Jay Leno is a Hollywood icon but to automotive enthusiasts, it’s his incredible stewardship of notable cars and motorcycles that makes him so special. From Baker Electrics to steam cars to the McLaren F1, Leno has just about everything anyone could ever want to drive. One brand that doesn’t have a place in his garage, though, is none other than Ferrari – and now he’s set the record straight as to why.
Simply put, Leno really dislikes the experience of buying a Ferrari, citing the old-school practice of making a new Ferrari buyer purchase multiple lesser cars to gain access to one of the flagship stallions. It’s such a problem that the experience he equates it to is a bit extreme: “It’s like rich guys that go to a dominatrix. Oh, she kicked the crap out of me, it was fantastic! That’s great, some guys like that. I don’t.”
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He Likes Them, But Doesn’t Like Buying Them
That’s not to say that he doesn’t like the products of the Italian marque: “They’re excellent cars, I just saw the SF90, I just never liked dealing with the dealers”. He then he goes on to talk about how good his experience with other brands has been. McLaren, notably one of his favorites, once talked him away from a $20,000 carbon braking package because it wouldn’t benefit his driving style. They also boosted the power output of his MP4-12C from 592 to 617 hp, as he recalls, for free.
He had nice things to say about Porsche too. For instance, he didn’t even have to go to the dealer to pick up his Carrera GT. It, along with a jacket, a book about the car itself, and some stationery, all came together. Perhaps the best part is that Porsche sent a couple of mechanics as well so that they could talk him through the process of putting the car on a lift, among other things.
“You’re spending an extraordinary amount of money, you should be made to feel like a customer,” Leno says before poking at the practice of taking the car back to Ferrari after a couple of years to get a certificate of authenticity from them. As perhaps the ultimate car guy, it’s hard to argue with his perspective.