Hey, Happy to say i’ve finally achieved my goal of getting my dream car at a young age, and will be taking delivery on a beautiful 812 somewhere next week after trading in my Nissan GT-R + some €. The car will be used as more of a daily car as my other cars don’t really fit into that category, i was just curious if any other Ferrari owners drive their 812’s during winter conditions? It doesn’t really snow where im at, but it does freeze during the night so we do get salt on the road, is this a definite no go for these cars? Ive been told most 812’s are mainly used during summer / warmer climates, so im curious if there’s any 812 owners driving their cars during these conditions (possibly with salt on the road) Thanks.
Hi Manoski. Welcome to the forum and Ferrari ownership. While it’s tempting to put Ferraris on a pedestal, they are ultimately just cars. As in, they’re made of metal and plastic, not sugar… So treat them as you would any other car - if there’s salt on the roads, just rinse more regularly with fresh water to get the salt out. The only thing which is slightly Ferrari specific is that the undertrays can make cleaning a bit harder - but it’s not impossible. Just be thorough and take your time. Also pay attention to the CCM brake bolts which hold the disc to the bell - they are prone to rusting. So, again, a bit more care with rinsing the salt off. Not an 812 but a V12 Ferrari nonetheless. Just be sure to put winter tyres on yours. Image Unavailable, Please Login
This is just what i needed haha, i figured the majority of owners would find it very odd to do but it seems there’s more people like you out there driving them in all conditions. Beautiful car by the way and thank you!
Not driving a Ferrari (or other expensive cars) seems to be a bit of an American thing, owners in Europe are not so worried, I can't find it now but I had a picture of Ferraris being road tested at the factory in the Rain in Italy, so much for never been driven in the rain. My 812GTS is my daily and I'm loving it. I get the thing about salt and that would concern me to the point where I would make it a point to clean under the car frequently, maybe even using something like salt away or salt off.
Congrats on the car - and I applaud you for considering using your new car year round. I live in Detroit, Michigan, which is definitely a four season region. I had a prior 2019 812SF and now have a 2023 812GTS, and have treated them both the same. between October and the end of March, my car lives in its second set of wheels / tires. no, I don’t drive it in the actual snow - but there’s no reason on cold, but completely dry days, not to use this amazing machine. depending on your actual climate and how far you’re going to push it - you could get away with a set of all-season tires for these months, but actual snow/winters would be safest If you hit any inclement weather. if the 812 was AWD like the FF or Lusso, I’d drive it in snow too… but that’s what my wife’s Targa4S is for but as many will tell you - the key is the tires. don’t drive your car with its summer / performance tires in the winter. That rubber compound is not meant to be out and about below certain temperatures - it’ll be a rough ride, and just not good for the tires themselves (theoretically they could crack I’ve heard, at the right temperature and just the right impact/pot hole). Here’s another vote for using the car as much as you can. And rinse/wash often! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Love seeing people use their cars year round! My car should be delivered on summer tires when i get it, so ill make sure to switch tires for the rest of winter! Thanks alot.
My California T is toasty warm with the top down, windows and wind deflector up and heated seats on down to 40 degrees here in New England. She is on summer tires, though, so if the roads are slippery, our 991 Turbo S is AWD and on all-season Continental DWS06 tires -- it does just fine. Enjoy your car.
I have a F12. You really can't enjoy this car in the cold on the summer tires. Anything below 55 degrees, and there is no traction whatsoever. As others have said, you will need snow tires if you want to be able to use them in winter conditions. If it snows, the low ground clearance will become an issue. It is just a car, as others have said. I have a Mercedes S class that I use as my daily driver and winter car. I once saw a Pagani with snow tires being driven in the snow - it must have been an engaging experience. If I wanted an all-season Ferrari, I would get the Purosangue; aside from its crazy instrumentation it seems like an amazing daily driver machine
Agre with everything above- it’s just a car, which happens to be of aluminum construction- so rust is not a problem but aluminum can corrode so rinse the salt off well. Winter tires are a must( and yes below 50-55 degrees the summer tires turn into hard stiff rubber with traction to match its hard demeanor. When the ground is wet or icy put it in wet mode and be gentle with throttle and brake application. Snow on the road? A coating to an inch is as far as I would go with it unless it’s packed snow
I've see an FF with the bumpers off and there's lots of metal clips, bolts, clamps and such that were heavily rusted. Everything corrodes in the wet and winter elements especially w/salt. If that is OK with your ownership experience then that's great especially SUV or FF/Lusso, etc. But the sports cars just don't make sense in the winter and can be unnecessarily risky in ice and snow.
Not to mention in the winter if you are following another car, the salt or sand will create tiny chips in the windshield and the parts of the front bumper which are painted black I am on the same page with you! In my personal opinion, these F12 and 812 are pieces of art. If you can afford a fantastic car like this, it should be treasured. My 997 Turbo I have owned for 10 years now, and it has never even seen rain or moisture except for being washed a couple of times a year. Ther is no way I would drive my F12 in the winter unless the roads are clear of salt and sand. Finally, what fun is an F12 on winter days? It is almost impossible to put the power down on a warm sunny straight road - the tires are fighting for traction at al tmes
