Buyers Pay Extra for 1 Ferrari Option That Gives Free Advertising to the Brand
The price tags of new Ferrari models make them prohibitively expensive to most of us. The most affordable new Ferrari starts at around $200,000, and what you’re paying for is exotic styling, astounding performance, and Italian craftsmanship that you won’t find from mainstream automakers. Another thing you’re paying for is the prestige of driving a Ferrari.
There’s one option available on Ferrari models that really emphasizes that brand panache.
Scuderia Ferrari shields are a pricey option
According to Ferrari‘s pricing sheet for the SF90 Spider, there’s an option called “‘Scuderia Ferrari’ shields on fenders” available for $1,856. These shields are simply Ferrari emblems on the front fenders that cost almost $2k extra. Granted, it’s the old-school shield logo rather than just the prancing horse or the “Ferrari” lettering that comes standard. It’s a small retro touch on a hybrid supercar that’s anything but old-school.
This special Ferrari logo is a reference to the Scuderia Ferrari racing team. The racing team was founded in 1929 by Enzo Ferrari, long before any road cars were produced under the Ferrari name (the first one was the 1947 Ferrari 125 S). “Scuderia” means “stable” in Italian, referring to the brand’s iconic horse logo. Given the astounding historical success of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team, the road car division rightly wants to show off that racing heritage. However, it will cost you extra.
According to a post on TikTok by user “magnacars,” hand-painted fender shields are also optional. They make the metal shield emblems seem like a bargain. According to the post, the hand-painted shields are a $14,000 option. It’s unclear whether this is a factory option or something you need to get done in the aftermarket. It’s worth asking about when you order your next Ferrari.
Other Ferrari options
Let’s look at a few other individual options you can add to the Ferrari SF90 Spider. The Assetto Fiorano treatment costs an extra $56,240. It’s so expensive because it’s a pretty significant redesign of the car. Designed with aerodynamics and weight savings in mind, it brings a special carbon fiber spoiler, lightweight titanium springs and exhaust, and carbon fiber wheels.
A two-tone stripe is available for $35,435, a wide range of brake caliper colors can be had for $1,519, and carbon fiber engine covers are available for $7,931. Paint options range from $6,243 to $12,487, and wheel options range from $2,531 all the way up to $33,748 for carbon fiber wheels.
Then there are options that are either standard or fairly affordable options on cars from mainstream brands, but very expensive options on a Ferrari. Power front seats are a $7,087 upcharge (those are standard on many modestly priced luxury cars). Apple CarPlay and adaptive cruise control, which are both standard on the Toyota Corolla, cost an extra $4,219 and $4,843 on the SF90, respectively. A universal garage door opener and an auto-dimming mirror each cost $1,350.
Why are these options so expensive?
Ferrari options are expensive for a simple reason. The brand’s clientele can afford them. The kind of drivers who order new Ferraris typically have money to burn. When you look at the cost of the options in proportion to the MSRP of the car itself, it makes a little more sense. The MSRP of the Ferrari SF90 Spider is $568,270. So, if you add one of the $6,243 premium paint options, it’s only a 1.1 percent increase in the price. Compare that to adding one of the $595 premium paint options to a Mazda MX-5 Miata, which would boost the base price by 2.1 percent.
