Dave600hL

A few have dropped out but there is still a few people who don't care if it is $400K. And this is more money than I was willing to fork out originally , but these things happen.

encore888

Considering the MSRP estimates, I wonder what the target demographic's average annual income, personal net worth comes out to be...any guesses for ballpark figures??

FisforFast

The annual income of the average 'new car' Ferrari owner is shy of $1 mil a year before taxes and its owners are usually 35-55 and own 5 or more cars. Most are low-profile and self-employed (shady), but college graduates. I think these guidelines would fit the demographics of a potential LF-A owner, for it definitely is not going to be their daily driver, let alone their only toy. Then again I make maybe half of that and can easily afford a slightly used R8, and could probably afford a 2005-2006 F430... just not the maintenance costs.

Anyways.

encore888

Neat, thanks for sharing that info. Now a lot of us have a specific target to aspire to.

It still floors me to think of people driving around in several houses' worth of automotive fun. Or in LA, a smallish house's worth.

TRDFantasy

Definitely I would estimate that the target demographic's annual income is at least a million USD per year, and more likely a couple of million per year. As FisforFast stated, they would probably be between 35-55 (younger than the average Lexus owner ) and would own several other cars as well.

gengar

Self-employed meaning entrepreneurs, including small business owners, as well as personal investors. Business is where the money is at, after all.

By the way, the data you mention on Ferrari owner demographics is from self-selected survey responses, so necessary caveats on lack of accuracy apply.

FisforFast

Surveys around here usually adopt a 3.5% margin of error.

LexFather

I heard they all sell weed!!!

gengar

The issue is how the survey was conducted. In this case, the data I believe you are citing was collected by Ferrari NA using self-selection and self-reporting. The response bias of this type of survey makes the data have sufficient potential inaccuracies to make a margin of error impossible to calculate. Of course, that does not mean that the data is necessarily inaccurate; simply that, as I stated, the necessary caveats of inaccuracy apply.

Personally, I would never take the results of any self-selected, self-reported survey seriously. I would hope that most reasonable people agree with my sentiment.

On a side note, Ferrari NA's surveys are also notorious for loading and poor construction, as many Ferrari owners have attested. Of course, if I had as successful an overhyped poser-ish brand as Ferrari does, I don't think I'd care that much about the accuracy of my surveys either.

PsyFi

395K??? How ridiculous

Dave600hL

Hows so???

FisforFast

Sometimes I feel as if it's useless to post any sort of information on here seeing as at least someone will attempt to discredit it. Of course, the survey information is to be taken with a grain of salt. No need to write a novel on it. It seems fairly plausible to a simpleton like me, because you need some form or another of disposible income to own a car like a Ferrari.

encore888

Well, the amount of statistical data available publicly on luxury car demographics is rather limited, for the hard data a lot of it is proprietary, or you need to pay $$$ to see it. Naturally Ferrari is quite aware of its customer base, given how they invite customers for new models; Lexus also does targeting of the broader luxury market.

gengar

Notably, it was a mere sentence until you attempted to assign some arbitrary margin of error to it.


I think a lot of the hard data is still subject to some level of response bias. For example, I have received no fewer than 5 requests for survey data since purchasing the IS-F, but those letters go straight into the trash. Of course, the self-selection issues should be less than Ferrari's mass mailing survey, and it's not like the data needs to be particularly accurate to satisfy TMS's needs.


Agreed, and I certainly wouldn't withdraw my deposit before the car is even official - and especially not based on what some random salesperson claims the price is going to be! Wait for the Toyko Motor Show, at least.

The reality is that dealers don't know anything, and good salespeople declare that (not even just admit it). For example, no salesperson at Lexus/LV ever suggested more than a ballpark price for the IS-F; I had to talk directly with someone at TMS to get an estimate (notably, the estimate was within ~$1k of the MSRP, which was officially announced several weeks later). Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get any loose lips with regard to the LF-A.

Also FWIW, the dealership I've been in talks with is expecting to get a shot at 3 LF-A and hasn't even started taking deposits yet.

Dave600hL

Same here in Japan, they won't take deposits , but they do have a gentlemen's waiting list.

We should see some concrete info on pricing pretty soon.