What are the Pros/Cons of 512TR Ownership?

The 996 is not similair in any way, totally tottaly different car, you need to drive a 512 to experience its character, remarkably easy to drive and better as it goes faster, with arguably the best engine ever, the flat 12.
Once you have a wallet that can take the occassional severe leathering, there are no cons, just all pros as with any flat 12.
steve

 

It wont feel agile at first but with time & practice you may learn how to toss it around. She wont suffer stupidity easily though, the tail will wag under high speed braking & Dont EVER take your foot off the gas in a corner

 

There is indeed no comparison. The Porsche is a very luxurious, comfortable, fast sportscar. The Ferrari is more raw. But the sound and the feel of the flat 12 is unbelievable. There is just nothing like it!

 

A couple of questions for owners of the 512TR:

1) Can you describe the driving experience, relative to say, a Porsche 996? that is my only frame of reference to compare it. Is that unfair?


A) Raw,Powerful,Mean...996 feels like a Honda Accord next to a 512TR

2) Any additional comments on the drivability, agility of this car would be appreciated.


A) not as agile as a 328 or 355 but make up for it with power. Once you get used to the way it takes a "set" in the corner you can't get enough of it. It is very much like driving a 1980's F1 car in terms of power and handling.


3) Is there a particular year that's choice?


A) any of them are fine...some more sought after due to rarity


4) And what are your thoughts of the 512M?


A)Too much money for a car with a lot of "bolt ons" The rear lights and head lights don't blend into the car as well IMHO.


Its such a beautiful car, so I'm curious to know whether the driving experience is as exhilarating as the visual appeal.

Visual appeal is great...driving is greater...especially with a Tubi!

Here is mine...and it's for sale ;-)

http://www.ferrarichat.com/ferrariads/showproduct.php?product=267&sort=2&cat=12&page=1

 

1) Can you describe the driving experience, relative to say, a Porsche 996? that is my only frame of reference to compare it. Is that unfair?

>Porsche's are great everyday cars that are easy to drive and are fairly inexpensive to maintain. Testarossa's are exotic cars that are not easy to drive at first and are very expensive to maintain. However, I'm not sure many folks would compare the two cars. They are truely nothing alike. I like Porsche's and have owned several but my Ferrari ownership has been much more satisfying to me.

2) Any additional comments on the drivability, agility of this car would be appreciated.

>The TR takes some getting used to at first. There is no power anything in the car. It is just brute strength. The thing that amazes me the most is the low end torque the flat 12 produces. You don't have to downshift to have instant response. It just goes and goes and goes to red line, shift the gear and it keeps going and going and going. There is no end to the power band.

3) Is there a particular year that's choice?

>The older ones cost less than the newer ones but the newer ones have more features and more power. I prefer the single high mounted mirror and the knock off wheels of the early TR's. It is more exotic looking to me.

4) And what are your thoughts of the 512M?

>The lights up front and the the rear end look kit carish to me. I do like the wheels. The interior is nicer looking without the center console. I think those received power brakes and ABS but I'm not positive on that.

Its such a beautiful car, so I'm curious to know whether the driving experience is as exhilirating as the visual appeal.

>TR's look like they are going 100mph standing still. They feel like they are going 200mph when they are doing 100. They will make your palms sweat and your knuckles turn white. Not to mention the ringing you will have in your ears later.

If you like your Porsche you will have a fatal attraction to your Testarossa!

 

TR is a big car, the footprint is at least 25% larger in both directions. The TR draw backs IMO are parking and and backing up.

 

75 numbered cars out there, very limited edition Testarossa.

This Ferrari is one where you either love it or you hate it. It's just one of those Ferrari's, but it is a sleeper in collectable value.

 

I traded in my 996 on a 91 TR. I know we're talking about 512TR, so take my comments and make them even better. But I have no regrets. Who cares if theres no power steering? The power, torque and sound is addicting. My first flat out drive after delivery had me smiling from ear to ear immediately! Looks wise, there is no comparison, the TR is low slung and sexy, the Porsche is bulbous and uninspiring. When I get out of the 308 or TR, I always look back at it before I go inside, only did that the first couple of days with the Porsche, then it got old. It was interesting when I had the 996 and 308 (both black) next to each other in the garage. I didn't like seeing them together. The 308 had the body of a slim Olympic diver, while the 996 looked like an overweight wrestler. Does that make sense? The TR is cooler than either. I personally don't like the headlights on the 512M.

 

I also traded my Porsche 996 for a '91 TR. I couldn't agree more.

 

I also went from a 996 to a boxster s, then the testarossa...

Actually, the Boxter S did nothing for me, but I do miss the 996. To many of my relatives they preffered the look of the 996 to the testarossa. The 996 was a dark charcoal with the aeropackage, and it was lowered. It looked great. The 996 lacked character though, and felt cheap. The interior was hideous, and out of place in a hyundai. It was likely at least as fast as the testarossa in a straight line, and faster in curves.

I bought the testarossa to own something special. The car has tons of character, is plenty fast, and makes great sounds. It gets slightly more attention than the 996. The testarossa is an icon, a dream fulfilled, and damn cool. One of those cars you keep for a while.

I do miss the 996 and will likely get another next year, as a track car. You can get a decent 99 996 for 30k$ or so now, and I wouldn't feel badly about tracking it or dropping the clutch...things I really can't consider with the ferrari... Also, I didn't think twice about parking the porsche at the mall, I would never do that with ferrari - subsequently it doesn't get a lot of use. In my mind, parking a ferrari anywhere other than your garage is just begging for vandalism...

 

When I was making the decision of what car to purchase I chose the 512TR over a Porsche Turbo. My decision was based on many factors. The Porsche would have made a great daily driver and is a splendid car. The TR could be used as a daily driver, but the rawness of the TR is not well suited to this purpose. The Porsche felt more like an appliance for speed. The TR is as quick, but because of the responsive steering, the taught suspension, and the sound of the motor you get a feeling of speed at much lower velocities than those of the Porsche. I also always loved the look of the TR and its mid engine design. When you drive the Ferrari you feel you are part of an athletic machine and not part of a video game.

I am not sure of the differences in the 512TR from 1992 to 1994, except that my 94 has abs and the earlier models do not. I don’t know if this was added in 93 or 94.

 

BPU699, actually I did kinda the opposite of what you did. I had a silver Boxster S 6-speed which I was using daily. Since the time that I bought it, I moved and my distance to/from work was doubled. My clutch leg started hurting one day, and then the next my knee was spasming to where you could feel it if touched my knee. So I then traded that in on a black 996 Cab tiptronic with the aero kit. It was about as quick in a straight line as the TR, and was great handling around the track at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, IL. But I had been looking for the right TR for about a year and a half, and when I found it I jumped on it. Even with similar accelleration, it just feels faster than the 996, although at high speed I found I feel more stable in the TR due to the size. Haven't taken it on a road course (don't know if I will), just a dragstrip, but the 996 really took corners well.