How My 8-Year-Old Son Plans to Buy a Ferrari when He Turns 16

"Will you be really proud of me when I get a Ferrari?" my eight-year-old son asked me the other day. In typical motherly fashion, I replied, "I'll be proud of you no matter what kind of car you drive." But I was curious. When did my son expect to get a Ferrari? "When I turn 16 and get my driver's license, I want my first car to be a Ferrari," he said. Of course! A Ferrari is an ideal starter car for a 16-year-old boy.

My son knows how expensive Ferraris are. He knows his dad and I won't buy him a Ferrari, even if we're billionaires. "If my Toyota Corolla is still running in eight years," I said to him, "you can probably have that as your first car. Trust me, you'll be happy to have any car when you're 16." He looked at me like I was insane. He has a plan, you see. Here it is:

Zach's Seven Easy Steps to Ferrari Ownership:

1. Act good so I earn my allowance.

2. Stop buying so many toys.

3. Sell my old toys and old books.

4. Open a savings account. (I already have $13 in change in my piggy bank, you know.)

5. Go on "Wheel of Fortune" and win $100,000.

6. Get a job as a police officer.

7. If I don't have enough money to get a Ferrari when I'm 16, I'll get a Ferrari for my next car. My first car can be a Mustang or Volkswagen Beetle...or any sports car-a Corvette, Lamborghini, Porsche, whatever. And then, later on, I'll sell that car and buy a Ferrari.

"How will you pay for gas and car insurance?" I asked him. Zach sighed and rolled his eyes. "I already told you. W-O-R-K." (Yes, he actually spelled it out for me. He's quite a smart ass. He gets that from his dad.)

I did a bit of research and found Zach a certified, pre-owned 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider F1 for a mere $169,895. This baby has "ball-polished wheel rims, bluetooth, a carbon-fiber kit for the engine compartment, Daytona seats in 'beige,' a dedication plate in silver, front parking sensors, red brake calipers, electric seats, and a CD changer." Low mileage, too. We'll have to drive 388 miles to Hinsdale, Illinois, to check it out.

I still say that Zach will be thrilled to pieces when I hand him the keys to my 2003 Toyota Corolla on his sixteenth birthday in the year 2018. But if he does manage to get a Ferrari instead, he'd better let me drive it at least once.

Sources:

Conversation with my brilliant son, Zachary

http://www.ferrari.com/English/Ferrari_Approved/Pages/Home.aspx