Hi all! I'm considering trading my F430 for a 2014 F12. The car has 26k miles on it, white exterior with black diamond stitch interior. I'm looking for the good, the bad and the ugly about the F12 Berlinetta from owners, what to look out for when looking the car over and what you wish you knew before you bought yours. One of the negative things I've read about the car is that it can feel a bit floaty when pushed hard and there is some body roll going around the corners. I primarily drive in the Southern Appalachian mountains so there are a lot of corners and switchbacks. Thanks in advance!
I have only had my F12 for about a year so I was going to let the experts chime in, but since I don't see anyone has responded to you yet I'll give you my opinions. I did quite a bit of research before I purchased mine. The thing I'm most paranoid about is the DCT leak, not because it is a common issue it seems (although I have talked with a few on here who had to replace the DCT) but because it is a 40k job. I heard some places can now rebuild for much less, also still not 100% positive if covered under the power warranty. Seems leaks are not if the seal goes. Things to look out for before purchasing: Corrosion around the rear black mesh (on the fenders above the the rear wheels.) Dash shrinkage, sticky buttons. Always get a PPI done, small price for a large investment. The F12 goes through batteries, also I took everyone's advice and swapped the pzeroes to the MPS4S, 265s on the front and 315 K1 designations on the rear. My car has also had some preventative maintenance done for the rear mesh paint corrosion/ bubbling issue. Can give you more details on that if you would like. Overall I love the car, but haven't driven it as much as I would like to yet. I will let others comment on the driving impressions. Good luck with the purchase!
Do a search. The 430 and the F12 are opposites and really uncommon to cross-shop them. You will need to get used to the very long hood line and huge increase in power. Good luck.
I'm not cross shopping, I already own the F430 and it would be my trade in. I have been searching and doing my due diligence, thus I don't know why you would say "do a search", lol. I wouldn't be here if I weren't doing a search right now.
Cross shopping in the sense that the same driver with owning interest for both be it at different times. One is 8-cyl mid-engine manual versus 12-cyl mid-front dual clutch. Two different camps. How many miles have you driven the 430 and why are you looking for an F12? Why not a 458 or 488? Do a search as in search this forum using the search function. All great and good are discussed regularly. Nothing bad about an F12 though. Good luck.
I'm at a loss. I also own an SUV, very different than an F430. I own a couple of motorcycles too, very different than an SUV or an F430. 488's aren't my cup of tea, I prefer a NA engine. F12 is faster than a 458, not to mention the sound of a 12 cylinder is more appealing to me. Lastly, I don't mind change. Just because I currently own a mid-engine doesn't mean I'm going to restrict myself to only looking at other mid-engines.
It's a low volume car so it will have niggles - that's life. 30K on mine now - love it - no major issues. Watch for these common ones: Eats batteries (most will only see 2 years per battery if dried or live somewhere hot) - causes a lot of problems including the regularly reported reluctant restart when hot Rear hatch leak from upper brake light Rear mesh corrosion Alternator pulley on early cars - most seem to have had this changed if they've done any miles Brake switch failure (common to other models) DCT leak (thankfully) seems very rare as are other major problems Enjoy if you buy
I had a 430 Spider for ~ 4 yrs and decided it was time for an F12. I've owned the F12 for 18 months/4k mi and am very happy with my choice, but what a difference! The F12 is more refined than the 430 - sometimes I do miss the 'rawness" of the 430, but to be honest, I drive the F12 more frequently than I did the 430, and reliability for day-to-day driving is a step-level change. I tracked my 430 at the annual Fcar meet in Daytona and had a blast, but honestly don't feel I would ever track the F12. It's a beast and I just haven't gotten to the point where I'm comfortable really letting it rip on the twisty bits. I made several upgrades on the 430 that I felt were needed where I don't have any inclination to make changes to the F12 except possibly some exhaust mods to enjoy the engine a bit more. The cabin definitely mutes the sound more than my 430 Spider. IMO, the F12 is stunningly attractive without being a "look at me" kind of car which is exactly what I was looking for (age may be speaking here ).
These are two completely different animals. I would drive one and see if it gives you thrills you are looking for. My recommendation is to have both.
IMO the biggest change in “feel” is that the polar inertia of the car rotates around your knees rather than your hips. So you are behind what feels like the center of the wheelbase, rather than sitting towards the nose. F12 sits an inch or two higher in driving position but the extra weight adds stability and comfort for distance driving. The 50% power increase is a rush, and the car’s ability to break the tires loose at almost any speed under 125mph. That said, it slides very predictably and the traction control is on point to let you get 20-30° out but not too far to catch the back end again.
Solid State brings up good points. If you can't get what he's saying ....well....why ask? Don't get defensive. There are many threads on this topic. If your main drives are in the Appalachian Mt. with sharp corners and switchbacks you would have more fun with the F430 or swap to the 458. If i'm not mistaking, you're pretty new to the F430....why do you want to swap to the F12? What is the attraction? Ryan also has good points. FYI ... I have both. They are 2 different animals.
I've owned the F430 for 2 years. It's a lovely car and the spec on it is perfect for me. I would like something with more speed and at a recent FCA rally I got to hear a number of 12 cylinders and the sound is intoxicating. I like the 458, but I feel they're over priced right now, speed difference over my F430 is not that dramatic and I'm afraid I'd be trading out of it too in a couple of years. I found an F12 that is a good bargain. I'm not sure why its a good bargain, I need to have the car PPI'd. I suspect the spec is probably one of the reasons that the car is below market.
Care to share the spec and what you think might be putting people off? Once you get into V12 territory, Resale Red and a lot of the other tropes go out the window. And without wishing to give you a hard time, Flea7 has some good points about your interaction with Solid State. We’re all here to help and share the love for these amazing cars. Sometimes the noob questions can elicit a short response (or none at all in some cases. After all, how many times have we seen the ‘what should I be looking for when buying a used XYZ’). But if you’re short in return then the help dries up. Capisce?
The color is white, the calipers are white and the interior piping and stitching is white on black. Frankly, its white overload to be honest.
Well, I guess white is a good colour in the hotter states. Is it flat, metallic or pearl white? The pearl is really quite special. White calipers are not available from the factory unless it’s a TM car so they’ve been painted. You could easily paint them to another colour. Wheel colour and window tint are easy changes to make which could also alter the overall colour balance. It’s a bit tougher to adjust the interior without ploughing big sums into the car so that’s probably best left alone.
I'm scheduled to see the car in a few days, its quite a distance from me so I haven't had the opportunity yet to see it in person. The color is bianco avus. The wheels too are not to my liking. I believe they're factory wheels, glossy black. I can't stand black wheels so it would be the very first modification I would do on the car. Like you said, there isn't much I can do on the interior that wouldn't cost a small fortune.
Bianco Avus is the flat white. Some people love the stark simplicity of it but it probably doesn’t show off the F12’s beautiful curves as well as the triple layer paints do. I’m also not a fan of the stock wheels in black even though my wife’s F12 has them. If the car you’re looking at has Scuderia shields, I’d take the plunge and repaint the calipers to yellow and slap on a set of silver or diamond cut TdF alloys.
If I was getting a flat white car I'd wrap it satin pearl white to make it glow (ignore this awful kit): Image Unavailable, Please Login
That's beautiful in my opinion. Who makes it and what would the cost be? I've never wrapped a car before. I saw a Pista with a finish nearly like that and it had blue stripes, similar to Shelby stripes which I thought was the best looking car I'd ever seen.
$4,500 to $6k depending on the shop. Takes a team a week to do right. 3M is the original https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/c/films-sheeting/vehicle-wraps-trims/i/automotive/post-factory-installations/ Here's their satin pearl white: Image Unavailable, Please Login Satin wraps look wonderful at night: Image Unavailable, Please Login Avery and some others have good products. Inozetek is hot right now for their color flip ones and really good gloss coated ones. They've been popular with the IG car influencers. https://inozetekusa.com/
How often, if ever, does a wrap have to be replaced. I'm aware that they can cause paint damage when removed.
I've owned a F430 for 2 years and put 10k on it. I've owned a 458 for four years and put 10k on it. I've owned a F12 for two years and put 5k on it. I currently own the 458 and F12. The 458 is quite a deal faster (straight line and corners) than the F430. The F12 is not faster than that the 458. My track times are about the same in both. Maybe a little top end speed (like a pull from 125 to 160 mph) but every day you will not notice that much difference (more torque on takeoff but the car is also heavier). It is a bit unusual to go from an F430 to F12. I would highly recommend driving an F12. It is night and day difference than F430. It does seem to float (although I disagree it has much body roll). It also rotates differently around corners and the gears are longer. You basically need to be red lining in 1st or 2nd or going 90mph to get that screaming sound where as the F430 and 458 you get it across the dial almost. There are numerous other difference but you really need some seat time to fully understand them.
