Ferrari FF: PH Fleet

A rather melancholy Harris looks back on a fantastic but fleeting stint with the FF

Buy a car with the express intention of using it as regularly as possible and it will sit motionless in the garage most of its life; do the same and expect to add mileage sparingly and you won't quite believe the speed with which the odometer adds numbers. For this and more besides, we thank you Mr Murphy.

Not great for something used so often!

Beyond all the compliments I want to lavish on the FF, the one that perhaps says the most is that I simply have to sell it. So happy have I been sat behind the massive V12 that I have raced through and beyond the mileage I was always going to allow myself. And I really had no idea I was using it so much - with over 11,000 miles now showing, it's covered nearly 6,000 miles in four months, and much as I'm a strong advocate of using cars the way the development engineers intended, the threat of seismic depreciation always lurks in the background.

There are not many people in the UK who would buy an FF to use everyday and accrue mileage in the conventional sense. I know of one on the continent that has covered 50,000km, but I couldn't afford to cover 30K miles in this car over one year and bought it in the knowledge that I have several other cars of my own and assorted test cars to help spread the mileage burden. But this proved to be a flawed strategy. When you have an FF outside the door, you tend to use the FF. An unsurprising discovery in hindsight.

FF was perfect for a European jaunt...

This is the first FF trick - it makes all journeys special. It barks from start-up, the V12 sounds indescribably expensive even when it hunts for a clutch to engage first gear and from then on it just makes me smile. It seems many PHers couldn't understand why anyone would buy a four-seat Ferrari over a 458 - the answer is children. I have many of these creatures and I love the fact that I can share the whole Ferrari thing with them. The opportunities to go and drive on my own for fun are limited to weekdays, and frankly I much prefer the front-engined Ferrari species anyway.

That I happen to think the FF is one of the best looking cars on sale makes many people laugh in derision, but such is life. Without ever knowing it I seem to have contracted some kind of 'bread-van' fetish: 145 Cloverleaf, M Coupe, FF - the truncated arse does it for me.

The FF certainly sits on the outer limits of how large a performance car can be before it is rendered unusable. I never just climb into it and don't consider its sheer width. The first few miles are always spent adjusting to the fast steering and gauging your road positioning. Once there, I'm completely happy, but you never have to acclimatise in a CLS 63 or an RS6. Some will find this process part of the car's 'specialness' - I can see it both ways.

... or indeed for Harris the golfist. Superb!

The very-fast-German-estatey-thing comparison is valid in the context of the used FF. It is now quite possible to spec one of those machines from new to £120K, and the cheapest FFs are now within £30K of that figure. Once Ferrari Financial Services (or Beelzebub, as they're known at chez Harris) get involved with a tasty residual, the cost of purchase is surprisingly close. The Germans are larger, more practical and cheaper to run, but as objects to own and enjoy they just don't come close. And I'm not convinced they'd be any cheaper to run either. And to reiterate, I'm talking about used FFs - dropping £300K on a new one is liable to result in some moderate depreciation (coughs for effect), but once a very rich person has swallowed that loss, the pickings are very appealing.

Reliability. Yes, that old Italian chestnut. In my care, the FF failed to complete two journeys, which is an un-stellar performance from a car of this type. Both events appear to have been the fault of the fuel system losing pressurisation- the second took several days to fix but all the work was covered under warranty. I suppose each time I pop the bonnet I'm struck by just how many sensors and widgets there are to potentially go wrong. Factor in the immense heat that the V12 generates against the fact the car spent several days in sub-zero temperatures and you have a very harsh environment. Still, it's the same for all carmakers. Why I feel so sanguine about the FF needing an off-games note for a couple of days, where I'd be livid if a new M5 did the same can probably be explained by quoting Jules from Pulp Fiction's explanation of the pig. Personality goes a long way.

Dimensions always an issue

On the recent California T launch there was a bizarre 'meeting' arranged for some journos with Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa. The Papal audience was about as unrelaxing as you could imagine, but The Boss was surprisingly open with his thoughts on Ferrari's GT cars. He agreed with me that the FF's exhaust is too loud on start up and under full load when the valves are open. He also agreed that the tyre noise at the rear axle made travelling in the back a little more wearisome than was strictly ideal. But he offered a rare grin when I said I thought it was a very special car and outrageously fast for a four-seater - he just nodded: "I know."

I also told him that I though the fuel tank was too small and its positioning spoiled the load space. "What do you think of the new California?" he replied, looking into the space over my left shoulder, giving me the clearest indication possible that he'd had enough of my FF feedback.

Hopefully more on the other car to follow!

Great satisfaction comes from knowing that I've really used this car to the fullness of its abilities. It's cruised beyond 180mph with people sat in the back and the boot crammed full of luggage. At those speeds, it's the most stable car I've driven. It's carted muddy mountain bikes, mewling children and several loads of shopping. In TDF blue it always looked perfect to me and its departure has left a rather sad hole in my life that is only compensated by the fact that I no longer have to give FFS £1,500 every month for the pleasure of keeping it (I know the PH finance police won't sanction any suggestion of ownership with just £45K of equity!)

So, to anyone considering something spacious, conventionally German and super-heated, or maybe a 991 Turbo, I'd implore them to try an FF before making a purchase. It has space for four adults (but not all their luggage) and it looks, feels and drives like a £300,000 car. Because it was a £300,000 car which you can now own for a little more than half the original asking price.

It isn't perfect. The double DIN sat-nav thing is a bit crap in a £20K Fiat, the fuel filler thing is pants and occasionally bits of trim make a break for freedom, but who cares?

It's miles better than my old 612, and I haven't once thought about the 599 since I took delivery.

Better to have loved and lost, and all that.

FACT SHEET
Car: 2012 Ferrari FF
Bought: February 2014
Mileage: 11,609
Purchase price: Quite a lot
Last month at a glance: Having pondered doing a Ferris Bueller on the big number on the odometer Harris faces the inevitable and regretfully chops the FF in

Previous reports:
Harris makes the man maths work and welcomes Ferrari no.2
FF's 'everyday Ferrari' thing means it's getting used ... every day

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nicfaz

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