Buying my First Ferrari (812 SF)

What state do you live in? A dealer will be able to remit the proper sales tax and DMV paperwork. If living in CA, you are on the hook for a smog inspection and VIN verification, which the CHP or DMV can do but it is a PITA. I just pay to have it done by one of the independent DMV service businesses that have popped up. You have a grace period from receiving a vehicle to completing the registration, and it is typically pretty generous but if you slip the date you will pay a fine.

Buying from a dealer removes a lot of the potential risk, but not all. Detail what they will ship with the car (cover, trickle charger, etc.) and get super specific, for example “two keys”. I had my last car ship to me with one key and a promise that they would reimburse me for the replacement. $1,400 out of pocket later and them forgetting who I was... I had 2 keys. You might consider flying to where the car is and documenting the condition before it ships. You are not buying a Mustang, these are quite expensive cars by any standard. Other, more knowledgable, people here will be able to give you guidance on what to have checked out on the car over and above the CPO inspection. There is a recall on the 812 for the back glass, which should get called out on the inspection but ask about it nonetheless

Shipping varies by distance, of course, but dealers will have preferred shippers and take their advice. Auto shipping can be a really shady business and a car that leaves, for example, Miami destined for California can make several stops for loading/unloading and even have the trailer change trucks along the way, after sitting in a trucking yard for several days. Don’t try to pinch pennies on shipping, but also know that companies like Reliable are top of the market and you don’t necessarily get more for the premium price tag.

 

What kind of options?

As for the paperwork the last out of state car I bought I simply brought the bill of sale to the DMV to get plates then flew out and put the plates on the car.

 

Congratulations.

Fly out on a Thursday night, pick it up Friday and drive it home! Between Friday and Sunday, you can learn the car and have a great adventure.

 

@Jeff3545 mentioned some good points, if possible, view the car in person and get a proper inspection documenting anything that was not covered by the Ad. There have been some horror stories from Fchatters where their Ferrari dealers had failed to mention exterior and interior damages. Which could have been avoided had they viewed the car in person. Shipping is key too, do not cheap out on that part, maybe reach out to your dealer and see if they have trusted shippers. Where are you located? That would help other members with shipping reccos.

 

BTW I'm serious about driving it home, you could make that in three days flat, but the best leg is Beaver, UT to Denver. I did that the other way last summer, picking up my car from Atlanta:



https://ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/taking-the-f12-plunge.626661/

 

Summer would be great too, it would be nice to take it a little more leisurely than I did. If you can go from Denver down to UT and then up the I15 to SLC and Park City areas it would be a wonderful driving trip.

 

Once you get the keys, you will enjoy it even more. Cruising in the mountains is the best way to enjoy the amazing V12. If you have the time this summer, any long distance trip would be a real fun time.

 

I just sold my 812 through my dealer to a party I didn't know. I had a 2019 with a little over 2,000 miles. So I was about 2 years into the warranty.

Still the buyer wanted the car as CPO to add another 2 years of warranty. My 812 was absolutely spotless inside. Complete spec on the inside (carbon everywhere and anywhere, JBL, blah blah blah, everything).

The exterior was flawless. But I did not use carbon on the outside as it is on lowest portion of the car where high impact with gravel/rocks is likely to occur. That was the only "missing part" of a maximum spec car. I also had the car filmed completely. With ceramic on top of the film. You couldn't see the film.

Now, the one area I didn't film was the windshield. And the windshield took about 4-5 little teeny indentations/rock hits from driving. According to my dealer, the buyer didn't really care about the windshield chips. But cared quite a bit about any rock chip anywhere on the car. Even if it was on the film only.

I have known my dealership well for 15+ years. They tell me directly what is going on. They told me the film meant as much as did CPO. But once the buyer saw I went to trouble of putting on great film with ceramic, they weren't so insistent on CPO. It was quite psychological. My belief is that they needed to know they were getting a car that was well cared for.

Several days later, the deal closed and my dealer told me they ended up still buying CPO. LOL!

On shipping, I once had a nightmare issue shipping a new, high end vehicle to California from Wisconsin. I asked the dealer in Wisconsin to take pictures of the odometer on the showroom floor as well as when the dealer was loading the car onto the shipper's truck.

By the time the car arrived to me, the car had roughly 20 more miles on the odometer. And the shipper took about 10 days longer than originally promised and planned. The mistake was not picking the best shipper and waiting another week for delivery. Instead I rushed and it was still late by a week. And there were an extra 20 more miles. Driven by someone who was not me and probably not the dealer. Which leaves the shipper. So people's comments about picking great shipping are wise.

 

Congrats on the 812! I too had similar dreams of owning a V12 Ferrari and the 812 was my first as well.

You will enjoy every second of driving this car. It really is something special. I hope your schedule will allow you driving it back home because that would be a great way to really learn the car and have an amazing trip!

 

What are all the financing terms on a Ferrari?
I just bought a 488 but usually do finance my cars.


Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat

 

Very nice spec, with a unique interior! The central tunnel and lower dash in red alcantara is a very nice touch.

 

Congrats! The first hit in the car will have you hooked for life. Just embrace it lol

 

No prior production car experience prepares you for the total experience of driving the 812. It is unlike anything I have ever owned or driven.

 

100% coverage of the exterior is what I recommend. Also, I had them do ceramic coating on top, although many others feel like that step is unnecessary. I use Exoshield on the front windshield. I installed Suntek because, at the time, it was the only manufacturer that had rolls big enough to prevent having to use a seam or notch on the front hood of the 812. That may have changed in the last couple years. All my other cars are Xpel. I enjoy having a certain measure of protection on my cars, but mostly I love never having to wash them. All they really require is a squirt of quick detailer and a microfiber and I am good to go. No swirls. No buffing.

 

I have owned my 812 for two years. Sadly, it only has 1000 miles (I have 5 cars that I rotate driving). I have never washed it. The dealer has washed it twice as part of the annual service. It always looks great!