Nah... been busy laughing too hard reading the arguments on the engine oil thread that went off the rails (you know the one). Man this place is comedy gold.
I am very impressed with their knowledge. Ferrari would be lucky to have him and they could probably replace half their engineers. Anyone that goes on long rambling tangents is clearly the smartest person around.
Brilliant post and very much appreciated with my 296 being on the boat inbound, the only thing I will challenge you on is the driving comfort, I will DD mine and will be coming back and reporting if it's not comfortable to do so but based on my experience with my SF90 I would say that I would have zero issues driving it cross country.
Funny I thought helping people if you have real experience with something is a good thing , @TheMayor got it right
Apart from a internal leakage and some strange noise behind the dash , I have put 19500 kms so far, with the AF package and the carbon seats with harness, great drive even for long distances (1300 kms in one go), even comfy and I am not young and I have back issues .. so, go for it and drive it ! Best car I ever had so far .. fuel consumption around 8,5 l / 100 km if driven within the legal limits.
Wasn’t aware of that? I found p1’s exceptional in every way - far superior than Ferrari’s comforts or racing seat offerings. Ive found Ferrari seating and general ergonomics their weak suit in comparison to Porsche and Mclaren. The 296 racings look good but the swab is too short and undercushioned and the comforts also too flat and undercushioned on the swab.
To answer some questions you didn't ask re: comparing - Most of the fun stuff I drive is various 911s incl RS, and a 4RS. Plus 296 for diversity, Evora GT for precision with good sound, and GR Corolla for hooning around with a grin and parking anywhere. In the Ferarri camp - 296 drives smaller to me than 458, 488, F8, and sounds better to me than 488, F8, Lusso V8 and V12, Roma. Not as good as F12 and 812. Might even sound better to me now than 458 but most would disagree. Biggest kryptonite for Porsche GT fan is the steering feels to me like a videogame. Actual turnin and agility prob rivals 992 GT3 but only feel is through the chassis which is disconcerting. It's more fast than I need and feels fast even staying below 60mph because of the sound - but I think a 991.2 3RS is fast enough. Bigger economic risk than other Ferrari mid-engines in my opinion but bought despite that once prices came down to $300k in the winter. Vs. McLaren - 720S and even 750S sound blah-ish to me and I do a lot of around town and sub 4k RPM the lag kills me. 296 is MUCH better than Artura as a drivetrain, even the Spider, and sounds a lot better to em. I prefer the linear usability of intense occasional acceleration int he 296 vs the Mac feel of wait then holy crap. On the street it feels borderline unsafe. Many would disagree. Steering feels great though I'd say Lotus Evora GT better than the 720S and 750S I have driven but not 675LT and 600LT. But 675LT and 600LT to me make a Scud feel like Porsche engineering in terms of rattles and vibrations. Some like it though and I may wind up with an LT at some point at least for a few months. Vs. Porsche - ride MUCH better than 991 or Cayman GT/GT4. Feels faster than unmodified 991 and 992 Turbo S because sound is better. But again steering feels like a sim. Answering some of your questions - [What isssue are know for the 296s?] Fundamentals of engine and drivetrain seem pretty good but lots of flakiness with various parts that mean I wouldn't drive it a lot far from a dealer. I've had a 2022 for 2 months, 1000 miles added, 5k total, and have had 3 things needing investigation from ports to CEL none of which took the car down but would have had me nervous. [Would you be afraid to drive one half way acrros the country? Just a question to see if you would think mechanically it would handle a long few day drive?] Yes because of lots of people having random small things fire off - incl 4/5 local owners I've talked to. However comfort wise, I'm in my 50s and moderately active and I find the comfort seats to be not exactly comfortable but no prob driving 2 hours (no aches while driving or after). To compare to 911 RS - Easier to get into than 911 buckets but not quite as comfortable once in. Also in my experience 296 GTS is actually quieter inside than 296 GTB. I like the 296 sound but if I was going 2000 miles might need earplugs or to keep it sub 3500 RPM as it does get a bit loud. 4RS would prob be same though different sound / volume combo, but I have driven multiple 400 mile round trips in 991.2 2RS and 3RS and can take the ride and volume and don't baby them. [Is basic maintenance possible as DIY, oil and filter changes?] I wouldn't in case of potential warranty issues but some might. [Is buying from a non Ferrari dealer or Pirvate Part a good idea or does Ferrari frown on that if you need services?] My understanding is that if you are relying on CPO or even if the owner has bought a bumper to bumper extension, it will/might NOT transfer if buying through a dealer who is not Ferrari, but no issue buying private. Ask me how I know. [I know depreciation is a known factor.. might be bigger on the 296 because I heard it is not a preferred model... What are the rough price ranges for a good spec 2-3 year old version?] Prices briefly touched and may still be out there at ~$300k. I bought figuring it could be a $250k car + $12k/year warranty because I liked it enough better than alternatives.
A lot far from the dealer ? Seriously ? Go and buy a BBurago scale model. I have driven my Ferraris on road trips about 3500 kms on a single WE.
You should have learned your lesson last time, but you didn't. Enjoy your time off. Next time will be the last.
I didn't mean you in that statement. What I said was directed at what was said prior. Which was: "Funny I thought helping people if you have real experience with something is a good thing"
FWIW - this place was never like this - NEVER. We used to welcome new posts tell them some market data and help one another.
Thanks very much for the input for those who responded. I actually also went on several of the threads to get more aquainted with some things, then read alot of the big thread on Values which was pretty eye opening. I found this one that I liked the specs on and color since I won't be doing a loud color like Red or Yellow... but will need to get a bit more aquianted with what is a decent deal on the market since it seems the market is quite stagnant. https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/inventorylisting/vdp.action?listingId=395504925#listing=395504925
Those responses to your original post reflect poorly on the contributors on this sight. Truly internet balls stuff. I can only hope they would not be so rude in person, but I doubt it.
Well, I had an eye opener today...1st experiance at Ferrari dealer in about 10 years... Last time I went to 2 dealers and I was pretty much thinking, these guys are arrogant to the point of being jerks, screw this brand. Irrational grudge to a degree, but I thought how lame it would be to bring a car in for service and be treated like it was a favor to come to them. But today went in to a dealer in Westlake CA, and dressed in my jeans, t-shirt and cowboy boots looking like an older Farm hand, thinking they were going to be looking at me as if Im just a not serious and start giving and attitude probably..... So I said "I am looking at Mclarens and saw the 296 and could you go over that car with me..." and I ended shooting the **** with the salesman for the next hour and a half going over the 296, SF90, and an F8. Anyway it turned out be super fun with just me and the one guy with the show room to ourselves. Big learning experiance for me on a few levels... sales person was super detail showed me everything then told me about complaints and positive from customers, but also as a personal point....seeing how important it is as a business owner to NOT allow yourself or your staff to be ****** to Customers because you will loose thier good will as Ferrari did with me years ago. I don't know if the Sales type they hire has changed, or if its just I'm older and the look on my face tells them you talking to someone who is not wasting your time, but I left there super stoked on their cars and if they had a model I like I would buy from that salesperson for sure. The last month I have had two dealerships be so friendly and awesome that I was a bit taken back. The McLaren guys in Newport Beach were awesome, the Westlake Ferrari was great today.
Again, thanks to all, who gave some positive input... I think I got it dialed to a degree now on the 296 and other models of interest. Got the input I wanted. Just need to start analyzing the pricing available and doing a bit more research on past threads, and I can't wait to get a F-Car or M-Car however the dice lay.
I have had my GTS in that colour and with the racing seats in ciocollato for 18 months since new. In that time I have done a tad over 3,000 miles on fast roads in UK and Europe and on track. I came out of a Porsche 997 GT3. in that time my 296 hasn’t missed a beat even on track at high temperatures (+40 Celsius). Tho I do read about owners that have had series faults I am not sure how significant it is in the larger population. A friend has a Grigio Titanio GTB that he drives like I do and probably more track work but no issues . The big issues it seems are to do with hybrid system and battery but again this is the first generation of Ferrari hybrid technology. what I have had are niggling faults like the front bonnet wouldn’t open on the remote intermittently (Ferrari just replaced a control unit) or phantom fault codes that can be reset by software. Other niggles are the much talked about haptic systems and I don’t find the racing seats as comfortable as the Porsche when you initially get into it but very supportive for long drives or 2-3hrs +. Ona plus more the build quality and fit and finish of the interior are top notch. Living in central London with 20mph zones I do like the novelty of the electric drive. Service by my Ferrari dealer in the UK has been exemplary (a different world to Porsche) and the 7 years servicing and 4 year warranty are a real sweetener. Although there are certain McLarens I would love to own as drivers cars such as 600LT and 675LT, I have always been put off my their reputation (at least in UK) for dodgy build quality and terrible after market service. This may be changing tho.l but it doesn’t give me much confidence that McLaren have spent past 3+ years trying to develop the Artura to a decent level in terms of reliability (not catching fire etc) still you rarely see them on the road in the UK. The shape of the 720 and 750 don’t really appeal to me and indeed I think the 296 is a far prettier car. I believe one of the UK magazines recently did a comparison of the 750 and 296 on raid and track which you might be able to find on YouTube. You can see more of my car being used(!) on Insta: @dino_diary
