F12 - Blue Americano? Sane choice or rare for a reason?

Yes due to the level of bewilderment about what I recall seeing, I had this completely verified by both the dealer and the factory --- what I had been shown / was asking about initially with my post is "Blue Electricco" -- a triple layer paint, USD20K option. I was never shown Blue Americano in person (factory person had mistakenly referred to Electricco as Americano) but as the various replies indicate, it's a much much darker blue metallic and a standard option USD 7K.

Triple layer paint notwithstanding 20K seems steep specially if BMW Estoril Blue paint to sample is perhaps half the price and looks almost identical.

Mercedes-Benz alu-beam (the ultra reflective silver) would look amazing on the f12 though probably not available even as a special order (as its a BASF paint that requires a specific application process, Ferraris have moved to PPG water based paints in recent years).

Have asked whether they can do AluBeam.

Net/net will wait for responses but TDF Blue doesn't look so shabby anymore even if other stable members are the same shade.

Will post 512bbi picture when I am back in that location -- it's in a garage in another country...

 

Alu-beam is iridium silver in MBZ??

If so, then please post the answer from Ferrari. I'm interested as well...

SV

 

the colour looks great though maybe not 20k worth of great!
also i don't think the red calipers or carbon wheel caps help here...

 

No, alu-beam is not Iridium Silver which is a standard MB paint. Alu-beam is just that --- a very metallic special paint process (all the flakes align in this paint after a special application process that involves a magnetic scan/hand paint finishing). Google Alu-beam you will find it. Because its a BASF paint and requires a specific application technique not sure if Ferrari can do this colour to sample but the ultra-metallic, almost liquid/glossy feel of Alu-beam would work very well on the F12 IMO.

 

+1, Ferrari really should offer something similar. Grigio Ferro might be the closest but probably not quite it. Imagine a mix between Ferro and Titanio, that would be nice for sure.

 

Alubeam is a great color indeed. I remember seeing the color as one of the optional extras on the Singaporean SLS brochure, and it was listed at around the equivalent of USD 10K if I remember correctly.

It would be great indeed if you can convince Ferrari apply the paint on your F12. After all, it is one of their (One-To-One/Tailor Made/Atelier/whatever name it is now called) promises to fulfil special requests of this nature.

 

But that would be so stunning!

 

Thanks. I've not seen it in the wild...

SV

 

Thanks for the answer Rodolfo.

 

In case of interest the only other car I have seen with that ultra-metallic (via flake alignment) "liquid metal" paint option other than MB is Porsche for their 918 Spyder only, where it's a EUR 50K option (same underlying principle but presumably in-house, lighter weight and a more liquid metal hue options than the MB Alu-Beam option for the SLS).

 

That car isn't in the states is it? I remember seeing a blue 512BBi show up once at C&C Irvine...

Need to find the pictures though.

 

It's very hard to get the full effect of alubeam across in a picture in my experience but this video does an OK-ish job in case of interest (50% of the extra metallic-ness and liquid metal effect comes across but otherwise has to be experienced in person):

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-suzsnO6d7w]Mercedes SLS AMG Coupe - Gull Wing - 2012 Washington D.C. Auto Show - YouTube[/ame]