Sounds like I have an allocation. Should I be suspicious?

For the Roma the dealers were told to use one third of their allocations for 'first time' buyers. Maybe this idea has continued.
Pano roof is a great idea. For what is left of the headliner finish it in leather. The 812 fender design suited painted shields better. I would go with the basic shields here. Take a look at Rosso California a darker red. There is also carbon available for the black band across the nose. It really is the signature detail of the design so make the most of it. There are many more option choices that are possible; which your dealer can provide!

 

First of all congrats!!

Depending on your local sale tax , you can calculate the price without any options based on the MSRP. If you get a Q2 delivery hopefully this wont be subject to a price bump.

 

Yes buying a used 812 is a great option
And can always sell more easily since there wont be a sentimental value placed on the car

And then buy a used 12 cilindri at a nice discount!

 

Yes there is something to be said about buying new and doing your own spec and building a relationship with the dealer and the factory. Go for it if you can. There will be plenty of 812s turning over in the next couple years, that will always be there and they are going to sink in value steadily until they hit the low 200k range despite their arguable merits versus the new highly regulated gear being produced now.

 

If you are good with it, get a pre owned 812 now, enjoy it while you wait for the Dodici. It will probably take a while before they provide you the allocation, though you never know. One interesting thing to note, you can order the lower exterior pieces in standard black plastic which is kind of boring or you can order them in carbon fiber, but it's very expensive. A nice middle approach is to have the black plastic pieces painted. It used to be less money, but it's still less than the carbon, can provide a similar look.

The dealers should have demo cars at some point and you can decide for yourself.

 

You can also have your Ferrari immediately rather than waiting for your your forst Ferrari for 8 months.

Opportunity costs

 

Some mentioned wrapping the dull black trim parts
The Factory will paint them in a glossy black which look really sharp but the price is eye-wateringly close to the factory catbon

Yes one can always wait for the demo cars to arrive at the dealerships.

I bought one of the sale people lunch-actually the whole team and asked him to call me so I could take a look at the car. He said he would and took my business card.

But the press
car appeared unexpected and just for a day and was gone.

So maybe the best way to see the car is to stop by the service center where they get prepped for the owners

 

I think the price for painted is about 50% of the price for the carbon…. You can get them painted in glossy black or glossy grey.

 

yeah, I think painted is $24k. Carbon makes more sense for a bit more.

 

Consider it a Thanksgiving blessing in disguise.

I'm in the market for a 812 myself and there are some very good deal floating around.

Good luck.

 

You’ll get a car if you want a car. Depending on your dealer, it might be a while, or it might come quickly. The 12C is somewhat polarizing, it’s not a clear upgrade over its predecessor, and it’s hella expensive. I imagine a ton of people on the list will eventually tap out for some, or all, of the aforementioned reasons. It’s not that hard to buy a new Ferrari, in fact they are actively courting new buyers. You don’t need a decoder ring or a secret handshake.

It’s far less complicated than you think to spec a new Ferrari. The 12C, like every Ferrari, is a bespoke car with a ton of options (expensive options). The dealer will guide you and there are plenty of reference materials available including a detailed price list, a 140 page ordering guide, and the online configurator.

No offense, I own two Porsche’s including a 992 GT3 Touring manual and a 992 GT3 RS, but do yourself a favor, and acquire an 812 SF. At least on the road, the gap between the latest/best Porsche’s and an 812 SF is enormous (I also own a 812 GTS and had a SF for 5 years before my GTS arrived). As others have advised, you could put your name on the 12C list and decide later if it’s worth the price walk between a perfectly awesome 812 SF.

 

And as luck would have it, this video just hit my YouTube feed.

 

You have shown concern for cost in nearly every post. This is common with Porsche owners and usually means they are not well suited to own a Ferrari. Remember, its over $8k/year to keep a V12 Ferrari under warranty beyond the first 3 years and that's not including adding out-of-cycle maintenance. Of course, the auto insurance is commensurate with the big leap in cost and horsepower. There are other unseen costs as well with external maintenance and the Ferrari tax you get when contractors see it.

But if your heart is to own it, and you dream of it, and you really can afford it then go ahead and do it. There is no joy is starring at money. But don't expect the 12c to be representative of what a Ferrari has always been. Look at an 812 or even better an F12. They are much less cost and will be a proper upgrade to any daily Porsche. Good luck.

 

To 96redLT4 I’d say keep your manual GT3 and at best get the 812SF. I’m going the other way, I have the 812SF and the 812 GTS. I haven’t touched my SF since I got the GTS and probably won’t again so will sell it and probably lose a reasonable sum as I do my cars Tailor Made (I like them the way I want them). I have allocations for both the C12 coupe and GTS. I’m ditching them because I don’t like the way these cars have become big and bloated plus I hate the haptics. The other thing that really annoys me is that Ferrari pricing leaves nothing on the table for non-flip owners - I’m not sure how long they’ll get away for this but for now, want to be owners seem willing to pay the large increases for no real added value.

So I’ve moved on from Ferrari and gone with more bespoke brands with great engines, light weight and agile without the need for all the suspension trickery - they’re certainly not cheap but production is limited and the cars are bespoke to a different level than Ferrari. I’m also dipping my foot to the 911 world but going with old school via the Singer 930 turbo.

When looking at the Ferrai V12s consider your use case. If the 812 and as a grand tourer - fine but it isn’t quiet. If for windy roads, it gets around ok but really it’s too big and heavy to really enjoy the roads - your GT3s would be better.

 

I promise, it is possible to both care about your money and still own Ferraris - perhaps not worth over generalizing...

To the original question - I think it comes down to how long you think you'll keep it. If it's a long term car, a 12Ci built exactly the way you want seems compelling. The specification process is special, and you'll get something that is truly and uniquely yours. But it's real money to dedicate to a car, and non-trivial depreciation at risk (assuming 12Ci is like previous Ferrari V12s).

If you want an easy and low commitment entry into Ferrari ownership, a used 812SF will give you the experience and sound, plus you'll be able to get out of it in a couple of years with minimal depreciation if you choose to upgrade or decide that you're happy enough with the GT3 or miss the manual (I put more miles on my GT3 than I do my F-cars in part because of 3 pedals, so I wouldn't blame you).

 

I think this is good advice but it poses an interesting question. We still have our TM Superfast and have sold our non-TM GTS, with a TM 12C Spider set to replace it. We took our SF on a road trip this year and while it was a great road trip car, it was not as sharp a tool on the twisties as an SF90 or a Pista. It’s a very different drive, though still fun in a slightly different way - mainly an imperious engine mated to a predictable and tidy-handling chassis versus an outstanding and torquey engine mated to a sharp-handling platform. The question it poses is; is the 12C better being a proper GT because even the Superfast is not a mid-engined, super-handling car? Is that 12 cylinder engine actually better suited to powering a car that is still decent in the bends, but crucially, long-legged and comfortable on the motorway and imperious everywhere?

 

I tend to think that the Factory is sensitive to all of your concerns.

The regulations have muted and saddled all new cars.

The only solution was to be creative. The factory solution to sound was the Hot Tube

The engine upgrades were taken from the more expensive 812 competitzione

I trust that the factory has addressed the feeling of the handling with the new chassis --which none of us have driven. It has a real shorter wheelbase not just virtual which it also has in terms of a more advanced rear wheel steer.

The new chassis is also 20 percent stiffer than the 812. This generally makes for a tighter feel and quicker turn in

The first 12 Cs will be arriving in the USA around late Feb 2025. Im sure that FChat members will chime in

(I hope Ill get lucky and get mine then. Ill be honest.
My reference will be the F8 spider)

 

Agree 100% ^

 

Why not try the 812SF? As has been mentioned, it will suffer less depreciation and is a fantastic car. A completely different feel from your Porsche. If you love being in Ferrari world and decide on the 12C, you can then go through the delightful experience of building one that is exactly what you want and waiting for it to arrive. If you decide to stick with the 812SF, then you still have a great car!