Dealership locked in my order 2 weeks ago. I went back and forth on the assetto fiorano package because #1. Tracking the car would be an extremely rare occasion. #2. Concerns on how it might changes the manners of the car on the road (ride stiffness, bouncy, etc). #3. No lift. I ultimately picked the pack (and carbon fiber tires) just to go all in on this one. Here were my final deciding factors: #1. The carbon pieces when selected separately are close to the same price of the package. Some pieces you can't spec into the car without it. #2. Aesthetics - Specifically the front piece looks amazing. I am going with a solid color and no livery. #3. Performance - Based on what I can collect from the media outlets the handling is noticeable improved over the stock package. Straight line improvement + Cornering is improved. #4. Ferrari rep stated the resale value is big on those packages. Especially with the SF90. #5. Its just a fun car and not a daily driver that I will take out from time to time screaming through the country side and maybe the occasional local rally with buddies. I had a GT350 non-R and regretted it everyday I did not have the R variant. I have a GT500 CFTP and absolutely love it. Never had an issue as I know my paths when I drive back and forth. I had the lift on my 570s, 720s but I used it almost never. I usually just cut the angle even when their was an issue and took it slow. What is everyone else opinion and/or experience with the package? I have an ETA of Fall 2023 on my 296.
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/296-gtb-assetto-fioramo-test-drive.674067/ Read this , it may help.
Thanks @Cigarzman Curious the author of that thread stated they are typically "ok" with stiff rides when others were not. I wonder the negativity was more about the road he/she was on at the time vs. it being as stiff as say a GT3RS? I watched Harry's Garage here: @ half way mark the author makes note on the stiff suspension while a few minutes later acknowledging he was surprised it absorbed a rather large bump better than expected. The roads where I live are usually pretty decent. I have zero qualms about a rough ride to an extent (GT3RS is where I would reconsider). I was hoping someone had some time in the package on the open road outside of a test drive.
I have some experience- I have it but the time of year means outside temps are too low to really drive the car very hard. My roads are not that good, lots of repeating little ridges and small bumps with the occasional nasty pothole. So far no regrets. The car is high enough to deal with speed bumps and fairly steep driveways. The ride is firm and very controlled but it is also subtle enough that it manages to round off the hardest edges. It can get a little jiggly inside the cabin at times. But I like it, its a sports car. The body control is next level. I am anticipating the handling, once I can get the tires warm enough, will be excellent. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
@Caeruleus11 and @dogstsar69 Appreciate the feedback, your experience is exactly what I was hoping to expect. This is my first Ferrari as my garage is filled with mostly Mclarens and Ford sports cars at the moment. I really wanted this package despite the lift limitations / stiff ride but I still had a little anxiety having not directly experienced it myself. Car reviews were so back and forth with the package it was confusing. I am looking forward to the full Ferrari experience this time around with a hybrid that experiences no turbo lag? and handles perhaps better than a Lotus despite the weight. I took the carbon fiber wheels too because of how they feel on my fatboy GT500. Makes that car feel a lot leaner than 4000lbs.
I need more seat time- I haven’t been able to use much more than 50-60% throttle (break in/ tires with 55F max outside temps, junk on road etc). With disclaimer out of the way I dont feel any turbo lag. Yes the hybrid really does fill it in. The blending of the hybrid with the ICE is so expertly done- if no one told you- and if you didnt have a display that shows you when e power is being used- you simply would not know. As far as driving like a Lotus- if you are not pushing it then you might be tricked into thinking it has that kind of super reactive handling you would get in the lighter cars. But- Lotus has relatively moderate power- such that its truly a momentum car. 296 is overflowing with power, such that you dont need to rev it to get lots of power. Its fun to rev it but you dont have to. Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
Forgot to add, I have a very strong sense that the 296 wont feel anything like a Lotus in a more demanding driving situation like track- where all of the 296s weight wont be as easily disguised. But, for having some fun in every day situations, the 296 is really brilliant and is hinting to me some truly amazing performance. Its just not at all a simple, light car. They did a fantastic job with the car with everything except for the interface. It has a lot of room for improvement! Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
Does anyone know what the definitive list of items is included in the Assetto Fiorano package? Like what are the exact CF pieces you are getting? Does it include the racing seats? I've asked my dealer but can't get a clear answer beyond what is generally said on the website, and the in-house configurator is too grainy to see the differences.
from another thread by member Secret: Here's the complete list of included changes with the Assetto Fiorano package: Exterior Carbon Fiber Specific Front Aero [Included] Exterior Carbon Fiber Engine Bonnet Heat Cover [Included] - This is painted body color on the standard car Exterior Carbon Fiber Active Spoiler [Included] Multimatic Race Suspension [Included] Interior Carbon Fiber Door Panels + Door Sill [Included] Carbon Fiber Rear Bench [Included] Carbon Fiber Rear Tunnel [Included] Here is the list of options available once the AF package is selected Dedicated Race Livery [Additional Cost] Lexan Engine Bonnet Cover [Additional Cost] Pros of the AF package is aesthetics, a substantial improvement in handling, minor increase in downforce, and minor improvement in weight. I am all in on it for the comments in videos and forum on the handling alone. I was also told by my dealership that resale value on AF > lift. Stiffer ride, no lift option, and cost are the three main drawbacks. .My build should arrive in the fall to the US. I will update with more feedback once it arrives.
I am not a fan of the livery (I went with a solid color AF) but the 6 carbon pieces that are added I think enhance the car, specifically the front aero. It is also interesting what the cost is on speccing carbon pieces separately (what is available outside AF) to compare. It starts creeping up to the price of the AF package itself.
I think no lift ruins the pack for most people. Although lift is not specifically required on a 296, due to good ground clearance. the price is exorbitant. If carbon wheels were standard with the kit. Many more cars world have it. they are 20k to 30k more at resale. I don’t think the used market will suffer that in the end.
For me the marketing direction taken by Ferrari does not make sense... Logically the only interesting feature of the AF package should be the multimatic suspension (assuming it actually improves handling): some people are more interested in driving dynamics, others in looks and cosmetic enhancements; so making a combined package looks like the goal is not to satisfy different customers, but to have customers always paying as much as they can. As you may notice, I'm not a big fan of this approach
Are the SF90 SF retaining the added cost over standard SF90 when used? What effect will the 296 VS have on 296 AF resale values?
I wouldn’t have it for two simple reasons - 1) can’t do without the lift and 2) it seems to represent very little additional extra for the spend. I recall my dealer in London said they get 1 out of 10 customers ordering the AF pack. I think the AF suspension might prove a nightmare given the condition of most UK roads so unless you want a car solely for track days then I don’t see the point. (In which case get a GT3 )
Exactly, I have driven both, the standard and the AF. You are lacking alot without the lift and with "fixed" suspension - if it is your track tool, it might be fine. And, but that is personal taste, I don't like the AF front. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I couldn't disagree more from not only driving both on the open road (no track yet) but now owning a 296 GTB with AF. #1. AF 296 suspension upgrades the handing significantly. Body roll disappears and handling is noticeably improved on winding country backroads. I drove both cars (one in a demo event) on the exact same roads. There is a considerable difference. Both cars were fantastic but the AF pack is just insane. #2. The suspension is stiff but forgiving. There was no bump steer, it tracks perfectly straight on bump roads, and while you do "feel" the bumps it is not jarring at all. I am perplex as to how they managed to do this with this type of suspension setup. There is almost no compromise. This is a considerable improvement over other Ferraris in the past with similar fixed suspension setups. #3. The appearance, carbon fiber doors? Wow. I absolutely love the interior appearance of the AF package. The front aero is nice, carbon clam on the back is nice, but the interior? Amazing. Looks way more aggressive. I was originally indifferent to the interior carbon but after seeing it in person it is a huge upgrade visually. #4. Cost - If you were to price out other carbon options to stick everywhere it would come out to about $30k+ anyhow. Also you cannot option the same carbon pieces without getting that pack. #5. Ride height - It rides higher than my GT500 and most other supercars. ~6" inches of clearance works in my area of the United States. The biggest concern would be entering / exiting businesses with crappy setups and huge curbs. It is a negative but not enough where I wouldn't option. I rarely used the lift on my 570s and 720s. Conclusion: I personally would have regretted not getting this package. It turns the car into another animal that is a *very* noticeable improvement on winding backroads in the country. Yes I would have loved to added the lift and always thought that was mandatory but it is simply not true, at least not where I live. If I did mostly city driving with poor road conditions then that would be another topic for discussion. However the AF Pack certainly benefits the car off track under most conditions where I live and intend to drive it. I can only imagine how much of an improvement this will be if and when I track it.
One other note: Comparing the 296 AF to a potentially impossible to get 296 VS setup is not going to affect values. Especially since only 1 in 10 Ferrari 296 GTB are ordering the AF package. That is fantastic news for current AF owners.
You are living in the US and in an everyday environment with a speed limit of 110 mi/h you prefer the negative effects because of handling differences? Wow... I can drive the car with over 300km/h each and every day if I want to but still for my environment the lack of a lift is worth mentioning. I hab more than enough issues with my McLaren 675LT. But thank you for your detailed explanation [emoji1303] Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Yes because nice clean windy backroads don't care about top speed limit? They care about handling characteristics and it is noticeable and I'm not a F1 champion by any means. I'm just an average fella taking it as fast as I can on the curves with no traffic and no hazards (aside from myself). We could make the argument if the Cup 2Rs are noticeable on regular roads? Probably not as it takes a lot to heat them to perfect temps. However I definitely feel more poised when driving hard on decent winding roads with the AF pack not that the non-af is bad. If your roads are terrible then by all means take the lift. Mine aren't and I used the lift 3x in 5 years on all my Mclarens.
Wow, you opened a thread about personal opinions concerning AF and accept only your own? So why did you ask? Our streets are very good and the bumpers I mentioned are to prevent people (who don't care) from speeding. Also is the question about cup tires nothing about "feelings" but about physics. If they are cold they are worse. If you don't feel the difference, you are still too slow. Maybe because I am on the Maledives right now, I put it in these words: I am a scuba diver, but I don't jump in the pool with a tank. I don't have to prove it. Skills can be trainend without the need of an AF. We did a tour through the Alpes. Windy curvy roads... always 6 cars in a group and an instructor. The guests had all the usual suspects (McL, Ferrari, Lambo), the instructors a Porsche Cayman S and had been ahead of us any time. So I would invest the 30 k€ in training, less expensive and much more fun for the buck. But hey, just my personal opinion [emoji851] Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
