Hello everyone: I think this is my first post here, but I have read a lot and find this forum very good at getting information. On 8/23/24 I have an appointment to spec and pay the deposit for my first Ferrari which will be a 296 GTS. My question is any tips or advice for a first time buyer that hasn't gone through the ordering process? Ferrari of Washington is my local dealer. Not only is this my first Ferrari it the first time ordering a car versus buying from a dealer. I owned a new 911 Carrera S and 718 Cayman S, but purchased them from dealer inventory rather than spec them. I have spent time on the Ferrari configure and have build several cars to get a basic flavor.
Have an overall budget in mind. Then spec what you have on your list , a wish list if you like , then price it . After that you can trim the things that do not matter the most to you to come back to your budget . Things to consider are a 1. lifter ( will keep you out of trouble for the unexpected drive way etc) 2. Ferrari shields ( a must ) 3 . If carbon is your thing do all exterior , a partly done car looks odd 4. Interior carbon , again if you like it you can just do the upper tunnel. Steering wheel , Carbon with LED ( every boy racer loves the LED’s . 5. Leather headliner , this can finish off the interior , the standard headliner is cheap looking. 6. Colour , very personal and can be expensive . 7. Seats , very personal, remember race seats only have a lift on the drivers seat and ther is no back adjustment , some tall people find they must have them to fit in the car . the above just scratch the surface and you will tinker with your spec until you get to 10R and the car is locked. Make it yours and look at the plus and minus of anything on your list. Specing a Ferrari is a first world problem , there probably should be counselling and therapy available to help you through the process . Good luck
Agree with this. Try to make it unique but not too unique that it will be hard to sell (if you eventually sell it). While red is known as resale red, there are some very cool colors. If you like something bright and different the triple layer colors are awesome but expensive. You’ll have to prioritize where you want to spend your money. Also keep in the back of your mind that the dealer loves when you spend 100k++ on options but it gets to a point where it’s very difficult to ever recoup those options. Very high msrp get hit the hardest.
That is a great point about options and resale. I know on the investor call the CEO shared that the average options is 20% regardless of models, so those who go above that will naturally have a bigger hit on the resale market compared to the other cars available for sale.
FOW is a great dealership with really great people you can trust. We bought our cars from them. Number one is enjoy the experience, and ask for their advice. Each of us has different priorities with our cars, we’ve personally never worried about configuring for resale, we design the car the way we like and what makes us feel good.
I think this lists sums it perfectly, except for No. 5. I've see both types of headliners and actually find the leather headliner to look out of place. Perhaps this is just a "me" problem.
Not at all. Had 6 spiders, never had a leather headliner. Never thought it was important given the top was usually down.
The only thing I would add is carplay and upgraded sound has always been a must for me. The stock stero sucks imo. Lifter is one I always do just cause even if I don't need it, the next guy may and I've seen people pick one with a lifter over another just to have in case.
I also got mine from FOW, they're great! Good luck with picking options, it's a fun time and the list will change a lot of you're like me until you can't switch things any longer. I agree with the apple car play and hi fi stereo. Some people Will skip cars that don't have these. Cheers
Lifter Add the steering wheel lights, even if no carbon but recommend CF driver zone for the lights and CF paddles too Upgraded hi-fi I strongly recommend the 360º camera I dare you to try and order without fender shields. Your salesman will lose their minds trying to convince you, since it's a big resale 'must have' option. Culturally I think they're getting played out, even if I myself relented to the pressure. If I end up getting a 12C I'm going to try and refuse them. I personally don't like the exterior CF where it's going to take road damage. I get the 'driver zone' package and the 'center tunnel' in CF, as that's what you touch most.
Since you are in VA, you could look at coming to NYC and do an Atelier session if your dealer can get a slot, depends on your order timing. Cool setting and experience. I might be in the minority but have done it 3x (1 factory, 2x NYC) and they actually don't force you into very expensive options but are very helpful in guiding you especially for your first spec. You can of course go crazy but there are plenty of small details that can make your spec special at a reasonable (by F standard!) cost. They also provide renderings along with a spreadsheet with costs which was accurate for my GTS which I picked up a coupe of weeks ago.
To the risk of hijacking the thread, you ask and you shall receive, I posted them in the 296 GTS pictures thread a couple of weeks ago. Verde Mineral/Sabbia Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Careful with some of the ADAS and Surround Camera options. They can change the aesthetics, including blocking the center aero with the adaptive cruise control black box option. If I did not go for the AF + CF Wheels I would still choose the Painted fender shields carbon fiber seats xl with lifter carbon fiber led steering wheel upgraded stereo mandatory radar / camera parking sensors / basics but NO surround 360 and NO adaptive cruise control box. Maybe the adaptive lights. Front suspension lifter Black leather upper dash as to not reflect. The rest is optional for me. Daytona seats are kind of cool tool. You also can get more seat options/ controls if you opt out of carbon fiber. The carbon fiber seats are comfy even with the assetto fixed suspension setup. If I was paying for a color I would do the triple yellow, custom orange similar to papayra spark, or maybe do rosso dino. I decided to cut myself off on the paint because two options I picked alone were over 70K$ us and went with Scuderia which is phenomenal.
Even when the Challenge Stradale was new Rosso Scuderia was the top choice paint color for resale. Great paint color, still today!
Factory. As for ADAS, you can see the radar in one of my pics, actually a much better integration than other recent F cars. Can’t imagine it would affect aero much, at least not that I could tell. The 360 view is decent and barely noticeable in terms of mirror cameras.
Here is mine without the ADAS black box for adaptive cruise, crash avoidance?, etc. I did opt for the basic front radar sensors as seen below. I didn't feel that was too intrusive. The black box for the extra ADAS features would slightly block a portion of the small fin under the front splitter. It breaks up the lines too much for my OCD. The 360 Surround adds a small circle on the very front center apex of the splitter and minor bulges under the side mirrors; less of a visual disturbance than the "enhanced" ADAS feature box imho. The radar beeps, general radar visual ques in car, and backup cam were enough for me. It really comes down to how picky you are with the lines vs. really wanting those extra features. No "wrong" choice just personal preference and which is more important for you. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
