Hello F-chat , I am creating this thread in continuation with a thread of the same name at 6speed(http://www.6speedonline.com/forums/ferrari/203521-first-time-ferrari-buyer.html) created by me. To give you a synopsis of what all has been discussed in that thread at 6sp, is that we(my family and I) are in the market for our first Ferrari. All 3 cars(599,458 and California) were on the table and after some research and discussions (the intent of use and other things , I will explain as I continue) , we decided that the 599 suits our criteria best. Some one over at 6Sp suggested that I open this thread here , but I was a bit hesitant at first , as I was not sure how this question will be received here , as many people often question the legitimacy of someone from India , who has such a family stable of cars (as can be seen in the link above) and can even afford a Ferrari . Keeping all those illogical notions aside, I wish to get some input from the most experienced community of Ferrari owners, that I know of. I am going to copy and paste my last post at 6sp , which contains a few questions : I did some more research on the three Ferrari's and decided that the 599 suits me best. I also had the opportunity to be a passenger in a 599 and was absolutely blown away by it . Although I was offered , by the driver of the 599 , to drive the car , I , for some reason unknown to me , politely declined the offer , may be because I was in awe of this car , even after driving and owning an LP640. I am sure I can ask that person again and can drive the 599 to be sure of it. So as far as my research goes , I see that the 599 thrives on GT driving , it is very easy to live with and the transmission is a joy even in heavy traffic. Since my intended purpose is not 7 days a week driving for this car( as that is covered with the other cars in our humble garage) , this will be driven 2 -3 times a week and not for more than 15 - 20 kms on an average. So this Gt-Hyper-Supercar suits my need best. Now one question I do have for 599 owners , is about the ground clearance of the 599. The 599 I sat in , had just come out of repairs from an accident and as far as I believe , had a messed up suspension , because the cambers looked waaaaaay off on it. Also , while exiting the driveway of the 599 owners place , the front nose scraped . On the same driveway , my DBS went off and on just fine. So is it that the 599 is very low as such and will scrape at speed bumps , even if driven very very slowly and angled over them? What about inclines? I don't mean sharp inclines, but like mall entrance type inclines. I would really appreciate if owners / drivers of 599 could comment on this. Secondly , this is my spec for the 599 , that I have sent to the factory for an invoice and estimated delivery date. Please let me know if any important optional extra should be added. I have intentionally left out the cf from the interior and went ahead with all leather. Model - 599 Gearbox - F1 Exterior options : Color = Rosso Corsa Rims = 20" Challenge Style Callipers = Rosso Corsa Front and Rear sensors Scuderia Shields Interior Options : Main leather color - Nero Contrasting Stitching - Rosso Full electric Daytona Seats Leather Central console trim: Nero Steering wheel : Nero Door Surrounds :Nero Headlining : Nero Carpets: Nero Bose sound system iPod installation Yellow Rev counter Dedication Plaque Electrochromic Rearview Mirror Please help me out , fellow members and owners of a 599. Thanks and Regards -Karan
The one thing I would check into is the material used in the trunk. They call it "technical fabric" and I was a bit disappointed in it, at least on the 612. I would see if they could use carpet or something, or maybe alcantara. Otherwise, your spec looks pretty good to me.
It's okay-- I'm used to low cars, so it doesn't bother me. It scrapes a little on one part of my driveway, but I can't get too worked up about it. I don't know how it compares to the 599, though. It's certainly no worse than my old 911.
I would get the 2010 styling and newest technology from Ferrari and go with the 458, if you have the means to, why not start off with the best they have to offer?
My primary concern is ground clearance and GT driving. From what I have read and heard from 6speeders, the 458 is a great track car and can be used for everyday driving , but may not be suitable for indian road conditions. That is why I am doing some extensive research about the gc of the 599. Also I believe that the slots for 458 are long gone for 2010.
Have you considered the 599 with the HGTE package? It transforms an already almost perfect GT. Good luck!
Not a 599 owner, but considering youre concerned about ground clearance then no Ferrari is right for you. The 599 is stunning and extremely beautiful but dont leave out the 458 yet.
The 458 has an optional system for raising the nose for more clearance. If you like the 599 and worry about clearance, Novitec Rosso also makes a system that will do the same thing for the 599. Also, it is easy to raise or lower all late model Ferraris even with the standard suspension. Your Ferrari dealer can raise the height on the car for you. It is a simple adjustment that also requires resetting the front and rear wheel/suspension alignment. A very small increase in ride height, 10-20mm, makes for a huge difference in clearance for driveways and bumps. India has many very wealthy families and individuals. The work ethic is excellent in India and the country has invested heavily in education and infrastructure. No doubt in my mind there are thousands of people in India who can afford a Ferrari. Taz Terry Phillips
The 458 has a really long waiting list. We sadly , do not have any Ferrari dealers in India and i do not wish to get the factory suspension tinkered and I am somewhat skeptical of the novitec suspension. Does it interfere with the dynamics of the car in anyways? Also , is the gc of the 599 really bad for speed bumps? If so , then why is it touted as a GT car , if it is meant to be driven on straight roads that have no inclines or speed bumps?
I drive my Ferraris on an every day basis in "the people's republic of Massachusetts" - noted for our very poor road conditions and serious ramps to get into garages. My CS and GT3 Porsche dragged everywhere, my 430 Scud and 16M less so but still dragged. I had very few problems with my 599 or my current 612. Its not an off road car, but will be very usable on everyday roads. No sports car is as practical as an SUV, but that's simply a choice you have to adapt to in use.
Aah , now this is what I was looking for! Thank you so much dan! I understand that these cars do not have SUV level clearance and that is not expected from them at all. But I would expect this 599 to have a decent gc , comparable to a DBS or the R8 , which are very user friendly on Indian roads. And when I say Indian roads , I do not mean pot hole ridden ones in Bombay or other parts of India, I just mean to say with regards to the speed bumps and inclines , which are a global phenomenon , and if the 599 can go over the speed bumps and normal inclines with ease / minor scraping , then I can live with that.
Ecks- Dan has real-world experience, but if there are no Ferrari dealers in India, who is going to do service for you on a very sophisticated car? You need factory diagnosis tools like the SD3, or access to MOTIS, the factory web system for maintenance, parts, and upgrades. Unless you have competent service, or intend to fly your 599 somewhere to get it serviced, you could end up with a very pretty and very expensive lawn ornament. In answer to your question on the Novitec suspension, the system is extremely well engineered, and will in no way compromise handling, since it only operates at low speed, like the factory system on the 458. The good news is, it looks like Ferrari has also figured out there are many people who can afford Ferraris in India, and they intend to open dealerships there in the near future, possibly this year. How about trying to become the owner of a dealership in India? Would be one way to guarantee a good price on service for your car. http://wot.motortrend.com/6240834/auto-news/ferrari-sales-in-india-could-be-a-reality-by-2010/index.html Taz Terry Phillips
Terry , There are already a few 599's in India and the get serviced by techs from the Dubai Ferrari dealer. We contacted the factory for our 599 and they routed us to the Dubai dealer and the dubai dealer ensured the services of his team. So unless the car requires to be taken to a specific workshop for any servicing , I think it can be taken care of , as the tech will bring down the requisite tools for work. Also , with stablemates like the LP640, DBS, GTR , M3 , R8 etc , down time for the 599 won't be a bothersome issue. As for Ferrari coming to India , well that has been on the table for the past 5 years , so lets hope they do come to India now. And they have already decided to come into India in collaboration with Tata , so no scope of getting a dealership . =(
Ecks- If that is the case, you should be in good shape. Good luck on a new 599. You and a few of your wealthy friends should really make an attempt to get a dealership going in your location, working with Tata, if necessary. There is a lot of money to be made in both sales and service. You could be the Luigi Chinetti of India. Many more people would be interested in a Ferrari if there was a factory-sponsored dealership. Taz Terry Phillips
From my experience the ground clearance of the 599 is not bad at all. In fact it's better than a 997 Carrera 4S. I remember scraping our old 911's nose in places that the 599 has no problems going over. I don't think that you should have any more issues with a 599 than you would with most other sportscars. IMO go for the 599, you won't regret it. It's always a joy to drive and (also IMO of course) much more special and better looking than a 458.
Thank you for your input , Ferrarista3. I had been getting conflicting reports on the gc of the 599, as some said it would be too low and scrape nearly at every speed bump / incline and some say it would be fine (all this I heard from some friends who had some 599 - use experience) . But reading your input and other inputs from long time 599 owners , I am more than confident that the 599 is the car for me. I just did not want to be stuck with another car that looks beautiful but can't be taken anywhere. I wanted a supercar which I can take to our office parking , malls , or for that matter anywhere I want. Seems like the 599 would be able to do all that and more , now that I am sure that the gc is not an issue at all.
