Ferrari F12 Running Costs?

[hondansx]

Hi All,

Some quite naive questions granted, but I haven't had an 'exotic' before so wanted to clarify things. Next week I plan to visit Dick Lovett who have quite a few F12s for sale so I can get to grip with colours, interiors and options. However, I don't want to walk in knowing nothing, so without further ado...

- Do you still haggle at a Ferrari dealership? Should I expect a discount on a second-hand F12 (I wouldn't be using finance)?
- Is the 7 year servicing plan transferable? I wouldn't have thought so, but it says it here
http://www.london-hrowen.ferraridealers.com/en_gb/...
- Assuming not, what are the intervals and rough pricing? All i've found is a suggestion it is annual, no indication of mileage
- Is pricing and service consistent across all franchises (my nearest is London or Colchester)?
- Is the Power Warranty for the F12 extendable for 12 years as per following link?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=13...
- Are there any bigt ticket I need to plan for (for example, replacing of ceramic brakes)?
- On that note, are there particularly mileages/ages of F12 where people would look to 'get rid' as a result I should look out for?
- I know it's fast around Fiorano, but is it actually a decent track car?

I know it all sounds a little silly given the outlay of the car, but I plan to keep the car for no more than a year to 'tick the box' so don't want to be too badly stung.

Thank you.

Rob

Edited by hondansx on Friday 12th January 12:16

[Ferruccio]

Don’t buy it to tick a box.

[MDL111]

Service plan is transferable and warranty is extendable (and imo highly recommended)
Replacing CCBs is expensive, so have them give you the current % useage values for the discs
It is probably a decent fun track car for a road car, but rather heavy so be careful re the above CCBs
You can haggle at a dealership, but from my experience they move very little on price (I am notoriously bad at this though if I want something ....)

[gavinhowe]

I wouldn't buy one to tick the box either. Every time that you do a transaction you loose money. I have had mine from new for nearly 3 years and the engine transmission combo is lovely. Chris Harris drives it on the track but it wouldn't be my choice as a track car - weigh and the expense of going through rubber. The dealer that I bought from said that the biggest problem that they have is owners over filling them with oil. Mine gets serviced annually and I haven't had to add any in between services.

[hondansx]

I appreciate this isn't necessarily a car for depreciation-free motoring, and I'm not looking for that (it would be nice...). I'm just an inherently tight bastid and wouldn't want to feel that punch of buyer's regret from making a serious of bad decisions in my keenness to satisfy a boyhood desire.

Good point about getting the brakes measured - thank you!

[GG33]

By far the biggest hit you will take by owning the car for one year, is the margin spread to the dealer when you buy and sell. We are not talking 2 or 3 grand here...you will be buying at top retail money and the price will include a warranty charge. WHen you sell it back to a dealer (because you wont be selling it privately) they will cost in whatever work needs doing to bring it back to 100% - maybe stone chips, clutch, brakes - anything. then they will deduct a further 10% +VAT.....That will add up to a significant margin.

GG

[silvercar71]

I have owned an F12 from new April 17, I love it. I have done about 5500 miles in it so far and i think i have smiled in everyone. I think residuals will be decent over the next couple of years as there is such a long waiting list for the 812.
I specced racing seats which are pretty low and my kids don't really like them - but hey the cars for me not them!

[Its Just Adz]

Brilliant cars, I wouldn’t just keep it a year, it’s just so good.
Check round the air intakes at bottom of rear window as they are prone to rust round them. Ferrari will fix it under warranty but it obviously requires paint.

[gavinhowe]

I got my F12 new in March 2015 and it too corroded round the rear vents that you mention. It has been dealt with under warranty by Maranello and Body Technics. I have other sporty cars, but the big naturally aspirated engine/gearbox combo is the best....I have the carbon race seats too and they are hard. I have had an Alcantara cushion made to measure for my wife. I find them comfortable enough for me!

[hondansx]

Thanks guys. I test drove one at the weekend and to be honest was left a little cold. It didn't get the platform to show off - 4pm on a damp day.

About an hour before I was in Bluewater and there just so happened to be a new Lexus LC500 there. The interior was exquisitely built in terms of materials and design. The F12, in comparison, felt really cheap and of course the controls take getting used to.

I also found the ride busy - even in bumpy road mode - and no surprises traction was limited. I jumped back in my RS6 and it felt considerably quicker, made a noise at all RPMs, rode better and felt more 'solid'. If anything it helped reinforce there is no way the RS6 is going anywhere!

Nevertheless, I'm still drawn to the F12 because of the looks and I've watched so many videos online that I'm aware I did not do the car any justice. If there's any SE owners who fancy giving me a passenger ride to remember... please get in touch!!

Today I'm going to a friend's dealership which has a 488 to try. Will be interesting to see how it compares.

[Its Just Adz]

What year is your RS6? Amazing cars but a little unfair to compare to an F12, my S1 would probably be quicker than an F12 in some of the recent weather.

I do feel you need a better drive in one. Winding the Rev counter right round in 3rd gear is an experience you won’t quickly forget.

[MingtheMerciless]

hondansx said:

Thanks guys. I test drove one at the weekend and to be honest was left a little cold. It didn't get the platform to show off - 4pm on a damp day.

About an hour before I was in Bluewater and there just so happened to be a new Lexus LC500 there. The interior was exquisitely built in terms of materials and design. The F12, in comparison, felt really cheap and of course the controls take getting used to.

I also found the ride busy - even in bumpy road mode - and no surprises traction was limited. I jumped back in my RS6 and it felt considerably quicker, made a noise at all RPMs, rode better and felt more 'solid'. If anything it helped reinforce there is no way the RS6 is going anywhere!

Nevertheless, I'm still drawn to the F12 because of the looks and I've watched so many videos online that I'm aware I did not do the car any justice. If there's any SE owners who fancy giving me a passenger ride to remember... please get in touch!!

Today I'm going to a friend's dealership which has a 488 to try. Will be interesting to see how it compares.

I've driven both on roads and at Fiorano (Pilota course). I didn't warm that much to the F12 on the road, I felt that the steering was sensitive to the level of "sneeze and you die in a fireball". And the noise didn't compare to my 458. I never thought too much about suspension comfort but I guess that means it was fine. The 488 was magnificent in my view on the road and I preferred it to the F12, but it is so easy to run out of safe, legal fun things to do in both that neither of them are better to drive as a road car, in my (humble and purely personal and with apologies in advance to anyone who vehemently disagrees about their pride and joy) opinion.

On track the 488 is monstrous and will do anything. Your gran would get a fantastic lap time and I have heard that that some of the pros even leave the electronics on for a better lap time. The F12 is like some immensely hooliganistic E92 M3. It bellows and barks and terrifies in a way you don't get on the road, but it is heavy and would be immensely expensive to track regularly.

So which would I choose? Honestly the 488, but a part of me would regret leaving that charming old school (well kind of) hooligan aside.

I base my thoughts only on a few road drives not at any kind of limit (well some gentlemen from the PSNI disagreed with me on this one while in the 488 ) and a few laps of Fiorano so actual owners who have shelled out their own money will have more depth to bring to this.

[hondansx]

Thanks very much for your insights. I saw a 488 yesterday but as the weather was poor again, saving the test drive for next week.

[Gullwing-]

hondansx said:

Thanks guys. I test drove one at the weekend and to be honest was left a little cold. It didn't get the platform to show off - 4pm on a damp day.

I also found the ride busy - even in bumpy road mode - and no surprises traction was limited. I jumped back in my RS6 and it felt considerably quicker, made a noise at all RPMs, rode better and felt more 'solid'. If anything it helped reinforce there is no way the RS6 is going anywhere!

I drive an F12 and also have a 2016 RS6. Yes the RS6 is much more planted and dependable - it's easy to get the power down with the Quattro drive system. But the F12 is way more fun, in the right conditions. Dry roads and warm tyres and you can then let the V12 howl. It really depends what you're looking for in a car, they suit different uses for sure. I wouldn't take the F12 to the Alps, but the RS6 suits it well. Likewise the RS6 can become a bit boring to drive as there is no drama and the noise is much better in the F12.

[MDL111]

hondansx said:

Thanks guys. I test drove one at the weekend and to be honest was left a little cold. It didn't get the platform to show off - 4pm on a damp day.

About an hour before I was in Bluewater and there just so happened to be a new Lexus LC500 there. The interior was exquisitely built in terms of materials and design. The F12, in comparison, felt really cheap and of course the controls take getting used to.

I also found the ride busy - even in bumpy road mode - and no surprises traction was limited. I jumped back in my RS6 and it felt considerably quicker, made a noise at all RPMs, rode better and felt more 'solid'. If anything it helped reinforce there is no way the RS6 is going anywhere!

Nevertheless, I'm still drawn to the F12 because of the looks and I've watched so many videos online that I'm aware I did not do the car any justice. If there's any SE owners who fancy giving me a passenger ride to remember... please get in touch!!

Today I'm going to a friend's dealership which has a 488 to try. Will be interesting to see how it compares.

Maybe a FF with a exhaust valve switch is the better car for you then. I considered an RS6 before I bought my FF and so far have not regretted the decision (nearly 40k km in 2.5 years)

Take it snowboarding every weekend on ice and snow and it feels planted and safe (well going downhill is at times interesting but that will be the case with every 2 Tonne car on wide tyres).

[Shazbat]

How odd .... sound of an F12 makes a 458 seem like a child's toy. One is Robbie Williams, the other Rachmaninoff. In fact the V8's have all sounded a bit st until you go as far back as the CS.

I have a Speciale (sounds even worse than the 458), preferred my Scud overall but having spent many miles in one, have to concede that the F12 is just a better car than all of them and i'm thinking of swapping. More fun in it's own way and more special. Needs to be manhandled though and explored over time to fully reveal itself and It will not discolse it's full potential to the average driver.

488 is impressive and very fast but really boring compared to all the above.

[_Leg_]

Shazbat said:

How odd .... sound of an F12 makes a 458 seem like a child's toy. One is Robbie Williams, the other Rachmaninoff. In fact the V8's have all sounded a bit st until you go as far back as the CS.

I have a Speciale (sounds even worse than the 458), preferred my Scud overall but having spent many miles in one, have to concede that the F12 is just a better car than all of them and i'm thinking of swapping. More fun in it's own way and more special. Needs to be manhandled though and explored over time to fully reveal itself and It will not discolse it's full potential to the average driver.

488 is impressive and very fast but really boring compared to all the above.

I have a 458 Spider, a Speciale and an F12. I'll leave the Speciale out of it as I don't drive it as much as the other two which I take into Europe 3-4 times a year.

They do sound different, no question, but your comment about a 'childs toy' is way off. The Spider sounds epic at full chat in the mountains, roof down, where 75% of the 19000 miles it has done have been covered. The F12 was actually too quiet for me on UK roads due to it not opening up until 4000rpm and the speed you're at if you exceed 4000rpm in each gear. So I had the valves locked open. Now it's mental. I don't think it sounds better than the 458 on the move though but I suspect that's because I generally have the roof down on the Spider so it's a different experience than if I was in a 458 Italia and of course the F12 is also a coupe.

As a drivers car the 458 is a better car on roads such as mountain passes. The turn in is just epic, it's superbly balanced and it feels small. The F12 by comparison feels big and is a more cumbersome to hussle around. Still superbly balanced as a car and it goes like hell but compared to a 458 I've found it, understandably, less nimble in the mountains.

But in terms of feeling special the F12 absolutely wins that hands down. I still say "wow" when I get in it.

I take the 458 when I go on road trips with friends. I take the F12 when I go on road trips with the Missus. The former is more fun to drive, the latter just feels super, super special, especially when driving around Italy.

I don't have a decent driving video in the F12 but here's the Spider on the Brenner/Jaufenpass. If I seem mental because I'm talking to myself occasionally I'm on the radio to the cars further back. Someone asked me if I often spoke to myself haha! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFIDRUOv7AA&t=...

They're all superb things to own. Never dreamt I would have one, now they dominate my year in terms of what I do with my time.

Spider on the Mille Miglia.


Spider in the Alps with friends. Look how small it seems next to a Huracan!



F12 outside the hotel in Brescia and on the Stelvio (it's a big bugger going round those hairpins!).

Edited by _Leg_ on Saturday 10th February 19:09

[sparta6]

_Leg_ said:

I have a 458 Spider, a Speciale and an F12. I'll leave the Speciale out of it as I don't drive it as much as the other two which I take into Europe 3-4 times a year.

They do sound different, no question, but your comment about a 'childs toy' is way off. The Spider sounds epic at full chat in the mountains, roof down, where 75% of the 19000 miles it has done have been covered. The F12 was actually too quiet for me on UK roads due to it not opening up until 4000rpm and the speed you're at if you exceed 4000rpm in each gear. So I had the valves locked open. Now it's mental. I don't think it sounds better than the 458 on the move though but I suspect that's because I generally have the roof down on the Spider so it's a different experience than if I was in a 458 Italia and of course the F12 is also a coupe.

As a drivers car the 458 is a better car on roads such as mountain passes. The turn in is just epic, it's superbly balanced and it feels small. The F12 by comparison feels big and is a more cumbersome to hussle around. Still superbly balanced as a car and it goes like hell but compared to a 458 I've found it, understandably, less nimble in the mountains.

But in terms of feeling special the F12 absolutely wins that hands down. I still say "wow" when I get in it.

I take the 458 when I go on road trips with friends. I take the F12 when I go on road trips with the Missus. The former is more fun to drive, the latter just feels super, super special, especially when driving around Italy.

I don't have a decent driving video in the F12 but here's the Spider on the Brenner/Jaufenpass. If I seem mental because I'm talking to myself occasionally I'm on the radio to the cars further back. Someone asked me if I often spoke to myself haha! - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFIDRUOv7AA&t=...

They're all superb things to own. Never dreamt I would have one, now they dominate my year in terms of what I do with my time.

Spider on the Mille Miglia.


Spider in the Alps with friends. Look how small it seems next to a Huracan!



F12 outside the hotel in Brescia and on the Stelvio (it's a big bugger going round those hairpins!).

Edited by _Leg_ on Saturday 10th February 19:09

Good overview and pics, thanks for sharing.
I've been toying with the idea of an F12 recently, and it sounds from your experience that it's a proper and rapid GT car.
Is this a fair summation ?
I remember being at the Frankfurt launch and was rather smitten while playing with its fitted luggage.

[_Leg_]

sparta6 said:

Good overview and pics, thanks for sharing.
I've been toying with the idea of an F12 recently, and it sounds from your experience that it's a proper and rapid GT car.
Is this a fair summation ?
I remember being at the Frankfurt launch and was rather smitten while playing with its fitted luggage.

Yes, it's definitely a GT car. The trips I choose to do in them probably sums them up best. 2018 trips..

F12 - I'm catching the Ferry from Hull to Rotterdam, taking 4 days to get to Milan through the French Alps. My wife is flying to Milan and then we're spending 2 weeks cruising down the west coast of Italy to Pompeii before crossing the country to cruise the east coast back up to Venice. Then she'll fly back and I'll take 4 days to get back to Blighty through the Alps etc again. We'll pop into the Alfa museum near Milan and I'll probably pop into the Mercedes and Porsche museums in Stuttgart. It'll be nice hotels and good food and drink all the way.

458 Spider - A bunch of guys in everything from hot hatches to supercars jump on the ferry in Hull. We've usually been in the bar nigh on 2 hours before it sails. Then it's down the Autobahns seeing who can hit the highest speed. Radio banter is plentiful. Big night out in Munich. Then into Austria and the Dolomites linking passes together at a fair old pace. Evenings are beers, beers and usually some beers.

For me that sums up the difference between the cars. I won't be faffing about in either car but the point of the F12 trip is to tour. The point of the 458 trip is to drive. So they have a different tone.

One is a top beer, one is a fine wine. Both great in different contexts.

[MDL111]

Leg - please do Post sth on pistonheads next time you pass through Austria/Munich - would love to join for part of the driving

Re F12 / FF - one thing I am now realizing is that Ferrari used lots of cheap screws / metal parts - they rust like there is no tomorrow - rather annoying given most other manufacturers seems to get that right / cars rust a lot less