Ownership Perspectives..... 6 months in. | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Ownership Perspectives..... 6 months in.

Discussion in '612/599' started by spirot, Jun 8, 2020.

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  1. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,501
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro
    I would see no issues - driving my 599 in the North GA mountains has been no issue... I've driven it briskly in race mode... but always with respect for the power... you can really feel it leap out of a corner on acceleration... I cant imagine what happens with DCT off....
     
    Texas Forever likes this.
  2. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2017
    4,839
    France
    The 599 is awesome - with the Enzo-derived V12, and its power demanding full respect; the F12 and 812 obviously have more but they also have a lot more electronics safety nets... also the latest F1-gearbox of the 599 is a kind of culmination of the robotised manual, with some unmatched efficiency and occasional brutality.
    The size of the car is however reaching the limit of what is acceptable on the road, there's no wonder why the F12 is actually (although marginally) smaller.
    Anyway (did I say that before?) the 599 is awesome, and definitely a very special car.
     
  3. m5shiv

    m5shiv Formula 3
    BANNED

    Feb 25, 2013
    1,259
    SF Bay Area
    Full Name:
    Shiv
    And crazy value for money right now IMHO
     
  4. nart

    nart Karting
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Aug 5, 2005
    205
    It is amusing to me all the dialog regarding the size of the 599 and how much smaller it’s successors are, but apparently nobody has actually looked up their dimensions. Note that both F12 and 812 are the same width or wider and only one to two inches shorter.

    Indeed, Chris Harris did a recent review of the 812 Superfast in which he extols how superior the 812 is than the old 599 being narrower and therefore not likely to be sideswiped. The 599 is NARROWER by an inch than the 812. Here are dimensions of recent V12 Ferraris:


    Ferrari 550 179” L x 76” W x 50” H

    Ferrari 575 179” L x 76” W x 50” H

    Ferrari 599 184" L x 77" W x 53" H

    Ferrari F12 182” L x 77” W x 50” H

    Ferrari 812 183” L x 78” W x 50” H
     
  5. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Caphill, Texas Forever and Makuono like this.
  6. Makuono

    Makuono Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 15, 2014
    998
    Full Name:
    Ricardo
    This picture is really peculiar.

    If we concentrate on dimensions, the difference that stands out is the height - where the 599 is clearly taller.

    But what surprises me is the volume, the 599 looks to have much more volume.

    I wonder if this is due to optic illusion - because of the different colours. The 550 looks to have 1/3 less volume.
     
  7. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
  8. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2017
    4,839
    France
    On the road a longer wheelbase emphasizes the feeling of the size, and regarding the shape the smaller windows make it look more massive.
     
  9. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    20" vs 18" wheels add to the large size look, too.
     
    George Vosburgh likes this.
  10. KB599GTB

    KB599GTB Rookie

    Feb 2, 2020
    26
    Full Name:
    Benjamin Karl Bussey
    I have had my 2010 599 GTB for about 7 months. It is my first Ferrari and first exotic car that I have purchased. I have put about 1100 miles on the car.
    I have always loved Ferraris and some of the reasons I chose to purchase a 599 is I wanted a V12 and the styling of the 599 is my favorite for the price range it is now. A couple of my impressions - It is a very fast smooth driving car and easy to drive - super brakes. Very good steering response and to me feels lighter than I expected. I like the sound but may remove the secondary cats for some added sound and horsepower = a relative inexpensive mod and easily reversible. Image Unavailable, Please Login I drive it on average once a week on a fair weather day just for fun usually and sometimes running an errand in it or to a friends house. I may take it to a performance track sometime but probably only to a Ferrari or exotic car group event. I do own a 2017 Ford GT350R and take it to a track (usually COTA - Circuit of the Americas in Austin Texas) and it is a fun car especially on track. I expect I will keep this 599 for a long time unless it turns into having excessive maintenance costs or problems which I hope will not be the case. This car currently has only about 3700 miles.
     
  11. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Those are not the secondary cats, they are the primary cats. The ones in the headers are precats. "Secondary cats" is marketing speak for the vendors of primary cat replacement pipes. When the 599 GTO came out, they eliminated the precats, not the primary cats, through improved catalyst and emissions control technology.
     
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  12. ross

    ross Three Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Mar 25, 2002
    36,212
    houston/geneva
    Full Name:
    Ross
    i was thinking the same - the overall volume is much bigger despite only being a few inches longer and wider.

    btw, if you want fun comparison drives, try going from vintage and then up through the decades all in one session.
    many times, i have started the day in the bbi, then the 512tr, then the 430, and then maybe a friend's 458....when i got back in the bbi i thought i had 4 flat tires.

    each car has a distinctly different feel, but i appreciate those differences. there is a time and place for all of them.
     
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  13. Texas Forever

    Texas Forever Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Apr 28, 2003
    75,396
    Texas!
    Going back to my Cayman comparison, a new 718 is 172.4" L x 71" W x 51" H.

    Those damn bicyclists are just gonna have to move it on over. :cool:
     
  14. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Dec 15, 2006
    6,880
    Sonoma, CA
    The only addition to your 599 description as I as well coming from the older classes and having driven MANY Porsches, is...[in a similar jaunt] 'Porsche like' as in tamer and less engaging and too smooth.

    but, KEEPING the 599. Matter of fact, not missing the clutch peddle at this age... each their own.
     
  15. jfm_cdm

    jfm_cdm Rookie

    May 18, 2013
    29
    Corona del Mar, CA
    Full Name:
    Jim
    Horses for courses. I’m lucky enough to have two 12 cyl Ferraris: ‘07 599 and a ‘81 512BB. As a weekend DD and a long driving touring car, the 599 is great. If only there was an autobahn in the US... sigh. But it is BIG and feels like it in city traffic, parking lots, etc. F12’s and 812’s FEEL much smaller And more nimble. F12 TDF even more so.

    The Boxer is DEFINITELY the more fun car to drive. For about an hour or two. On cool mornings before the sun gets too high in the sky and before there are too many trucks or SUV’s on the road who literally cannot see you when you are right behind them or in their blind spots. The car with the gated shifter, heavish clutch, the engine right behind you, smell of gasoline, cramped low to the ground cabin, and no power-steering, no electronic nannies is such a VISCERAL driving experience. The front end starts getting a bit light around 130mph or so, so it does take a bit of balls to keep pushIn it to those speeds although the engine Is happy to keep going faster.
     
  16. Soto Veloce

    Soto Veloce Karting

    Aug 7, 2005
    97
    Spokane, WA
    Full Name:
    Chris Heller
    I am nearly 2.5 years and 6000 miles into ownership of my 2007 612 Scaglietti HGTC. It is my first and only Ferrari. I bought it having never driven one. I have always preferred the idea of front engine V12 grand tourers and really liked the look of the 612 whenever I saw one in person.


    Here are my impressions so far:


    • The 612 is certainly fast, but not CRAZY fast. I actually prefer being able to use the engine at higher RPM without being instantly at illegal speeds, but I would never put someone in the passenger seat with the intent of impressing them with its sheer acceleration.
    • The oft maligned F-1 transmission is perfectly acceptable in my opinion. I have never driven a more modern DCT, but I don’t find the F-1 to be unacceptably jerky or slow. Rev-matched downshifts are cool. Automatic mode is terrible, though. It shifts way too early in what I assume to be a futile quest for better gas mileage.
    • I hate how loud it is; especially at cold start. There are many nice sunny mornings where I have a short day at work and would otherwise consider taking the 612 rather than my crappy daily driver, but I leave it at home to avoid waking up my wife and kids and hearing about it from my neighbor the next time I see him. I wish it had a “stealth” mode for quiet getaways.
    • Even with the HGTC package, I find the exhaust sound pretty bland. It is plenty loud (see above), but I would prefer a higher-pitched exhaust note especially at higher RPM. Certainly not the “exotic” Ferrari V12 sound I was anticipating.
    • I like the relative rarity of the 612. You really don’t see many of them even at Ferrari Club events.
    • The lack of cruise control in a car that is designed for long road trips is a real head scratcher. It is very easy to unintentionally drift up to very high speeds, so constant attention to the speedometer is a must.
    • I am surprised at how many parts are no longer available. The 612 went out of production only 10 years ago and I have come across several replacement parts that simply no longer exist. I am in a constant state of concern that the next thing to break will render the car unrepairable.
    • I don’t appreciate any difference between “sport” mode and regular mode.
    • The back seats are really spacious. I am only 5’10”, but I can sit very comfortably behind my normal driving position. I take my 6 and 11 year old kids with me frequently and have had four adults in the car on several occasions.
    • The Bose media system is obviously outdated by now, but certainly looks better than the single DIN set up that the earlier cars came with. The sound is just OK.
    • It only has 6 gears, but I am surprised that it settles in at 3000 RPM at only 80mph. I would have expected a taller final gear for a long distance cruiser.
    • I bought the car with just under 12K miles and hit 18K this week. I try not to worry about the mileage and certainly did not buy the car as an investment. That said, as I approach 20K miles I am acutely aware that putting too many more miles on the odometer will make my V12 Ferrari less valuable than a well equipped Lincoln Navigator. Kinda takes the fun out of using it.

    Overall, I am glad I bought my 612 and have mostly enjoyed the experience, though I’m not sure how much longer I will keep it.
     
  17. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    You need one of Fabio's sets of 6-1 headers if you want the V12 F1 sound. Combined with valved mufflers, not too loud until the valves open.
     
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  18. Soto Veloce

    Soto Veloce Karting

    Aug 7, 2005
    97
    Spokane, WA
    Full Name:
    Chris Heller
    I have had some email correspondence with Fabio about his 6-in-1 system. He has been very kind and helpful, and while it is certainly intriguing, I would hate to spend $10K on an exhaust system and have it ultimately not be what I am looking for. It is so difficult to tell what it would sound like based off of a YouTube video. Even if I could hear his 575 in person, I'm not sure how that would translate to the 612, even though they have very similar engine/exhaust set ups.

    We'll see...
     
  19. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Chris- No guts, no glorious sound.
     
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  20. spirot

    spirot F1 World Champ

    Dec 12, 2005
    14,501
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Tom Spiro

    The lack of cruise control is a head scratcher in my 599... its so easy to be doing 95 vs. 75MPH.... it literally just takes a moment of just relaxing your foot.. and viola you are at lock me up speed... other wise no complaints.
     
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  21. Samuel Misrasi

    Samuel Misrasi Karting

    Jun 7, 2019
    61
    Clinton, Utah
    Full Name:
    Samuel Misrasi
    They might be considered primary, but they’re secondary enough that they’re not monitored by any sensors, and can be removed with ease, without setting off any warning lights.
     
  22. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,986
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Samuel- Still just marketing speak to sell bypasses, regardless of how easy they are to remove. If you want to do it right, Fabio's 6-1 headers and primary only catalysts.
     

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