What is it about Ferraris and Southern California?

[cpzilliacus]

Not exactly a common automobile anywhere on U.S. highways, but it seems that a disproportionate number of them end up in fatal or "serious" injury wrecks like this one in Ventura County.

[KEK Inc.]

It's a desirable luxury car, and with the weather and a higher population of wealthier people, it's expected to see more supercars in that part of the country.

It's popular in California to the point that Ferrari actually named a model off of the state.

[cpzilliacus]

It's a desirable luxury car, and with the weather and a higher population of wealthier people, it's expected to see more supercars in that part of the country.

I see a fair number (not many, but proportionately many) of them in certain counties in Maryland and Virginia (those with relatively-speaking wealthy people), yet the number of wrecks seems to be less.

It's popular in California to the point that Ferrari actually named a model off of the state.

Nice looking car (but is there such a thing as an ugly Ferrari?). 

I am confident the guys in Modena won't be naming any model after Maryland or Virginia.

[KEK Inc.]

There's more people in California, so more risk for accidents?  Also, California does poor road maintenance compared to most states I've been to.

[pctech]

There are a couple of them here (Baton Rouge,La) that I've seen here on a regular basis. Very high $$$ car for Louisiana.

[kkt]

Lots of new rich, who go straight from driving a Corolla to driving a Ferrari without the chance to gradually learn how to handle a fast car?

[formulanone]

Not exactly a common automobile anywhere on U.S. highways, but it seems that a disproportionate number of them end up in fatal or "serious" injury wrecks like this one in Ventura County.

Engines with 4-5 times the power of an average car, aren't forgiving automobiles if you don't know what you're doing, lots of traffic, pent-up frustration at said traffic, roads that are somewhat fun to drive on but can be dangerous in places, kind of lead to these situations of dumb-assery. Being the largest state in the biggest auto market in world certainly contributes to all sorts of California anomalies.

It's popular in California to the point that Ferrari actually named a model off of the state.

The irony is that it's the "affordable Ferrari". You know, like "harmless identity theft" and "non-lethal poison".

The California suffix was used on the Ferrari 365 in the past, although "America" or "Superamerica" was used, among others.

[mc78andrew]

You see a fair amount of them here around greenwich CT.  You never really see them on the highways though.  They are more "get around town" cars.  Of course this time of year you only see the 100k+ SUV. 

[ARMOURERERIC]

I always saw more Lotus' in orange county.  Chritmas eve 2008 I was returning from a meeting with 20th C Fox and was southbound on 5 in Anaheim.  It was my 2nd Christmas eve that I had a meeting in Hollywood for a potential movie job, both times the 5 was packed in the opposite direction I was going, but wide open im my direction of travel.

So it's 3:30PM, I'm southbound on the 5 in my 1992 Fleetwood Brougham doing just under 90, and get completely blown away by a new Lotus, must have been going 110 plus, we were just south of the 91 and the was NOTHING in the SB carrigway.

[cpzilliacus]

So it's 3:30PM, I'm southbound on the 5 in my 1992 Fleetwood Brougham doing just under 90, and get completely blown away by a new Lotus, must have been going 110 plus, we were just south of the 91 and the was NOTHING in the SB carrigway.

Reminds me of a time in the 1980's when I was driving north on I-5 (San Diego Freeway) someplace around Encinitas or Carlsbad one evening after dark in a rental car.  A high-end Ferrari or Lotus or Lamborghini blew by fast enough so that I was not able to see what make and model it was and the tail lights disappeared into the night.  But not for long!

Around Oceanside, I saw that car again (might have been a Countach) - this time stopped on the fast shoulder with a black-and-white CHP Mustang GT behind it.  Those CHP Mustangs were fast cars, but I was not aware that they were that fast.

[Alps]

So it's 3:30PM, I'm southbound on the 5 in my 1992 Fleetwood Brougham doing just under 90, and get completely blown away by a new Lotus, must have been going 110 plus, we were just south of the 91 and the was NOTHING in the SB carrigway.

Reminds me of a time in the 1980's when I was driving north on I-5 (San Diego Freeway) someplace around Encinitas or Carlsbad one evening after dark in a rental car.  A high-end Ferrari or Lotus or Lamborghini blew by fast enough so that I was not able to see what make and model it was and the tail lights disappeared into the night.  But not for long!

Around Oceanside, I saw that car again (might have been a Countach) - this time stopped on the fast shoulder with a black-and-white CHP Mustang GT behind it.  Those CHP Mustangs were fast cars, but I was not aware that they were that fast.

Mustangs are down to sub-5s to 60 and over 150 mph top speed. That's enough to catch just about anyone unless they're flat-out on a straight road in Utah.

[agentsteel53]

why so many wrecks?  SoCal residents, especially the rich ones, are entitled little nitwits, and they assume road conditions, weather, etc, will kindly get out of their fucking way because they're the son of a film director and the raindrops are not.

"do you know who I am?!" culture is probably strongest in this part of the country. 

[cpzilliacus]

Mustangs are down to sub-5s to 60 and over 150 mph top speed. That's enough to catch just about anyone unless they're flat-out on a straight road in Utah.

A colleague of mine is the only male member of his immediate family that does not work  for the Ford Motor Company, and is himself a Ford loyalist. 

He's told me how hot the latest-model Mustangs are (consistent with your comment above).

According to this (About.com), the 1980's and early 1990's Special Service Package (SSP) Mustangs were not so shabby regarding performance either.

According to reports, the car could go from 60 to 90 mph in about 8 seconds with a top speed of 137 mph. The car also achieved better gas mileage than its larger police cruiser counterparts. One year later, in 1983, Ford saw an opportunity to market the car to other government organizations nationwide, and in turn changed the name of the vehicle to the Special Service Package (SSP) Mustang. Based on the 5.0L GL coupe, this 157 hp 5.0L V-8 law enforcement model was sold to local, state, and federal agencies.

[cpzilliacus]

why so many wrecks?  SoCal residents, especially the rich ones, are entitled little nitwits, and they assume road conditions, weather, etc, will kindly get out of their fucking way because they're the son of a film director and the raindrops are not.

Somehow I don't think that makes too much of an impression with Los Angeles-area law enforcement.

"do you know who I am?!" culture is probably strongest in this part of the country. 

I've heard of these sorts of incidents in and around Washington, D.C. as well. 

The only people that can legally say that to a law enforcement officer (and have it mean  anything) are individuals from other nations with diplomatic status.  Years ago, a trooper from the Maryland State Police stopped an individual driving a car with  diplomatic registration plates on the Capital Beltway for erratic driving.  Turned out the driver was poo-poo-faced drunk.  Because he was on the so-called diplomatic White List (maintained by the U.S. State Department, and well-known to D.C.-area law enforcement agencies), the trooper could not legally place him under arrest, but he could prevent him from driving any further.  The diplomatic mission this guy was associated with had to send someone out to take custody of him and his car.

This sort of thing happens somewhat frequently in and around D.C.  Some nations order a diplomatic employee that does something like this to return home.

EDIT: Corrected typo.

[Brandon]

why so many wrecks?  SoCal residents, especially the rich ones, are entitled little nitwits, and they assume road conditions, weather, etc, will kindly get out of their fucking way because they're the son of a film director and the raindrops are not.

"do you know who I am?!" culture is probably strongest in this part of the country. 

It's not uncommon around Chicago either, but instead of movie folks, they're politicians and politically connected folks.