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Transcription

Visit: www.FerrariLife.com
CONTENTS
6 ROAD TEST: F430 SCUDERIA
asphalte.ch rips through Switzerland in
the new F430 Scuderia
10 F430 VS GALLARDO
Torbin Fuller drives the F430 and Gallardo back to back and picks the bull!
14 FERRARIS IN BAHRAIN
Vintage Ferraris from the 166 MM to the
ultra rare P 4/5 pour in on Bahrain for a
track day
20 MY FERRARI LIFE: DINO TO 308
One owner recaps his Ferrari experience
from a Dino to a 308 GTB
26 FULFILLING A LIFE’S DREAM
A review of the 612 and what makes a
2+2 Ferrari a great choice for many
32 CAIO TUTTI - 348 SPIDER
FERRARILIFE QUARTERLY
EDITOR
William Taylor
[email protected]
WRITERS/
CONTRIBUTERS
Jean-Claude E�er, Jacques
Daye, Jimmy Chen Shiba,
Micheal Salomon, Torbin
Fuller, Dr. Jasbir Dhillon,
David Sass, James Shanks,
Roberto Giannini, Boxer
CONTACT
840 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
[email protected]
A new owner is so excited about his 348
Spider he drives it in the snow
38 RUNNING REPORTS
Find out how others are enjoying their
ownership experience including the good
and the bad.
42 F50 ROAD TRIP
Travel with Boxer and his co-pilot on a
two day mini-trip across Europe in a F50
MARCH 2008
Issue 8
ON THE COVER:
A group of classic and rare
Ferraris at the Bahrain Track
www.FerrariLife.com | 3
RED GOLD
By William Taylor
I have now heard the term “Red Gold” several
times in the last couple of months. The first time I can
recall hearing the term, it was u�ered by a long time
F40 owner who had just bought a second F40 purely as
an investment. What this means for the Ferrari market
is truly fascinating. The fact that the term is now floating around the Ferrari world is a direct reflection of the
turmoil in the global economy. As investors are looking desperately for any safe place to put their money,
Ferraris are emerging more and more as an alternative
investment vehicle, turning them into true multipurpose
vehicles.
This development raises a couple of questions;
what will the effect be on the general Ferrari market,
and what models are deemed investment worthy. The
first of these questions is the easiest to address. It will
have li�le to no effect on the vast majority of Ferraris
that change hands every year. New Ferraris will still
suffer the indignity of depreciation, most 2+2s will
remain unloved, and the 250 GTO will continue to command eight digit prices in the unlikely event that one
emerged onto the market. To be considered “investment
grade” a Ferrari has to have li�le to no perceived financial downside, a limited production run, an aura about
the model, global demand, and an already high value.
The four models that readily fall into this category are
the 288 GTO, F40, F50, and the Enzo. While other rare
vintage Ferraris (250 Testa Rossas, 250 California Spiders, 250 SWB, etc) command higher prices, these cars
tend to move from collector to collector. They are purchased more due to their history and significance rather
than as a financial asset. The rarity also makes for a less
4 | Ferrari Life Quarterly
liquid market on which values can be judged and hence
less desirable as a pure investment.
The 288 GTO, F50, and Enzo all meet the basic
investment criteria. Low production volumes, stable
and rising prices, demand ahead of supply, values in the
$500,000-$1,000,000+ range, and global appeal. The new
money in Russia and China wants the latest and greatest. To this group, the Enzo has appeal, the 250 SWB
does not. Looking over the global markets in the past 12
months, none of these three models stay on the market
very long and their always seem to be a list of perspective buyers searching for the right car. Turning your
registration back into cash is not a drawn out process if
the seller is not overly ambitious.
The F40 is also a member of the “Red Gold Club”
group but at the bo�om end due a drawn out production run of 1315 units over six years. Fortunately quite a
number of lead footed owners have been working hard
to correct this over the past 20 years. The number of
surviving F40s continues to thin out on a regular basis.
F40s also tend to see a lot more regular use than the
other 3 “Red Gold Club” models. This leads to a wider
range of prices leading to the F40 being more difficult to
value as a straight asset.
Whether this is just a short term fad until the US
and European economies stabilize will be interesting to
see. At a minimum it will make for an interesting year
in the 288 GTO, F40, F50, and Enzo markets. As a pure
investment however, any of the four provide infinitely
more enjoyment than a stack of sinking mortgage bonds.
ROAD
TEST FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA – ADRENALIN
Courtesy of and with special thanks to: www.asphalte.ch
Author: Jean-Claude E�er
Photography: Jacques Dayer
A�er 200 kilometers of French B-roads, I am almost in a
state of sensory overload, my nerves are buzzing as if I
had just smoked my first cigare�e a�er weeks of nicotin
deprivation. Substitute here whatever addiction afflicts
you and you will get the picture. The Scuderia experience is intense, raw, pure, and open roads have barely
allowed us to scratch the surface of its potential. If the
essence of sports cars is the perfect mix between performance and exhilaration, then Ferrari is at the top of its
game with its latest creation: the 430 Scuderia.
Our journey begins in Genevain the showroom
of Modena Cars, Geneva’s Ferrari official dealership. The
car, dressed in ma�e black, looks more like high tech
weaponry than automotive gear, like a stealth fighter jet
parked in a luxury outlet or a semi-automatic casually
displayed in a jewelry store. Compared to its sibling, the
F430, the Scuderia is a bold demonstration of Ferrari’s
philosophy where form follows function. From the entirely redesigned front bumper to the protruding engine
lid and revised diffuser, a lot of modifications were
made to the aerodynamic package to improve air flow
above and underneath the car, resulting in an increase
of 30 kg of downforce at 310 km/h (192 mph). Might not
sound like much, but this represents an increase of more
than 10% on the F430.
If motorsports is a religion in Maranello, the
interior of the 430 Scuderia is a temple devoted to the
cult of speed, with a superb combination of red-stitched
suede and carbon fiber bucket seats covered with a mix
of suede and high-tech textile called “3D”, optimized
for breathing and grip. Down in the foot well, your eyes
meet the laquered aluminum of the spaceframe; the carbon fiber pack, visible on another car, includes beautiful
carbon fiber door sills, an alternative worth consideration. Ferrari’s Carrozzeria Scaglie�i programme offers
endless personalization possibilities to your taste (and
check book), but the standard configuration is really
pleasing to the eye and touch.
The bucket seats with adjustable back rest,
available in different sizes to match your size, provide
excellent support for my rather thin body frame, with
precious lateral support to cope with the mighty grip
of the car, and good lumbar support for longer trips to
race tracks. Strapped with a 4 point harness, the driving
position is excellent, your thumbs falling nicely on the
carbon fiber, leather and suede wrapped steering wheel.
The carbon fiber paddle shi�ers are at your finger tips,
the blinker and windshield wipers are a bit too distant.
In the center, on the le�, the starter bu�on, and on the
right, the mane�ino and its five se�ings.
Ignition, a prod on the red bu�on and the V8
explodes into life to se�le on a busy, raspy idle note.
First gear, a slight thro�le input and the car takes off
gently. Very cautious exit on the street, but in spite of
riding 15mm lower than the F430, front end clearance
remains realistic for real world use. In urban traffic, the
car is amazingly smooth and discrete, as inconspicuous
as a ma�e black Ferrari can be, although the slightest
stretch of the your right foot immediately summons a
loud response from the V8. In the tunnels of the Geneva
bypass, it is very difficult to resist downshi�ing two
gears and flood the surroundings in the glorious bark of
the 4.3L: not politically correct, but resolutely enjoyable.
The exhaust system is however well designed to keep
the exhaust valves shut at semi-legal freeway speeds,
allowing to cover long distances without risking deafness or tenacious headaches. Cruising gently along the
sweeping curves of the A40 is near torture, be�er try to
look cool on the shots taken from our chase car and bide
my time until a nice cocktail of A and B roads brings
some form of relief.
Damping is very firm and demonstrates the impressive rigidity of the shell, the car feels taut and composed, although it requires increased a�ention as the
camber increases and can even slightly loose its poise on
degraded asphalt. The 430 Scuderia is equipped with a
damping switch located on the center console, decoupled from the se�ings and enabled only from the Race
mode onwards, a feature added at the request of Michael Schumacher himself to offer optimal body control
on bumpy roads like the Nürburgring Nordschleife. I
unfortunately only understood its behaviour at the term
of our test (I swear I’ll read the press pack in advance
next time) as its function is a li�le bit unintuitive: it so�ens the damping, while one would expect that the more
you tweak the se�ings, the more radical they get. On the
perfect tarmac of French Nationales, corner speeds are
as expected: completely unreasonable. To note, the fit
and finish of this car is excellent in spite of the firmness
of the damping. Not a hint of squeaking.
The new F1-SuperFast2 gearbox is unbelievably fast
and requires a complete readjustment of your cognitive
references, so strikingly fast upshi�s are. A compelling
synthesis between the swi�ness of the best doubleclutch systems and the sensational experience that only
sequential gearboxes seem to be able to procure. The
gears slam at each request of your right index, interrupting the thurst for a mere 60ms. With the Scuderia,
a threshold has been crossed, this gearbox feels faster
than the human brain. The gear is already engaged and
the V8 has already resumed pulling strong while your
cortex is still trying to make sense of the endless flow of
aural and physical information. The sensation is unreal,
an amazing showcase of a technical know-how that
seems currently unique in the industry.
With its 150ms upshi�s, the F430 was a reference for mechanical sequential gearboxes until the 599
Fiorano (100ms) was launched. The 430 Scuderia is in a
class of its own. If these number seem artificial, reality
is striking. Glowing superlatives and lousy metaphors
can’t quite describe the experience when, 5 LEDs lit on
the steering wheel rim and tacho needle rushing to the
redline, your finger triggers this brilliant electro-mechanical flash. The acceleration, the shrieking V8, the
controlled violence of the shi�, and this satanic ritual
that resumes without the slightest respite. Downshi�s
are just as good, with glorious thro�le blips and the occasional race-style exhaust spu�ering. The SuperFast2
system is without doubt a very strong point of this car,
as much for its sheer effectiveness as for the thrills it
brings.
The engine of the Scuderia is an evolution of the
4.3L V8 of the F430, with a careful a�ention to details
such as specific pistons raising the compression ratio to
11.88:1, polished intake manifolds, the removal of precatalytic converter (the car is still emissions compliant).
Power is up by 20hp, with a claimed 10% gain in torque
at low and mid revs. In spite of a rather high specific
power output for a normally aspirated engine (118.4hp/
litre), the engine pulls surprisingly hard from lower
revs, making it a fierce weapon for hairpin exits and razor sharp overtaking. Travelling the rev range is an epic
journey, with a sustained crescendo until the redline. If
other car makers achieve similar rev ranges, the brilliance of Ferrari engines remains astounding, whether
with this V8 or with the V12 of the 599 Fiorano. Where
others demonstrate a great rev range – the Porsche 997
GT3’s flat 6 for instance – Ferrari gives a unique incentive to flirt with the redline in each gear. With a measured power-to-weight ratio of 2.78 kg/hp, is it necessary
to stress that this car is very, very fast.
Though a bit less extreme than a 360 Challenge
Stradale from inside, noise is LOUD as soon as the
muffler valves open iup, with a balanced mix between
induction and exhaust notes. Personally, I still have a
so� spot for the V12 of the 599 Fiorano and its richer and
more subtle harmonics, but the sonic aggression of the
Scuderia is undoubtedly an integral part of the experience. Claimed acceleration figures are of course impressive with a 0-200 km/h (124 mph) in 11.6 seconds.
Like the F430 and 599, the Scuderia is equipped with
the now famous Mane�ino, but with 5 specific se�ings
focused on performance (what else ?):
• A se�ing for slippery conditions,
• A Sport mode for regular driving conditions,
• A Race mode maximizing performance by limiting
rear wheel slip,
• CT off where traction control is disabled but the
stability control remains engaged,
• CST off where all driving aids are disabled.
The 430 Scuderia hence combines stability control (CST,
common to the F430) with the F1-TRAC traction control
developed for the 599, but whose electronic management is synchronized with the electronic differential,
now called E-DIFF2. We were able to sample the respective benefits of each system on a wet track at the wheel
of a 599 Fiorano and a F430. Their effectiveness is really
difficult to fault, but the subtlety of their action is really
striking. Far from diluting driving enjoyment, these systems offer the fortunate owner of a 430 Scuderia a broad
range of se�ings which can be selected to adjust the car
to his skills and track or driving conditions.
The carbon ceramic brakes are powerful, it is a
euphemism, but sometimes a li�le bit grabby, as if the 6
piston calipers were reluctant to release their bite on the
enormous rotors (398mm diameter, 18mm more than the
F430 equivalent). The system has been designed for an
uncompromising quest for performance, and Ferrari’s
decision to supply their entire model range with this
technology is a wise move as their standard steel brakes
struggle to keep up with straight line performance.
Ferrari’s marketing department has pitched with insistence a dry weight of 1250 kg (2753 lb) and, more discretely, a kerb weight of 1350 kg (2973 lb). On Asphalte’s
corner scales, the 430 Scuderia comes in at 1421 kg (3130
lb), 42.7% front, 57.3% rear, measured with a full tank
gas minus 45 miles of freeway. This represents a mere
53 kg saving over a 2008 F430 with carbon ceramic
brakes and sport seats, measured in the same conditions. The weight saving results are not as radical as
Ferrari suggests. Efforts were not spared however, with
hollow anti-roll bars, titanium springs and wheel nuts,
a choiceful use of carbon fiber in the interior and engine
compartment, and a rear window in Lexan. The Scuderia remains the lightest in its category, and the figures
claimed by Lamborghini for the new Gallardo LP560-4
and Porsche for the 997 GT2 seem resolutely optimistic.
We are eager to verify these claims at the next opportunity.
Behind the wheel, the absence of inertia is striking but steering wheel feel is odd, too light and not
direct enough to my taste. The car being focused on
firmness and precision, it is surprising that Ferrari chose
not to fine tune this critical component compared to the
F430.
With the 430 Scuderia, Ferrari has brilliantly
done the 360 Challenge Stradale trick again. Behind
the wheel, the difference with a F430 F1 in sports livery
(bucket seats, CCB) is striking. This is by no means a
criticism of Ferrari’s base model – it remains one of the
best contemporary sports cars – but a testimony to the
significant edge brought by the Scuderia. The 50’000
CHF difference in base price are not pocket money, but
the difference in driving experience is arguably worth
every penny. Against stern german opposition, it is undeniable that Ferrari continues to offer with this car the
essence of extreme sports car driving.
Our sincere gratitude to Mr. Gino Forgione,
Managing Director of Modena Cars in Geneva, as well
his entire team for their exceptional welcome and the
loan of this 430 Scuderia.
FERRARI F430 vs LAMBORGHINI GALLARDO
Drive and Decide. By Torbin Fuller of Club Sportiva
This question is both the bane of many car debates (Ferrari vs Lamborghini) but also addresses the
more elemental question, does any car compete with
Ferrari? Well, driving both brands extensively and back
to back is the only way to honestly answer this great
debate. Driving them for a short jaunt (like a media ride
& drive) isn’t adequate to really get to the heart of the
issue as is not driving them back to back - a year apart
isn’t going to work.
I’ve driven or ridden in a number of Ferraris and
Lamborghinis ranging from 308s to an F40 and from a
Uracco to Murcielagos. But, in May 2005, when I visited Club Sportiva’s partner operations in Germany to
test drive the then-new V8 Ferrari F430 F1 coupe for a
high speed autobahn fling against the V10 Lamborghini
Gallardo e.gear, I was certainly anxious (massive under statement) to experience some new exotics. It also
opened pandora’s box for what Club Sportiva’s future
would hold because at that point, the company specialized predominately in classic cars since 2003.
Being, at that time, a lifelong Ferrari nut who
defiantly bought my first Ferrari 308 while working at
Ford Motor Company’s headquarters in Dearborn, MI
at the brash young age of 28 in 2001, I plainly assumed
the Ferrari F430 experience would easily trump the
Lamborghini Gallardo. It’s a Ferrari, right? Duh... Whoa,
not quite so fast or easy there boy. Is there an underdog
theme appearing here? Maybe.
My first back to back comparo was in Germany
on the autobahn. One day spent zealously tearing about
in a yellow Gallardo followed by a glorious day in a red
F430. Both paddle shi�ed. Both phenomenal. I drove the
Gallardo from southern Germany past Lake Constance
to Zurich, Switzerland for the night, so it was a blend of
Autobahn blasting mixed with some country environs. I
then immediately piloted the F430 to Strasbourg, France
via the amazing Black Forest. Miles and miles of twisties, need I say more. Point being, both jaunts were more
than adequate opportunities to familiarize oneself with
the brands in question and to issue a judgment.
A�er the initial two days, it was actually a tough
call. The Ferrari was everything it is cracked up to be
and probably worth the three year wait if you don’t have
the $30,000 premium to pay to cut the wait list and get
a car in a month. Screaming good looks, wailing engine
and exhaust causing adrenaline highs, easy to operate.
Actually, maybe too easy - almost to a fault, quite honestly.
It practically didn’t feel like a Ferrari having
driven many others that set a low bar; the F430 is very
easy to get in and out, excellent visibility, great ergonomics, generally tight fit and finish, the front valance
has great ground clearance without scraping, the passenger is completely at home and comfortable, unlike
most exotics. Hmmm, maybe Ferrari hired some Toyota
engineers - hope not. It was a very satisfying experience,
but not wholly exotic in nature due to the well-rounded
engineering execution of the car. Not what I first expected, but impressive nonetheless.
Another simple yet ingeniously well engineered
feature is the rear view mirror that is shaped such that
the lower inch allows you to see the engine every time
you check your mirror reminding you of the V8-wonder
pounding away just behind your shoulders. No other
car maker has designed the engine to be at one with the
driver as with the F430 and I suggest being sure to adjust the rear view mirror as such to allow you the honor
and pleasure when you are out in an F430, be it Club
Sportiva’s or your own!
The handling is very twitchy with the rear wheel
drive and the light weight nature of the car. It feels less
well planted and raw, keeping the driver constantly
aware of thro�le input and keeping an eye out for wet
pavement in the corners, Altogether, an existential driving experience approaching that of being in car heaven.
Now, how is that Lambo?
Well, Lamborghini is managed by corporate
parent Audi, so might I expect some German influence?
Let’s see. Yes. The interior is bu�oned down unlike any
previous Lamborghini that had fragile, finicky, fit and
finish. The interior is robust, but who the hell cares
about that. Let’s hear the good stuff.
First, the exhaust note was entirely different from
Ferrari. If you can’t beat their race bred tenor, simply do
it differently. And differently the Gallardo’s V10 engine
and exhaust note is. At first I was disappointed, expecting it to be much like the resonate scream so distinctly
and patently Ferrari. But instead, it was a deep rip-roar
of a V10. More an angry growl than a scream. When
about to down shi� the e.gear transmission, the driver
must nearly excuse the car to passengers for the abrupt
and loud flatulent sound that the car emanates when
matching revs. This is actually a good thing, but much
different from the daintier scream of the Ferrari. The
deep growl of the Lamborghini that first disappoints for
not being more extroverted quickly se�les in as the more
livable day to day as you don’t have to pause a conversation until a�er the shi�, as with the Ferrari. In 2007,
the Gallardo exhaust was re-tuned to combine the angry
growl at low rpms with a shriek starting at 4,500 rpms
and it is glorious.
The Gallardo is AWD and feels tremendously
well-planted as a result but also 200 pounds heavier.
This is a real trade off. Surprisingly, I preferred the security of the feeling of planted traction with 500 horsepower as opposed to the hang-on-by-the-seat-of-the-pants
feel of the F430’s rear wheel drive. As such, I felt more
confident to carve the corners even if the Gallardo is at
slight a weight disadvantage.
The Gallardo’s seats are not comfortable over
long distances, which I’ve further confirmed with
Club Sportiva’s Gallardos in the U.S. Annoying, but
something I am willing to put up with. The car is also
viciously low in the front and loves to grind on many
drive ways, though they now raise the front end to resolve that issue. The front of the car quickly dips out of
view leaving the driver to wonder just where is the front
bumper. These traits give the car an exotic feel which
I prefer in an exotic car which I felt the Ferrari was too
polished and trying too hard to be a daily driver for
anyone wealthy enough to get in line for one. The Gallardo can certainly be a daily driver for a lucky few, but
you never forget you are piloting a $200,000+ sports car,
where the Ferrari lets you over look that fact.
The result: the Lamborghini Gallardo wins by a
hair in my books. The best facet of the two cars is that
they are truly designed to be different. Someone lucky
enough, like Club Sportiva Members, can really enjoy
these two cars and not feel that they are clones of one
another. If you had a different car to drive for each day
based on your mood, these two would suit different
needs, much as the Bentley Continental GT and the
Aston Martin DB9 have also carved out their independent niches. This is fortunate that the manufacturers has
recognized that they can’t each try to be a Ferrari knock
off, so each has its unique claim to fame.
For those tiffosi who can’t imagine liking the
Lamborghini, I’d suggest not scoffing at the brand any
longer and get educated with some first hand experiences, if you haven’t already. You will likely remain a
Ferrari fan, but I think many people will have a new
found respect for the raging bull from Sant’Agata.
FERRARIS RAIN IN ON BAHRAIN
By Dr. Jasbir Dhillon
Recently, a group of Ferrari owners and their cars were
invited to Bahrain to form the Ferrari Classics display
held in conjunction with the Formula One Grand Prix.
The event was held from April 4th-6th and was an
unqualified success, displaying many rare and sensational cars to many thousands of race fans. The impetus
behind this gathering came from Crown Prince Sheikh
Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, an avid motorsports
enthusiast and the driving force behind the first F1 race
in the Middle East. His love of motorsports brought
the first F1 race and Sakhir circuit to the Middle East...it
is breathtakingly beautiful. The hospitality and enthusiasm extended by the organizers and Bahraini people
who witnessed the event was overwhelming.
The organizing force in the USA was Mark Ketcham. Mark worked tirelessly to arrange the shipping
schedule and logistics for this experience, and a debit
of gratitude is owed to him by all the participants. The
cars that comprised the Ferrari Classics event are listed
below.
Sanj and I arrived in Bahrain on Wednesday
before F1 weekend, and the next day we made it over
to the Pavilion where the cars were displayed. The
pavilion display was beautifully constructed and the
cars were each displayed along with a descriptive his-
tory. During race weekend, thousands of fans flocked
to the display to take advantage of the opportunity to
see many rare beauties and one off prototypes provided by Pininfarina (in the form of the Sigma F1 car)
and Jim Glickenhaus’s gorgeous P4/5 and 1967 Dino
Competizione. The la�er had been in the Pininfarina
museum for over 40 years until Jim convinced them to
part with it. Paolo Garella, the gentleman in charge of
special projects at Pininfarina was on hand to answer
many questions and add his expertise to the happenings. The combination of vintage racers, modern classics, and prototypes resulted in a mouth watering array
of Ferrari finery that was sincerely appreciated by the
viewing fans.
On Saturday night, there was a ceremony to
mark the opening of the new Ferrari dealership in Bahrain. Kimi Raikonen and Felipe Massa drove into the
showroom in the first Scuderia in Bahrain and spent a
few minutes signing autographs before retiring and resting for the next day (a quite successful one as it would
turn out !) Jean Todt also a�ended and the enthusiasm
for the marque in Bahrain insures that this dealership
will be very, very successful.
The next day, the participants watched the race
from the Sakhir Tower at turn 1. The expansive 8th
Bahrain ‘Ferrari Classic’ Festival Invitees
Special Guest: World Champion Mr. Jacky Ickx
Competition Class:
1950 166 MM Barchetta (#0054 M)- Lawrence Auriana
1956 290 MM Spyder. #0616. (FL, USA) Ed & Leslie Davies
1957 250 Testa Rossa ‘Pontoon’ (#0716)- Bill & Linda Pope
1957 500 Testarossa (#0682)- David Cottingham
1958 250 Testa Rossa ‘Pontoon’ (#0742)- Christian Glaesel
1960 250 SWB Alloy Berlinetta (#1741 GT)- Lawrence Auriana
1965 275 GTB Competizione SI #7271- Francisco Albuquerque
1972 365/GTB4 Competizione SII (#15373)- Nick & Netty Mason
1978 BB/LM (#27577)- Nick & Netty Mason
Prototypes & Supercars Class:
1967 Pf Dino 206 Competizione (#10523)- Jim Glickenhaus
2003 P 4/5 (#135441)- Jim Glickenhaus
1992 F40 (#92336)- Jasbir & Sanjam Dhillon
1995 F50 (#103921)- Alex & Roxanne Papas
2003 Enzo (#133918)- Chris & Mary Lou Sordi
Formula 1 Class:
1969 Pf ‘Sigma’ F1 (#99711)- Pininfarina SpA- Paolo Garella
1970’s 246 Dino F1- Roald Goethe
Boulevardier Class:
1959 250 LWB California Spyder (#1501)- Mark & Allie Ketcham
1966 275 Alloy GTB/2 6C (8749 GT)-Alex & Roxanne Papas
1967 275 GTB/4 “NART” Spyder #09437- Lawrence Auriana
floor observation deck allows a wide view of the track
and made for an incredible viewing platform. There
may be other F1 races, but it is hard to imagine how this
viewing experience could be topped....and the race results added a final exclamation point to a perfect weekend.
Following race weekend, the real fun began !
The Sakhir circuit was kept open for a two day track session for all of the participants. On Monday morning, the
cars were moved from the Pavilion to the pit area and
track preparations began. The cars were fueled and tire
pressures checked, and following a brief track orientation and drivers meeting chaired by Tony Whitaker, the
cars were unleashed ! The camaraderie of the owners
throughout the week was fantastic, and it was clearly
most evident at the track. All participants took turns
driving each others cars and enjoyed priceless thrills.
One of many personal joys experienced during this
fabulous trip, was a ride in a ‘57 250TR Pontoon belong-
ing to gracious owners Bill and Linda Pope. The sounds
and smell of this wonder, along with the iconic visuals,
combine to give the total automotive experience, period.
I have even more respect for the endurance racers that
thrashed these cars in anger as the radiating engine heat
in this beauty was definitely present. The oil and water
temps stayed normal, and the engine note just joyous on
song....it exceeds every single superlative ever penned
about this legend.
Driving the Ferrari P4/5 was a sensory treat. The
low overhang and glass cockpit results in fabulous visibility, combined with savage acceleration and noise...
spectacular ! Someone commented that everyone within
a five mile radius got to drive P4/5....a credit to its generous and enthusiastic owner.
Now, I come to the memory I will cherish most
from this trip. Jacky Ickx was an honored guest at both
track days and the F1 weekend. While his legendary
track record speaks for itself, meeting and experiencing
him in person reveals a gracious, humorous, genuine
and compassionate gentleman that captivated all of
the a�endees with numerous stories and insights. He
is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word. What
is missed in the statistics, is a humanitarian and compassionate person that has reached out and genuinely
changed lives outside of motorsport. I was in the presence of true greatness, no question.
Following lunch, I experienced the thrill of a
lifetime as Jacky Ickx drove my F40 with me as a passenger. He shared that it had probably been 13 years since
he drove an F40, but he remembered it as a “sensational
car, truly one of the best road cars....” It is amazing to
watch a true racer at work. When we le� the pits, I could
sense a man in his office...joviality turned to purpose
and a couple of snaps of the steering wheel and some
pointed jabs at the brakes tested key components before
ge�ing down to business.
What followed was a masterclass of driving at
the limit....the way he kept the car on boost at all critical times was a dance to behold. We went out of turns
on acceleration that was purposely begun early so that
boost would build at just the optimal moment for ferocity. The gears were changed with borderline aggression
combined with complete precision. The feet danced on
the pedals.
The car was put through its complete paces
and driven to the limits of its traction and capability. I thought the previous experience with test driver
and former goodyear engineer Paolo Garella was sensational, this was on another level altogether. A�er
several mutually “enjoyable” laps, we did a couple of
cool down laps and pulled back into the pits. All oil
and water temps were within normal limits, and there
was no brake fade present during the runs according to
Jacky. While we trundled down the pits and came to a
stop, he recalled his experience with the car and called
its introduction a “revelation” at the time. Using the
words “pure”, “excellent” and “fantastic”, I could tell
he genuinely enjoyed his drive ! So much so, that when
we stopped, he asked politely if he could take his lovely
wife out for some more laps !!!! He duly did, although
she rightly only lasted a couple of laps through the G’s
he pulled.
When he pulled back in, Mr Ickx gave the assembled gang his thoughts on the car, and he was quite
descriptive. One final thrill remained, as he took a silver
marker and carefully inscribed a message and date on
the inside of the front cowl. It will be a reminder of a
truly precious experience for me. Thank you Mr Ickx !
Finally, at the end of the second track day, the
cars were gathered for a group photo in front of the
Sakhir Tower at the circuit. Unfortunately, a couple of
the cars were not present as the owners had le� to catch
flights, but the Crown Prince arrived in his immaculate
410SA to add a final wondrous exclamation point to a
memorable week of F1 racing, sharing the passion of
Ferrari, and above all, the cementing of friendships both
new and old.
The Crown Prince and the Royal Court of Bahrain deserve the utmost kudos and congratulations on
pu�ing on a phenomenal race and gathering. Many,
many thanks to all support staff (especially Nadia and
Samantha) that worked tirelessly to make this entire
week perfect, and the participants who traveled from
the USA, UK, Portugal and other parts of Europe with
their cars to share the passion with fans. Special thanks
to Mark Ketcham for his coordination and efforts on this
end....a great person and as down to earth and knowledgeable as they come......many thanks Mark, we appreciate it.
I hope this narrative captures the spirit of the
event and the incredible friendship/spirit/hospitality and enthusiasm for motorsport from the Bahraini
people. I’m sure that Sanj and I speak for all of the
other participants in the event when we say the gracious
nature of the people of Bahrain, their permanent smiles
and effervescent nature of everyone we met, will never
be forgo�en. If events like this serve as any kind of
barometer, there is hope that people of differing backgrounds and cultures can come together in common
purpose...be it the love of motorsport or the desire to
raise our kids in a safe and prosperous world.
All of the participants involved in the Ferrari
Classics event agreed...there was simply nothing else
that could have been done to make the F1 race and the
gathering any be�er ! Thank you Bahrain.
MY FERRARI LIFE
From a Dino to a 308 GTB By David Sass “Vitalone”
Let me pen a few memories of both my 246 Dino and
Boxer ownership and then what led me to a 308 GTB.
1. Boyhood Dreams
Back in 78, my Dad took me, aged 10, to admire the
collection of Dr Gearing (RIP) in Johannesburg. It
comprised an ex-Nuvolari Alfa Monza 2600 driven by
Nuvolari to victory in the 1931 Monaco GP and then
converted to road use as Nuvolari’s personal road car
(by adding mudguards and headlamps!) Dr. Gearing
also had a yellow 250GT Boana/Ellena and a green 365
GTC/4, plus an Alfa 1750 rebodied by van den Plas in 35.
I can still recall that visit and those cars 30 years (yikes!)
later. No doubt those cars le� an impression on me.
In 83 Dad decided to sell his 79 930 Turbo (why I
do not know) and accepted a Dino 246GT as a trade-in.
It was a very early model with knock-on Cromodoras.
Dad said it was not too fast but he loved the handling.
I loved the music, the smell and the looks, the complete
Ferrari aura. It amazed me that most people regarded
what was then thought of as a lowly Ferrari, as being in
a class above the 930 Turbo. The big debate at the time
was whether it was a true Ferrari or merely a Fiat. I did
not care, it captured all that Ferrari magic, heritage and
romanticism that filled me when I saw and heard a Ferrari.
In 85, Dad had sold the Dino and acquired a
‘68 365 GT 2+2. It had sat at a dealer for over a year. No
one wanted it and so Dad (a�er lots of arguments and
downright pleading by me) bought it for the princely
sum of R17,500, about the price of a new Golf GTI then.
Apart from a respray and a service every few years, it
needed nothing. Dad kept it until 94 when he traded it
in on a 348, and then bought it back in 96 only to sell it
again to the aforementioned Dr Gearing. One day in 86,
just a�er I got my driver’s license, Dad stopped the 365
GT 2+2 and offered me the wheel. It was a big wood rim
wheel with a busy V12 idling in front and a meaty clutch
underfoot. What an amazing feeling driving this car, the
drive improving in tandem with my rising confidence
and speed. Quickly I learnt not to be scared of this car
but also not to bully it or to be rough. Firm, smooth and
confident I had to be-and then it just flowed.
Around the Kyalami Track the brakes were good
for about 3 laps before the pedal was on the floor. It
taught me the meaning of understeer with too much
weight and not enough power (and more likely not
enough driver skill) to get the back out to counter terminal understeer. Despite this, the 365 GT 2+2 felt and
sounded like the true thoroughbred that it is, even on
the track where it was never designed to be. It was fun
to blast past some of the guys down the straights where
the long-legged V12 howled with joy at 6000rpm. On the
open road cruising at 160-200 kph, the ride smoothed
out and it cruised beautifully. A nice combination of old
school V12 music, looks and feel but very useable with
power steering and self-leveling suspension.
2. Living a Boy’s Adventure Tale
2.1 The Dino
In the beginning of 96, having bought and sold Porsches
as my everyday cars at a profit, I realized my dream and
acquired my first Ferrari. A 74 concours winning Dino
246GT. In contrast to my father’s Dino, this was one of
the last of the line and had been beautifully fe�led by
its previous owner. Red with tan and brown “Daytona”
seats, electric windows, and UK spec, it was gorgeous. I
won my class in the SEFAC (South African Ferrari Club)
concours in 96 and 97. Every weekend I was driving my
Dino, a garage queen it was not. Around Kyalami the
handling was awesome. But the brakes only lasted about
6-7 laps. Still, it felt at home on the track and I loved
driving that car. A highlight was driving it to Clarens,
about 300km outside of Johannesburg. A great drive on
the back roads. The view of the round wings looking out
of the curved windshield (there was not a straight line
on that car!) made me feel like Vacarella winning the
Targa Florio in the 60s in the latest Ferrari prototipo.
One of my favorite sights was when I drove at
night and the dash would be reflected in the curved rear
window, just part of the exotic look and magic. The music the Dino makes is awesome, one of the best sounding
cars, ever.
2.2 The Boxer
Then a dealership offered me substantially more than I
paid for it in early 98 and so I let it go to realize my ultimate dream, a Boxer. From the year that Jody Scheckter
took the F1 world championship for Ferrari. Dr Gearing,
yep again, owned a 79 512BB that he had owned for the
past 15 years and he wanted to sell. Back in 91 when I
was doing my national service, on a weekend pass, I
went on a Ferrari run with Dad in the 365 GT 2+2 and I
managed to catch a ride with Dr Gearing in the Boxer. In
fact I have a photo from that day of “my” Dino parked
next to “my” Boxer-taken 5 years before I got the Dino.
These were the actual cars that I was privileged to own.
The Boxer, also a UK car, was Dino Azzuro with
crema leather. Literally double the cylinders, horsepower and engine capacity of the Dino. Don’t get me wrong,
I loved my Dino, but to me the Boxer was also twice the
car to drive. It was also twice the car to run. Whereas
the Dino cost a bit more than my 911s to run, the Boxer
was stupidly expensive in fuel consumption and service
costs. However listening to the starter motor whir before
the flat 12 woke up, made it worthwhile. The Boxer was
a misleading car because it looked like and felt like a
race car but on the track the oil temp maxed out a�er 2
laps and the brakes were gone a�er five. A race car like
an early 911, it was not. Yet on the open road it was a
smooth, comfortable cruiser. In fact, much smoother and
quieter than the 365 GT 2+2. Yet the cabin was tight and
there was no boot space. Once I understood that this
was a road car built to drive far and fast for the joy of
driving, the Boxer was unbeatable: the unique, glorious
music and effortless power of the flat 12 and the long
legs-4th took me past 220 and at 280, the Boxer was still
pulling hard. While not nearly as versatile as a 911, as
a specialized driving experience, it was awesome. By
this time I had acquired a 69 Porsche 911E. Having both
the Porsche enabled me to enjoy the Boxer more and the
Boxer enabled me to enjoy the 911 more, because I was
able to experience each one in the roles that they excelled at. The 911 for daily and track use. The Boxer for
long drives in the country when most people were fast
asleep. Just the Boxer, the road and me, I still miss that
Boxer.
Unfortunately a local “investment bank” persuaded my father to enter into businesses as a sort of
joint venture with the bank. Except that the risk all
lay with my father as the bank simply got him to sign
surety for all debts of the various businesses. Within a
year the bank pulled the plug and put pressure on my
father. To give him breathing space I handed my Boxer
to the bank. I knew that they would get a thrill from
having the car parked in their basement parking. When
I discovered that in fact my father had not approached
them for a loan but that they had approached him with
these “business ventures”, it was too late. They sold it
on public auction amongst BMWs and Toyotas that had
been repossessed by various banks. My urgent application to stop the sale failed. The court reasoned that if my
allegations were true, I could sue the bank for the value
of the car at a later stage. Oh well, I now feel be�er to
have got that off my chest. The main thing is that Dad
is fine and we have learnt valuable lessons. It also led to
me studying further, one of the lessons I learnt is that
knowledge is real power and money a pleasant by-product of knowledge and energetic action. I then decided
to follow my dream to live in Europe and to explore
Europe from the driver’s seat of a 911. Maybe even a
Ferrari if I dared to dream that big.
3. Phoenix from the Flames-The 308 GTB
In 2004 I became the proud owner of a 993 Carrera 2
coupé. I love this car and cover about 10,000km per year
exploring Europe. Every year we drive to Stu�gart for
the annual service at the factory. I have also driven to
the Monaco GP, Le Mans 24 hours, Paris Motorshow
amongst other European drives. This year the plan is
to do a trackday at Le Mans Buga�i Circuit and then to
watch the Le Mans classic the following weekend. As
the 993 is almost paid off, it is time to add a Ferrari to
the stable, as mentioned before, that way I can maximize enjoyment of the 911 and of the Ferrari. It is a bit
annoying when Porsche guys run down Ferraris and
vice versa. Generalizations are generally stupid on the
whole and lead to racism and discrimination at whatever level the generalizations are being made. At this
level, I think there is room to love both Porsches and
Ferraris without having to hate the one to love the other.
In fact my experiences tell me that to love both increases
the appreciation for both. But I digress. “Schumacher”, a
good friend from South Africa, introduced me to FerrariLife. My first post was about whether to go for a 365
GTC/4 or 550 Maranello. I would love to explore Europe
in either. Boxer amongst others gave a very good reply.
Then I noticed that Boxer posted frequently, writing
well as an experienced and passionate enthusiast. When
Boxer mentioned that he wanted to sell his 308 GTB, I
thought out of the box, an alternative to the 365 GTC/4
or 550. I had always thought the 308 to be beautiful, the
vetroresina (fiberglass models) to be extra special and
that if this 308 GTB was good enough for Boxer, it must
be something worth looking at. Then I scanned previous
posts by Boxer and it became clear to me that he clearly
enjoyed this 308 despite because of his fantastic collection and wide experience of Ferraris. E-mail contact also
suggested to me that Boxer is a true gentleman. I have
walked away from seemingly nice cars before because I
got a bad vibe from the owner. It was quite the opposite
with Boxer. True to his word, Boxer did not market the
308 further and 5 months a�er our initial contact I was
able to meet Boxer and to drive the 308 during the first
weekend of March.
A�er a short drive, I was hooked. Deal done and
Boxer kindly offered me use of the 308 GTB for the rest
of the weekend. 308 GTB #18729 is the 4th 308 GTB built
(September 75 and first registered in March 76), possibly
the 1st customer 308 GTB le� in existence? Complete
with vetrorsina body, dry sump and 4 Webers. It has a
Zender “wide body”, 16” BBS rims and Brembo brakes.
It also sports a 328 type grill on the front bonnet to extract hot air from the large radiator. In the flesh this car
is striking and beautiful-reminds me of a GTO without
trying to be a replica. I am not keen on modificatoions,
but this really works, giving the 308 a bit of muscle. And
it has both the go (and stopping power) to back up its
beautiful looks. It starts up easily, even first thing in the
morning a�er being parked outside overnight. At low
revs it sounds like an Alfa Spider 2000 with Dellortos
that I drove recently. At 6000 it sounds like a Cosworth
V8 F1 which must be due to the flat plane crank. The
car’s music sounds much be�er inside the car than outside as you can really hear the Webers sucking hard.
It is much faster than the Dino, well with 60
more horses and a few kilos less, it would be. The 308
GTB has a similar curved rear window to the Dino. The
side and front views from inside the car very similar to
the Boxer. In fact in looks, feel and go, it is a beautiful
balance between Dino and Boxer. The real bonus is that
it is roomier inside than either Dino or Boxer, something at 6 4” I really appreciate! It has one of the sexiest
dashes on a car with the hooded binnacle and the way
the arm rests flow from the dash down the doors. The
oil pressure gauge tucked away under my le� hand is
difficult to read with sunglasses on, but I can live with
that!
The plan is for me to fly in and drive the 308 GTB
2500km across Europe to her new home in Amsterdam.
I agree with Boxer that a long drive home is a great way
to bond with a new car. I cannot wait!
FULFILLING A LIFE’S DREAM
By James Shanks
For my 25th Birthday, my wife bought me my first Ferrari. It was a red F50, 1:18 scale on a presentation plinth.
It now sits proudly with the collection of over 80 scale
models in the garage, outshone now by my pride and
joy, my 2006 Ferrari 612 F1 HGTS Scaglie�i. But let’s go
back 6 months.
Having recently had a change of fortune in
personal circumstances, and having already met the
needs of my family, the time had come to fulfil my life’s
dream. I was about to embark on buying my first sports
car. In fact it would be my first car as all those previous
had been company cars, the last of which being a Range
Rover, oh what a change this was going to be.
Ferrari is a name that did not come to the front
of the list, as this had always been a childhood dream,
and sometimes dreams are supposed to stay that way.
A bit like meeting your favourite pop star or actor, and
finding out they are just like the rest of us, except with
more a�itude and sometimes slightly abrupt. And also
mentally having not done my research at this stage, you
immediately have it in mind that they are going to be
expensive, both to buy, and then to run.
Having enjoyed a few track days, the first two
cars on the list were the latest Jaguar XKR, 4.2 Supercharged, and the Porsche C4S with a sports exhaust. I
went online, read up on the specifications, went to the
garages and had test drives. On track the XKR was faster
on my lap times, but it was still a Jaguar which has not
the best history. The detailing and finishing was much
higher quality than the Porsche, which was just like getting into a Beetle to my mind. Any beauty on the outside
of the car was lost as soon as you climbed in. Then the
major problem, even though both are classed as 2+2, my
just teenage daughter just couldn’t get in comfortably.
Back to the drawing board I went. Fortunately by
now I had moved to a new area with a wealth of highend car dealerships all in close proximity. I went again
and again, talking about the cars, test driving them, and
reviewing the stats on-line, but none empowered the
passion of a Ferrai. The problem was that towards the
back of one garage was a Mirabeau Blue 2004 612 Scaglie�i with a cream interior, and I had sat in it. My wife
said the smile on my face didn’t leave for 20 minutes
a�er ge�ing out, and we hadn’t even started it up. A Ferrari 2+2, and everyone can get in comfortably. It set the
mind to work. A Ferrari was definitely the answer, but
this 612 was nearly double what I originally intended on
spending.
I managed to track down two 456 models, a
1997, and a 2002, both in Tour de France blue, one with
a tan and the other with a blue interior. The 1997 first,
it looked great when you walked up and looked at the
lines, but a�er the 612 the initial thought was, this car is
a bit tired around the edges. The windows didn’t close
properly (long known fault), the windows and dash
switches were a bit loose. The test drive was also not as
inspiring as I had hoped it would be, and it was a GTA
so the driver engagement the six speed gated stick was
not there. I had hoped the second 2002 model would
be be�er, and it was a be�er car, but there again it was
5 years younger. At the same time, it was a car that was
designed 14 years ago, and not much had changed.
I decided that a Ferrari was the choice, but not a
2+2, I would accept that the family experience was not
going to be part of this decision making process.
I looked at three 360’s, a 360 spider, a 430 coupe and 2
spiders. The 430 is definitely a superior car, but all of
these told me one thing, I loved the paddle shi� interaction, even over the gate changer. Too many years of
playing with Logitech steering wheels on my racing
simulator, and having used paddle shi�s on track days,
it felt right. But the cars, each of which were all fine examples and fantastic cars in their own right, did not give
me that gut wrenching feeling of “I must have this!”.
I knew in the back of my mind I wanted to include all
three of us in my experience.
I went back to Porsche and tried a Turbo, to try
and get a kick out of the performance to direct me away
from the Ferrari’s, but that didn’t work. It was a fast,
alive car, but just felt I didn’t fit. I tried the Bentley GT
which is a fine car, but it didn’t bring that smile. Then
out to see a Turbo convertible, to enjoy the sun and
performance, but my wife wouldn’t even get out of our
Range Rover to see it. She knew it wasn’t what I wanted.
She then spent an hour convincing me to push the boat
out, reward myself with the car I had fallen for and go
back for the blue 612. The wonderful things that wives
make you do.
We did, but the dealer couldn’t get the owner to
agree to my offer, which even the dealer felt was fair. It
had been si�ing for 11 months, and the owner wouldn’t
agree to give it a full service. It wasn’t meant to be. One
thing I had said from the first day I had seen the 612, the
only car I wanted more than this was that a black one.
Two weeks later the same dealer told me he had
found a Black 612 F1 HGTS in the UK, which was Le�
Hand Drive, and originally a French registered car. We
made a few phone calls, looked on the web and my wife
said “if you don’t do this you’ll regret it for years, go for
it”. We made the offer the next day. Three other people
from around Europe had also shown an interest (not
just a sales pitch, as I met one who was looking at the
car just days a�er it was delivered). We made the deal.
It had just been serviced, it was a 2006, younger and in
even be�er condition than the Blue 2004, which I might
add was also a lot more expensive.
Then came the wait. In the build up to all of this,
I had been reading and watching people’s comments on
FerrariLife.com. It was very useful, and re-assuring to
find such a wealth of knowledge, passion and support
in one place. Different models, ages, countries, nationalities, financial positions, but all with one thing in common, a recognition and passion for Ferrari that Enzo
himself had started.
I felt I needed to contribute to the site with my
own experience, and it also provided a healthy distraction counting down the days to delivery. By now I think
I was driving my family to distraction. Then the big day
came, and I’ll let you into a secret (not one that should
be recommended), I had not test driven a 612. But I
wasn’t going to be disappointed.
The 612 Scaglie�i (named in honour of the Sergio
Scaglie�i, the coach builder who hammered out body
panels for prototype Ferraris) is a departure from historical Ferrari designs, but it is an awesome car to look at.
Looking at the front, walking directly towards it, it looks
like the front is wider than the rear, a departure from
other models, and also an optical illusion. As I walked
around the car for the first time in Black it came home.
This is a large imposing car with presence (especially
when parked beside a Lamborghini Gallardo at the petrol station).
As I first climbed in, I had been prepared for
the red interior, which had come up very bright in the
online pictures. I had also seen it in a 430 Spider, which
with a Rosso Corsa exterior, which seemed heavy. But
with the black exterior, and the awesome leather quality
finish, I immediately felt at home.
My first manoeuvre was to reverse her out. A�er
having the reverse procedure explained, I started up
my 612. My spine tingled, my heat beat jumped, and I
swear I broke into a sweat. Thank fully the 612 has rear
parking sensors (fronts are now optional) to keep me focused, as so many thoughts and feelings were exploding
though me, it would have been easy to make a mistake.
Yet the car effortlessly responded to this simple request,
and the exhaust note rumbled through every bone in my
body.
With a simple right click on the paddle, with the
brake peddle pushed down lightly (or the gear won’t engage) and I was in first. A light touch on the accelerator
and we moved forward, effortlessly again. The steering
was surprisingly light, and while it is a large car, very
nimble out of the garage.
Immediately as soon as I drove 10 yards, heads
turned around, not seeing the car, but just hearing the
exhaust note. My 612 has the HGTS upgrade pack,
which speeds up gears changes, beefs up the suspension, adds a wonderful sports exhaust, and what I
consider to be superior wheels. Both my wife and I were
smiling all day long.
We then went and picked up our daughter from
school, she jumped straight in the back with the school
bags in the boot, and we still had plenty of room. The
other school kids took note of the noise too. The 612
can be parked in a full car park without a�racting too
much a�ention, until you start her up, and the exhaust
note rumbles to the stroke of the V12. In Auto mode
the 612 can cruise up and down all day without complaint, si�ing at 80km/h in 6th gear at 2,000 revs, yet
the torque available makes it effortless. But when you
drive through the tunnels, you want to be in 3rd and 4th
above 4000 revs to hear the beautiful song of the V12
singing through the sports exhaust.
But with 540bhp on tap, pulling out of junctions
is fun, but you need to be careful. The Traction control
will kick in, but I prefer the whole ride experience with
the F1 Sports mode, and this means the traction control
kicks in a bit later, so twice I have had spinning wheels
snaking at the rear. Learning how the car feels and
responds to your commands is all part of the learning
experience.
The 612 is comfortable driving all day long up
and down the motorways, but the Ferrari heritage really
comes into play on the mountain roads and I am fortunate enough to live near some great roads. The acceleration, the cornering, the braking all give you confidence
in the cars ability. Responding to every request, the car
learns you driving style, and while it will change up to
6th effortlessly on standard road, it will also hold 2nd or
3rd around corners without a care. The 612 can throw
you back into the seat at a hint of pressure on the accelerator, and pull you out of it under braking if you want
to drive harder. This car is always ready to play. And I
am enjoying every minute of it.
I bought this car as a daily driver, and have already covered over 2000 km in the first 3 weeks. When
I purchased the car, I was hoping I would enjoy it every
day. I just didn’t realise how much. As a well-known
car journalist said back in 2005, a year a�er the 612 was
released, “you get a good car, then you get a great car,
then you get the best car. Then you have the Ferrari 612
Scaglie�i.” I have to agree. It may not be a supercar in
the realms of an F40, or F50, but it was the 2nd most
powerful current Ferrari when it was released, losing
out only to the Enzo. If you ever get the chance to drive
one, or own one, you will know why I think this is the
best Ferrari which the whole family can share.
CAIO TUTTI - 348 SPIDER
By Robert Giannini aka “Nightlife”
For anyone that has ever been interested in, or for anyone about to take the plunge in the Ferrari world... here
is my story.
I have been an exotic car nut for as long as I
remember. I have owned nothing but European cars,
starting with my humble beginnings of a Triumph TR7
to a Porsche 944s, Jaguar XJ6, BMW 325ic, Porsche 944
S2 Cabriolet, Porsche 911 SC Euro Sport, along with a
few others. I was always progressing toward a more
robust exotic, trying to quench my thirst and achieve the
ultimate passion! Even though those cars were awesome
in there own right, I eventually progressed to the inevitable conclusion that these cars do not come close to
‘owning a Ferrari’.
I originally started out looking to upgrade to a
Porsche 911-993. As I am a big fan of Ferdinand, I was
also very familiar with this car and I think it is one of the
most beautiful of all 911s, even more so than the 996 or
997 (plus it is the last of the true air cooled 911 and still
has the great 5 cluster instrumentation).
I started my search in the usual places. I was
mostly interested in a cabriolet and was having a lot
of luck -for there were many to be had. As my search
continued, an incredible thing occurred that has not
happened in 30 years!! Our mighty loony or Canadian
dollar started to rise from the dead and within a few
months we were worth more than the US $! That meant
that I could broaden my search and include both the
Dodge Viper and another favorite, the Lotus Esprit. I’m
not certain how it happened the first time, does anyone
really remember the first time they spot their dream
car? I believe I was looking at a Lotus Esprit and there
in front of my eyes in the same lot was a picture of a Ferrari 348. All at once it clicked. I had never even thought
of looking for a Ferrari 348/355 since they have always
been out of my reach. I was shocked at the prices and
could not believe my eyes! “This is too good to be true,”
I kept saying to myself. But unbelievably, there they
were both now affordable and there were quite a few to
choose from.
Now being a Porsche guy for many years I
thought I was pre�y knowledgeable in respect to cars,
but I had to admit that I really did not know anything
about a 348. So I did my homework. I can not stress this
enough, if you are thinking of a first time purchase, do
your homework !!! Not only is it informative, but it’s a
hell of a lot of fun and through it all, I came across great
sites such as this one, Ferrarilife, and met many wonderful people.
A�er a month of research and many hours on the
net, I felt I knew quite a bit about both the 348 and 355. I
then decided on a F355 Spider as I love convertibles and
think that the 348/355 spiders are the sexiest designed
automobiles, period. I found what I was looking for in
Brooklyn NY: a 97 Yellow/Black F355 Spider. I did the
preliminary phone calls and it was a bit unnerving. I
had never spoken to a Ferrari owner and I must admit
I had a preconception of the type of person that drove
a Ferrari (boy was I wrong). I assumed that he would
be able to tell that I was a rookie and that he would be
a pompous twit. I was relieved that I was completely
wrong. He answered all of my thousands of questions
and couldn’t have been nicer. He actually respected the
fact that I knew what I was talking about and I think it
made him take me more seriously.
A�er a couple of days of questions and answers
we agreed on the price and I was all ready to send the
money until someone said to me did you check and see
if it is allowed in Canada? What? This had never even
dawned on me. I mean how could it not be allowed?
So I got a hold of Transport Canada and to my horror
and fast breaking heart I was told that a 97 F355 was not
eligible for import. I was so upset. I’m sure most of you
can relate to the angst I felt, and can imagine my disappointment. If you have ever had your heart set on Ferrari ownership, been so close and then in the blink of an
eye, so very far away it tears at you. My girl friend and
be�er half saw how upset I was, especially when I had
to call the F355 owner and tell him that we did not have
a deal. She tried to say that the Viper was just as nice
and that I would like it, and she was probably right in
that it would be a nice car, but it is not driving folklore.
I wanted a Ferrari Spider!
I called Transport Canada back to ask why it was
not allowed and they gave me some silly reason such
as not having 5 mph bumpers. In addition, the only
Ferraris allowed for import must be 7 years and newer
(out of my price range) or 15 years and older per the cars
production date. Well, there went my dream of owning
a f355 Spider. However maybe I could a get a 348 Spider
as they are just as sexy and beautiful. So my search continued only to be cut short a�er realizing that all the 348
Spiders were 94 or newer which put them 2 years away
from eligibility under the 15 year rule. This le� me with
the option of a Ferrari 348 TB or TS, not my favorite, but
still a fine Ferrari. Through my studies, I knew about all
the changes that were made to the 348 for improving the
car’s quirks, like ride stability and engine management
so that if I could find a 93, it would have all the upgrades including increased bhp, not the dramatic 375 hp
on the 355, but still a very respectful 320 bhp. My search
went on and on and on until I thought there was never
going to be a 93 available.
It was now mid December and as time stretched
on I had stopped looking at Spiders because of their production dates. I thought that they only came out in ‘94
and that it was still a ways off before I could bring one
into Canada. I was not about to wait and take a chance
on our dollar, which with my luck it would go back to
being the Canadian Lira. One day on eBay, I came across
a beautiful red 348 Spider. What caught my eye on this
particular auto, was the color combo of red/tan two
tone interior as well as the extremely impressive carbon
fiber seats. I checked out all the photos of the car and
to my surprise, it looked flawless. The owner had listed
all the extensive upgrades that he had performed on
the car, as well as the major. Those upgrades included:
X-ost exhaust, hyperflow cats, carbon fiber heat exchanger, carbon fiber seats, new chromed 360 Modena
wheels and tires, redyed leather, painted calipers and so
much more, in fact far too many upgrades to list. Boy, I
thought this car was awesome and as such, some lucky
guy (probably not me) would end up with a great car.
It had absolutely everything I would want- plus all the
upgrades. It needed nothing (sigh).
As I was viewing all of the photos of the Ferrari,
I had come across one that showed the driver’s side door
sill and a plaque stamped with the production date:
March of 1993, on my god!!! I did not realize that they
had manufactured the 348 Spider in ‘93. If my calculations were correct, in 2 1/2 months from now, in March
of 2008, this car would be allowed into Canada, hence
my dream of owning a Ferrari Spider might just come
true. I immediately told my be�er half about the car and
showed her all of the photos (as I have done in the past
for all the other hundreds of cars I have been interested
in). Bless her heart that she put up with all of my ups
and downs and listened to all of my boring stories about
cars that she really was not interested in. She looked at
all of photos of the vehicle and said “That’s it, that’s the
one. Don’t hesitate to buy or it will be gone”. “This is a
sign that this is your car!” She was right. I needed to act
quickly. I gathered myself up before placing the phone
call and made a list of all the questions to ask.
The car was situated in Austin, Texas. I placed
the call the following day and a gentleman by the name
Franck answered the phone. I spoke “do you still have
a 348 Spider for sale?” Franck replied “why, yes I do!”
I started to get a li�le excited and when I get excited
my thought process and speech increase by double and
sometimes I start to talk so fast that people have difficulty understanding me. I was really trying to maintain my
composure. The owner was very nice and he was incredibly informative. He answered all my questions and the
ones he could not immediately, he found the answers
and came back to me on. I was feeling quite good about
this car, as the owner was also a car buff and he owned
not one, but three Ferrari’s! He races one, a 348 TB, and
daily, he drives a 456. The 348 Spider was just one too
many so he had decided to let it go as it was the one he
drove the least for it a�racted too much a�ention!
The more Franck and I talked, the more comfortable I became with him and we gained mutual trust
regarding the pending sale. He provided a detailed
account of all the work that he and his mechanic performed on the car and sent me the break down on what
they accomplished. He was very meticulous, capturing
every detail down to the nuts and bolts (no joke). The
car was in great shape, both mechanically and in appearance. Finally, the time came for the price negotiations. He informed me that there was a bit of room to
negotiate but I was a li�le hesitant and still had a few
questions. He reassured me that this car, if rated on
mechanics, would score a 9.9 out of 10 and that all of the
proper maintenance had been completed. He reassured
me that I would be very happy with the car and not to
worry. We then agreed on a price, as I was more than
comfortable with all the records and information that he
had provided.
Again this is something I can’t stress enough!
Get all the records you can about the car including a
carfax report and when possible, a PPI. If the seller is
hesitant, or a dealer gives you the run around, then run
away.
A�er we had agreed on the price, the ma�er of
payment came into question. I had always done this
sort of thing in person and was quite unsure on how to
go about doing this given the distance. Then there was
the added complication of having to wait till March for
the car to be permi�ed across the border into Canada.
As this was two months away, what was I to do with the
car in Texas until then? Franck came up with two scenar-
ios of payment: First a deposit of ten thousand dollars
would be given and be held in trust until the delivery
was made and then the rest of the sum would be sent.
2) That half the sum would be sent and held in trust etc.
He concluded that which ever was easiest for me would
be satisfactory. I thought about the two scenarios and
came up with a third, and this would be the time where
I informed Franck about my situation of having to find a
place to store the car for two months. My proposal was
that I would transfer all of the funds as long as he stored
the car for me until March. And while storing it that
he would start it up every once and a while and do the
proper upkeep until the delivery date. Franck said my
option was fine and he would be glad to accommodate
me. The next day, the deal was made and the papers
were signed.
I now owned a Ferrari 348 Spider and it took
a couple of days for it to really sink in. It doesn’t matter what you have read, everyone experiences these
emotions differently, but I’m sure we all felt a sense of
accomplishment, a sense of something bigger than ourselves a sense of incredible pride. I know that I sure did.
The following two month were the longest on
record for me. Not only was it leap year, (just my luck)
but it was overall a terrible winter, with a great deal of
snowfall. It was agonizing! There wasn’t a time that the
car did not cross my mind- it did not help that someone
would be asking questions about it. In short, making me
go crazy, longing for the car. Thank God for Ferrarilife
and other Ferrari forums that prevented me from going
crazy over those two months, at least it gave me the time
to fully research absolutely every aspect of the 348 series
and helped me figure out all that I wanted to do with
the car, so by the time I received it, I had all I needed to
start performing minor upgrades such as the lights.
Well, eventually the time came that I called my
transport company and informed them that the car had
to be delivered between March 1st and March 7th. As
luck would have it, he had the driver all ready to go
and he was going to leave Feb 27th and it had an estimated time of arrival on March 3rd. I was so excited!
Only a few more days and it would be here! The count
down started, 4 days... 3 days... 2, 1! The night before,
the driver called and informed me that the car was in
Canada and only 2 hours away, but he was quite tired
and asked if he could deliver it the following morning,
March 4th. I had no problems with that at all. I asked
where he planned to sleep and he told me that there was
a sleeper with the truck and he never leaves her side
which made me very happy. He informed me that he
ran into a small snow storm and it turned to sleet so he
asked if he should wash it. I told him it was not necessary; that I would take care of that. This would give me
the time to get familiar with the car. He went on to say
that he never delivered a car that received so much attention; he stated “If I received a dollar for every picture
taken of the car, I could eat steak every day of the year”.
I hardly slept that night, perhaps 2 hours at most.
The time had come, it was almost here. I awoke, not
rested, but I didn’t care; in less than an hour, it would
be here. I told the driver to call me when he was 10 min
from my door and he did, I almost wet my pants. My
be�er half and I went out to greet the new member of
the family, as well as some of my friends and neighbors.
It was awesome. The day was very cold, around 18c, but
I didn’t care!! We waited, cameras aimed. My gal was
out, farther down the road so she could see it first and
capture the shots as it arrived. I soon heard her exclaim
“ It’s here!!! I can see it! It’s here!”
The truck came around the corner and I couldn’t
believe my eyes. I thought that it couldn’t possibly be
the car that I bought... Although was so dirty, it looked
so awesome. I mean wow. I had an idea in my mind
of what it was going to look like but this was 10 times
above my expectations. It was stunning, very low and
wide and very Ferrari (and very very dirty too). The
next few minutes are a blur. I’m sure I was there in body
but definitely not mind, meaning that I remember some
of it but my memory is a swirl. I was just too excited.
Thank God my gal took pictures of the event. The driver
was an older gentleman who was very nice to deal with.
He took great care in ge�ing the car there and let me
drive the car down off the truck.
Even though the temperature outside was freezing cold, my palms were sweating as he handed me the
key. I turned it over not expecting the engine to start because of the weather but to my surprise, she fired up so
quickly. The initial sound was intoxicating- what a thrill.
I backed the car out so slowly fearing that Mr. Murphy
would rear his ugly head and ruin my day. To my relief,
the car was on the ground and I eased her in to her new
home. Finally, a�er months of searching, heart ache and
exhaustion, I have a Ferrari Spider of my very own. And
yes I cleaned her up immediately.
Two days later my gal and I take the car to get
the Federal inspection done, it is early in the morning
the streets are very dry and I was very nervous driving her, for I was not use to the Ferrari yet. She ran like
a champ and was so very responsive. I had the car out
for no more than an hour. In that one hour I had people
follow me and want to talk about the car. At least 20
pictures were taken of the car and I even let a 5 year old
girl sit in the car and had her picture taken by her very
grateful father.
I was pulled over for not having my registration
on the window. The friendly police officer let me go I
think he really wanted to check out the car. During the 3
minutes that I was pulled over for, someone decided to
call into a local radio station to discuss my misfortune.
About an hour later, my friends called me and asked if
I had the car out today and if I was pulled over. I asked
how they knew and they said “because they were talking about you on the radio”
The local radio station:
disc jockey 1: “We just saw a shinny Ferrari pulled over
on Victoria Ave, what the hell is this guy doing driving a
Ferrari this time of year.
disc jockey 2 :”well if I owned a Ferrari I would want to
drive it all year round too, wouldn’t you?” Incredible...
And that was all within 1 hour....
I wonder what the rest of the summer is going to be like.
I will let you know..
Ciao Tu�i, Roberto G.
FERRARI LIFE MEMBERS’ REPORTS
In our third installment we check back with Jimmy to learn about his Daytona, get updates on the Safari 308 we’ve
been following and learn about 348 and F50. If you would like to include your car for a report please submit text to
[email protected] and I will be happy to include it in a future issue. Sincerley, Andrew Naber.
Daytona Report
By Jimmy Chen Shiba
Let’s talk a li�le on 365GTB/4 Daytona based on
my limited association with this marvelous carriage; I
will try to convey some of my own experiences.
My first introduction to Ferrari was a 1997 manual 355,
followed by a V6 Dino, and the 365GT4 BB. The succession was a mid engine V8, a V6, and then a Flat12. All
were mid engine and no doubt they are all one of a kind.
However, it was time to try a different engine layout. I
was never drawn to the modern Ferraris and thus the
logical choice was the classical front engine V12 Colombo. So why did I choose the Daytona over other V12s.
To sum it up, the biggest reason was that the Daytona
was the culmination and the last of the true chain driven
front engine V12 Colombo before the drastic epoch
making change to mid engine V12 BBs in the 70s. To me,
Daytona represents the final V12 development from the
60’s starting all the way from the early 250s.
Let’s talk a li�le about the experiences. Visually,
as you stand in front of Daytona, you notice how long
the front hood appears, which gives an impression of a
large car. In reality, the car is quite compact, considering
the fact that it is a V12. The visual design by Pininfarina
was a major departure from its predecessors, hinting
at the dramatic departure in design to be seen in the
next generation BBs. In particular, the long, sweeping
front hood with wedge shaped plexiglass fronted lights.
Meanwhile, the rear profile received a short kamm tail
which accentuated the overall appearance of long front
appearance. Standing next to a 275 GTB, 365 GTB/4 and
a 365 BB, you can “feel” Pininnfarina’s design evolution.
As you open the door and place yourself in the driving
seat, you realize how spacious the interior is with its unmistakable classical 60’s layout. One can simply sit there
for a while and enjoy the atmosphere. Looking out the
front glass, one can barely see the sensuous curvature
lines sweeping toward the front. . As you turn the key,
you notice the unmistakable chain cranking, bringing
the V12 Colombo to life. The engine sound is unmistakably mechanical, powerful and begging you to step
hard on gas. One thing you notice when you blip the gas
pedal is how amazingly responsive the engine is. With
even the slightest change in pressure on the accelerator,
the response is direct and immediate. This sensation is
something I did not experience in the modern Ferraris.
You simply have to experience for yourself how responsive the engine is as even a gentle blipping shoots the
tach meter into the 4000/5000 rpm range. The best way
I can describe this is the say that it is to call it a razor
sharp response. As you start the car in motion and shi�
from 1st, 2nd and then into 3rd gear, you realize how
“light” the car feels as it moves in motion.
Moving north of 4000rpm, this engine takes
on totally different characteristics and the engine note
moves up to a whole new plateau of motoring nirvana.
By now, you realize how quickly you must focus your
whole a�ention to control this car as you move in along
the tarmac. The non assisted steering is an experience
on its own which is again so different compared to any
modern models. By now, you are totally involved with the machine because
this car demands your full respect at all
times.
The clutch pedal is heavy and
so is the steering, but then these are the
virtues and earn the Daytona its macho
stripes. A�er a spirited and involved
run, as you step out of this car, the
sensation and comment is,.....that was
really some kind of great driving experience.
Ferrari Safari #3 - The Honeymoons Over
By Michael Salomon “Schumacher”
A�er fourteen virtually trouble and cost free
months of 308 ownership, the cold financial reality of
Ferrari ownership has finally bi�en me. I’m sure there
will be readers of this report who will chuckle to themselves as this situation was inevitable despite the positive ness towards daily driver status of my 308 in my
past reports.
Maintenance
In early December last year, my car went in for a lubrication service as scheduled. I use a mechanic by the name
of Luigi Fincati. Luigi has been servicing Italian cars for
more than thirty years and was a well-known specialist
in preparing racing cars. Luigi is an old school mechanic
whose rates are reasonable but who tells it straight
when it comes to what needs to be done on a car.
One limiting factor with regards ge�ing things
done on the car is that I use the car daily and rely on it
to get around. It is very difficult for me to be without a
car for several weeks but naturally, servicing and repair
takes time. When the car was being serviced the overall
condition of the engine and drivetrain was given a clean
bill of health, although a few major problems were identified. These were:
1. The rear brake disks needed urgent replacement
2. The front brake pads were on their last legs
3. The front wheel bearings were completely shot
In addition, Luigi indicated that within the next 12
months some of the front suspension bushes will need
replacement and the shock absorbers could do with an
overhaul.
This was a lot to contemplate, especially given
the crazy prices charged by the local Ferrari agents for
parts. I visited the Superformance website and was
pleasantly surprised by the pricing of the parts, literally a quarter of what the official agents would have
charged.
With the lubrication service completed, we
agreed that with the workshop closing for the second
half of December, that the work would be carried out
in early January. I ordered the parts online in late December and, whilst ge�ing what I needed, I treated my
baby to a few “pamper” items that would improve her
appearance. With this in mind, my shopping list grew a
li�le and ended up with:
1. Two new rear brake disks
2. A set of front brake pads
3. A full front suspension bush set
4. Two front wheel bearings including the locking nuts
5. Four new wheel centre covers
6. Rubber covers for the clutch and brake pedals
7. Six toggle switch knobs for the interior
8. A new 40mm Prancing Horse Badge for the ashtray
All the parts came to approximately ZAR10,000 delivered (South African Rand - approximately US$1,400)
and they arrived literally two weeks from when I placed
the order. I must say that the service from Superformance was first class and I will certainly use them again.
The first thing I did myself was to fit the cosmetic replacement items. It is amazing how the li�le cosmetic improvements have made such a big difference to
my perception of the car, detailing is what really makes
a car shine!
In January when the workshop re-opened, I set
out to immediately get the bearings and brake disks/
pads onto the car. These parts needed to be installed
as the car was unsafe to drive without them. And what
a difference they have made! The car both tracks and
stops so much be�er. The labor on the work done (including the lubrication service) came to R5,000 (approximately US$700).
I have still not yet to do the suspension bushes
and shock absorbers. For those jobs, the car will be out
of action for around three weeks –so I will look to have
it done within the next three months. Other things that
will be done at the same time are:
1. Install a new thro�le cable as the action is a li�le
sticky, particularly in hot weather
2. Overhaul the handbrake as the le� rear caliper
sometimes sticks when it is engaged
3. Install new cables for the front lid and rear hatch
releases as these are not working properly.
Overall, the costs over the past few months have been
significant but very necessary. One benefit I have is
that the South African taxes allow me to deduct all my
maintenance and fuel costs as I use the car for business
purposes and accordingly, the tax man pays for 40% of
my maintenance and fuel costs as well as allows me to
claim the capital cost of the car over three years – with a
40% tax shield thereon. I must be one of the first people
to claim that the tax man actually makes Ferrari ownership more accessible!
One last maintenance item I just had done was a
repair of the zipper on the luggage compartment cover.
It had been broken since I purchased the car. I had an
hour to kill and I went past a local tailor in my area. The
lady was shocked to hear my request to look at repairing
a Ferrari! Definitely a first for her! In the end, it took her
45 minutes to repair and it cost R75 (less than US$7). I
am overjoyed at the result and it just goes to show that
small repairs can make a huge difference and don’t necessarily need to cost a large sum of money.
in mileage but rather in terms of time as I now do stop
start driving as opposed to mostly highway driving previously. I must admit that using the Ferrari in this way
has taken its toll on me (and in particular my le� calf).
Whilst I still adore the car and have no intention of selling her, I don’t really find myself having many “special”
drives at the moment.
Ultimately, whilst the 308 is without doubt
strong enough to be used daily, it does feel like it has
lost some of the mystique for this exact reason. With my
first 308 a few years ago, I only had one garage at my
house and I used to keep it during the week at my inlaws. I drove a Toyota hatchback and fetched the 308 on
Friday a�ernoons for use over the weekend. I remember
not being able to sleep on Thursday nights and literally had bu�erflies on Friday a�ernoons when I went
to get her for the weekend. I must admit that I miss that
feeling; sometimes I find myself actually dreading being
stuck traffic and being a li�le complacent about the fact
that I am driving a literal dream car.
For now, I will keep only the 308 but over the
next while I am going to look for a new daily driver. For
this a ’84-’89 Porsche Carrera is the most likely candidate.
Summary
I feel that my 308 is constantly improving in all areas.
My aim is to have it in virtually perfect condition within
the next 18 months. I love improving her slowly as each
upgrade and problem solved is massively rewarding in
its own right.
So, what have I learned? The 308 is strong
enough to be used daily over both long distances as well
as stop start conditions. Also, don’t be fooled if there are
prolonged periods without any problems. 27 year-old
cars require regular preventative and corrective maintenance so don’t be surprised when stuff needs to be
done!!!
Original books
A very pleasant surprise was the discovery of my car’s
original owner’s manual and service books. They are in
great condition and indicate that my car was originally
delivered in Germany in July 1981.
Driving
With all the boring admin discussed, on to the driving
aspect of the car. A�er changing jobs recently, I now
drive substantially more than I used to. Not necessarily
F50 ROAD TRIP
By Boxer
This is the summary of my first longish trip in the F50.
It was a 2 day adventure with almost all the F50 driving
on the 2nd day. Total distance covered was 700 km in
brilliant fall weather. My co-pilot this time around was
10 year old “Mini Me”. He was also responsible for all
the pictures.
Day 1
Due to time constraints, this time I had the F50 transported most of the way south. The truck it came on was
fantastic and unlike any other transporter I have ever
seen. The F50 arrived in perfect condition and I even
had the “fun” of backing it off the truck. As it arrived
late in the day, we decided to leave it in the guarded
garage by the office and set off early the next morning. With the F50 safely bedded down for the night, we
hoped in the 308 “City Car” and headed into town. The
joke at this point was that the 308 was the tender for the
F50 “Mother Ship”. As the F50 could not have fit in the
garage elevator at the apartment building, this actually
was pre�y accurate as we did need the 308 to ferry us
back and forth. Before finishing up for the day, we had a
brief strategy session for the drive the next day. We plotted our route and came out with a total distance of just
about 700 km. A�er a brief discussion we then decided
to use a two stop strategy, for as “Mini Me” put it, “Dad,
if you run out of gas, you are going to look really stupid”. And with that we then headed out to dinner.
Day 2
We started and ended without a cloud in the sky. We
got up, threw our stuff in a small duffle bag, had a quick
bite to eat, and headed down to fire the 308 Tender up.
The 308, as usual, started perfectly with the 1st turn of
the key, and a�er a few minutes of idling, we headed to
the garage elevator of doom. Based on the paint scraps
along the door edges, my guess is the elevator receives a
commission from the local body paint shop for each car
it nails.
A�er a couple of minutes and a full upper body
work out. We had maneuvered out of the courtyard and
were on the road. As it was still fairly early, traffic was
light and it only took 10 minutes to get out of the center
of the city and to the garage to pick up the F50. Once
parked alongside we quickly transferred the luggage
and cleaned the windscreen. One major issue with the
F50 is luggage space. What was in effect a small carryon
bag, entirely filled the “boot”. On a trip of more than 3
days, you would be limited to toothpaste, a toothbrush,
and clean underwear. The last thing we did before firing
the engine up was remove the small emergency roof.
I had put it up prior to shipping the car to keep the
interior clean. While it looks quite diabolical, it actually
is quite simple to install and can be done by one person
without too much fiddling.
We were now ready to go. Immobilizer off, ignition key to the right, wait for the system check to run
and flash ok, then hit the start bu�on. With that, all 12
cylinder erupt right behind your head before se�ling
into a steady high idle while the cats warm up. In an underground garage, it is brain ra�ling. As this is one car
that really needs to warm up before you start to move,
there we sat having our brains slightly scrambled for
the next 5-10 minutes. Mini Me looked at me about half
way through and said, next time just pick me up in front
when you are ready to go. The two temperature gauges
finally light up too the proper levels and we were off.
Out the gate, up the road, and within 2 minutes on the
ring road around the city.
Proceeding down the exit ramp, two quick gear
changes and a glace down at the speedometer, and that
was it. With the speedo reading 150 kph it was time to
back off quickly. Instant power is probably the best way
to describe how an F50 accelerates. No lag, no build up,
just full thrust as soon as you apply pressure with your
right foot. This coupled with a clutch that is perfectly
weighted and a pleasure to use makes for blistering
acceleration. In fact the combination of clutch and short
throw gearbox are the best of any Ferrari I have yet
driven. The only problem is it does it with so li�le effort
that you do not think you are going as fast as you actually are.
With two quick road changes we were out on the
outer ring road and headed for the main highway west.
A series of never ending speed cameras keep traffic at a
steady 100 kph. I decided at this point to move into the
center lane and just flow with traffic. Over the next 15
kilometers we filled the roll of moving photo op. While
I have accepted that this comes with the turf on owning these sorts of cars, it does get tiring a�er a while. At
points is a bit dangerous when you get people trying to
maneuver around you to get the perfect shot. In general
I will now sit patiently and let them take the picture
before moving on. We did have one change of strategy
though, in a couple of obnoxious cases, Mini Me would
pull out our camera and take pictures of them taking
pictures of us. Now that got some interesting looks.
The ring road was dispatched in due course and
it was now out on the open road. We se�led into a cruising speed of just a bit over the speed limit and at around
3800 rpms in 6th gear. Humming along at this speed
the F50 really feels like it is barely stressed. Traffic was
light and we were able to open it up a li�le on several
long segments with no one else in sight. With the open
top, you not only feel the engine (it is bolted to the back
of the bulkhead) but get the full F1 type scream right
behind your head. A�er a bit over 2 hours, it was time to
stop for gas.
With our tanks back to full, and having given a
wedding party plenty of time to take pictures in front of
the car, it was back out of the highway. Running
down the entrance ramps in this machine is just
fantastic. The combination of 12 cylinders in a
car that weights less than Kate Moss is a near
perfect package. The fact that the brakes actually work as soon as you get a bit of heat into
them is an added bonus.
The sun was right over head by now
and both of us had started to pick up a nice tan.
Traffic was still light to nonexistent so forward
progress continued at a respectable clip. 80 kilometers down the road we entered a kilometer
long tunnel. Speed in the tunnel was restricted
to 100km, so we dropped down to 3 gear, ran
the rpms up to a bit over 5000, and announced
our presence to any fellow motorist within ten
miles. The echo was earth ra�ling. Exiting the
tunnel, Mini Me turned to me and declared
that this was the car he wanted when he got his
driver’s license.
A�er one last fuel and food stop, the
rest of the journey went quickly, the only other
incident of note happened while crawling
across large suspension bridge near the end. We
had several conversations and plenty of thumbs
up from other slow moving motorists. All in, a
great drive on a beautiful day, in a car whose
capabilities are far in excess of mine.

Visit: www.FerrariLife.com

Transcription

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