Residents of the town of Maranello in Northern Italy, home of Ferrari, are complaining that the roar of the famous sports cars’ engines is disturbing the peace.
According to a report from CNBC, engine noise is near constant in the town after a number of test-drive businesses sprang up, offering tourists a go in one of the famous prancing horses.
Locals have been complaining that the noise is upsetting their daily routines and that the speeding cars pose a significant safety concern, with town officials now cracking down on the businesses.
The town’s Mayor, Massimiliano Morini, said: “They are obviously big cylinder cars that are very powerful, and they are circulating on the same streets with regular traffic.
“You can understand that this creates a very big problem of cohabitation for those living nearby who understandably want and have the right to rest.”
Test-drive businesses have been cashing in on the supercar manufacturer’s appeal, with a total of 37 different Ferraris available for round-the-clock test drives in a city with a population of just 17,000.
According to city statistics, police issued 305 fines to Ferrari drivers in the past five years, and the town has teamed up with neighbouring Fiorano to limit the hours in which the drives can be taken.
Both towns have now disallowed companies from hosting test drives in the early afternoon, and have also banned them from soliciting customers outside the nearby Ferrari museum.
In order to improve compliance, Maranello officials imposed an eight-day suspension after the third warning, though business owners are complaining that it’s restricting their enterprises.
Maja Corluka Valestri, owner of Pit Lane Red Passion, said: “We are entrepreneurs, and we are in a tourist town, and I can't promote my business. We have lost 80 percent of business.”
