First ferrari options advice

^ This may surprise you, but the answer to your question is quite simple - your dealer wants you to spend more money to fatten their bottom line!

Seriously though, how long do you plan to keep this car? If it's a relatively short time, then options that impact re-sale need to be considered. And, if the F-cars that I see for sale are any indication (at least in the US), people like the shields and the upgraded steering wheel. Stereo?!? If it were a DD, may be worth the extra money. If it's a weekend fun car, save your money. I've turned my Cali's stereo on 3 times in 17 months - once when I bought it, to make sure it works; once @ the track - so the drive leader could beam in instructions, and the third time when my wife discovered there was a CD player back there, and popped in the new Lindsay Buckingham/Christie McVie collabo CD.

In all seriousness, if this is going to be a car you keep for a while, get what you want and forget about owner # 2.

T

Disclaimer - I heave read stories on F-chat of highly optioned cars getting preference over lightly optioned variants for in-demand cars. Whether that applies to your locale and the Portofino, I am not knowledgable enough to say.

 

there are so many options. Get what you think looks cool.

I use my stereo a lot. But I drive it almost everyday day. Not in thunderstorms.

 

Question is when you sell if you want decent coin for your car and ofcourse how fast do you want to sell! You will sell eventually just the matter of when - 1yr or 10yrs. Things to consider and Yes you want that £1K shields.

 

Warranty aside, the biggest advantage in buying new is the ability to spec the car the way you want it. On the rare occasion, a Ferrari model with a certain colour may look better with shields but IMO, most look better with them.

If this is your first Fcar spec I would start with an initial spec but not have your salesman submit it until you have gone through it several times, making sure you understand what each option entails, looks like and delivers.

If you like customized luxury features and can afford them, you may want to look at Ferrari Taylor-Made Inedita. I wish I had because there were some items I would have sprung for but my salesman did not tell me about this taylor-made program, perhaps thinking I would not be able to afford them. And now, it's impossible to get Ferrari to retrofit them. Other standard options will cost a lot more to retrofit once the car is made or the order has locked in.

 

For that time frame, I would get those popular options, it'll help resale down the road. I'd also choose the color combo carefully, nothing too unusual. Perhaps stick to classics like red over beige. Finally, I'd forego Tailor Made options for a 2 - 3 year purchase since their upfront cost is likely to be $$$$ but they'll realize $$ on resale. Also, it seems the more specific a spec is to a single owner's taste, the less likely they are to please a second owner a few years later. Just my two cents based on F-chat perusal, though. In the end, get what you want, and don't buy it for owner # 2.
T

 

I agree with everyone. I will just add that Ferrari does have very nice carbon fiber. Going and speccing it there will be both a fantastic experience and also likely wind up being more expensive. You will just be tempted to say yes more, and I doubt you will regret it, but those are dollars that would not likely be recaptured on resale. This car would make a very nice counterpoint to a Tesla. I would say the must options are shields and maybe the rev lights on the steering wheel.

 

When I was looking - My MUST-HAVES were rosa red/beige (clasic Ferrari), electric heated seats and LED steering.

Many F-car Owners may not care about the resale, but some (like myself) do. I usually buy for duration of "until I get bored" which happens between 3-7 years typically so am always weary of how easily I'll be able to resell.

Some options help in resale, even though you may not get much money back for them at resale. They basically help you sell faster or for a bit more compared to a less optioned car.

For instance, heated seats may not matter to someone in FL or TX, but they are desired in ALL cold states. So you open bigger market for your car at resale with them. LED steering is extremely popular because not only its functional but also gives you that 458/supercar vibe. Carbon fiber can add up quick but is only cosmetic in my opinion and not a deal breaker if a car has it or not. Black wheels are a personal choice as well but don't help in resale much.