Ferrari Crushes Other Supercar Makers In One Important Area

No matter what Lamborghini or Porsche can come up with, there's a certain mystique to the Ferrari brand that is wholly inimitable, and this charm is automatically attached to any car from Maranello, whether it's a 296 GTB or a Formula 1 racer. Ferrari itself recognizes this, which is why its first-ever SUV will be sold in limited numbers - unlike the volume sellers that are the Urus and Cayenne. It's this obsessive attitude that has seen Ferrari shun some of its own customers, but that's not the focus of today's article. Instead, we will be talking about how Ferrari is caring for its customers better than any other supercar brand is doing.

The Italian automaker announced this week that it is extending its class-leading aftersales services, "from first delivery right up to the Ferrari Classiche Certificate of Authenticity for vehicles reaching 20 years of age." Notably, Ferrari's seven-year maintenance program is already enough to make Hyundai appear unsupportive, but the Prancing Horse is taking things to a whole new level by offering the option to extend the standard factory warranty from three years to seven for all new models from the 2015 488 GTB onwards. Yeah, it's a bit late for that car, but we'll try to reserve our cynicism in this case.

Ferraris are highly strung vehicles with complex engines and electronics and, with respect to all Italians, cars produced in the Mediterranean country are typically not the most reliable. The fact that Ferrari is confident enough to offer such a program in even its older products speaks volumes about how confident the automaker is in its products.

Additionally, Ferrari offers a separate, complementary program to the extended manufacturer's warranty from year three to year 15 of ownership called Power15. This covers the engine, transmission, and all other major mechanical and electronic components. It merges two previous programs and can be purchased by the owner of the car at any time both new and pre-owned Ferraris. Best of all, it can be transferred to subsequent owners, making the Power15 extended warranty "the most flexible and comprehensive package of its kind."

Unsurprisingly, Ferrari's seven-year maintenance program can also be extended from year eight to year 15. This is called Power15 & Maintenance, and both the Power15 and Power15 & Maintenance programs can be renewed annually. These offer servicing every 20,000 kilometers (approximately 12,427 miles) or once a year, with no mileage limitations.

Another new development is the introduction of Ferrari Premium, a certification program that "includes a package of scheduled replacements of those parts that are most subject to wear and tear with technologically-advanced alternatives, along with certification of the car's condition." This is designed to care for the cars as they approach eligibility for Classiche certification.

Another new arrival is Ferrari Approved, "which offers a comprehensive series of checks and controls to guarantee owners purchasing a car (registered up to 14 years ago) maximum security and peace of mind along with the Maranello stamp of approval." The automaker's preowned site now includes a detailed revision of the 201 technical checks each car has undergone to achieve Approved status. This warranty is valid for 24 months in Europe and 12 everywhere else.

Finally, Ferrari is introducing an extended warranty for its limited-edition supercars from the last decade, the 2013 LaFerrari and 2016 LaFerrari Aperta. LaFerrari Power is its name and it provides an additional two-year cover that can be activated at any Ferrari dealer. This will cover, among other things, the hybrid system and its battery. This "marks the first time that Maranello has offered clients an extended warranty of this kind for one of its limited-edition models, a testament to the quality and reliability of its cars," and includes annual scheduled maintenance and checks. It's not quite the upgrade in performance that McLaren P1 owners got, but it's impressive nonetheless.

If only Ferrari had cared for its customers so well 60 years ago, it may not have had to worry about Lamborghini.