What does a first time Ferrari buyer need to know?

Hey tomc

If you check my info, you'll see that I'm a renovation contractor. Can't be showing up to the job site in a Ferrari California towing a trailer full of lumber and tools. Or can I...?

And ya, Bruce you nailed it. Top down is the only way to drink in that exhaust note - and I'll add - while going thru a tunnel under hard acceleration with up/down shifts.

 

Lol.
Tunnels + Ferrari = magic!
T

 

I had a 997.2 Turbo S, a brilliant car and brutally fast. I currently have 2011 599 HGTE and it is the most amazing car I’ve ever owned. Ferrari is on another level. As many have mentioned, the feeling you get driving a Ferrari is like nothing you will experience in any other vehicle.

I also have a 997.2 911 GT2...If you are looking for a race car for the road, that is the ultimate!! Just don’t plan to drive it any long distances...about as comfortable as a Viper!!!

Enjoy the chase. Will check back periodically to see what you end up with!!!! Ultimately you can’t go wrong with a Ferrari or Porsche.


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I bought a CPO 2006 F430 about 5 years ago, when the car was 9 years old and had 12,000 miles on it. I didn't have it inspected outside of the inspections that the dealer is supposed to do to qualify it as CPO. I found later that the power steering pump was leaking - something that they should have seen - and had the dealer replace it. I caught it in time to have it done under warranty, which required them to get approval, but they did get it. It made me wonder what they actually did when they inspected the car. So if you can get an independent inspection it's a good idea. One thing to request, if they don't offer it, is a clutch wear reading. Clutches on the F1 transmission go quickly (maybe 20000 miles, IF you treat them well), and replacement is expensive. The purchase price was negotiable, although not by much. All in all, I'm happy with the car. One last thing: I asked the dealer if they ever have to take in cars in trade that they don't want to resell, say, because of condition. He said that they did, and they wholesaled cars like that. So when you see a Ferrari for sale at a non-Ferrari dealer, be a little suspicious. Good luck!

 

Definitely get it inspected, I had mine inspected by an independent shop and they found the water pump was leaking, a common problem on the 599 as I understand it. Dealer took care of the repair, which was quoted at around $7k. Also, I had an independent import mechanic look at it. Did an amazing job and the cost was a fraction of a Ferrari dealer.


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Sorry for being so late to the thread and I'll do my best not to be repetitive on initial questions. After months of online looking and some dealer visits, I went CPO on a 2016 California T from Continental Auto Sports. Here's what I learned on my model and the somewhat narrow specs I wanted. You're in a much different market (model and age) than I was, so please take these with that in mind:
*Supply and Demand was on dealer's side and not a ton of wiggle room as cars moved fast. I think I saved $5000 from first listing price I saw.
*I thought seasonality may be a help with convertible, but I found one I loved and that went out the window! Maybe it's the warm weather markets, but I didn't see any slowdown after summer and into fall.
*This is my first Ferrari and CPO gave me some peace of mind as first time owner who doesn't have a local Ferrari dealer. But, I'm looking at four years less factory warranty than you are.
*I believe you are in the Chicago area and I thought Continental was great to deal with from start to finish. Service department seemed impressive based on the cars that were there and the # of certified mechanics.
Hope some of this helps you. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the buying process as much as I did!

 

I would add that options vary pretty dramatically among different cars, and when you're looking, sometimes the excitement can make you think they aren't all that important, but when you're driving the car daily, you may change your mind. It's not always easy to compare in the listings either, the best way is to look for a photo of the personalization plate that lists all the extras. The "options" list on the Ferrari CPO site is usually actually just the standard features. I bought a used Lusso earlier this year. It's my main driver. I was looking for cars with Apple CarPlay, but then a car popped up that seemed like too good a deal, so I ignored that. I still love the car, but things like navigation, even making/answering phone calls are a real pain (and listening to music is almost not worth the trouble). If I buy used again, I'll defiitely be more patient about making sure it ticks all the important boxes. Things like how much carbon fiber it has don't really matter to me, but things I actually use do when it's not just a weekend car.

 

Yeah, I think closer to $6k actually. And in some cars it's not such a big issue as their in-house system works reasonably well. But my experience has not been that. While the big touch screen is great, controlling my phone when it's connected is basically impossible. It may work for some, but I can't search music, and often after minutes of manual scrolling, when I select something, it doesn't actually play it. It works a bit better over Bluetooth, but I can't use Bluetooth when the phone is plugged in (forces the USB connection) so it kills the battery. So as I said I've basically given up. I haven't been driving all that much due to COVID, but I think it would have been a much bigger annoyance if I had. As far as I know, it's not possible to add CarPlay after the fact, at least not to the Lusso.

 

Congrats! Very exciting.
Enjoy.
T

 

Congrats!

(How did you manage to score a brand new one?)

 

Congrats! Glad you are putting winter shoes on it! Hope the weather stays dry so that you can do some driving. Make sure you join FCA. Looking forward to seeing this beauty around the Chicago area!

 

Great tips on this thread guys! As a fellow Ferrari virgin they are greatly appreciated!

 

Nice choice of colors!