Hey tomc If you check my info, you'll see that I'm a renovation contractor. Can't be showing up to the job site in a Ferrari California towing a trailer full of lumber and tools. Or can I...? And ya, Bruce you nailed it. Top down is the only way to drink in that exhaust note - and I'll add - while going thru a tunnel under hard acceleration with up/down shifts.
I had a 997.2 Turbo S, a brilliant car and brutally fast. I currently have 2011 599 HGTE and it is the most amazing car I’ve ever owned. Ferrari is on another level. As many have mentioned, the feeling you get driving a Ferrari is like nothing you will experience in any other vehicle. I also have a 997.2 911 GT2...If you are looking for a race car for the road, that is the ultimate!! Just don’t plan to drive it any long distances...about as comfortable as a Viper!!! Enjoy the chase. Will check back periodically to see what you end up with!!!! Ultimately you can’t go wrong with a Ferrari or Porsche. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Agreed - while I love the idea of the Porsche GT cars, they're not actually very good at Grand Touring - the Turbos are far better for that purpose, whereas the GTs are better on track (though I've driven the Turbo S at Mid-Ohio and Barber, and while you can definitely feel the weight, the four wheel drive system does an amazing job and really lacks you wring the car's neck with confidence).
I bought a CPO 2006 F430 about 5 years ago, when the car was 9 years old and had 12,000 miles on it. I didn't have it inspected outside of the inspections that the dealer is supposed to do to qualify it as CPO. I found later that the power steering pump was leaking - something that they should have seen - and had the dealer replace it. I caught it in time to have it done under warranty, which required them to get approval, but they did get it. It made me wonder what they actually did when they inspected the car. So if you can get an independent inspection it's a good idea. One thing to request, if they don't offer it, is a clutch wear reading. Clutches on the F1 transmission go quickly (maybe 20000 miles, IF you treat them well), and replacement is expensive. The purchase price was negotiable, although not by much. All in all, I'm happy with the car. One last thing: I asked the dealer if they ever have to take in cars in trade that they don't want to resell, say, because of condition. He said that they did, and they wholesaled cars like that. So when you see a Ferrari for sale at a non-Ferrari dealer, be a little suspicious. Good luck!
Definitely get it inspected, I had mine inspected by an independent shop and they found the water pump was leaking, a common problem on the 599 as I understand it. Dealer took care of the repair, which was quoted at around $7k. Also, I had an independent import mechanic look at it. Did an amazing job and the cost was a fraction of a Ferrari dealer. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Sorry for being so late to the thread and I'll do my best not to be repetitive on initial questions. After months of online looking and some dealer visits, I went CPO on a 2016 California T from Continental Auto Sports. Here's what I learned on my model and the somewhat narrow specs I wanted. You're in a much different market (model and age) than I was, so please take these with that in mind: *Supply and Demand was on dealer's side and not a ton of wiggle room as cars moved fast. I think I saved $5000 from first listing price I saw. *I thought seasonality may be a help with convertible, but I found one I loved and that went out the window! Maybe it's the warm weather markets, but I didn't see any slowdown after summer and into fall. *This is my first Ferrari and CPO gave me some peace of mind as first time owner who doesn't have a local Ferrari dealer. But, I'm looking at four years less factory warranty than you are. *I believe you are in the Chicago area and I thought Continental was great to deal with from start to finish. Service department seemed impressive based on the cars that were there and the # of certified mechanics. Hope some of this helps you. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the buying process as much as I did!
Thanks, I appreciate that. I especially appreciate feedback on the local dealership. When you're just getting started with a brand, it's hard to sort out the good ones from the bad ones, so actual customer feedback is a big help.
I would add that options vary pretty dramatically among different cars, and when you're looking, sometimes the excitement can make you think they aren't all that important, but when you're driving the car daily, you may change your mind. It's not always easy to compare in the listings either, the best way is to look for a photo of the personalization plate that lists all the extras. The "options" list on the Ferrari CPO site is usually actually just the standard features. I bought a used Lusso earlier this year. It's my main driver. I was looking for cars with Apple CarPlay, but then a car popped up that seemed like too good a deal, so I ignored that. I still love the car, but things like navigation, even making/answering phone calls are a real pain (and listening to music is almost not worth the trouble). If I buy used again, I'll defiitely be more patient about making sure it ticks all the important boxes. Things like how much carbon fiber it has don't really matter to me, but things I actually use do when it's not just a weekend car.
Thanks. I've been checking those personalization plates carefully, and am skeptical of listings that don't have a picture of it. Previously, which only one exception, I have custom ordered all my cars, and am accustomed to getting the exact set of options I need to enjoy the car while avoiding the appearance mods that drive up price but don't improve the driving experience or vehicle capabilities. For the 812, I have three groupings of options (I know some of these come bundled, or include others, but this is based on how they're broken out on the personalization plate): Absolute deal-breaker must-haves (won't buy an 812 without) Suspension Lifter Full Electric Seats Carbon Fiber Steering Wheel w/ LEDs No bright leather on top of the dash (to avoid annoying wind shield reflections); color scheme I can live with. Little to no exterior carbon fiber, especially in front or on the sides (seems like they're an easy way to incur huge repair bills). Really Wants (medium to high value to me) High Power HiFi system Advanced Front Driving Camera Surround View Color scheme I might choose. Nice to haves (minimal impact on what I'd pay given other factors, but will be an advantage when comparing cars close in price) Carbon Fiber Driver Zone w/ LEDs Adaptive Front Headlights Apple CarPlay Front Passenger Display Any of several wheels that I prefer My exact preferred color scheme (If anyone sees something I missed that would improve the driving experience or vehicle capabilities without significant negative impact on long road trip comfort, I'm listening...) So far, none of the cars I've found have Apple CarPlay. In conversation with sales people at two different dealers, they both mentioned that the extremely high price means that very few 812 buyers ticked that box. It's what, $4k+? Even for Ferrari that seems egregious, considering that other manufacturer's offer it for free, or for a nominal cost (even when taken as a percentage of the vehicle MSRP). Although I am going to ask what it would cost to add it to a car that doesn't have it. Since that would seem to be just a software update, especially for wireless CarPlay, it should be possible. Even if Ferrari will do it, it will come down to what's left of my car budget once the dust settles. (Or, more likely, how far I've overshot my original budget. )
Yeah, I think closer to $6k actually. And in some cars it's not such a big issue as their in-house system works reasonably well. But my experience has not been that. While the big touch screen is great, controlling my phone when it's connected is basically impossible. It may work for some, but I can't search music, and often after minutes of manual scrolling, when I select something, it doesn't actually play it. It works a bit better over Bluetooth, but I can't use Bluetooth when the phone is plugged in (forces the USB connection) so it kills the battery. So as I said I've basically given up. I haven't been driving all that much due to COVID, but I think it would have been a much bigger annoyance if I had. As far as I know, it's not possible to add CarPlay after the fact, at least not to the Lusso.
It's probably true for the 812, too, but I'm gonna ask anyway, just in case. For music from the phone, I pretty much tell the phone to shuffle my "least recently played" playlist (the songs in my collection that I haven't listened to in the longest time) and don't mess with it after that. Occasionally I'll pick one of the other playlists, but again I typically start it before driving off and then never look at it again. For me, the value in CarPlay would be to get Waze into the right TFT. But I've lived all my life without CarPlay, I'm pretty sure I can make it a few more years. Particularly tooling around in Ferrari's latest, sportiest, and arguably greatest grand touring car.
Update: Signed the papers to purchase a new 2020 812 Superfast two days ago (my first choice, a lightly used 2020 in Grigio Silverstone over Terra Bruciata, had been sold before I made it to the dealer). Now I'm waiting for the dealer to put winter tires and PPF on it before I pick it up. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I didn't get into it directly, but from some things that were said it seems like a deal fell through at the last minute, which is not a too big a surprise given the economic disruption the pandemic has brought us.
Congrats! Glad you are putting winter shoes on it! Hope the weather stays dry so that you can do some driving. Make sure you join FCA. Looking forward to seeing this beauty around the Chicago area!