Fulfillment of the childhood dream: The hooning of a Ferrari 599

"newton" (newton) 08/30/2015 at 03:16 • Filed to: ferrari, 599, hoon of the day, donuts

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Picture this, a familiar scenario: As a kid you were met with a beautiful Rosso colored Ferrari at some point, be it in person or in posters. “That’ll be mine one day,” you thought. And ambitious as you were, you positioned yourself and labored entirely too hard toward your passion of owning one. Then with a bit of dedication and luck, you might have eventually found yourself being handed the keys and title to one of your childhood dream cars. “This is it, I’ve made it,” you think. A beautiful red Ferrari finally finds residence in your garage.

Over time, you realize the incredible costs of owning one of these cars and its propensity to depreciate if proper care is not provided. As a result, you decide to tend to your dream car carefully by spending generous amounts of time detailing the car, having it maintained immaculately at only certified Ferrari service centers and going for short Sunday drives where tire wear would be kept at a minimum.

Yet, the childhood dream of owning a Ferrari rarely involves driving one leisurely, under the restraint of highway guidelines and the etiquette of luxury car owners. You were 9 years old, and dreaming of owning a Ferrari likely involved being a bit ridiculous in one.

A friend of mine, who I’ll refer to as Mr. K, recently came into realizing the dream of owning a Ferrari. This one is known as the 599 GTB Fiorano, a previous generation GT car Ferrari made as a successor to the timeless 550/575 Maranellos. It’s a beautiful tourer and one that implements a more traditional drive setup: A V12 in the front and power to the rear.

I love Ferrari’s cars, I really do, but there seems to be a certain stigma attached to these cars that keeps them grossly unappealing. It may be the owners or it may just be the company that makes them, an entity that keeps a watchful eye of what happens in their roadcar program. Ferrari is keen to uphold an image that some of its fans will find contradictory to the character of its vehicles. Here’s one hint, having some good old fun is not part of that image.

Mr. K lives in a different part of the country than I do but that wasn’t about to keep me from being excited when I was informed of his new acquisition. The thing is, Mr. K is a car nut and carries with him a history of leadfootedness, a symptom of relapsing childhood car enthusiasm that I find myself suffering from in bouts when behind the wheel of a rear drive car.

As one would imagine, things get interesting when you take a sports car with a reputation for being preserved for its value and hand it to a man who suffers from a condition in the right foot. Months back, I had asked Mr. K if he would have the inclination to get feisty behind the wheel in the event I’d visit with a camera.

To my delight, inclination was an understatement.

I’ve done things as a young adult I’m not particularly proud of in the years past, but cannot say I regret either. One of them might have involved a Ford Mustang that was not mine and an empty high school parking lot. What I discovered however was that at the end, no one was hurt and the only real cost involved some rear tires being rendered useless. My behavior was not entirely upstanding, but then again, for the first time in years I had fun in ways I hadn’t since being a kid.

This reminded me of that time.

I was actually concerned for what Mr. K would think of the “evidence” I had captured. After all, we were behaving in ways that both law enforcement and other Ferrari owners would find to be disobedient. So I asked and was given the response of:

Don’t post the pics anywhere please. It is important not to muddy the history of this car, the depreciation of an abused car is SO great! SO great I tell you!!!! OMG I can’t stand the thought of it!!!

Fuck that...Do anything you like with the pics.

They say people don’t grow up and that the toys just get more expensive. I say provided that one has the nerve to free themselves from the constraints of what is commonly defined as adulthood, they might just be on to something.

Reposted from !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! / Instagram: !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

Flavien Vidal > newton 08/30/2015 at 04:51

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Something else that deserves FP...

TractorPillow > newton 08/30/2015 at 08:24

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Nice.

190e30-Now with COSWORTH > newton 08/30/2015 at 08:48

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You write painfully well.

theshinobi01 > newton 08/30/2015 at 10:33

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Mmfh. I would also love to hoon/own a Ferrari F40LM and a Porsche 959. Nice!

Jeeper1 > newton 08/30/2015 at 10:51

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You and Mr. K (if that is his real name) are true American heroes. Hats off to you, sirs.

Phunkydiabetic > newton 08/30/2015 at 10:51

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This is the way cars deserve to be treated. Good on this guy.

dopaz > newton 08/30/2015 at 10:51

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There’s no doughnut quite like a V12 doughnut!

detailer4u > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:13

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Love it..... Congrats to Mr K. and thank you for sharing.

Andrew > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:21

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You were a child when the 599 was in production? Jeez, you are young. And I am getting old.

Well-written otherwise.

Upshift > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:28

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Mr. K is a hero!

Reminds me of the way most Mustang owners at the local Mustang club treat their stallions: Gotta baby it, wash it as soon as a single spec of dust hits it and never take it out in the rain. Gotta preserve that resale value in case it becomes a classic even though it’s just a V6.

To which I say fuck that. Rain or shine. Clear skies or tornados. When the werkend arrives, she comes out (gotta save fuel by taking out the mazda for my commute, but I cheat sometimes :) ). I track it, I abuse it, I do donuts and lay down 11s, have frequent dates with the redline (okay, multiple times a day and sometimes all the way to the 7400rpm cutoff) and always downshift to 3rd to pass on the highway. I do my maintenance religiously and always make sure she’s running healthy and feed her good gas. But I abuse the hell out of her.

And then the club wonders why I won’t join. Hint: I can’t relate to them at all.

ZoomZoomBoom > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:29

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Thank you for sharing this.

MoarCaffeine > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:36

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Given a completely vacant space free of obstruction and a license to throttle, I wholeheartedly believe those that balk at such behavior would see their opinion change upon redline. If the only thing you hurt are your tires and nobody or nothing around to present a risk, do it.

On a side note, thank God someone used a Ferrari for something it was made for.

Parkanzky > newton 08/30/2015 at 11:41

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Hats off to you good sirs!

Peptide > Upshift 08/30/2015 at 11:55

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And then the club wonders why I won’t join. Hint: I can’t relate to them at all.

I feel exactly the same way about most clubs: park the cars, look at the cars, talk about the cars...but don’t drive them, except in a parade formation. To Hell with that...

Autoholic > newton 08/30/2015 at 12:01

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Yep that’s mud on a GT-R!

I like to drive this car like it’s you know a car. And sometimes that involves getting a little dirty. Too often I hear/see owners of supercars drive their cars with more caution than a normal driver. It doesn’t make sense to me to own a car that has the capacity to own a track day yet garage it and never enjoy it because you are worried about depreciation.

C’mon people. Life’s short and your sports car won’t be going with you once you die!

marshknute > Peptide 08/30/2015 at 12:09

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That’s what I love about the Porsche Club; they still host concourse events, but they also have a huge collection of members who only do the track day events.

DoYouEvenShift > newton 08/30/2015 at 12:23

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I know some people dont like it, but the 599 is my second favorite Ferrari next to the 550. Larger displacement engine, rwd, thing is a hot rod in every sense of the term.

KremerK3 > newton 08/30/2015 at 12:45

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Well done sir, perfectly executed!

Arben72 > Upshift 08/30/2015 at 12:48

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PETA might want to have a word with you...

bottsdotts > newton 08/30/2015 at 13:22

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Enzo said, “I build engines and attach wheels to them.”

“Aerodynamics are for people who can’t build engines.”

This guy wanted the cars to be hooned.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > newton 08/30/2015 at 13:24

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Mr. K is my new hero. I know there are other Ferrari owners out there that run their cars hard, but I’m pretty sure they’re in the minority.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > Upshift 08/30/2015 at 13:28

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I think if you’re so concerned with depreciation then don’t buy an exotic, buy art. A Ferrari doesn’t necessarily have to be hooned to be enjoyed, but FFS run the thing the way it was intended to be run and keep up with the maintenance.

Kaufmania: Mark Webber's Stunt Double > newton 08/30/2015 at 14:56

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how much are a set of pirrellis for the 599?

newton > Upshift 08/30/2015 at 15:10

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OMG you’re maximizing the capabilities of your car?

SHAME. SHAME. SHAME.

Racer X > Upshift 08/30/2015 at 15:10

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But you drive a Mustang, not a Ferrari. Mr. K was right when he implied that if potential buyers see a Ferrari doing donuts and burnouts, they will assume the car has been abused and it will make the car more difficult to sell. If he never will sell, that’s fine, but I’ve sold at least 3 different cars that I swore I’d “never” sell. If Mr. K ever will sell one day, he is an idiot for posting these videos, not a hero.

I drive my Ferrari everywhere around town (Home Depot, etc.), take it to the track, and don’t have OCD about keeping it clean. These cars are meant to be driven, not garaged. That said, there are better cars, like Mustangs, to post videos of yourself doing donuts/burnouts in.

newton > 190e30-Now with COSWORTH 08/30/2015 at 15:11

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Best compliment I’ve received in ages because it makes me feel slightly better about my liberal arts degree. Thank you.

Color-Commentary > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/30/2015 at 15:11

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One thing I’ve learned the hard way: Cars break less when you drive them regularly. This is true for Ferraris as much as anything else.

newton > Autoholic 08/30/2015 at 15:12

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Noooooo the depreciation!! Think of the children!!

newton > Kaufmania: Mark Webber's Stunt Double 08/30/2015 at 15:13

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More than you can afford pal (and probably more than I can afford to find out).

newton > Jeeper1 08/30/2015 at 15:15

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CHANGED TO PROTECT THE INNOCENT

newton > Andrew 08/30/2015 at 15:16

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What? No. I was college-aged by the time the 599 debuted.

newton > theshinobi01 08/30/2015 at 15:17

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Whole different level of cars but hey, you can’t take your money to the grave with you!

ThatbastardKurtis > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom 08/30/2015 at 15:19

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Tell the guys at Ferrarichat that. Many of these guys give themselves a headache on whether to trade in the 458 Speciale for the 488, or keep it due to it being “collectable”—-and keep track of the depreciation. And then suggest to themselves about getting the 599 GTO, but then doubt themselves because it continues to appreciate in value, so they’ll wait until the F12 VS is revealed at Frankfurt, AND THEN they will make a decision.

weirdvillian > newton 08/30/2015 at 19:54

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Gasp! You drove a Ferrari the way it was intended and didn’t treat it as a garage queen.

Good on you. Carry on.

TractionControlOff > newton 08/30/2015 at 19:59

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Ah, nice to hear the Enzo’s V12 in action.

TheHondaBro > dopaz 08/30/2015 at 21:10

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V10 doughnut.

Tinfoil Hat in a thunderstorm, now with added diecast > Andrew 08/30/2015 at 22:41

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Yes this title had the same effect on me! Made me feel old(er)

Andrew > newton 08/30/2015 at 23:09

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Your title implies that booming a Ferrari 599 was a childhood dream.

TheStigsGermanCousin > newton 08/30/2015 at 23:17

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They don’t really depreciate... Well right now anyway. They cost about the same used as they did when they came out. Now thought they cost like 100k new...

newton > Andrew 08/31/2015 at 01:24

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Ah I see. Hooning a Ferrari in general is a childhood dream, not a 599 specifically.

AddMustard > newton 08/31/2015 at 02:31

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Jealousy.

Jimbobway > newton 08/31/2015 at 08:44

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How old are you if hooning a 599 is a “childhood dream”. Grow up.

Upshift > Peptide 08/31/2015 at 12:24

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Yep, the parade driving is not my thing. No thanks.

Upshift > newton 08/31/2015 at 12:26

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I know right? I should just go in a corner and think about what I’ve done.

Upshift > Racer X 08/31/2015 at 12:32

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My point was that people worry about depreciation from performance-minded cars in all price spectrums. And regardless of if you drive a $23k Mustang or a $1million dollar LaFerrari, if you bought a machine designed to perform but you don’t drive it for fear of depreciation, you should follow turbineguy’s advice and invest in art.

Babying a sports car to preserve resale value when a sport’s car is meant to be driven to me is the same and just as idiotic as buying a fully decked out pickup truck with a towing package and refusing to ever tow anything with it to avoid wearing the truck down and only ever using it the same as you would a toyota camry. If you refuse to use the built-in capabilities of your vehicle, save your money and buy something more along the lines of your intended use.

Racer X > Upshift 08/31/2015 at 13:01

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I agree you should drive these cars in the manner in which they were intended to be driven. For a Ferrari, this may mean taking it to the track and driving as fast as you can. That said, these cars weren’t designed to do donuts or burnouts and, IMO, this is abuse. Also, it’s one thing to hoon a Mustang or other muscle car because, if something goes wrong, a repair won’t likely be all that expensive. It can be a different story with a $200,000+ Ferrari though. In view of this, the Ferrari owner is better off hooning one of his other, less expensive cars.

Regardless, my main point was that posting videos of you hooning your Ferrari won’t do you any favors when it comes time to sell, whether you believe it’s abusive or not. A case in point is I saw a video posted on the Ferrari forum, Fchat, of a 430 Scuderia doing donuts. I didn’t think the owner did any damage in doing this, but just about everyone on the forum proclaimed the owner an idiot and further proclaimed the car is now unpurchasable. Whether they were right or wrong, it’s pretty clear that Ferrari buyers don’t want to buy a car that was treated this way.

Upshift > Racer X 08/31/2015 at 13:15

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True. But again, what’s the point of buying a car if you are already thinking about it’s potential resale value?

As for repair costs, if you can afford a new ferrari, you can afford the repair bill about as much or more easily than the typical mustang driver with regarda to mustang repairs.

Racer X > Upshift 08/31/2015 at 13:44

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The reality is that most of us will ultimately sell every car we own. While you don’t need to worry about resale value when the car is not worth that much, unless you have so much money that you don’t care about it (which is not the case for most Ferrari owners), you need to at least keep resale value in mind. Most of us who own Ferraris can do so because we are careful with our money and saved for it. Having money to burn is an exotic car owner myth.

As for repair costs, it’s not true that just because you can afford a used Ferrari (and the 599 is a used Ferrari by the way) does not mean that you don’t care about how much a large repair bill is. I could afford a Scuderia priced at nearly $200k. That doesn’t mean I’d be happy about a bill that cost me $10k or $20k. Yes, I could afford it if I needed to, but I’d still be unhappy about pissing that much cash away to fix something I broke hooning my car like a jackass (which I generally don’t object to, by the way).

67mgb > Upshift 08/31/2015 at 14:32

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Yes you should. Like “Did I clip the apex?” or “I drove it in deep that time!” Good for you!

991_911_turbo_S > Autoholic 08/31/2015 at 15:49

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This is the right attitude. I daily a turbo s, these cars were built to be driven. And driven HARD.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > ThatbastardKurtis 08/31/2015 at 20:37

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Oh, I know guys like that exist. I just find it absurd to get yer panties all wadded up over this stuff.