Most of the world’s financial forecasters are predicting tough times for another two years with the added burden of several interest rate rises during 2010.

It’s not the sort of news you want to hear, if a mortgage and kids are part of the monthly budget.

But with sales of the latest Ferrari 458 going better than expected, it seems that Ferrari buyers are oblivious to the doom and gloom.

In the UK, the list price for a 458 is 170,000 pounds, but for that amount, you might be waiting three years to get behind the wheel of your very own car.

That is, unless you want to reel off another 25,000 pounds and jump the queue.

The automotive equivalent of the world’s most sought after supermodel, Ferrari’s 458 is hot property and highly desirable for collectors, Hollywood superstars, Formula One drivers and our very own Channel Seven boss David Leckie, who was rumoured to have told mates that he had to have one.

The price of Ferrari’s latest supercar in Australia is expected to be around $500,000, give or take.