Has anyone driven both and have an opion? Are the F1's wearing ok from a mileage perspective? The 6 speed is pretty basic but most of the 612's are F1's. I am really looking for opions from owners that have driven both and have a take on the issues, wear, and trade off's.
I never considered a 6 speed manual, because the F1 has all the advantages of a manual with regards to driver involvement and offers significant advantages. I currently have 7000 miles in my 612 (it one of 2 daily drivers, the other is a Mercedes G55) and the F1 is very different than the Porsche Tiptronic (I had 2008 Turbo). I takes a lot of experience to get the timing just right just like a manual. Like most things in life, you can get 90% of the way there very quickly and spend a lifetime learning how to do the remaining 10%. I am a driver and have been to countless driving schools and have hours and hours on the track. In these schools I am consistently the quickest and smoothest driver, compared to other students - the reality is that the instructors can run circles around me. Ferrari's are designed and built to satisfy the very best professional drivers, so if you are just a great driver that loves cars, the issue is almost irrelevant. The vast majority of Ferrari's are ordered with the F1, which tells you something and that may affect resale value. Next, your wife/girl friend probably can't/won't drive a manual in case you have a drink too many, so you are stuck. Just get the best car you can afford and drive it as much as you can - that's my advice. Good luck!
If you get a 612 with F1 I would want an HGT package with steel or CC brakes. Personally I would insist on the HGTC as rim dust alone is enough of a reason. 612 manual is a cool and extremely rare car. Both F1 and manual are reliable although certainly as the car gets into aged but pre-classic years the manual will be easier to maintain. For me, I prefer the HGTC F1
I would definitely prefer a manual 612. To me the 6 speed gate shifter and the V 12 in front are the quintessential Ferrari.
funnily enough, i was asking myself exactly the same question and was about to search a bit, when i saw this thread. i think the manual on a 612 would be great. i have a 456mgt and the tranny is wonderful and seems so much easier in normal every day stuff than the f1 box on my cs. things like parking, getting up garage ramps, reversing into spots, traffic etc. and no matter how you gussy it up, it is not a race car or really a track car (and yes i know some of the chatters here do track it). so the f1 is not that big an advantage. then in the future, when you cant get the f1 parts or they cost a fortune, the old manual will jsut keep plugging away. and if you ever wanted to sell it, your manual would be almost the only one available since the numbers must be about 10 vs 90 pct manual to f1. BUT i would like also like to hear from somebody who owns a 612 manual....anybody here?
for a 456 there is no doubt that the manual is the car to have as the auto is rather tragic. That is not the case on the 612HGTC.
Great feedback. I have seen several manuals for sale and most do carry a lower price as the F1 was an $8K option. Most do seem to want the car in a F1. I have also been trying to see if the F1 is wearing less on the 12's....
In general, PIS (point of initial slippage) can be lower in a V12 because of the far superior torque at low revs. Slippage equals wear, so the V12s will do better. You can even do bog starts like you do on three pedal cars, and the torquey V12s do not care. Taz Terry Phillips
As I have posted many times before, I bought a manual because: 1. Classic combination for a gentlemans GT 2. I plan to keep it for a long time and wanted to minimize expensive repairs 3. I will never want an upgrade (as I might with a F1 that became faster or smoother in a new model) because a 6 speed will always be a 6 speed 4. I have a F1 F430 and wanted something different 5. I found a rare HGTS and 6 speed in the perfect color combination 6. I love the gated shifter and enjoy driving this car more than my F430
