Ferrari Factory Tour 2012

Many of the threads on visiting the factory are in model-specific forums, so I thought I'd post my pics and experiences in this more generic forum. Our visit, as it must be, was arranged through our local dealer (Ferrari of San Francisco - excellent people!). Since the factory tour dates must be set well in advance, we wrapped our vacation to northern Italy around the date for the Ferrari factory tour.

We started by flying into Milan and touring there for a few days as we overcame jet-lag and viewed the sites (watch out for pickpockets on the Metro, especially at the stop for the Duomo). On the last day in Milan, we rented a car and drove to Maranello. It was not very difficult, especially since we had GPS. I don't recommend driving into Maranello at night, however, as the signage and roads are not that well lit, so even with GPS, you might take a wrong turn or two. We drove into town during the day and had no problems finding the hotel.

Leaving Maranello to drive to Firenze, however, was another story. The road signs out of town are not nearly as helpful as the ones into Maranello, and we literally drove around in circles and back-tracked several times until we found our way to the Autostrada towards Bologna (and Firenze). I suspect our GPS unit needed some updated maps, as it gave us wrong directions several times when we tried to leave Maranello. Also, there was the usual summer road construction in several places, which caused us to take detours.

Some people have described driving in Italy as a nightmare, what with the roundabouts and drivers who use the lane markings as mere "suggestions." Once you get used to drivers wandering here and there and not staying in their lanes, however, you find that everyone is relatively easy-going and not really going to hit your car or cause an accident. Drive like that at home, and you will be pulled over on suspicion of DUI, and/or become the victim of road rage. In Italy, everyone is simpatico and just motors along. (There are websites that give you driving tips for Italy - I strongly recommend reading them before your trip if you drive. You need to know about speed cameras and TZLs (restricted driving zones in certain historic/urban areas).

It's too bad that you are not allowed to take pics on the factory tour (though there is a thread on this board where someone got a VIP tour and did take a few), as the factory is an amazing facility. The pics below thus cover our visit to Maranello and the Museo Ferrari (where pics are allowed).

Though Maranello is a relatively short drive from either Milan or Firenze (Florence), if you are real tifosi, you will stay at least one night in Maranello. We spent two, and while it's more than you really need, we don't regret it, as it allowed us to have dinner at the two most recommended restaurants, Ristorante Cavallino and Ristorante Montana. The food was excellent at both, and as the pics below demonstrate, Ferrari memorabilia abounds in each.

A couple on our tour joined it late (missing most of it), as they chose to drive in from Firenze. I highly recommend arriving a day before your tour and spending the night. If you are the type who worries about getting lost or getting somewhere on time, it's hard to beat staying at the Planet Hotel, which is right across the street from the factory entrance where most tours now begin (they used to start at the nearby Museo Ferrari, which is also only a short walk from the Planet).

The factory tour was nothing short of amazing. We got to see the engine assembly area, the final assembly area for the V8 cars (as of this writing, Californias and 458s), the Fiorano test track, the Corsa Clienti area, the Scuderia Ferrari building, where they were prepping Alonso's and Masa's cars (along with the spare) for the German Grand Prix (which Alonso later won), and other parts of the factory.

We started by signing in at the visitors' entrance, then escorted to a guest/tour waiting room, where we were treated to a large screen viewing of several Ferrari promo films and complimentary pastries and espresso/cappuccino. We received headphones and recording devices that you could play during parts of the tour for added explanation.

Once everyone arrived and was settled, we boarded a small bus and proceeded to the engine assembly building where we got disembarked to start the tour. Our guide was an ex-pat American, so of course she spoke perfect English and was very knowledgeable.

The factory is nothing like what you might expect for a "heavy" industry like auto manufacturing. Granted, we're talking about bespoke, limited production vehicles, but still, it was a lot gentler than I expected. The noise in the engine assembly area, for example, is only about 73 db, there are trees growing in the middle, and there is a lot of natural lighting from skylights.

We saw "Romeo and Juliet" inserting liquid nitrogen cooled valve guides into heated engine heads, after which they are brought into equilibrium temperature, effectively locking the guides into place. In the final assembly area, we got to see the drivetrains married to the body/chassis.

We stayed at the Planet Hotel, which is across the street from the famous main factory visitor entrance shown in films and pictures. I'd rate it "adequate" and much like a Courtyard Marriott. We travelled with our two near adult daughters, so we got a junior suite. It was spacious enough, clean and comfortable, though there was only one bathroom and the shower stall was rather cramped.

Let's start the pics with the Planet Hotel. I didn't remember to take pics of the room, but you can see what the outside looks like, and there are pics of the lobby area. Room rates include a continental breakfast. You can have regular coffee out of a restaurant-style pot, or they will make espressos and cappuccinos for you. We had cappuccinos, which like coffee everywhere in Italy, were excellent. The Ferrari Store is in the same building, out front on the street side. The main entrance to the hotel is in the back by the parking lot. There is a very tight underground garage for keeping your car at night. We had rented a BMW 318d wagon, and though someone had a small SUV parked in the garage, the BMW was about as big a car as I would have wanted to squeeze in there (on the day we left, someone had managed to park a 458 Italia in one of the spaces - brave and skilled that driver must have been!).

BTW, I read this thread before the visit. Very helpful. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=358405
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We arrived in the afternoon the day before our tour, so we had time to walk around and shop at the many Ferrari-themed stores near the hotel and factory. If you are looking for model cars, the independent stores seemed to have the best selection. The Ferrari Store was well-stocked with merchandise, but it's basically the same selection you can get at any of their stores in various cities around the world (like in London, Rome and San Francisco).

A tip. If you take the factory tour, you get a 20% discount at the Ferrari Store, good for the same day of your tour. Naturally, despite having a Ferrari Store back home, we used the discount to our advantage. The tour also provides you with complimentary passes to the Museo Ferrari. There is an excellent cafe in the Museo. We had pannini and drinks at the end of our morning tour before visiting the Museo.

There are a number of places around the factory offering rentals of Ferrari, so it's not uncommon to see Californias, 458s and other Ferraris zooming around with tourists driving them. I don't know how much they charge but it's relatively expensive, I'm told. I skipped the rental experience, since I get to drive a Ferrari back home.

Ferrari test drives each of their new cars leaving the factory. They undergo water spray tests to test for leaks, then get driven around Maranello and the surrounding countryside to test for everything else. It's easy to spot them, as they have protective white film on their hoods and fenders. Cars without the protective film are either privately owned or rentals.
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Everyone seems to rave about Ristorante Cavallino, and I can see why. The food is excellent and you are treated to Ferrari memorabilia all around you. I highly recommend the pumpkin ravioli and the steak with balsamic sauce. Our northern Italian vacation included Milan, Firenze and Roma, as well as the Maranello visit. Our daughters thought that their meal at the Cavallino was the best of all of them. The prices are reasonable compared to meals in comparable restaurants in the other cities we visited. Note that most people during the summer eat dinner relatively late. The ristorante opens at 7:30 p.m. for dinner. We arrived right at opening because we were hungry from our drive from Milan, so the place was rather empty as shown in the pics.
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Everyone raves about Ristorante Montana, too, and I agree. The food there was also excellent, though a bit pricier than the menu at the Cavallino. It's not far from the Planet Hotel, but it's located across a highway overpass that lacks a pedestrian pathway. Thus, although you could easily walk the distance, I highly recommend driving there. Leaving the Planet Hotel and facing the Ferrari factory entrance, you take a left and proceed over the overpass. As you come down the other side of the overpass incline, you take the first left, a very sharp turn that puts you going back towards Maranello. At first you might think you are lost, as the first building you see is a large, industrial-style building. But the Montana is just a short distance past that. It's marked by a big archway sign (sorry, I don't have that pic) and a topiary-like bush, fashioned to look like an F1 car with a driver's helmet.

Like the Cavallino, the Montana abounds with Ferrari memorabilia. There is Schumacher's driving suit, enclosed in a glass case. There is one wall with a pic of Schumacher in the kitchen with the owner. And there is this big red book with a Ferrari cavallino on it. I forgot to ask what's inside, and there are signs saying not to touch it. Anyone know what it is? I guessed that it has pics of F1 drivers, F1 cars and autographs, but don't really know.
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At the end of the tour, you briefly visit the Museo Ferrari. You only get 15-20 minutes, but your passes are good for returning later to spend as much time as you want until the museum closes. You don't want to end the tour at the Museo, but rather return to the visitor center, where you may receive a hardbound "Ferrari 2012" book like we did. I don't have pictures of the book (maybe I'll post a few in the future), but it has sections describing the factory, the current Ferrari line of cars, and a bit about its racing program. We also received a Ferrari factory "passport" stamped for your visit and "signed" by Luca.

When we visited, the Museo had a tribute to Gilles Villaneuve as part of its temporary, special exhibition. The museum was interesting and I thought well worth visiting.
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More pics of the museum.
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And still more.
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Christina was our guide, too. Wasn't she great? But we got to see the V8 line, not the 12 cylinder line.

 

Have fun!

One more thing. There is a supermarket in town, just a few hundred meters to the right going out from the Planet Hotel. There is an ample parking lot in a quad where the supermarket is.

At the back of the supermarket is a deli, like you'd find in many supermarkets in the US. Be prepared to order in Italian, however; despite the large number of tourists they get, the workers in the deli don't speak English. Once you get your delicious sandwich (pannini), drinks and whatever other groceries you want, you go to the checkout in the front of the store. I can't remember if they take credit cards, as we paid in cash. There are ATMs, however, just a few blocks further to the right of the supermarket.

The best gelato in town is at Dolcecrema, further down from the supermarket past the Enzo Auditorium. Don't be afraid to get the cones (cono) or small cups (piccolo coppeta); despite their small sizes, they will heap gelato into them in a big mound.

 

The Ferrari Opus! Of course! Your description of the book coming with white gloves now also makes that clear, as you can see the gloves in the photo. At $32k, no wonder the book is on a "don't touch" basis. I'm amazed it isn't enclosed in a glass case.
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