Hey Fellas, In a fit of pique I just traded my DB9 for an '08 612. Whilst the DB9 was very reliable mechanically, the driving position gave me a stiff back after driving for three hours or more. Add to that the fact that the boot lets in water when lifted after rain (ditto windows) and your right arm (RHD) doesn't rest anywhere naturally..............and the niggles were getting me down. My 612 is TDF blue with tan interior, all the usual extras plus the HGTS package. It's being delivered tomorrow........and I'm excited. It's my first Ferrari. So, the question is, what should a Ferrari novice like me know about driving and/or maintaining a 612? Are there any horrible idiosyncrasies that I should know about? I'm across servicing cost etc, so the question is related to the car. Cheers, John
Congratulations! Other than the useless bluetooth, I've found nothing to dislike in almost 15,000 miles.
just drive and smile. btw my bluetooth works great...the ipod on the other hand needed reinstalling of the bose software at the dealer. now that works great too.
Gorgeous, I think the 612 is one of the most handsome shapes. Ferrari did a great thing with this car. Plan on racing to Verbier in it?? Enjoy my friend and congratulations
Congratulations and enjoy! Few tips Cover the headlights with 3M - at 3k a piece a rock chip will crack it and let moisture in. Apply Ceramic tints or watch the leather shrink in the sun. Tighten the gas cap firmly - or the computer will go crazy with false error notifications. HGT exhaust - put a screw in the hose and attach it to the frame, the F service center did it in two minutes and it sounds five times better. Drive it in sport mode for smoother and quicker shifts
My bluetooth is lousy as well. There was a software update which, in theory, could have made an improvement but made no difference in my case. The dealer has ordered a new microphone, so we'll see if that makes a difference. Since the OTO has a completely different sound system than the previous cars, I would guess that might be a factor-- but clearly it CAN work okay in an OTO, as was pointed out. To the OP-- nothing special to worry about on the car. Mine has been rock solid. There have been various software updates for the Bose system on the OTO, but you don't have that so don't need to worry about it. If the gas gauge starts to act funny, call the dealership-- there was a campaign to replace those, although I don't know if it applies to your car. Also, always make sure the gas cap is on tight-- these cars seem to be really sensitive to that, and a loose gas cap triggers all sorts of warning messages, some of which can only be cleared by the dealer.
John- About the only two things you need to know is first the camshaft drive belts need to be replaced every 5 years. That is really not a big deal and can be done for a reasonable sum of money assuming you still have the car in 2013. The second thing to realize is that reversing is really rough on the clutch for F1 system cars. Limit reversing as much as possible, and use an "accelerate and coast" strategy as much as possible. Never reverse up a hill unless absolutely necessary. The reason for this is 1st gear has a ratio of 3.154:1 for easy starts. Reverse is 2.385:1, so using it is like starting in 2nd gear (2.176) and really wears a clutch quickly. No idea why Ferrari does this, but it is consistent in all their cars. Taz Terry Phillips
Just a point of clarification- The Bose Media System in London John's car is identical to the systems on the OTO cars. Gio P
Thanks all for the warm welcome and friendly advice........there's some great snippets there. I'm getting very excited about the whole thing, can't wait to take delivery. Once again, I really appreciate your answering my questions. Lots for me to follow up on. Best, John
i have alot of cars and the 612 is intoxicating..just gets better and better...i have 2 car seast in the back and my kids LOVE it....
Love my 08 and zero problems with the blutooth. Here are a couple of pics. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
That used to be true on older cars (and may be true on the OP's car), but I think it's less of a problem now. I reversed a LOT when I was driving my 612 in Europe (the road keeps getting narrower... uh oh!), and my clutch wear is almost nonexistent after 6,000 miles. The service manager at my dealer was commenting that on the newer F1 cars, clutch wear just isn't an issue any more.
Well cut off my man parts and call me Sarah............that's a handsome car. I love silver on this shape. The dealer told me silver is hard to sell, but I just don't get it. It looks magnificent.
Don- It is a problem for any Ferrari, not just F1 system cars, when you use reverse because reverse is such a high gear. There is nothing anybody can do about it because it is just simple physics. Start with overall ratio of 13.190 (3.154 x 4.182 in 1st) and you are fine, start with overall ratio of 9.974 (2.385 x 4.18 in Reverse) and you are going to wear out the clutch quicker. Reverse is just about the same ratio as 2nd gear and you certainly do not want to make a habit of starting out in 2nd gear. The 612 uses exactly the same clutch as V12 Ferraris back to the 456, so I will guanantee the 612 was not given a special pass on the laws of phyusics. http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=262238 Dealers will tell you all kinds of stuff that is out to lunch. There are threads here about 612 owners with worn-out clutches. Taz Terry Phillips
I'm not doubting you, however, the software on the F1 transmission has changed significantly over the years. There is no reason why reverse on an F1 should wear the clutch out any more than reverse on a manual transmission car-- which has not always been the case.
For one, that post made me laugh hysterically. And secondly, you have a beautiful car. I also agree that the silver looks incredible on the 612....
Don- Starting any car in 2nd gear with a manual clutch or an F1 clutch wears it faster than 1st gear. Reverse is about the same as 2nd. That is why I brought it up. Software cannot overcome that. Especially mentioned since it is John's first Ferrari. Taz Terry Phillips
Terry, Are you suggesting it wouldn't be a good idea to do any reverse smokey-burn-out "J" turns in an F1 trans car?
