I’m not sure what has just taken my breath away. Seeing one of the poster cars from my youth up close and in person. Or learning that it has just turned 17 years old. Strictly speaking, the 550 Maranello was the front-engine V12 Ferrari of my formative years, but even I will admit that this iconic renaissance really started to crystallise with this car – the 599 GTB Fiorano. Pininfarina styling, analogue cabin with only one screen in sight, and a 620hp, 6.0-litre V12 plucked straight out of the mighty Enzo supercar. It’s the very embodiment of early-2000s extravagance.
I’m not here to drive it, though, and that’s just as well; never meet your heroes and all that. I’m here because this 599 is at a crucial juncture in its life – the phase where its extended warranty has run out and its owner is faced with a hard decision – see it through to its golden years or trade it in for a younger model.
And here’s the clincher. The maximum you can extend the official warranty is 15 years. However, just five years after that, once your car turns 20, it becomes eligible for Ferrari’s ‘Classiche’ programme, which in turn sets it up to become a future collectors’ item – if you play your cards right. One of those cards, then, is the Premium Programme, which essentially keeps your pride and joy in the Ferrari system for those crucial five years and includes a certificate to prove it, all for a price, of course. This feeds into the car’s provenance, though, and would only serve to bolster its resale value later on.
For a reasonable sum of about Rs 25 lakh (it’s all relative), your teenage Ferrari joins the Premium Programme and immediately gets a thorough once-over. This includes the mandatory replacement of consumables and spares in the fuelling, induction, lubrication, braking and power steering systems – which Ferrari says is essential once your car turns 15. In case there was a recall anytime during your car’s life that you didn’t send it in for, those fixes will be done too, and also included is an annual service for each of those five years.
What it doesn’t include are any exterior or interior fix-ups, which is evident as I get up close with this distinctive example. It’s hopped between cities (and owners), and though it started its life painted black, it was resprayed green and now wears a black wrap on top of that – and you don’t have to look too far for signs of these various layers of its life. Among the dozen or so 599s that made it to India, this is rarer still for having the HGTE (Handling Gran Turismo Evoluzione) package – stiffer, lowered suspension, faster gearshifts, louder exhaust and a carbon fibre-heavy interior.
Peek under the engine cover, however, and things look almost as pristine as the day it left the factory. The red intake manifold and cylinder head covers of the V12 nuzzled famously far back into the chassis are display worthy in their own right. The air boxes are polished, the pipes and harnesses are spotless, and there’s not a shred of grime in sight. At worst, some of the labels are wrinkled. This is how picture perfect I imagine all supercar engine bays look their entire lives.
But the Premium Programme has been around for ages, so why has it suddenly become so significant here in India? Going by the age requirement, the programme currently covers the likes of the 599, 575, 550, 456, 612, 360, F430 and even the Enzo – cars that lived between around 2006 and 2011. While there are examples of some of these in India, they are a rare and precious few. Ferrari only officially entered India in 2011, so do the math, and you’ll realise the ‘official’ cars – the likes of the California, 458 Italia, FF and F12 – are now about to turn 15, and so a whole lot more cars are about to enter this crucial phase.
Should you take the plunge? If you’re the first owner, absolutely – you’ve made it this far; why not reap the full benefit of your Ferrari’s appreciation. But even if, and this is more likely in a 15-year-old car, you’ve bought in further down the line, Rs 25 lakh could be a small price to pay in the larger scheme of things. In these days of stifling regulations and characterless performance, cars from what is widely considered the Golden Age of Motoring are suddenly becoming very sought after, and a well looked-after example is only going to be an asset. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going in search of a lightly used example. And a generous financier.
