Every day tips for living with a 599

[cake eater]

Hi,

Finally have my 599 in the garage


Any tips for living with it?
Like how do you activate the parking sensors without going into reverse?
Where do you put your phone so you can use maps? I really don't like a suction mount on the windscreen and hate the idea of sticking a mount to the dash.

Thanks

[supersport]

If it’s like the F430 then sensors only come on when in reverse or when you first fire it up.

So I wouldn’t rely on the front sensors working when you pull into a space, which is a bit bonkers.

[cake eater]

Well, I'm feeling dumb!

There's a button on the centre console to activate the sensors. There's also a function called 'stop/go' in the dash display which turns the parking sensors on automatically below 11mph.
There's two tiny rocker switches behind the steering wheel for accessing the menu on the dash display.

Amazing what you find hidden when you read the manual.

[DeejRC]

You read the manual?!

Wait, what…there’s a manual??!

[cake eater]

I found it in the glovebox. For days I was like can't believe no cupholders and no glovebox. Last night I was in the car and thought, what does this 'open' button do?

And like magic a glovebox appears!!

[PerseusGK]

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the same position as the OP, picked up my 599 in November and really smitten with it - loving the 'modern-classic' feel of the car, but am definitely looking for any tips and experience from fellow owners.

I'm planning some road trips for later in '22 one of which will be down to Austria so I'd also be interested in any preferred phone mount solutions to use an Iphone 7+ with Google Maps. I'm thinking a windscreen mount would be better due to the steeper rake than most supercars and definite apprehension at fitting sticky suction cups onto the carbon dash.

Thanks in advance

[PerseusGK]

[jayemm89]

When you get in the car, turn the key (but don't start the car).

Wait a few seconds, then press the throttle pedal all the way down and release. Then start.

It performs some extra calibration that can make low speed manoeuvring a little smoother.

If driving in the rain, be wary the ceramics can sometimes take a second before waking up - bit terrifying, something you need to be cautious of.

Don't be afraid of the manettino modes below sport - they are your friend! Ice is only for extreme situations but the slippery mode is comfier than sport and traction will be more aggressive, good for poor road conditions.

Also, get friendly with your local petrol station.

Congrats on the car.

[cake eater]

Gorgeous car PerseusGK

And thanks for the tips jayemm89. I remember the dealer told me about this as it helps to calibrate the throttle bodies.

I would also recommend getting a specialist inspection done even though you have purchased the car already. MDL specialist cars did this for me and found a few issues that were missed by the inspection from the main dealer inspection.

I am also going to do a day at Millbrook with CAT Driver Training as I am finding the shear size and speed of the car is taking some getting used to

Cake

[Stedman]

Corrrr. They don't look crap, do they!

[PerseusGK]

Hey Cake, thanks for that. Jayemm89 thanks for the tip!

Really enjoying the car and looking forward to getting out of the winter months of cold tyres and slippery roads.

Cake, did you buy the Grigio / Bordeaux car that was in Cheshire? Nice looking machine and a great colour scheme.

Mine is Nero / Cuoio, and I picked her up from Dick Lovett in Swindon. They were a great team to deal with and the car came with 2 years worth of Power 15 warranty which adds some peace of mind.

[cake eater]

Hi PerseusGK,

I think I was looking at the same car as you. Unfortunately DL didn't give me the same experience you had. Never returned my calls or emails. Only person who treated me like a potential customer was the Ferrari financial guy Kevin Briggs.

Yes, I bought the Grigio Silverstone with Bordeaux car. I like the combination. It makes me think that if Bond left the Aston at home he'd take the 599.

I'm taking it to Monaco at the end of this month.

All the Best with your car!
Cake

[WCZ]

cake eater said:

Gorgeous car PerseusGK

I am also going to do a day at Millbrook with CAT Driver Training as I am finding the shear size and speed of the car is taking some getting used to

they are a bit nuts aren't they¬!

[PerseusGK]

Have had a car as powerful in the past (McLaren 12C), but not with the seemingly never ending intensity power delivery and noise - it's quite startling in a good way!

It also feels like the widest thing I've ever driven, but still feels very agile for its size. Looking forward to getting into Europe with it, quite envious of your trip to Monaco, Cake.

[cake eater]

WCZ said:

they are a bit nuts aren't they¬!

In a scary fabulous way!

[cake eater]

PerseusGK said:

Have had a car as powerful in the past (McLaren 12C), but not with the seemingly never ending intensity power delivery and noise - it's quite startling in a good way!

It also feels like the widest thing I've ever driven, but still feels very agile for its size. Looking forward to getting into Europe with it, quite envious of your trip to Monaco, Cake.

I looked at 12c and 570s but the 599 turned my head more. I could not believe how much it was still pulling at 160! I'm rather wary of pushing its limits at the moment especially under brakes and cornering. I love the way it is a nice luxury GT when you want and completely nuts when the mood takes you.

[cake eater]

So yesterday turned out to be a bad day.

Planned to meet a friend for breakfast and had made a 60 mile route including the snake pass. 8 miles in and TPMS gives me a warning. Initially just thought it was false alarm till I felt a pull at the steering. Pressure reading 5psi! Unfortunately I am on a twisty B road with nowhere to pull over, not even a small straight. Drove on for a little bit and found a st place to stop, was really worried about driving any further as TPMS said 0psi. Checked the tyre and there is a finger sized hole in the side wall!

Please note I did not leave the car like this, it was only like this so I could check the tyre. I moved it to the kerb once I knew the tyre could not be repaired. Luckily the AA van turned up 30mins later and parked up with his lights flashing to help warn drivers. So glad it was a quiet Sunday morning with little traffic as there were quite a few scares.

Anyway. No jacking kit (no spare so not required but all the same!). Just a puncture repair kit that is 4 years out of date.

AA took 5 hours to get a low loader. The driver of the low loader then attempted to drive the 599 up the ramp, with a flat tyre, nearly pulling the bumper off and bending the number plate bracket. I was furious.

AA man told me what the driver of the low loader did is considered gross negligence. How do you complain and someone lose their job, their lively hood? As someone said to me on here, "it is just an expensive donkey!" In my industry, I could call a service company and recommend further training, no need for details.

What to do?

New tyre, new repair kit, fingers crossed for the trip to Monaco

[jayemm89]

cake eater said:

AA man told me what the driver of the low loader did is considered gross negligence. How do you complain and someone lose their job, their lively hood? As someone said to me on here, "it is just an expensive donkey!" In my industry, I could call a service company and recommend further training, no need for details.

What to do?

Unfortunately, as unpleasant as it may be, you do need to make the complaint. If you don't, your insurance company will.

Perhaps you're in the fortunate position that repairing a Ferrari bumper etc... is something you're willing to do to save somebody from losing their job.

But maybe they're just hopeless and the next person they do over won't be able to sort something out, or perhaps won't even be around to see if they've damaged a car. Expensive donkey it may be, but some of these donkeys are rather important to their owners!

Most companies have a fairly linear procedure, unless your chap was already on his written warning you're unlikely to cost him his job so just phone and be polite, don't go nuclear but the company do have to sort this. Not your fault.

Any idea what caused the hole in the tyre? Worth checking the age of them all, classic Ferrari thing is to have ancient tyres on.

[cake eater]

I do agree with you it needs to be mentioned as not and someone else suffering is also not an acceptable outcome.

Tyres were new, put on a few weeks ago, less than 500 miles on them, date stamp within the last 4 months for the front and 6 months for the rear.

AA man said tyres are their #1 call out now. Seems to have been a sharp stone that went right through the side wall.

[DeejRC]

The expensive donkey comment was probably me. I cannot conceive of costing someone their job over such a thing, my car is just a car. My wife says that I’m such a soft touch that I’m nearly a bleeding heart liberal communist.