publication by Modern Luxury, who publishes "San Francisco" magazine and others. We are credited as the innovative pioneer and leader of the car share segment in our sixth year of operation. Get your hands on it.

We were just featured in the "San Francisco Business Times" last month for a third time in two years. As the spokesperson for the luxury car share segment, the "SF Business Times" article profiled me, personally, which is pretty cool! While I prefer the spotlight be on Club Sportiva, it is fun every now and then, as the company's founder, to get featured. Take a look...

Club Sportiva was also recently featured on MyRide.com with a really entertaining video by Autobytel's celebrity host, Fireball Tim. It really is a great video. For your viewing pleasure...

Keep an eye out on television, in the magazines, online and in the newspapers for more press coverage on Club Sportiva!

Labels: Autobytel, Club Sportiva, exotic car share club, Front Desk, MyRide.com, San Francisco Business Times, San Francisco magazine

What is the crookedest street you've driven? Some favorite mountain road? Lombard? How about Vermont Street at 20th in San Francisco? I first learned about the street from my friend, Fireball Tim, when he was in town to film a couple segments for MyRide.com. His video segment is hilarious: view the link here. Everyone knows Lombard, but did you know it has an evil, lessor known twin in Potrero Hill? Vermont Street is the wild, untamed, little known version. It is not as scenic, not manicured, not cobble stoned, not tarted up for tourists and the homes along it aren't palaces. But, it is quiet, with no waiting lines as you approach and you can generally drive it without a single car in sight. Not bad...

Vermont Street is also the new favorite site for the annual Bring Your Own Big Wheels race and contest. It is a wacky competition that will make you laugh and it happens to use this very same crooked street in San Francisco. Here is a pretty funny link to a video that captures some of the zaniness that occurs. The madness of BYOBW itself mirrors the oddity of Vermont Street. A match made in heaven.

So last weekend I had the diamond black Bentley Continental GT while friends were in town from Los Angeles and on a whim I sought out this mysterious and little known street. We had brunch in Potrero Hill at Slow Club and were on our way to a Giants vs Padres game with time to kill. What to do for 30 minutes? Then it hit me, let's look for Vermont Street and find the curvy block that Fireball Tim talked about. The Bentley was a funny choice for a crooked bohemian street with some seven wild turns, but it worked well.

Since it isn't busy there, I was easily able to get out and snap a few photos at several points on the hill. Imagine trying to do this on Lombard. You'd have 200 drivers having road rage! I found Vermont Street to be charismatic and full of character. Lombard is commercial and mainstream by comparison, making the new find refreshing. I recommend when you are in the area, drive down and see what you think.

Did you know about this street? Have you driven it before?

Labels: Bentley Continental GT, Club Sportiva, Crookedest street, Driving experience, exotic car share club, Lombard Street, San Francisco, Vermont Street

This post provided by guest blogger and Club Member John J.

I wanted to share an overview of the Club Sportiva tour of Bruce Canepa's design facility - Canepa Design. The tour was an intimate group of half a dozen of us getting the opportunity to see the facilities and the cars.

The opening of the tour was through the Museum currently housed on the ground floor with the cars that are also for sale. The large room contained over 40 cars ranging from true race cars to the more mundane Mustangs for sale. The cars in the museum included a broad array of cars, from some kept as they were acquired from racing to fully restored to a "Smithsonian level of quality." (more on this later as well) An example of the latter was Richard Petty's 1969 Ford. For those of you who know of Petty and his Plymouth affiliation, he did race with a Ford for one year - 1969. In one of the many wonderful stories heard during the tour was how the Ford engineers did not want him to race their car with all of improvements they came up with to try and beat Petty. He returned to Plymouth after a year and showed a remarkable improvement in the racing for Plymouth after his return.

The museum featured a number of race cars including Bruce's old skid racing car (one of his favorite to drive of all time), a recent vintage Nascar car (right next to another Nascar car from the 1970s showing the difference in vehicles), and Le Mans legal racing cars. The last were my favorites. They were impressive, although the second seat for meeting the Le Mans criteria looked awfully cramped. They opened up the engine compartment on one of the cars for us - a process that required two people not due to the weight of the fiberglass cover but due to its size and flexing as it was lifted. Underneath lay the 16-cylinder engine or more accurately the two V8s bolted together to make one engine. It was an impressive piece of engineering for something outrageous on the horsepower front. Of course, this overview only scratches the surface and omits many things, such as the Indian motorcycle and other treasures in the collection.

Sharing the space with the museum cars are the cars for sale. This collection ran the gamut from a highly customized Hummer H2 with all leather interior (and I mean all) to Mustangs, Porsches, Nissan Zs and even some race cars. There were two exotic stand outs as well. The first was a Countach with a mere 7,000 miles on it. The other exotic (Torbin are you still reading?) was a wonderful red Ferrari F40. It's simply a beautiful car, and I know it was whispering Torbin's name for an addition to the Club.

Now, after an hour of the tour we were all thoroughly pleased with the trip down to Scotts Valley, but little did we know the best was still to come - the shop. Canepa does the modifications for semi-trailers to make them more aerodynamic, saving significant amounts of fuel. To handle these and other cars, the shop is purpose built to handle all manner of vehicles including a two-story high painting booth for any vehicle you can imagine. Needless to say, the one semi-tractor in the shop had a minor presence overall.

On our entry to the shop my eyes drifted immediately to the Porsche 959 in the shop - a beautiful sight for the supercar of my dreams back in high school. I was so focused on the 959, I missed that there were six 959s being worked on at once. Others Club Members in our party took more rapid note of the three Mercedes-Benz Gull Wings being worked on, let alone the other cars including a couple of original Cobras.

We spent a lot of time with our guide, getting a delicious array of stories, including enough on the 959s to make their own blog. The 959 story includes Porsche using the lack of certification by US Department of Transportation so that Porsche could intentionally avoid selling the 959 in the US. Interestingly, this allowed Porsche to avoid contracts to build 959s for sale in the US. At the time, it quite possibly saved Porsche, as they were losing $100,000 per car in the mid-80s on the 959s. If you ever get the desire for one of these cars, Canepa does the modifications for them to be US legal and they track all that were built - so for a mere $500K to $650K you can get one.

Now, before leaving the shop for the backroom, there were a couple of other amazing sights. First was a Bugatti EB110 under a tarp awaiting work. The second was the non-descript gray car early in the restoration process. This car was the 'impossible' car to get, Dale Earnhardt's car from his first win. The car is being restored now.

The final stop was our foray into the back room - as large as the shop - filled with cars awaiting work. They ranged from more Porsche 959s to race cars to some truly special cars. The first of these was another Bugatti, this time one of three EB110 SuperSports built. Another was the best preserved of the original racing Shelby Cobras. It is a beautiful car, complete with the suitcase dimples in the trunk to qualify for European racing which required a suitcase to fit in the car.

The final car I will mention brings up Canepa's restoration work. It's a stunning old car that will receive their highest level of restoration. This involves such detail as photographing the bolts and screws to ensure they are put back including the position when they are re-assembled. They referred to this as their "Smithsonian Level" for car restoration and involves sourcing materials that match the period details. The car they are working on is a black inline 8-cylinder Duesenberg. It is Duesenberg chassis number one - the first car built by Duesenberg (I think in 1912 or 1913). It's showing wear and they will be working to restore the paint, parts and interior for the current owners.

I know I'd enjoy another opportunity to see the facility in the future and hope this gives those of you who could not join us a flavor of the tour.

-- This post provided by guest blogger and Club Member John J.

Labels: Auto museum, Bruce Canepa, Canepa Design, Club Sportiva, exotic car share club, Member tour, social network

What details do you know about Ferrari's carbon ceramic brakes? They are exotic, yes. They come from F1 racing, sure. Ferrari offered them as an option before now making them standard on their 2008 model year cars. Are they better than traditional steel rotors? If so, how and why? Are they best for track use or for road use too? How much do they cost, exactly? Is it worth it? I went straight to the source and asked an expert. The goal is to dispel misinformation, seek the facts and convey it to those, like me, who want to know more about this new technology.

Lenny Peake is the head mechanic at Ferrari of Silicon Valley, in Redwood City, California. He's been working on Club Sportiva's 2006 Ferrari F430, 2007 Maserati Quattroporte and 2003 Maserati Spyder for some time now. Lenny started with Ferrari in 1997 after a long stint with Jaguar. He has worked at Ferrari of Washington D.C., Ferrari of San Diego and now, Ferrari of Silicon Valley. Who better to ask than the man himself, tasked by Ferrari to run the service department at one of its top dealerships.

On a hot sun scorched Friday afternoon, Lenny and I sat in his office discussing the nuances of Ferrari's decision to make carbon ceramic brakes standard on all its cars and to turn its back on the traditional steel rotors that were once ultra high tech decades ago. Brakes aren't as sexy as exhaust systems that sound great or as involving as transmissions that you shift with but they are a critical component of every sports car.

A few highlights before we talk replacement cost, a common hot button for many are part of the gossip mill. First, Lenny informs me that the carbon ceramic brakes don't help you stop in a shorter distance, but instead they provide superior all around stopping performance across a variety of scenarios from repeated hard braking to emergency braking. On the track, they are most at home in an environment of heavy use with no signs of weakness. This is the strongest benefit to carbon ceramic brakes - ultimate brake performance under the harshest and heaviest usage.

The rotor and the pad are both made of carbon ceramic composite material. The terminology is a little different than with steel rotors. Ferrari uses the term carbon "discs." Carbon ceramic brake performance also improves as they heat up, which is generally the opposite of traditional brakes. Carbon ceramic brakes work fine when "cold" too, at least as well as steel rotors, but their performance increases as the composite gets warmed up with use, which is another reason they work exceptionally well on a track. Early Ferrari carbon ceramic brakes had a tendency to squeal at low speeds, when cold or when wet, making owners uncomfortable with what sounded like shoddy brakes. The pad compound has changed and this embarrassing squeaking issue has been resolved for the most part.

Ferrari doesn't let you retrofit your steel rotors for carbon ceramic discs due to the car's computer algorithm that calculates everything from wear measurements to stopping distances and ABS management to traction control decisions that differ greatly between the two different braking systems. So, if you want carbon ceramic brakes, you'll need to sell one Ferrari and get another!

The carbon ceramic system lasts longer than traditional braking systems, but not dramatically so. An indicator light will come on in your dash pod telling you that your pads are 50% worn. Ferrari recommends changing pads at 50% so that, should you do a grueling track day, you don't wear your brakes down to an unsafe level unknowingly or ruin your steel rotors/carbon discs. An important point to note, you can change your pads two times before you need to install new discs. Lenny also points out that carbon ceramic brakes don't improve your driving, they instead enhance the skills you already have. I think this means, don't get over confident just because you have the technology; applying it appropriately is what makes you faster around a track.

Now, let's talk cost. Yes, carbon ceramic brakes are exotic and thus, expensive. When you could still add them as an option, the package cost buyers about $18,000. Now that they come standard on all Ferraris, that cost simply goes into the base MSRP price of the car. Ideally, as Ferrari builds more of them and recoups its development cost and makes a handsome profit, hopefully we will see the carbon ceramic brake component prices drop to an even more reasonable level.

It is the replacement costs we must contend with on a more regular basis. Let's talk pad replace first, since that happens twice as often as disc replacement. Pads are replaced per axle, meaning fronts and/or rears, but not just the driver side front, for example. Parts cost runs $1,800 per axle, or $3,600 for front and rear. Parts for traditional brakes would $1,000 per axle, or $2,100 for front and rear, leaving a $1,500 price premium for carbon ceramic, or a 71% increase in service cost. The labor remains the same for either system and is not included in these rates, as it varies slightly from state to state.

Actually, the pad replacement is a bargain relative to the disc replacement, which an expensive proposition. When carbon ceramic brakes were brand new, disc replacement was $10,000 per disc, or $20,000 per axle, which they must be replaced in pairs. That's $40,000 for the front and rear...ouch. Fortunately, that has come down already in the past two years to $7,000 per disc, $14,000 per axle or a mere $28,000 for the front and rear. But, steel rotors are only $350 per rotor, $700 per axle or a paltry $1,400 for front and rear when compared to $28,000 for carbon ceramic disc replacement. That's a whopping...1,900% price premium over steel rotors.

The scarier part of carbon ceramic discs is that sometimes they need replaced early simply because they are more fragile than steel rotors and more susceptible to premature failure and thus replacement. For instance, if you get your car off the track (or road) and rocks knick or chip the surface, the disc (and thus the whole axle pair) needs replaced, unlike with more durable steel. If they cool too fast after hard use, they can crack, and again, the whole pair needs replaced.

One great upside to all this is there is no brake dust, so you won't have to wipe your ball polished rims down as often. Hey, don't underestimate that time saving benefit! Because carbon ceramic brakes are still very new, the dealers have limited experience with the variety of issues that will occur over time. To date, Ferrari of Silicon Valley has mostly replaced pads of a number of cars and only the discs on a couple Challenge/Scuderia cars that have been heavily tracked. The experience curve for owners of carbon ceramic brakes will be a bit like the early owners of F355 F1 transmissions. The systems will improve with more miles and those early owners pay a premium for the honor of helping establish the new technology on the street.

Ultimately, the question is, are Ferrari's carbon ceramic brakes worth the cost for the typical owner? Questions and comments welcomed. Look for another article on this and other great topics!

Labels: Carbon ceramic brakes, Carbon discs, Club Sportiva, exotic car share club, Ferrari, Ferrari F430, Ferrari of Silicon Valley, Lenny Peake, Steel rotors