This being a serious, hard-edged drivers' journal, it's tempting to write off the Ferrari Set as a bunch of well-heeled wine-and-brie types who hobnob on the weekends far from the unwashed masses in their BMW 3 series. There they study their car's gloss and sheen; munching truffles while comparing exhaust notes. In between drives, and in the absence of any issues with the car (yes, you read that right), this month's installment is going to sound more like the Ferrari social page and less like the spanner-and-grease episode you might expect. But, if you've thought about investing in one of these lovely machines made of things like $400 targa roof latches, $2,000 bumpers and $90 cigarette lighters, you might as well know something about the doors opened by your new key fob. It's all part of the experience, and not at all a bad one.

First up, the US Grand Prix on July 2nd marked a big concours/picnic for the Ferrari Club of America and Ferrari Owners Club here in San Diego. I joined the FOC several months back. I can't say it has transformed my life, but it certainly helps to know a larger group of 'greater fools' have bought these cars and enjoy revving them to decibel levels that might offend the local Harley owners club. Also, I like wine and brie. I had never entered a car in any sort of concours competition, so the stress was real. What if they all laughed themselves into a writhing heap over my dusty fan switch?

I did the best I could, cleaning the interior (cotton swabs in the vents, and other obsessive things I can't really admit to) and rinsing the exterior. I then bought some added insurance by bringing out a detailer recommended by my Ferrari mechanic. Apparently the one who spends 6 days on your car and charges $2,000 was away in Las Vegas doing someone's Enzo, so I had hired the $200/day detailer he recommended. The results were superb. I've hand-waxed many cars over the years, but a motorised dual-buffer in the hands of a pro banished the last of the swirl marks and made the 328 look like this year's model. I brought him back the day before the show for a final touchup ($75 - a bargain). This time he came close to perfection.

With the car looking too nice to drive, I headed out early the morning of Saturday, July 2nd for the Jack Queen ranch in Rancho Santa Fe, California (Northern San Diego County). It's a bit of a drive out there, and despite my worst fears, it was trouble free. It's too soon for me to tell you to swap the new Lexus for one of these Italian wonder machines, but the mythology around self-destructing exotics seems so far to be overblown. [You're obviously not superstitious - ed].

The absence of freeway traffic allowed me to open the car up in fifth. While fear of losing my driver's licence kept me below the 150 mph top end, let's just say that I poked the right pedal with ample spirit. Fifth gear is not overly short in the Ferrari, but the lack of sound insulation coupled with the Tubi exhaust makes for a convincing race track fantasy. It's positively intoxicating at speed. While the newer F430 would handily outrun my car, rest assured the famed Engine Bay Philharmonic comes with every Ferrari.

So it was that my 328 joined 93 other Ferraris at a "Ferraris-only" event at which even the Lamborghinis were directed to park out on the street. Frankly, this was worth the purchase price of my car. In fact, several down-and-out-looking 308s were admitted, complete with fuzzy seat covers, bastardised bumpers, dents, scrapes and all. These owners had brilliantly and correctly figured they would be welcomed despite the condition of their ailing steeds. This contingent has an almost astonishing knowledge of the workings of, and respect for, their cars. Another group, albeit much smaller, seemed more focused on the sport of spending sickening amounts of money as fast and conspicuously as possible.

Happily-if not amazingly-my 328 took second place in its class (V8 cars prior to 1995), losing a couple of points for wear on the interior. I've received conflicting advice on the leather: restore the interior to perfection, or keep it original and with its patina. Given how new I am to all of this, I was delirious with taking second and will put off any decision on an interior re-do until later this year. That's $4,000 that can earn some interest for a while.

Less formally, a group of 10 of us arranged a lunch and drive the following weekend, when we could worry less about dust and dirt on the cars. Everything from a lovely Dino 246GTS to an F430 Spider showed up, with a 360 Modena, a couple of F355s and a 348 there as well. The comraderie at these events has added an aspect to my Ferrari ownership-quite different to my time with the Porsche. There may be a common bond in abandoning rationality en masse for the sake of having something loud and beautiful in the garage.

The 328 is due for a fluid change at the end of the year. Apart from occasional drips from around the oil pan, the oil level has remained pretty much as it was in January. There's a bulb burned out in the center console, making it a bit of a guess to adjust the driver's side vent controls at night - although with the top off that hardly matters. I also may swap the tires this year. Plenty of tread left on the Michelin Pilots, but they're nearly five years old and, after all, tires are probably the least expensive thing you can buy for your Ferrari.