
Guy buys a Ferrari against dealer’s advice, now he’s upset about being $100K underwater and trapped paying $4,000 a month
I don’t know what it is about stories from drivers horribly underwater on their supercar loans that’s so interesting to me. Maybe I’m fascinated with the idea that people can just sign up for these things all will-nilly, only to face a destructive financial storm that they themselves created. Here’s a good one involving a Ferrari.
“I should have listened to you, man. I shouldn’t have bought the Ferrari.”
Ferrari, of course, has a strong magnetic field attracting enthusiasts from all over the globe. Unfortunately, not everyone who bites on a used listing can handle the realities of ownership.
Yusuf Benallal, a car dealer and consultant based in Atlanta, posted a recent text thread with a client. The driver had at some point consulted with Benallel about buying a Ferrari. It seems Benallal, after considering the driver’s background and current circumstances, advised against the purchase.
But the driver didn’t listen. It looks like they sold a Porsche 488 to get into the Ferrari.
Now, he’s stuck with $100 in negative equity and can’t sell it because of his car loan balance.
Benallal tells the guy that if he doesn’t have the cash to pay off the gap between the Ferrari’s market value and the loan, he should just rent the car on Turo.
However, the driver responds that Turo doesn’t pay enough. (I’m not sure how that math “maths” but I guess I’m not counting on this client since they got themselves into this mess in the first place.)
Ultimately, the Ferrari driver asks the dealer how much he could get from the car. Benallal works on wholesale trades, so the likelihood that he could help the client get full market value and eat into his negative equity is slim to none. More likely none.
The driver can either stick with their miserable situation until the Ferrari is paid off, try to lease a cheaper car using an excellent lease offer, or roll the $100K gap into another loan. None are ideal for a guy wanting a supercar lifestyle but can’t really afford it, though.