Just bought my childhood dream 512TR!

This morning, I pulled out of a pretty awful buying experience with a beautiful looking black F512M, at Modena Motorsport. Full story here:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/boxers-tr-m/456839-big-problem-buying-f512m-modena-motorsport.html

Well... this dim story gets much brighter with the purchase of an even more beautiful black 512 TR, just today!

I wasn't expecting to find the right car for me so quickly after having backed out of the Modena Motorsport F512M (I've been looking for months and months and have difficult criteria)... but luck put the PERFECT (for me at least) 512TR on my path today.

The advert had just popped up on autoscout24, without any photos at this early stage, but it said the car was black, it had the average mileage I wanted (not too little, not too much) and was sold by the Ferrari dealership in Monaco.

A promising advert then, so I called right away and I liked what I heard about the car.

I was sent a set of just-taken photos ; I was the very first prospective buyer to see them... and I was instantly under the car's spell.

I don't think I've ever seen a more breathtaking 512TR, at least to my taste (I love them in black...).

A bit of back-and-forth to validate certain things, and that afternoon I concluded and sealed a deal over the phone. The car was mine!

Photos coming up!

 

Colors and spec is always a very personal thing, but here is my take:

I love these cars in black because the darkness tones down the strakes along the sides and rear, as well as the various air intakes. To me, the car looks more subtle and elegant, less in-your-face and brash.

I also see some rarity appeal at having a non-red Ferrari. It's a less obvious choice than the default red.

I do LOVE them in red too... but would feel a bit conscipuous and showy, especially in socialist France where I live... I feel that black makes the car more useable.

In black, with creme leather and black carpets... oh my... I think the car looks impossibly sharp, chic, special & sensationally glamorous, in a relatively low-key old-money way...

Arguably even better than triple black, which is lovely too.

And the red overmats, which I initially thought were perhaps a bit violent, actually add a welcome touch of energy and a sporting vibe. This is not a luxury cruiser after all ; it's a red-blooded supercar!
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- The car is offered in the Ferrari Approved program.

- It has only 2 owners from new

- It has only ever been serviced at Ferrari dealerships

- It has only ever been sold by Ferrari dealerships (in Germany, and now in Monaco), which is very nice

- The engine-out cambelt service has just been done at Ferrari Monaco

- Icing on the cake: the car has just had a Protech treatment outside, to ensure a smooth paint finish and deep dark durable shine, and inside, to ensure perfect presentation and condition.

- Only thing missing is a stainless sports exhaust (if anyone has one for sale?). At least I have the original, which may be useful for Classiche certification one day.

After having spent several days trying to deal with Modena Motorsport (and I never even told you how incredibly touchy and abrupt the boss is...), what a difference to do business with a REAL professional who is as competent, courteous and accommodating as the sales manager of Ferrari Monaco. I was made to feel like the paying client that I am, rather than some unwelcome vermin who asks too many bothersome questions, like at Modena Motorsport. It's a detail perhaps, but an important one.

- Ferrari Monaco has agreed to certify in writing that the car is accident-free ("no problem, sir")

- They will contact Ferrari Germany to certify the mileage ("I understand, sir")

- They agree to do a compression test free of charge ("certainly, sir").

- They are delivering the European Certificate of Conformity that I need for French registration ("naturally, sir") - a 1500€ value had I bought outside of Ferrari - and take care of the French registration formalities for me ("with pleasure, sir")

It's a real pleasure to do business with them. What a difference!

OK, sure, I would have preferred an F512M, but frankly, I have absolutely no regrets to have left Modena Motorsport with their broken 5th gear. I'm very happy.
At least I can enjoy the more graceful looks of the 512TR, and take pride in owning what is doubtless a very very fine example of the model.

I thank my fellow FC members for feedback their help in having helped guide me away from the rocks and into the path of rewarding Ferrari ownership.

Alex

 

The 512TR is more comfortable to buy financially (I don't have bottomless pockets), but I was willing to make an effort for a F512M because they might prove better investments (but who knows, only time will tell).

Besides, the price differential isn't as big as you might think, as this TR is understandably the most expensive low-to-average-mileage example in Europe, while the F512M I was chasing was relatively keenly priced (or so I thought until it broke 5th gear!).

Supercar-buying wisdom says to buy the best example you can afford, because it pays in the long run. I believe that, and so that's what I've tried to do here.

 

yeah, I noticed that ; do I need to find a leather trim shop? Or are there products that do this?

 

Yes, that's what I intend to do.

 

Good point!

The diff and quil shaft are on my shopping list, but this will wait for the next engine-out.

 

Thanks Christian.

It is a '92, but how can you tell it's not a '93?

It has 48.000Km. I wanted about 40.000Km as this is low enough to be desirable (for me), but not so low that the price escalates to much and not so low that my driving it will depreciate it. 40.000 Km is for me the "Goldilocks" zone: not too little, not too much.