More Than a Car a Unique Experience
STORY INLINE POST
After seventy years of history, Ferrari has become the poster company for aspirational brands and Mexican clients are no strangers to its effects. José Solana, Managing Director of Ferrari Mexico, says a new generation is looking at Ferrari and Ferrari is looking back. “Successful clients between 20 and 30 years of age are now our most avid customers. The generational change brings much more informed clients. They are aware of the technology in our cars and await special editions coming to the market.”
The brand’s dealerships in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey sold 40 vehicles in 2016. Compared to the 1.6 million vehicles of all brands sold in Mexico every year, 40 might not seem impressive. But only 7,000 Ferraris are produced every year. North America is the largest market for Ferrari and the US alone represents 45 percent of the company’s total sales, buying over 3,000 units. Mexico is only 0.5 percent of Ferrari’s business, according to Solana, but the country is still more attractive than other European markets such as Spain.
Clients can have different priorities when choosing a car but with a Ferrari, the most relevant technological feature is its engine. With a V8 or V12 configuration, Ferrari’s engines are among the most powerful engines in the market, delivering between 670 and 780hp. “The engine has always been the most attractive feature in a Ferrari. Its performance is unparalleled and even its sound is alluring,” adds Solana. Ferrari cars can easily reach speeds over 300km/h in off- track conditions. Formula 1 has had a massive impact on how Ferrari’s technology evolves. The LaFerrari model includes a 200hp electric motor connected to a kinetic energy- recovery system, which is a similar system to that used by the Ferrari team’s. Formula 1 car, also helped introduce engine configuration systems for different environments and road conditions. Now, cars can adapt to rainy or snowy roads at the touch of a button.
In Mexico, four cars stand out as the brand’s flagship models. The F12 Berlinetta is the top of the line, followed by the 488 that took the 458’s place with both its coupe and cabriolet Spider versions. Being a four-seater, the FF has also been a popular model as a family option, according to Solana, joined by the California, which is a convertible. The 488 Spider is currently the brand’s most popular model in the country, which Solana says is mainly because of its convertible nature. Standardization is not a concept high on Ferrari’s list of priorities. “People come with a defined idea of what they want and we help them make that vision a reality by customizing the car’s every detail,” says Solana. Clients can choose the color of the interior leather, of the brake calipers and even of the seat’s stitches.
In addition to all possible vehicle configurations, Ferrari has several special and limited editions available and Solana says Mexican clients actively bid for these vehicles. For Ferrari’s 70th anniversary in 2017, the company launched the LaFerrari Aperta at the Paris Autoshow in 2016 as a commemorative edition, announcing that only 200 units would be available worldwide. Solana says that two Apertas have already been sold to Mexican clients and they are expected to arrive in the country by the end of 2017. The only downside to coveting limited editions like the Aperta or the new 812 Superfast presented at the Geneva Auto Show, aside from price tags, is that the plant in Maranello, Italy chooses which clients are eligible to buy them. Ferrari holds client records showing how many cars they have purchased and how many they still own, to reward clients who have been the most loyal to the brand.
Whether regular or limited edition, once clients have their car, they have access to all the events the company organizes as part of the Panorama Ferrari calendar. The carmaker organizes driving experiences year-round where clients can use their cars to their full potential. Twice a year, the Festival Ferrari in the Hermanos Rodríguez Autodrome is open the entire day for track driving. Ferrari also offers specialized driving courses under the Corsa Pilota program, covering everything from how to sit properly to how to use the world-famous engine to its full potential. Although these courses are normally located in the US, Canada and Italy, Ferrari’s new initiative Corsa Pilota Around the World brought the brand’s Italian training team to Mexico for the second year in a row in 2017. “Our clients not only buy a car, they buy a whole experience,” Solana says.