Just Picked Up My First Ferrari! 2014 Black on Black F12

Great stuff Will. I'm also on the vinegar stroke of buying an F12 after lurking forever! Started thinking it was going to be 458, then 488... then worked out i have to get the daddy! Enjoy and pile on the miles!

 

Congratulations. I also bought my 2014 F12 in 2020. My first Ferrari and I love it too. Can't stop driving it.

I agree with you about 2020. We hear so much negativity on the news (that's mostly their job) and it's been tough for many. But some people have found ways to prosper despite the challenges - me included and hence the F12. As long as this has been achieved without exploiting those less fortunate, it should be celebrated - nothing wrong with that. People need to hear about the good, not just the bad. We will get out of this mess eventually.

 

congrats!

 

Will, there are many driving schools, track activities you can do. That is the place to do it. Your local track may have days, and your local Ferrari dealer likely will have track days. There are driving schools and also the major marques offer this as well, including Ferrari

https://drivingcourses.ferrari.com/en/driving-course

The Ferrari Corsa Pilota is top top top top. Its not inexpensive, but, you will be driving the latest Ferraris!

Some advice for street driving- sorry if this is repetitive-

first, you should have the correct tires- so with your location I would expect you are on winter performance tires, and if not, then you have to drive extra carefully only when the roads are clear and its somewhat warm (defined as 50F and higher)

Second, learning the car, use the modes, as you are learning the throttle, so long as the tires are correct, try giving it more in wet mode, get used to it, then go to sport, and then race. Also don't go around thinking you are a hero- these cars really make you feel like one- if its raining out, use wet mode, don't go driving around in race, and pay attention to the tire temps, make sure they are properly warm-up before any hard driving. The theme here is it comes down to you and the tires. Congratulations again on achieving this dream! May you reach and surpass many more!!

 

It took me a while to build up the courage to floor it. I would suggest starting down that path by getting to around 3,000 rpm in 3rd and then burying it from there. In the lower gears, just burying the foot from low revs sure is 'fun'. One thing is for sure, the ideal is to find a large enough area of tarmac where you can explore its limits by being a proper hooligan. That sort of space is tough to find and normally requires an airfield as tracks are often too restrictive for a car with this much grunt.

 

The Ferrari modes are very advanced. All the systems are connected and even some things you wouldn't even think about- for example, there are different engine maps for the modes! So its not just a more sensitive throttle, its also a different engine map.

Have a look at the Manettino screens on your car you will see something like this- showing levels, when you are parked try turning the Manettino with this screen on and you can see how everything is affected- here are some things to know:
●F1-Trac: traction control- this is a system Ferrari first used on the 599 GTB and it is a predictive traction control, some how it can predict whats about to happen and then it integrates with the e-diff, the ABS, and the traditional ESC system to help control the car. Adding this with the e-diff means you can really deploy the power nicely- so long as you have good grip with the tires.

● E-Diff: electronic differential - instead of a regular mechanical differential, the Ferraris are using this e-differential (first appeared on F430 F1) it doesnt wait for the inside rear tire to slip to apportion power to the desired (outside) tire- the computers can decide when to engage the differential. Its really impressive and it really works. It can also open the diff to enhance turn in.

● ABS: threshold of ABS activation

● ESC: stability and traction control - this is traditional style stability and traction control

● F1-DC: dual clutch F1 gearbox - how aggressive the shifts are

● SCM: magnetorheologically controlled suspension - how stiff are the dampers - one interesting observation - I dont know this but my observation is if I am in sport or race mode and I have pressed the bumpy road button which sets the dampers to a softer setting, if I drive more aggressively, it almost feels as if the car firms up the dampers until I am driving more gentle again. I don't know if it is doing this, but I would not be surprised.

The thing to know about Ferrari systems is they are designed to help you go faster. This is a big philosophical difference from some other companies where they are designed to keep you as safe as possible. This means, the Ferrari systems will actually let you slide the car, even in Wet mode! If you are smooth you can do it. Its why I say dont just put it in race- or even sport! if its raining and you feel like a hero- the car will give you plenty of rope with which to hang yourself. And also if you want to start exploring larger throttle openings, nothing wrong with starting out in wet mode so you'll get more system help and take your time to learn it.

 

I'm not usually one who likes red interior, but I saw your video. You did a great job with just enough red. Looks great! It's sick!

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login
just upgraded my 599 to F12. What a difference! First owner was Paul Hembery forms Pirelli motorsport boss.

 

I don't know how I missed this thread. Congrats to both Louis and Will, and I wish you both good luck with your cars!

 

Niiiooce!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

You’re going to put the Michelins on it now, right?

 

Congratulations and great job with the new interior selections!