New to forum and hopefully a Lusso soon

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forum and currently in the market for a GTC4Lusso. I plan to use it as my only car and daily driver, putting at least 15k miles on it annually. I live in a high-rise downtown Chicago and park in a basement garage.

I've been thinking about what specs I want and would appreciate your input. Specifically, is a suspension lift really needed for driving in the Chicago area? My Z4M Coupe handled the garage ramp fine when I took it slow, but I'm unsure if the Lusso would need the extra clearance.

Also, for those with a panoramic roof, is it a must-have? I know it can brighten up the interior and enhance the feel for rear passengers, but my only rear passenger will be my 2-year-old on rare occasions. Has anyone regretted not having it?

Lastly, I'm concerned about the current car market. Prices seem to be at their peak, and I'm wondering if waiting might save me $30-40k. However, I'm also eager to start enjoying the car. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks for your help!

 

Welcome! Do you have access to an electrical outlet? The modern Ferraris are heavily battery dependent and even though you are using this as a daily driver it is advisable to keep a car on a tender when parked.

 

Ahh… didn’t think this would be a problem since it’s a daily. I currently do not have access to an electrical outlet. A guy in my building has a 488, and it’s always dead. Our valet guys always complain.

 

Hello Audey, welcome to the forum. If you’re planning to daily the car then you won’t need the battery tender. If you find that you do end up leaving car for too long then the Braille with the emergency start reserve is an option if you don’t have access to a power outlet.

You should probably try to source a car with lift. The Lusso has a much longer wheel base than the Z4 and it isn’t the ramp angle at the front or rear which is the problem but the breakover in the middle. I have lift in my FF and it has saved our bacon in countless hotel car parks where we grounded out in the middle.

Sure Pano is a nice to have but it’s not a must have. In your situation, it sounds like lift is more essential than pano.

 

Enjoy your search. I think the lift is a must on the car. The overhang from the front wheels are a lot…..

I can’t comment on not having the pano but it does really open up the cabin. If I was looking for a car I would want it.

If you have the mentality of always waiting “for prices to drop” before buying the you’ll never buy. To be honest the price paid is long forgotten after the early miles of enjoyment


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I’ve had mine since Feb and have put over 5,000miles on it thus far. I drive it pretty much every day and have never hooked it up to the tender.
I don’t have the pano and am not sure it would make that much of a difference for the front seat as the roofline is almost behind the driver with the slope of the windshield.
I lived in River North for five years pretty recently, and as you know Chicago roads are pretty decent. If you’re worried about the garage ramp, lift may be something to go for. The wheelbase is long. Also, don’t underestimate how big the car is - same width and only a couple inches shorter than an F150.

Unless you’re planning to drive in the snow a lot, I’d do yourself a favor and look into the Lusso T - from what I’ve heard, they may be a superior city DD than the 12.

Overall, it’s an awesome daily driver and actually really practical. People crack up sometimes when I’m loading the back of it up with tools and animal feed at Tractor Supply haha. (We live in Alabama)

 

Thanks everyone for the input!

I as well live in the River North area, roads seem pretty good.

I have been reading the T might be a better option, for city driving. But there is something about having a Ferrari V12 that gets me going lol. Also, I am planning on driving in the winter (which isn’t horrible here)

I will say I do commute 3-4 days a week to Gurnee. The stop and go traffic is miserable. Hopefully the V12 isn’t horrible in stop and go traffic… that’s the only reason I’d consider a Lusso T.
Anyone dealing with 45minute In stop and go traffic?!?

 

The DCT is a little weird in stop and go. It’s not like a torque converter auto where you can just lift the brake to crawl. You usually have to use the gas to move forward, but when you just blip it, it’ll idle a little higher to allow you to then use the brake to crawl forward to mimic a “normal” automatic car, but it’s not perfect.

 

Dont worry too much about the battery. If you use the car often it's unlikely to leave you stranded, but get a NOCO GB50 booster just in case. It doesnt take much space at all, and will start your V12 without any issue, and so much more convenient to use than jumping cables. That should be standard issue with all Ferraris in my opinion.
I wouldnt consider a Lusso without the lift. You might not need it in your parking garage, but you will eventually scrape on a speed bump or a parking exit. I used the lift countless of times, but never to get home.

 

Definitely test drive one first in some stop/go traffic to see if it’s something you’d want to daily drive.

 

As someone who lived in downtown Chicago for 2 decades (lakeview, old town, river north) there is no way in hell I'd put a Ferrari through that, even a lusso

they hate slow stop and go traffic, potholes will wreck your rims, they also hate being driven short distances as well, not to mention the general beating the car will take from the uninformed public, the salty roads, just... no!

buy a Range rover, Aston DBX, G wagen, urus, anything

 

Oh man this is breaking my heart.
I've been doing some reading on DCT... Ive never owned a car with one.
Sounds like the lusso may not be the car for heavy heavy traffic.
I do want to shoot myself when it takes me an hour to go 20 miles....

Thanks for the input.

 

This is the best place to get information; from people who have owned these cars. Make sure you consider the purchase carefully. It is important to test drive the cars you are interested in! Good luck!

 

Just got an FF not too long ago. Forum has great resources and members who've posted lots of informative stuff! good luck

 

I too purchased a Lusso in February. I do not have a lift or pano roof. The lift would be nice (I haven’t bottomed out as of yet). Front camera would be a nice option as well for parking. Go for the 12 over the T!

 

welcome to the forum : my 2 cents are as follows :

i had a 2019 1,100 mile fully loaded T and yes it is a great car and in absolute terms you could very well argue it is “ more suitable / better as a DD particularly for what you describe . i found that the V8 ( as with most ) was quite lumpy at idle but the steering was super light and the low down torque very impressive . However , not having the v12 just nagged away at me and i recently swapped the T for a low mile 2018 V12 . the difference just in “ satisfaction” is staggering . i personally find the slight extra heaviness of the steering with the V12 being AWD is in fact “ reassuring “ and the car never feels short of power/ torque at all . the “ fun” and IMHO the value is in actually letting that free revving v12 whip up a few extra revs just to listen to it . makes the smiles per hr much higher .
in terms of traffic driving , the v12 idles much more smoothly and i think the point one of the other posters made about the DCT in traffic is centered on , i don’t belive any lack of smoothness in the DCT itself which is sublime but more than in stop start long traffic the DCT has a sort centrifugal operation so unlike most auto boxes won’t creep forwards when you lift off the brake , which is i guess how most people creep along in those long lines . the Ferrari DCT definitely needs some positive action with the right foot on the gas pedal to get it moving … all very smooth just needs a bit more engagement .
in terms of you question about value , i think the Ts have and will continue to fall , but , and i have studied the ones for sale daily for the last 12 months , the v12s have , if anything gone up a touch during that period . input that down to folks realizing what a under appreciated vehicle the Lusso was and particularly comparing it to the price / presence of the $450k new Purosangue. your $15k miles in 2 years will significantly work against value for sure , so i think , my recommendation would be to try to get a 19 but one that already has a good few miles on it and enjoy it fully for a couple of years ! good luck with the search and let us know if you buy one !



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I’ve had 3 FFs and loved the car but definitely wouldn’t want to drive it everywhere all the time. Stop and go sucks, the car wants to go fast. Stopping for gas every other day will suck. The V12s eat batteries like crazy when not on tender so you’d want to get a lithium battery like the Antigravity. You’re also going to want a second car anyway because if anything ever breaks it could takes weeks or months in the shop to get parts.

Have you considered a Panamera Turbo S? I daily one and it’s really great for that. These are also other end of the spectrum for a Rolls or one of the new generation Bentley Flying Spur or Conti GT would be an amazing daily and all in the same price range (or less) than a Lusso. A Vanquish also makes for an awesome daily and has a NA V12 and a regular automatic so it’s much better for stop and go.

 

I agree, V12s are very demanding on the battery. You said you'd be daily driving and parking in an underground garage (presumably this is at home), but where will you be parking at your destinations (in Gurnee or elsewhere)? Exposure to Chicago winters could increase the demand on the battery. I just posted in another thread about my experience parking during a regular work day in 10 degree F--this was with a new battery and putting the car on the tender every night. The car was drivable, but I got several error codes during the drive home. Everything was fine the next day after putting it back on the tender.

 

Thanks to everyone for the advice. I was able to go to a dealer and test drive one…
I loved it! So I pulled the trigger on a V12, it’s finishing up its certification and I should be good to go!
The one I am buying is across the country, is it recommended to go see it in person for a new car owner tutorial?!? Or are things pretty easy to figure out on how to use everything in the car etc..?

 

Congratulations! Of course, we need to see pics

If you've never owned a Ferrari, there will be several controls that are different compared to other cars. I would say they're "quirky". A tutorial was very helpful for me when I bought mine. If you have the time to go across the country, I personally think it's a good idea. Also, read the manual.

 

congratulations ! what year and color did u get ?
you will figure most of it out as the other commenter says just a little quirky

auto stop start button on the roof above you
no N gear select button or P

if u sit in gear at the lights and don’t keep foot on the brake after 1 minute kicks you into neutral .

Both paddles towards you to select Neutral .

i think those were the main ones for me …






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Thanks!
It’s an 18’ Rosso Maranello on black.
More Pics will follow when she arrives!


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Beautiful!

 

I personally don’t like lighter reds on larger Ferraris, but Rosso Maranello on your new Lusso looks great! Congrats again!

 

Congratulations. I live in Naperville and hope to see you in some local Ferrari Club events. I have a Silver 2020.

Was going to tell you that my 2020 build has ADAS so when we went to Chicago for a Saturday lunch and ran into stop and go , it was super useful. I’ve been used to the tech for over a decade now since my 2012 S class had it. Went across the country for the 20 spec since it has ADAS.

As a driver , the pano roof doesn’t do much for you. As a passenger in the rear , absolutely delight. I have sat in the back with my 18 year old driving (wife has motion sickness issue in back seats) and I loved it.

So glad you went v12. Good decision.


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