My 599 should arrive in about 4 weeks

Very true. When PS briefly drops to 4th gear in T14 he is definitely near red line. One advantage of PS's technique is that blipping is irrelevant!!!

 

Interesting. Share your concerns re paranoia. What a mad change for the reasons you noted. Posted on your thread

 

DM18,

One of the best threads I've read on any forum! What a joy to read. Just out of curiosity, how did you spec out your 430S? I take delivery in May hopefully

 

Many thanks.

Have not decided yet. Am inclined to stay away from red. Am thinking white with the stripe and stock silver wheels with silver calipers. Am worried about getting CF front diffuser as I am likely to crunch it in China BUT I love the CF headlight surrounds. Stock interior except rollbar and 4 points. Big question is what "stock" Asian spec will be. I have heard that CF rear diffuser will be built into the price (i.e. a mandatory option).

Welcome your thoughts

 

I just read this whole thread again and I truly enjoyed it very much.
It was sort of like reading someone's blog! I feel this thread is one of the most inspirational of all the threads on our beloved F-chat. Maybe a new thread dedicated to the 430S when the times comes...?

 

CF Diffuser: $15,000
CF Engine Cover: $7,000

Prices confirmed by Ferrari.

 

thanks friends. I had some fun trips in my 599's and maybe China is interesting to people in other parts of the world. I am amazed with the longevity and number of reads of this thread. 430S thread - will have to wait and see if anything interesting. I will not have a very early car and have not thought too much about how I will use it

 

Im following your dream garage thread as well . Cant wait to see all the beauties parked there .

We need a Daytona thread ! A Daytona in Italy is the summum of Ferrari experience ! Cant get much better than that other than racing a 512S at Le Mans !

Take care !

 

+1000


easily one of the best threads on Fchat!!

Thanks DM

Just one thing I still don't understand is as to why you sold the 599?

What was the exact reason for selling it so soon?
Did it get boring? Too much trouble re display and other technical stuff? No need for the car?

I'm asking because - having sold my F430 a few weeks back - I've been offered a nice 599 and I'm still undecided.

It's a tough price for me to swallow and your thread scared me a little

Any input greatly appreciated

Thanks,
Joe

 

Hi Joe,

Thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated.

Don't be scared at all! Buy the 599. The reason why I wrote the thread was to convey the sheer joy of owning AND USING a 599. You don't hear me talking about values. The only reason I mentioned the TFT problems is that it appears that they were unique to me. High level sources in the factory who I know well and trust ask me, "Whatta doa you doa toa our cars?"!!! And then we kill ourselves laughing.

I have kept one momento of my 599 ownership experience. I sold my red car to a polisher and of course he replaced the grill, logo, wipers, windshield,... I kept the old grill and put it on my 2nd 599. When I sold my 2nd 599 I replaced the brand new grill. The old grill is a thing of beauty. Rock/sand damage at 330+, reportedly but not confirmed as I am sure that I was going 125, brings back so many happy memories and the grill looks like it had a tour of duty in Iraq.

Here is what I just posted on another thread:

"I went through 2 brand new 599's in 12 months. Why:

1. I ordered my first car in RS with beige, monobloc wheels, etc. I quickly felt very 2004 CS and regretted my choices. Also the first cars have bugs and I grew weary. Very easy for me to sell and move on

2. My second car was perfection in my eyes. I used it for a fantastic trip. But I found I did not like it as a DD.

3. I have a lot of options about how I spend my time and energy. I plan at least 6 months ahead. Any driving trips that involved the 599 seemed unlikely over the next 6 month window as I was focussing on other areas. Friend wanted the car, sold it in half an hour. That simple

599 is an easy example because demand is great. But the same would be true if I bought a 612 and had to face a protracted sale and take a loss. I don't care. I buy the car that best suits what I want to do with it and a 612 or 2+2 car will very much suit my needs at some point. I could have easily kept the 599 as a DD and financially it would have made sense. Problem is that I did not like it for that purpose.

At anytime I have on order 3 or 4 cars. I will not keep them all. I like to try different things. I was the first to buy a Golf GTI simply because I wanted to play with the DSG gearbox. I am buying an Evo X for a similar reason. I suspect I will keep my 430S for at least a few years. The F149 looks like it will be perfect as a DD. I am inclined to think that the F142S will be a perfect DD for me but I might not keep the F142B for too long as I suspect that I will like the 430S better."

 

Brilliant words. I can say that I have same plans for my next Ferrari purchases. By the way, when you recieve your Scuderia? My Scuderia in on its way to my hands, expected delivery right before this Christmas holidays. Best.

 

You my friend are lucky! Well done! I am getting a RHD 430S and I haven't even confirmed my spec yet. I am pretty high in the queue but even that should be Q2 08. This actually suits me rather well as I am not planning to seriously use the car until Oct 08. My 599 experience was that being first is not always best. Hope you have better luck

 

Thank you for your kind words. I have driven only some 500 km in my friend's 599 GTB in Germany and liked this car a lot. Then I have called my dealer in Germany and secured 599 GTB build slot for November 2007, it was back in March. In April my dealer told me first "inside" news about 430 Scuderia coming and I secured 430 Scuderia built slot for December 2007. In September I visited F-stand ar Frankfurt auto show and fall in love with 430 Scuderia. I decided not keep my 599 GTB, have called my dealer and made my 599 GTB slot go with earning almost EUR 30.000,00 on it, because 599 GTB is of great demand in Germany. Now I am waiting for 430 Scuderia, I want to keep and to enjoy this car myself. So thats my F-purchasing history and I will extend it with purchasing 599 Spider and "F149". F-cars with retractable hard top roof will be a real killer. Best.

 

Good strategy. I am going to pass on 599 GTS as it will no doubt suffer from the same affliction as 599 GTB in my world - too big and fast to be a DD in Hong Kong. F149 should be perfect and most importantly room for my family

 

Thank you one more time.

Seems you have very different driving conditions in HK and China. I hope so much that "F149" will be great F-car and will follow 599 GTB strategy to unite great driving potential with normal comfort and DD ability. And remember that it will be available to choose if you want 2+2 or two-seater with rear shelf as on 599 GTB, to my opinion it will be more than great. I want to have 599 Spider still, just because it will be unique and limited availability F-masterpiece. But now I seriously have started to doubt if I need it, when "F149" sound to be such grear car and plus hard top convertible too. But now all we can do is to wait for "F149" launch. Best.

 

I went to Hong Kong two weeks ago saw a Red 599 blasting down Salisbury street near the harbor

 

http://www.*************/pitlane/pics/132606/3299022d.jpg

someone spot you?

 

Don't think thats DM's car, thats a fuji bianco 599, i think thats the only one in fuji in HK at the moment.

 

You will see from this thread that I have had a red and silver 599 but not Bianco Fuji. I would not get a BF fcar as it is too difficult to repair stone chips. I had a BF QP GT Sport but sold it already. The BF 599 belongs to a lady. Not so crazy about the interior - it looks like the inside of a purse

 

Au contraire! Bianco Fuji is absolutely stunning on the 599 -- suits the lines perfectly -- svelte yet aggressive. And, if you insist on going down the sexist road, then I'd assert that most Ferraris old and new have a strong feminine allure; must be all those gorgeous curves. Dressing a 599 in Bianco Fuji is identical to putting a short white dress on Jessica Alba ... and hopefully we can both agree, there ain't nuttin' wrong with that!

Now, the argument about the stone chips is well-founded in pragmatism, and I wouldn't blame anyone from avoiding the color because of that....

 

You will see that I never said anything about the look of the BF paint on the 599 - in fact it is ok. My silver car arrived in the same shipment as the BF car and I would take my silver car even up (BF is not a cheap option on an fcar or a masser). My masser needed a scratch fixed and it was a pain in the a_s. BF on a 599 is an absolute no go for me from that perspective. Colour of interior is crucial to how BF looks overall