Guest ScirosDarkblade Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 I am wondering, do any of you have any idea what the general lifespan of an exotic car's engine is? I'm just wondering because in discussing getting a $100,000 aftermarket Corvette (Lingenfelter Stage 2 Twin-Turbo) instead of a $660,000 Ferrari (the Corvette being a LOT faster), I mentioned that heavily tuned cars tend to have the lifespan of their engines greatly reduced. But really I can't compare that to the lifespan of an exotic's engine, cause I've never seen Ferraris with more than a few thousand miles on them. Most people don't drive them much once they buy them. So, can anyone answer my question? EDIT: I'm not trying to imply I can actually AFFORD cars of this class. I'm just a college student. I'm asking purely out of curiosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatty_McGee Posted February 6, 2004 Share Posted February 6, 2004 I'm not really an expert on cars, but its going to be a big risk. You know the older engines are 10 times more powerful than the new cars, but the engine is not as reliable. The newer car you get, you can replace the engine or engine parts easily which will make a long-lasting engine. Well, the older car is a lot cooler but there are some things that you have to consider. The engine is a lot more delicate, but the engine is styled so you can get inside of it and work on it without taking it apart. If you want to impress someone, of course the older car is the way to go, for most people, but some don't really appreciate the older cars, they just think the newer cars as sexy. Well, back to the subject, i dont' think the exotic car's engine will last as long, but more powerful. Newer cars, will be less expensive but longer lasting engine. Ferrari's, i dont' know about their reputation. But Corvettes are usually long-lasting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ScirosDarkblade Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Well I was more comparing new cars, just tuned vs. exotic, that's all. The Ferrari in question was the Enzo (which is brand new) and I suppose the Corvette may as well be a future modified C6, for all it matters. I was just wondering how long an exotic's engine could last as far as mileage goes (obviously they can be pushed pretty hard for a short while and be fine, but I'm thinking about "normal" driving over a long period of time). Also in this case the exotic's engine is NOT as powerful because the tuner car has been HEAVILY modified (the Lingenfelter Stage 2 Twin-Turbo C5 can do 0-60 in 1.8 seconds, a quarter mile in the 9's, and tops out at 225 mph or so, which is pretty insane if you ask me). I know Corvettes especially are pretty long-lasting, which is the only reason a comparison is even worth thinking about. Of course a Ferrari will outlast some piece of crap Venom or Mitsubishi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phantom Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 I dont know if I can help you, but couldnt' you just go to a car show/convention and ask owners doing displays? Good idea to bring it up here I guess. myuselesspointer: get a fuel efficient car and be done with it! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rttocs77 Posted February 19, 2004 Share Posted February 19, 2004 I think Corvette's are ugly cars and would never want one. I think the Ferrari Enzo is an incredibly ostentacious car and anybody who is seen driving one around should be slapped. If I were to pay over $100,000 for a car (which would probably never happen, because there are other things I'd rather spend my money on) I would get either a Merc SL600 or an Aston Martin Vanquish. Or maybe I would get a classic car, just to be different. I think Corvettes and Vipers are some of the ugliest sports cars in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ScirosDarkblade Posted February 20, 2004 Share Posted February 20, 2004 Well you are certainly in the minority to think that Corvettes and Ferraris are ugly. Anyway this forum wasn't really to find out who likes luxury GTs and who likes pure sports cars. I am just wondering what sort of engine lifespan we're looking at for an exotic which is occasionally driven on the racetrack. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rttocs77 Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 A corvette would probably last longer. Ferraris are hand-made, which can cause problems with quality. The same goes with all hand-made cars whether they are Aston Martins, Ferraris, or Lambourghinis. The hand-made ones are also a lot more expensive to get worked on. In terms of a more economically sound 'investment,' a factory built car would last the longest and would be most susceptable to tuning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ScirosDarkblade Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 I think you are right about a Corvette lasting longer. But I think the Corvette is more an exception than a rule. More than many sports cars, the Corvette has been specifically engineered to last (seeing as the Corvette C5Rs perform extremely well in endurance races). But the Ferraris don't do too poorly, either, and lately the Ferrari team has really been giving the Corvette team hell. Of course, the endurance race versions of the cars are probably a bit more hardcore than street versions, but a lot of technology and engineering knowledge is passed back and forth. Giving it a little bit of thought (and not having any actual numbers to look at), I'd say that for street driving a Corvette would almost certainly last longer, only because Ferraris don't get driven a too much by their owners and so the company hasn't really had to provide, well, any long-term warranty. But if both cars were totally abused on the track, it's a toss-up. Also, it obviously matters who your tuner is when talking about aftermarket cars. Lingenfelter is great for Corvettes, while some other tuners aren't. And, again, the Corvette is an exception. If I was talking about a Viper vs a Ferrari, well the Ferrari is just 100 times better built right from the start, so there's no question there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rttocs77 Posted February 21, 2004 Share Posted February 21, 2004 I think it really depends. There is more room for human error in Ferraris. (Don't get me wrong though, I'd definately pick a Ferrari Spyder over a Viper or Corvette anyday) On the topic now of hand-made cars (or at least I'm thinking that it is) a friend of my dads has an Aston Martin DB5. It was hand-built and the quality is outstanding. However, he has to ship it every year to England to me worked on and tuned. If he did not do it, I think the engine might fall apart. Vipers and Corvetted are both made by GM aren't they? I think the quality for anything GM is getting a little sketchy now. On the other hand I think the quality in Aston Martin has gone up since Ford bought them. OH! and appearantly the Maserati brand has REALLY improved its quality ever since Ferrari revived them. It's all up in the air as I'm concerned. If I ever had the opportunity to own a Ferrari or Aston Martin, I think I would be to scared to drive it...in fear that I might scratch it or the engine would just go Kaboom or PLOP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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