Wednesday 22nd May 2013

Ferrari 512BB: Time For Coffee?

A delicious slice of flat-12* Ferrari indulgence to accompany your morning caffeine hit

---

Anyone who's had to fight for space in the living room for even a model car might be permitted a flash of envy at the set-up of Holger Schubert, subject of the latest Petrolicious celebration of the love of man for machine. To be fair, ownership of a Ferrari 512BBi would be reason enough to go a bit green tinged. But to have it share the living room of your minimalist, modernist pad and be able to drive it out over a driveway suspended 16 feet off the ground on a glass-sided bridge just takes the proverbial.

Looks fabulous in the living room; better out here

Like many of these videos, this treads a very fine line between pretension and honest - if well-funded - enthusiasm for a truly gorgeous car. While Holger's admission that aforementioned glass-sided bridge permits opportunity to check himself out in the reflection on leaving home we'll let that slip because he seems to be talking about the car, not his fizog. And for the fact that, occasional interior design feature or not, he does indeed take the BB out and drive it. Static object d'art it is not, thankfully. Though given the elevated view out over the valley he'd best be comfortable with the configuration of the dog-leg shift so as to avoid any embarrassing Bueller-esque disasters.

Having drooled over a couple of 512s the other week on our visit to Ferrari it's good to see, and hear, one out on the road too, this being the second flat-12* Ferrari we've featured this week. And while around £100K - £135K in the case of this beautiful example in the PH classifieds - isn't a modest amount of money you can only see them going one way, vendors Hexagon saying "the prices are accelerating faster than the cars."

£135K for this but prices are rocketing already

Meaning for most of us the only example likely to grace our living room will hail from Bburago, not Maranello. S'alright though - as this video proves trendy folk in fashionable houses consider them works of art, full size or not. So a 1/24th one on the coffee table is, officially, acceptable. PistonHeads - interior design matters.

[Source: Petrolicious]

 

 

 

 

*Pedant alert! Even Ferrari admits that the whole flat-12/'BB' thing is not a technically accurate description of the engine configuration. But Berlinetta Boxer sounded nice, so they went with it anyway.

[erics]

gorgeous. Not sure what they are like to drive though. Had a 328 gts many years ago and that was not very good.

[stanza]

Quote: Like many of these videos, this treads a very fine line between pretension and honest - if well-funded - enthusiasm for a truly gorgeous car.

I think the line was crossed with the excursion of talking utter B*ll*cks!!

Lovely car, but with all that space and so much money why didn't he just have a turntable installed.
He could drive out easier and see the car from all the best angles.

[Behemoth]

Utterly stunning.

If I didn't have my 308 (and I had a bit more loose change), I'd have a BB.

Mechanical smells are very invigorating but I'm really not sure I'd want to share my living space with them continuously.

[JohnGoodridge]

Is that California somewhere?

My affection for these goes back to an Airfix model of one I built (very badly) at the time. Still a great shape IMHO.

And Dan, surprised you're not lobbying for a similar 'inspriation space' for the PH office. Would look better in there than a flipchart, no?

[clarkmagpie]

One of my earliest car memories was sitting in a 512BB about 25 years ago.
Stunning car.
Never seen one on the road since

[anonymous-user]

Thank God that there are 'nut cases' like this guy to keep exotic classics on the road I say!

He's clearly in love with the car so why not? One of my favourite Ferrari's of all time and only 'bettered' IMO by the 288 GTO for a place in my dream garage.

[LuS1fer]

Gets an 8 as I don't like it in grey.

I actually have a Bburago 512BB in the loft as I have no room in my cabinet which is full of muscle cars and a Honda GL1000 Gold Wing.

[Chris Stott]

The car is beautiful in a way modern Ferrari's aren't. I haven't seen one in that colour before - looks very classy.

But if you're going to have it in your house at least have a turntable so you can drive in and drive out.

[Fartgalen]

I've seen this before a few years ago. As I recall it was discussed back then, and the reason for the ramp is so the car rolls out under gravity. Not having to start the engine and fill his living room with fumes.

[tinkertaylor]

Pretty stupid design where you either must back the car out or into the place

Nice car though - although that goes without saying

[365daytonafan]

stanza said:

Quote: Like many of these videos, this treads a very fine line between pretension and honest - if well-funded - enthusiasm for a truly gorgeous car.

I think the line was crossed with the excursion of talking utter B*ll*cks!!

Lovely car, but with all that space and so much money why didn't he just have a turntable installed.
He could drive out easier and see the car from all the best angles.

I suspect he doesn't want to start it inside. Starting an old 12 cylinder Ferrari from cold is guaranteed to have some kind of smoke leaving marks on his pristine white walls and white leather sofa?

[Nick644]

Do you think he has a girlfriend?

[dandare]

Lovely car. Really nice proportions, and I like the colour.
Any other colour would drive you mad when you are stuck with it in your sitting room.

[Dr Nookie]

I love these, The badging on the back always gets me.

[LotusOmega375D]

I wonder if he considers it to be a piece of art though?

[wotnot]

I'd be inclined to put a sheet of glass between me and the car rather than share the room with it.

Back in the 70's my gran used to work for a rich Arab who had one of these. My uncle took me to Egham in it a couple of times to get it fixed/serviced. As a young lad I was hugely impressed. Wanted one ever since. Unfortunately, I can barely afford a model of one

[Bencolem]

Got to respect the passion, the look of certain cars does it for me far more than any conventional art so I'd do the same if given the opportunity - and you've got to respect the fact that he wanted to share his passion for the enjoyment of others when he didn't really need to and would undoubtably receive criticism from certain quarters.

[OutOfSync]

Lovely car. Saw one of these in black with tan leather the other day (parked rather than going sadly); I think I prefer it in this grey/nero carboinio/whatever the fancy name is!

[Dr Nookie]

So I watched the vid and I don't think the guy's mental at all.

Dedicated certainly, but you know, if I could have a glass wall in the garage so I could look at my car I would and it's not as special as that.
I can't help thinking of this though....

[Ashley1987]

Nick644 said:

Do you think he has a girlfriend?

I think he probably has a servant who locks him in a suitcase.

On a serious note. Good on him (For the car not the suitcase) I think the car and the environment go well together, clean and precise. Isn't that what high end engineering is supposed to be about? Who here can say they wouldn't want a Ferrari or similar in their living room.