Every day tips for living with a 599

[DeejRC]

Hughesie said:

cake eater said:

Mezzanine said:

DeejRC said:

The £87k silver 599 at Dicks keeps appealing to me. Then I read Cake posts and my balls shrivel back to non Italian size!

You know it's because my donkey has an abusive owner

Same here, I've spent over £100k on mine in 9 years but it's on 80k miles and is now mechanically perfect (I think)

That one at Dicks has also got a poverty spec interior - barely any carbon and no steering wheels race lights, no luggage - its also high mileage for that sort of coin as well imho..

It does look lovely though !

Edited by Hughesie on Wednesday 29th October 14:06

£100k, 9yrs.
Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

[cake eater]

White-Noise said:

Thanks for the updates it's a thread I always find interesting. In 2026 do you still plan to track it and drive it hard like this year?

Basically Yes

I had two targets. Sub 8 (full lap) and beat the 'official' lap time.

https://fastestlaps.com/tests/6kosu2loubda

One ticked off and I'm 12 seconds off the other. I can't go faster without increasing the risk acceptance. With brakes and suspension I think I can go significantly faster without accepting more risk or exposing my lack of skill.

What is it Stoner said to Rossi? "Your ambition outweighs your talent!"

https://youtu.be/Dm9933w0b9g?si=0dHgV7QO6OUqV1YX

Then there's the whole having adventures. I have a couple planned but it's timing with work and life.

[White-Noise]

cake eater said:

White-Noise said:

Thanks for the updates it's a thread I always find interesting. In 2026 do you still plan to track it and drive it hard like this year?

Basically Yes

I had two targets. Sub 8 (full lap) and beat the 'official' lap time.

https://fastestlaps.com/tests/6kosu2loubda

One ticked off and I'm 12 seconds off the other. I can't go faster without increasing the risk acceptance. With brakes and suspension I think I can go significantly faster without accepting more risk or exposing my lack of skill.

What is it Stoner said to Rossi? "Your ambition outweighs your talent!"

https://youtu.be/Dm9933w0b9g?si=0dHgV7QO6OUqV1YX

Then there's the whole having adventures. I have a couple planned but it's timing with work and life.

I always remember that day Rossi went in there and was criticised for not taking his lid off.

I hope you manage it and it sounds achievable then with the mods. Maybe tyres can help too. Big risk at that place though. I guess you have done quite a few laps, you have raced as well right in general?

[cake eater]

Hughesie said:

cake eater said:

Mezzanine said:

DeejRC said:

The £87k silver 599 at Dicks keeps appealing to me. Then I read Cake posts and my balls shrivel back to non Italian size!

You know it's because my donkey has an abusive owner

Same here, I've spent over £100k on mine in 9 years but it's on 80k miles and is now mechanically perfect (I think)

That one at Dicks has also got a poverty spec interior - barely any carbon and no steering wheels race lights, no luggage - its also high mileage for that sort of coin as well imho..

It does look lovely though !

Edited by Hughesie on Wednesday 29th October 14:06

I know it sounds crazy to spend so much on a 599. It's a particularly unloved model. The F12 is next gen ahead and I have a friend who constantly reminds me, for the money I've spent on repairs I could be in an F12.

And I agree. But it would have been sat in a garage, just doing a few miles every year. All that money is an investment in the next adventure. There's only one way to avoid temptation and that's to give in to it

I think an F12 would be just as expensive to do the kind of milage Hughesie and I have done. Gearbox would probably be a lot more reliable though. And I'm not going to have the depreciation.

Man maths, always a way to make you feel like you made the right choices even though the evidence says different

[cake eater]

White-Noise said:

cake eater said:

White-Noise said:

Thanks for the updates it's a thread I always find interesting. In 2026 do you still plan to track it and drive it hard like this year?

Basically Yes

I had two targets. Sub 8 (full lap) and beat the 'official' lap time.

https://fastestlaps.com/tests/6kosu2loubda

One ticked off and I'm 12 seconds off the other. I can't go faster without increasing the risk acceptance. With brakes and suspension I think I can go significantly faster without accepting more risk or exposing my lack of skill.

What is it Stoner said to Rossi? "Your ambition outweighs your talent!"

https://youtu.be/Dm9933w0b9g?si=0dHgV7QO6OUqV1YX

Then there's the whole having adventures. I have a couple planned but it's timing with work and life.

I always remember that day Rossi went in there and was criticised for not taking his lid off.

I hope you manage it and it sounds achievable then with the mods. Maybe tyres can help too. Big risk at that place though. I guess you have done quite a few laps, you have raced as well right in general?

In total 120 laps, plus minus, in the 599. Many years ago I was there on a bike.

I did a little hobby racing on bikes and in a Caterham.

Problem is the racing was years ago and it gives you an edge, a sharpness I long ago lost but think I still have. I go to Colin at https://catdrivertraining.co.uk/ to try to remind myself of the skills and where my limits are.

I'm on cup 2s. I want to go to the new Pirelli trofero RS but they don't have the sizes. I thought about Nankang CR-S.

Tim Schrick
https://youtu.be/8xlDAqC0dDM?si=FQ8xA7frNFg5SQke

1.4 secs faster than cup 2r on new Manhart MH2 GTR (Base BMW M2 G87), almost 2 ton at blister berg

Winning Driven Performance
https://youtu.be/O11YuT2MH54?si=EOSTnEJWhaxDNgW2

1.2 secs faster than cup 2n on 992 GT3 at spa, 0.2 - 0.4 g more corner load

And they have the sizes
https://www.nankangtyre.co.uk/products/motorsport/...
Front 285/30 ZR20 (99Y)
Rear 325/30 ZR20 (106 Y)

But I got put off from chatting to a few different people at the Nurburgring. Maybe with the suspension set up set for that tyre?


On another tyre comparison, I think cup 2 are worth +/- 20 seconds at the Nurburgring compared to the tyres used to set the 599 GTB ring time.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/new...

[cake eater]

DeejRC said:

Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

Maybe he has the right wife and we have the wrong one? I also have to hide the man maths from my Mum!

[cake eater]

Back to the LSD, Florian says he can rebuild it. It's just sourcing the part.

Oscar Goldman: We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.

Showing my age here

[Hughesie]

cake eater said:

DeejRC said:

Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

Maybe he has the right wife and we have the wrong one? I also have to hide the man maths from my Mum!

She's a keeper for sure, the car that is

The wife's a good egg - as a serial car swapper previously def would have spent more swapping cars over that period rather than fixing/improving it, and she actually likes the Ferrari having previously hated most of my other cars..

[White-Noise]

cake eater said:

In total 120 laps, plus minus, in the 599. Many years ago I was there on a bike.

I did a little hobby racing on bikes and in a Caterham.

Problem is the racing was years ago and it gives you an edge, a sharpness I long ago lost but think I still have. I go to Colin at https://catdrivertraining.co.uk/ to try to remind myself of the skills and where my limits are.

I'm on cup 2s. I want to go to the new Pirelli trofero RS but they don't have the sizes. I thought about Nankang CR-S.

Tim Schrick
https://youtu.be/8xlDAqC0dDM?si=FQ8xA7frNFg5SQke

1.4 secs faster than cup 2r on new Manhart MH2 GTR (Base BMW M2 G87), almost 2 ton at blister berg

Winning Driven Performance
https://youtu.be/O11YuT2MH54?si=EOSTnEJWhaxDNgW2

1.2 secs faster than cup 2n on 992 GT3 at spa, 0.2 - 0.4 g more corner load

And they have the sizes
https://www.nankangtyre.co.uk/products/motorsport/...
Front 285/30 ZR20 (99Y)
Rear 325/30 ZR20 (106 Y)

But I got put off from chatting to a few different people at the Nurburgring. Maybe with the suspension set up set for that tyre?


On another tyre comparison, I think cup 2 are worth +/- 20 seconds at the Nurburgring compared to the tyres used to set the 599 GTB ring time.

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-germancars/new...

Sounds like you could be set then with the cup 2 and mods. You may well end up chasing tenths at this rate...

Racing certainly helps, I thought I knew what fast was before that. Oh dear

I'm not sure I had heard of that blister berg place before. Reminds me I certainly need to spend more time in Germany in the future.

I was looking at cat driver training. They give the helicopter co ordinates. Not something I've noticed on a site before! Handy

Edited by White-Noise on Wednesday 29th October 17:44

[DeejRC]

Hughesie said:

cake eater said:

DeejRC said:

Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

Maybe he has the right wife and we have the wrong one? I also have to hide the man maths from my Mum!

She's a keeper for sure, the car that is

The wife's a good egg - as a serial car swapper previously def would have spent more swapping cars over that period rather than fixing/improving it, and she actually likes the Ferrari having previously hated most of my other cars..

Gentlemen I doff my hat.

[cake eater]

cake eater said:

Back to the LSD, Florian says he can rebuild it. It's just sourcing the part.

Oscar Goldman: We can rebuild him. We have the technology. We can make him better than he was. Better, stronger, faster.

Showing my age here

A Ferrarichat person has suggested that the LSD is the same as used on older Porsches. I quick internet search suggests that Porsche used ZF differentials up to 2006.
Next door to MDL is https://www.cmsporsche.co.uk/ so will check with them also.
The Modena Engineering one is a different design and unlikely to be interchangeable.

[cake eater]

Hughesie said:

cake eater said:

DeejRC said:

Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

Maybe he has the right wife and we have the wrong one? I also have to hide the man maths from my Mum!

She's a keeper for sure, the car that is

The wife's a good egg - as a serial car swapper previously def would have spent more swapping cars over that period rather than fixing/improving it, and she actually likes the Ferrari having previously hated most of my other cars..

Good to hear, though I'm wondering if there was a kitchen knife in your back as you wrote

Yes, the 599 is a keeper, though a wise PHer on here reminded me to be wary of that. I look around and consider options but ultimately nothing I can afford interests me enough to change. I'd jump into an F12 TDF b

My Dad used to warn me of getting into that spiral of fixing then thinking you've spent so much that you can't sell. I'm definitely there

[Joscal]

Fascinating thread if a little scary!

I’ve just put a deposit on a 2008 HGTE subject to inspection.

I think they’re stunning machines, saw one in Milan 11th September 2011 and have wanted one since.

[cake eater]

Joscal said:

Fascinating thread if a little scary!

I ve just put a deposit on a 2008 HGTE subject to inspection.

I think they re stunning machines, saw one in Milan 11th September 2011 and have wanted one since.

Congratulations! It's so good when dreams come true. I love the car too

Factory HGTE?

Will it be a Ferrari inspection or an independent?

[Cheburator mk2]

cake eater said:

A Ferrarichat person has suggested that the LSD is the same as used on older Porsches. I quick internet search suggests that Porsche used ZF differentials up to 2006.
Next door to MDL is https://www.cmsporsche.co.uk/ so will check with them also.
The Modena Engineering one is a different design and unlikely to be interchangeable.

What is actually wrong with the LSD? I See a broken washer and some marks on the cassette, but the photos are a bit meh...

ZF make most of the classic plates based LSDs for the likes of Porsche, BMW, MB etc. That doesn't mean they are interchangeable at will. While clutch plates from certain older models BMW will fit certain older Porsche models, that's where the commonality ends. Cassettes are different, ramp angles are different, dog washers have different thickness etc. Guards in the US should be on your contact list as well as Racing Diffs in Serbia... Between them, they have forgotten more about LSDs than ZF ever knew....

[Hughesie]

cake eater said:

Hughesie said:

cake eater said:

DeejRC said:

Hughesie - you are either single or you furnish your wife with a far bigger bribe fund than I can possible contemplate. Or you are a much much better at hiding man math economics from your wife than I could ever manage!

Maybe he has the right wife and we have the wrong one? I also have to hide the man maths from my Mum!

She's a keeper for sure, the car that is

The wife's a good egg - as a serial car swapper previously def would have spent more swapping cars over that period rather than fixing/improving it, and she actually likes the Ferrari having previously hated most of my other cars..

Good to hear, though I'm wondering if there was a kitchen knife in your back as you wrote

Yes, the 599 is a keeper, though a wise PHer on here reminded me to be wary of that. I look around and consider options but ultimately nothing I can afford interests me enough to change. I'd jump into an F12 TDF b

My Dad used to warn me of getting into that spiral of fixing then thinking you've spent so much that you can't sell. I'm definitely there

I keep looking at 720's for all the spiralling reasons above !

[Joscal]

cake eater said:

Congratulations! It's so good when dreams come true. I love the car too

Factory HGTE?

Will it be a Ferrari inspection or an independent?

Cheers I’m really excited!

Yes it’s a factory with FFSH from new at the supplying dealer, I was thinking of using them?

Nothings set in stone as the seller is on holiday until Saturday so any suggestions around Buckingham are more than welcome!

[Hughesie]

Joscal said:

Nothings set in stone as the seller is on holiday until Saturday so any suggestions around Buckingham are more than welcome!

SBR might do it (Aylesbury), I would use Autofficina (Epsom), Elias who owns them has had multiple 599's and looks aftermany and knows them inside out !.

[Joscal]

Hughesie said:

SBR might do it (Aylesbury), I would use Autofficina (Epsom), Elias who owns them has had multiple 599's and looks aftermany and knows them inside out !.

Excellent thanks Autofficina sound perfect, I’ll try them!

Appreciate it Hughsie, I’m pretty up to speed with Porsche but am a bit lost in Ferrari land.

[cake eater]

White-Noise said:

Sounds like you could be set then with the cup 2 and mods. You may well end up chasing tenths at this rate...

Racing certainly helps, I thought I knew what fast was before that. Oh dear

I'm not sure I had heard of that blister berg place before. Reminds me I certainly need to spend more time in Germany in the future.

I was looking at cat driver training. They give the helicopter co ordinates. Not something I've noticed on a site before! Handy

Edited by White-Noise on Wednesday 29th October 17:44

I want to go to blister berg! Looks a crazy track!
Try this website for Europe trackdays
https://all4track.de/
Or
https://www.openpitlane.de/

Colin at CDT is the best car skills instructor I have ever had. His ability to understand what you're doing to upset the car and communicate to you in a way that you understand is amazing. My trail braking, steering and vision improved so much with him at I love his 'at grip limit' course, basically drifting


What racing have you done? I found different clubs had different levels and the jump from club to back of the pack at national level huge. Then Europe was a different story again!

I agreed about chasing 1/10ths but there's so many corners to gain in the braking zone and so many bumps where I'm feathering the throttle or adjusting the line that I think over a lap I've got seconds I can make up.