First V12 Manual Swap in Canada!

[TheHire]

So, I swapped out the 550 Maranello back in December for an '09 599 GTB Fiorano. Grigio Silverstone on Cuoio interior - unsurprising colour combo for those who know me (I like 50 shades of grey). I do miss the 550 but the 599 sounds insane, and also it's the Enzo V12 engine.

It's currently on the tail end of a gated six-speed manual swap... the first one of its kind in Canada! We've been working with the developer of the kit (it is not EAG that's had a bunch of controversy/drama around their ops int he past year) and it SHOULD be completely manual by the end of this coming week.

[Bubba]

This board needs a drool emoji.   

[Johnnymac]

Fuck me that's a great looking rig.  I'm not really a Ferrari guy but I do appreciate a fantastic sounding engine paired to a manual.  Will the manual be gated?

Out of curiosity, how much does such a kit cost or is it rather piece meal together with your techs?  Other question, is this a mod that you expect will increase the value enough to offset the cost?

[RRocket]

Why did you sour on the 550?  I thought it was going to be a "forever" car?

[TheHire]

Fuck me that's a great looking rig.  I'm not really a Ferrari guy but I do appreciate a fantastic sounding engine paired to a manual.  Will the manual be gated?

Out of curiosity, how much does such a kit cost or is it rather piece meal together with your techs?  Other question, is this a mod that you expect will increase the value enough to offset the cost?

Still working out the economics but it is indeed a gated manual swap. We've been working with a supplier in Italy that actually built the OEM setup for Ferrari (they made less than 30 factory gated 599s before canning the option), so it's a one-and-done solution. It'll definitely help value enough to offset the cost, but it'll never be worth as much as a factory gated car.

Why did you sour on the 550?  I thought it was going to be a "forever" car?

I fell out of love with the 550 a few times. It was a wonderful car and I'm super glad to have owned and experienced it, but it just didn't live up to the "dream car" status in my head. It might have been pre-set expectations, but the biggest part was the sound. It was way too subdued for a V12 even with the Tubi exhaust fitted. It was loud at idle and didn't "scream" at high RPMs like you'd expect it to.

The 599 might be the most modern Ferrari I have any interest in owning. I really like the way the Roma looks, but that's because it looks like an Aston and I'm an Aston guy at heart. I like the 458 but it's too extroverted looking for me. The 599 has the Enzo V12, sounds absolutely manic with an exhaust (looking at a Fiammenghi setup with headers down the road), and is a very pretty grand tourer - it's very much my style. I don't know that it'll be a forever car but who knows... lots of cars I'd like to own that I thought I could never attain, and yet here we are.

I kind of came to the conclusion that if I fall out of love with a car or have even the slightest hesitation, it's gone. Or if I start making an economic case to keep it rather than an emotional one. I'm also going to be selling the immaculate '97 Integra Type R... between the Snowman S2000 and the ITR I have room for just one, and it'll be the S2000 every day of the week.

[RRocket]

I fell out of love with the 550 a few times. It was a wonderful car and I'm super glad to have owned and experienced it, but it just didn't live up to the "dream car" status in my head.

I hear ya.

Got to go for a ride in a Countach some years ago.

Thought it was a POS.

Always liked the 599...some of my favorite articles was 599 vs LF-A.

[Firm]

Super nice, to me it's a more modern 550, so I am sure it's a step-up in performance and drivability. Still, the styling of the 550 pulls at the heart strings for me.

[TheHire]

the styling of the 550 pulls at the heart strings for me.

Me too, 100%. But after living with the 550 for three years (and putting about 9,000KM on it in the process), I quickly realized that if I was deciding between jumping into the Vantage or the 550, I was taking the Vantage just about every time. The styling is about where the love affair for the 550 ended for me.

Oh yeah, and that shifter was sensational, but this one also has that...

[TheHire]

First drive:

https://youtube.com/shorts/70So793li_g?feature=share

[Johnnymac]

Sounds good and that shifter click makes me think of simulator setups, which is a good thing as they are very tight.

[HannibalSmith]

Looks good! Shop loaner?

[GreatBigAbyss]

That is so cool.  What an awesome sound.  I think we need more videos...

[Oliver]

Just saw it on AutoTrader, for barely more than an F1. What a deal. I'm a big fan of the 599 but the factory manuals are crazy money.

[TheHire]

Yeah, I love the car, and I love that I've gotten to experience it, but with the Lotus Carlton bucket list car joining the fleet, something had to go and I'm sort of thinning the herd. The LC won't be surviving past its lease expiration next year either.

[Oliver]

Yeah, I love the car, and I love that I've gotten to experience it, but with the Lotus Carlton bucket list car joining the fleet, something had to go and I'm sort of thinning the herd. The LC won't be surviving past its lease expiration next year either.

Oh wow. I'm a huge fan of the Lotus Carlton.