Got to drive a FF today at RTGT in PDX

All I have to say is WOW. The car is amazing inside and out, like everyone has said pictures don't do it justice. It is a big car, but you still feel that it is a ferrari through and through. Starting it up, you get that amazing roar of the V12, just reminding you this car still means business, but then it slowly gets quiet. I haven't driven a F1 style ferrari yet as I was always a shifter type of person, but everything was quite intuitive.
Foot on the brake, pulled the shift up paddle and off we went. I eased onto the throttle in anticipation of some jerkiness but sure enough it rolled out smoothly onto the road. Hesitant at first and getting used to the turn signals, mannetino and the placement of the paddles i didn't roll onto the throttle just yet. I put her in sport mode and messed around with decoupling the suspension and then off i went once we reached the hwy on ramp. The first shift was an eye opener, it was crisp, decisive and blindingly quick. Ok so I go up the gears shifting at 5K once on the highway on ramp and partial throttle (barely half) and OMFGHI2UFF......if i was to explain an emotion i would say it was akin to being a schoolboy at boarding school who just received package from his older cousin which included the necessities, porn booze and candy.

I felt set, planted and ready to take the sweeping curves ahead! Being inquisitive and my salesmen not knowing i decided to check and see if holding the downshift paddle while braking would automatically row down the gears and sure enough it did. The car acted like a sports car when you wanted and like a comfortable GT cruiser when you wanted to cruise. Very little road noise and kind of scary how easy it is to reach law breaking speeds without realizing!! The backseats are actually quite comfy and roomy. At just shy of 6ft I had tons of head room in the back and I didn't feel like a pretzel in the back seat.

Im not canceling my 458 order (it should be in NJ right now) but the FF is an amazing car and in the right markets would be a great daily driver in addition to your other ferrari! When i jumped into my X5M, which is no slouch stock and mine has quite a bit more power i felt slow!!!

So a Summary....

"If you have the means i highly recommend picking one up"
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okay now i'm more excited about my test drive!

 

Great review! Always nice to read these "real world" reviews as apposed to those written by the motoring press. FF looks great in that colour!

 

i bet hes sitting at home now trying to work out "hmmm can i afford one .."

 

Sounds awesome! Do you have a higher resolution version of that first picture? If so, can you e-mail it to me? [email protected]

 

Someone wants the serial number huh>???

Its not whether i can afford one, its can i justify two 300K+ purchases in a year and what car am i going to sell so i can park this one!!! I've decided that before i buy another F car as I've been eyeing a challenge car I need to go find myself a nice piece of property where i can build my dream home that is adjacent to my dream garage....errrr warehouse.

 

A couple of years ago, there was a rumor that some independent shop down in Orange County was cutting the roof off of a 612 to turn it into a cabriolet. I don't suppose anyone at Tonkin mentioned any topless variants in the pipeline for the FF? I don't know how they'd do it, and I can't imagine how it'd look, but I'd love to see what they would come up with if they tried.

 

No word, as of late i've been there source for new ferrari news. Like the updated california and such! But I doubt they will do a convertible of this....i say that now but just watch out. They never did a official 456 or 612 correct?

 

Thanks, HT! Nice "real world" review. You're giving me an itchy trigger finger! Must resist... Must...be...financially...prudent.

 

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2012-ferrari-ff-first-drive-0/full/#4046016#photo-4046016

Here is a high res FF engine picture for you

 

Nope. In fact, as far as I know, Ferrari's never done an official V12 2+2 convertible except for the 365 California.

Thanks, Bryan!

 

That is where I am at too. I have a warehouse, but at my office, and I don't really want to store cars at the business. Still looking at property where I can build a house with a separate shop / extra garage.

Hope to meet you sometime as I have been dying to do the summer FCA beach trip.

 

I would like to see this car in a comparo with say a Panamera Turbo S..

 

Not possible - incomparable!

By the way, what's a Panamera turbo S?!

 

It's a Panamera Turbo with 50 more horsies under the hood.

http://www.cardotcom.com/porsche/2011-porsche-panamera-turbo-s/

 

Maybe, but what is a Panamera?

Surely you do not refer to that elephant-like overweight Teutonic mastodon? Adding power does not either improve the breed necessarily, render it more attractive nor bring an extinct animal back to life!

This is a website for people who are passionate about Ferraris! Who cares about a car whose name doesn't even sound right?!!

 

Oh, and FWIW, one tried to follow me the other day in Italy...not for long

 

Yes ChalStrad!! That's how to properly own an FF!

 

Hey, Peter, I'd love to add your FF to my registry! How long have you had it? Were you the first one on here to take delivery?

 

Hi ChalStrad. Can you confirm that the vents behind rear wheels are, or are not functional. Someone had posted that they were not functional. I thought they were.

 

I don't know if I was the first on here to take delivery, but mine was delivered on the 6th

 

Never actually checked but believe they act as on the 599 as hot air extractors

 

That's what I thought as well. If you get a closer look update me. Thank you.

 

I test drove the FF at Ferrari Long Island last week. Magnificent car. Although I was driving around town not on a track or in poor weather conditions it is truly amazing how the car shrinks and feels like a true sports car. I would choose it over any 4x4 car on the market today.

 

I was told by one of the Ferrari reps in Monterey that those are venting the air from underneath the car and I believe also from the wheel wells, and aid in breaking the flow of air off the back end, reducing aerodynamic drag.