Advice on F12

Thank you. Seems to be a green grape from Wiki. I'll have to look for that.

Mario... Beautiful pictures. Why never any pictures of that gorgeous iroko interior?

T

 

Thank you Tom. For me Iroko has been one of the hardest colors to photograph because every time I've taken a picture of the interior, even using a good camera, the result is always a colour completely different from reality. May be the reason is that in this area the luminosity is very intense but I promise you I'll keep trying until I get some decent pictures that show more or less what the eyes see.

 

That would be fun Mario, in the mean time, if you'll allow me a suggestion, are you trying to photograph with a smart phone? If yes, would you consider investing in a separate camera? A suggestion is the Sony RX100. They are now on the 5th version- often represented as "mark iv" or just "iv". Aside from being a truly spectacular camera that fits in your pocket, you can turn it into a wifi spot and beam the pics right to your phone, so you don't need a computer to access the pics. And you can just leave it in auto, it will take fantastic pics 99% of the time. I bet it could get a good picture of the interior. Downside: pricy.

 

Jerry thank you for the advice. Now when I want to take decent pictures like the ones I posted yesterday, I use my son's Canon which is very bulky and nothing really special. This camera is ok for photographing the outsides but I tried it several times with the Iroko interior and the color always looks like chocolate. I'll certainly look for that Sony RX100 you recommended and most certainly I'll offer it to myself because it's time I'll have the first good camera of my own.

 

Buying a V12 Ferrari is usually a pretty safe place to put your money. With the release of the 812, demand for the F12 is probably going to rise as Ferrari won't release a car anything like it again. The F12 is a very special car, and there is a chance that it is going to become a future classic. My advice, put your money in the F12, enjoy the car and monitor the market value. If this isn't enough, look at the thing! Are you really not going to buy it?

 

Mario I don't think I replied to your question about driving in Italy- my apology for the delay. I was very lucky to be in the Cavalcade in Puglia and it was just amazing. Driving a Ferrari anywhere is special. Then driving a Ferrari in its homeland is even more special. When its your actual car... well... I am not kidding you at all, I found myself with a lot of emotion. It was like living inside a dream. I don't think there is another country where the people come running out to celebrate cars like they do in Italy. It is 100% appreciation and everyone is asking you to rev the engine. I usually get positive comments here in the US, but its still not quite the same. I love my country, but the passion the Italian people have for cars, and Ferrari in general is very very special.

 

Mario I was trying to add to the post but I had to run out and then the system said 5 minutes limit to edit. Thats a tough system! But, all was not lost as I hit edit again and my comments reappeared, it just won't let me edit the above so I am pasting below:

We were in the Puglia region. It is beautiful. Not as commercial as some of the other regions that have more tourists. The towns each have their own personalty and so nice to see places without all the development. The driving conditions featured less traction than I would have expected as there was a light layer of what I will call dust on the road near the seashore. So I quickly learned to be careful with the throttle. The first night after filling up with gas, I thought it would be fun to press on a bit coming out of a turn- whoa! The car began going sideways! It would have never done it at home. I thought maybe something was wrong with the tires... No- it was the thin layer of dust on the road. Further in land there was more traction to be had. As what I would call a super-GT, the F12 was really the ideal choice: enough performance to hang with cars with more performance such as the supercars, but yet, with superlative AC and comfort. The car never complained, not once. Some days were very very hot- one day in Lecce the exterior temp was over 100F and after an hour parked in the sun the car reported exterior temp as 125F (from sitting). Yet, she started up each and every time.

These are memories I will forever cherish. I have to say Ferrari really out did themselves for this event- all I can say to them is BRAVO!

To bring it back to the point of the thread, the F12: I think the F12 represents one of the mighty achievements of what Mr. Enzo Ferrari began 70 years ago with the 125S.

 

Jerry great piece of writing and by the description you made the Cavalcade is one of these experiences that everyone should have at least once in a lifetime. In the beginning of the 80's when I was in my early 20's, I drove with an Alfa Romeo that was my first car through all the South of France and afterwards for two weeks in Italy. I went North to South, coast to coast and South to North and what a great experience specially in some of the mountainous roads. On those days there were many Italian drivers that as soon as they saw your car had a foreign plate number they did everything to race you.

Your reference to that traction incident reminded me straight away of something very similar that happened to me with my F12 last week while driving on a coastal road sided by sand and pine trees. While overtaking another car I pressed the accelerator and the rear went sideways frightening the hell out of me. Fortunately I managed to control the car but the first thing I did when I stopped was to check the state of the tires which were ok. At the the time I couldn't figure out exactly why that happened but now after reading your experience in a similar road I have it very clear. The F12 is no doubt a great car and the more I drive it the more I like it. However one can not kid with the F12 and has to be always very aware of the 740cv under the bonnet, the engine instantaneous response and the possible consequences of a bad decision.

 

Wow Mario that must have been some really amazing experience!

I think the F12 is so good at managing traction, but fundamentally, if there is less traction, then you are going to have the same issues as any car. And with that power it means things can happen really fast.

I'm now teaching my daughter to drive and we are now moving on from getting the basic feeling of simply driving a car and I am stressing both look where you want to go and far ahead as well as its important to read the road surface.

 

This weekend I drove for 500 Km on the F12 and tasted a bit of everything from motorways, main roads, country side roads and even a non asphalted way. I stayed with my wife in a farm that is served by a 7 Km long non asphalted way that connects with the main road. Getting the Grigio Ferro all dusty I reckon was the price we had to pay for seeking the complete tranquility and good table of a place that is surrounded by vineyards and olive tree fields that you can visualize Image Unavailable, Please Login until the horizon.

 

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Utterly fantastic Mario!!!!!!!!! Beauty!!!!!!

 

Gorgeous car.
Gorgeous country.
T

 

The dust on the car is all worthwhile for the lovely trip!

 

Following the good advice I received here from other owners I finally installed the Michelins Pilot Super Sport. Started using the tires with wet conditions and the F12 on the road feels better, perhaps less soft than with the Pirellis PO and definitely more grippy on the wet road. During the next weeks will be using the tires in different road conditions and afterwards will post my impressions.

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This is the most fun kind of "research" !!

 

Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait for the dry weather driving evaluation.


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Sometimes we forget how massive these tires really are - looks at those rears!

 

Mario, I think you’ve made an excellent choice.

Yesterday whilst driving temperatures here in the the UK rapidly dropped from 9 degrees C to around 3 C

These are the now the lowest temperatures I’ve driven my F12 since I’ve had her in and I can say with confidence that the MPSS had plenty of grip.

Don”t get me wrong, I wasn’t pushing the car hard, but in normal driving with a spirited push here and there I had no traction issues.

Before I switched from FF to F12 my biggest fear was low temperature traction as I’d read so many posts at launch about how scary the F12 was to drive. So far all I can say is that they must have launched the wrong tire, the P Zero.

Let us know your feedback on the MPSS although I’m not sure you’ll see 3C anytime soon.

 

Justin is good to know that at 3ºC the MPSS continuo giving plenty of grip because that temperature is close to freezing point. Where I live and in the areas where I drive the F12 temperatures only drop below 10ºC in what we say are cold days and that happens only in winter and not so often. Since you mentioned the Pirellis P Zero I've had a very scary incident while using them in warm weather and completely dry conditions and that's one of the reasons why I changed the tires. Despite having driven only 50 Km with the MPSS in rainy conditions, I can tell the car feels very different and for me it's evident that the tires have a much better grip.

 

I can tell you the F12 and MPSS combination will exhibit less grip more and more as the ambient temp falls from around 60F (15.5C). Yesterday I was out with a group and it was about 55F in light rain/ mist/ slick roads with leaves, and the F12 was very good considering the conditions- I also think my driving with discipline was a factor. Yet, pointed straight with an open road ahead, full throttle in 3rd exhibited a little bit of wheel spin!

 

Just post another picture taken while the new MPSS back tire was being put in place and it’s amazing how wide it is.

After having done only 75 miles in dry and relatively warm conditions with the MPPS, I can say the car feels very different from when it had the Pirellis PO. The MPSS are firmer but at the same time they seem smother and have a lot more grip. The Pirellis seemed to transmit more energy to the chassis in the form of an unpleasant vibration and that’s much less noticeable with the MPSS. However at speeds over 300 Km the difference is night and day. I tried the MPSS in a very long straight located in a motorway with little traffic, ideal for this purpose. In that same location at these high speeds with the PO’s the chassis vibration was very intense but with the MPSS vibration seems to drop considerably and the car feels safer, more controllable and gives the impression to be more compressed against the tarmac. Despite using a radar detector and while traveling in another motorway in order to reach that particular one with the long straight, unfortunately I was caught by a “Jenoplik Multa radar”. The fine arrived three days later and the excellent news are that the radar caught me in a section where I was doing 158 Km/hour, resulting in a fine of 60€ and no loss of points on my driving licence. The fine has been diligently paid and I can assure everyone that I never remember before in my life being so happy while paying a speed fine.




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I’m pleased you like the Michelins too.

Sometimes I stand behind my car and bend down to look at the 315 section. Always makes me smile!

 

Some pictures taken last July during a Ferrari day at Estoril to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the brand.




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great to see you are using the car as it was meant to be used. On public roads and track.