Does Ferrari Break-in new cars before delivery

The engines are run on the Dyno to ensure that all of the proper parameters are met. This includes horsepower and torque ratings; which would require a thorough break-in, to prevent significant engine damage.
The cars are run both on the circuit but also around town to make sure that everything is operating properly. Some cars are run in more than others, and cars requiring more adjustment may have up to 100 km.
From what the factory, as well as the dealer has explained to me is; the cars are not thrashed on the test drives, but are driven relatively hard to ensure that the steering/suspension geometry and the brakes are functioning as a supercar should.
There is stil some break in to do, as the transmission and rear diff require longer periods of heat cycling.
Having said all of that; both the factory and dealer said to go ahead and "drive it like you stole it", so I gladly obliged!

 

I was told the same thing by Ferrari Service Mgr. I was surprised because I was told my GT3 needed 2,000 mile break in. Not sure how they could be so different. I guess if Ferrari was the same most would NEVER get broken in for years!

 

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I was told while at the factory today that all 8 cylinder Ferraris get exactly a 30 minute break in on the dyno. Didn't see any production cars on the track today only an fXXK

 

When I took delivery of my 458 I asked my dealer and they said the engine had a break in period at the factory and didn't need one. They did tell me, that even though the engine has already had it's break in period at the factory always make sure the car is completely warmed up before driving it hard.

 

Engine testing is 3hrs on the bench. 9mins onwards straight from the horses mouth

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4uSn-0Qfjg[/ame]

 

IMO, the engines are run to test if everything is OK not to break them in for you. New cars out of the production line will be driven around for other things to check. They will never be driven on track or on roads to be broken in.

If not, can somebody tell me why they have a break-in section in the owners manual? Just for fun? Or people who put this in, don't know this stuff but you do??

All the moving parts including the engine, suspension, gearbox, brakes, etc. need a proper break-in for at least a few hundred km's

 

From what I've been told, you are not wrong. The delivery miles are on local roads as a quality control drive, not hard driving on the track.

 

Some believe it's for driver safety allowing them some time to acquaint themselves with the power and handling at lower speeds/rpm's.

 

A combination of both depending on QC's mood and traffic. Assume though a few ascending intensity laps around the track (and YES possibly in the rain!) is your more probable scenario.

 

This is a topic worthy of discussion from a general interest standpoint, and I do find the whole process very interesting (and thanks for that video very fascinating); but from a practical standpoint I think it is a little silly.

We don't buy a new Ferrari on a monthly basis, and even the majority of true "tifosi" with deep pockets likely not even on an annual basis.

It took me approximately 1 week of cruising around in my new F12 to get past 500 miles (my compromise number) of relatively easy driving. Very enjoyable and quite frankly I think it is not a bad idea to get familiar with a new to you highly powerful and complex machine in that sort of setting rather than banging off full-throttle red line shifts right off of the boat.

I suspect the engine is just fine being driven hard immediately, but there are numerous other issues to consider: becoming familiar with the driving characteristics of a new to you car, new tires have less grip, brakes need to get worn I a little and you need to become familiar with brake responsiveness, suspension components need to flex, transmission/gears/differential all need to go thru heat-cycles, electronic components also heat and cool, wiring exposure to elements and make sure something doesn't pop loose, etc. (I am sure many here with far more engineering prowess than me could comment exhaustively.)

The point is if I were the "head dog" deciding these things today at Ferrari, and I already knew the engine was fine leaving the factory to run at redline, I would still insist that we recommend to our customers a "break-in" period as a common sense recommendation.

 

I think this is spot on and the basis behind the so called "break in period".

 

Very rarely are they driven at Fiorano.

Aside from getting used to the new handling and power of your car, I have never broken in a modern Ferrari. Even my F40LM was put in the hands of a professional race driver for a test at Donnington recently after a total rebuild, and having just downloaded the data, I can assure you he thrashed it.

Back in the day, I did 'run in' my 512 Boxers, but California, 458, F12, and F12 VS, a waste of good driving time.

 

Deslers will often tell you to not "do this or that" for a couple of hundred miles but I always felt it was more to get people not to nail the car right out of the box until they get used to the power.

 

Assuming you paid for the car and it's your car just do what you feel like. Drive slow or hard for the first few hundred miles it's totally up to you.

 

Years ago, I followed a newly produced 360 in my own 360 into the hills beyond Maranello. It was the cars 'shake down' run prior to final cleaning/tuning and then shipping. To say the driver was 'hammering' it would not be doing the word justice. After trying (and I mean trying...!) to keep up, I appreciated that the thought of treating the engine gently didn't register with that particular test driver. My suspicion is that that was the norm. Soooo, basically, when you get your 'new' car, it's already been tortured for a good 80-100 miles. Break-in.....already been done. Really done.

 

I tried my best to get that guy's job. Would even take no pay!

 

I believe that if you actually paid for the car and plan to keep it then you will be kind and do the 'break-in'. Otherwise, the flippers likely could give a flip and may not even wait for it to warm up. Part of the YOLO crowd I assume.

 

Correct, standard production cars are NOT tested on the track. Public roads only. That much should be out of the discussion.

That said, I'd be very careful to consider a more or less spirited test drive of <100 km as a complete break-in of the engine (should we agree a break-in is needed).

Just being picky now: the test engine man on the video explains that is a 3 hour test BECAUSE it is a prototype engine. Thus implying normalised production engines will not have such long test. Anyway it is a test, not a specific break-in procedure.

I would definitely observe certain cautions in the first 1000 km or so, if I was to receive a new car.

Anyway, having read lots about engine breaking-in, most agree that nowadays the difference between correct breaking-in and not breaking-in is not much more tan a 5% in preformance, fuel consumption, etc. Really not critical...

 

That is EXACTLY what the dealership told me. The 50 miles you see are Maranello streets.

 

Work it out for yourself, 7,000 cars spending 30 minutes at Fiorano? Physically impossible. As I said clients new cars very rarely get driven at Fiorano, and if they are, it has to be for a good and specific reason. In short, a myth.

 

Exactly. Saw this first hand during the 2 visits I had at the factory in Maranello. The test drive consists of taking the car out on the streets of Maranello, not on the track.

 

The cars are not tested at Fiorano. The engine is bench tested in the room you pass in the engine assembly facility when you are on the factory tour.

I have a copy of the map and route advised by the factory test drivers. It includes everything from a section of autostrada to twisty hillside roads. I don't recall the entire length, but I'll plot the route into maps one day and see. It's actually a very cool "lap" and I plan to drive it fully one day.

 

V12's may be tested 3hrs, V8's are tested 30 minutes according to the person giving the factory tour this week. I was told this standing in front of the engine test bench this past Friday after asking this specific question.