For those that have never had the joy of owning or driving a Ferrari let me share that all the hype is true. In my mind most of them are close to perfect cars.
Now before I get attacked by loving Porsche and Lambo owners let me explain. Ferrari's are clearly designed to be driven and if you have a passion for driving they come close to perfection. Sure there are many other great cars and I take nothing away from them, but as a marque Ferrari is at the top in my book. Additionally, there is no way I can cover all the history or cars from this significant marque in this blog entry, so I will merely touch on some interesting highlights.
Let me break Ferrari's into four distinct categories - race cars, classic cars, modern era cars and of course super cars.
Naturally Enzo was a racer and that is what drove the man to build cars in the first place. Everyone that knows the marque knows Enzo only built street cars to finance his racing programs. So Ferrari is obviously a great manufacturer of amazing race cars. Start with their Formula One cars. They are the most popular in the world and are on the leading edge of racing while competing against the best. To this day Ferrari is separated between its racing program and its street cars. The race factory is highly secretive and guarded. Since their primary focus is F1 this absorbs immense resources but it also supplies amazing information, data and innovation to their street cars. Ferrari is always competitive in F1 and has been racing there since F1's inception in 1950. It is the most successful F1 team in history and also the most recognizable and supported in the world. No other marque has this storied history. Sadly they have not had a factory sport car racing program since 1973 but despite this many Ferrari's continue to win in all levels of that sport - ALMS etc. The company does support privateers and race teams that use their cars although in a limited and primarily technical basis.
When it come to classic cars Ferrari is at the pinnacle. Actually the most expensive cars sold at auction are Ferrari's. I was present to see a rare 250 GTO auctioned for over $4 million and that is by no means a record. Actually, the most expensive car at auction went for $16.3 million and it was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. The early cars were so beautiful. Enzo loved 12 cylinder cars and many of the best had these powerful engines. Just take a look at some of my favorite beauties and see if you don't agree they are gorgeous. The 250 GT California; the 166MM Barchetta; the 288 GTO; the 1957 Testa Rossa; the 265 GTB; the 330 GTC and of course the Daytona.
While it is true that Ferrari has used several coach builders over the years it is the Pininfarina cars that I love the best. Their designs are of course legendary but it is their Ferrari autos that have stood the test of time. As you will note many if not most of the early Ferrari's were front engine cars and this worked well for Enzo as he could load them with his favorite 12 cylinder engines. It was not until the Dino that Ferrari produced a mid engined car. That is somewhat surprising to many as the name Ferrari has become synonymous with mid engine cars.
All the classic Ferraris were true Italian macho cars. Most had no power steering, the majority had the famous gated shifter and all were a handful to drive. I call all Ferraris prior to 1986 classic. I have been fortunate to own a few Ferraris and can attest to their beauty and performance. Ferrari until the modern era has not really cared much for heavy creature comforts in their cars. Up until the early 1990's they did not even come standard with radios (it took away from the music of the engine). They were designed for driving and nothing else. Sure you got expensive custom made Italian leather luggage as a option but with tiny trunks (usually up front) there was not much room for suitcases.
Here is a funny story - when I went to buy my first Ferrari - a lightly used 328 GTS I was shocked that there was practically no trunk space. When the salesman opened the hood (front of the car) there was this tiny square hole which he said was the trunk. I thought what the hell can I fit in there. So I asked him where do I put luggage if a girlfriend and I were to drive to the coast (California) for a weekend? He did not hesitate and replied, " all your girlfriend will need is her panties and a toothbrush, the rest you can buy her at the coast". As a bachelor I learned over time that these magical cars also had their way with ladies and I have to admit the salesman was right.
Modern Marvels
The modern Ferraris have taken on a new persona. It really started with the 355 and then transitioned to the 360 Modena. The 355 had essentially the 348 body but an improved engine and the first paddle shift semi automatic gear box. I remember driving one of the early cars and hating the gear box. I wondered how Ferrari had done this to such a fine car. It dragged before the clutch would engage, you had to pull both paddles to get neutral and it clunked every time you changed gears. All that went out the window the minute I got it on a track. I saw quickly why this new F1 borrowed technology would eventually catch on.
The 360 Modena improved the gear box considerably through its production run. It added many optional creature comforts and became a car one could drive daily. The body design was changed and the suspension remapped. It was no longer a spin off of the 348 but a true modern exotic. The introduction of the 430 was another huge milestone for Ferrari. They had perfected the paddle shift gear box and refined further the interior and handling by adding all sorts of driver aids. The most exciting was the manettino - a selectable setting on the steering wheel that allows you to easily change the suspension, engine mapping, transmission, differential and throttle response. These amazing technological advancements came primarily from racing but were developed with partners. The E-Diff and the magnetic suspension are two very important ones. What makes these so special is that in A Ferrari they are practically seamless yet contribute to speed and handling immensely.
All these techie features and creature comforts, for some purest, made the car "a sissy" but still undeniably sexy and fast. Initially, I was upset because now a rich techie with no driving skills could take to the track and not embarrass himself because the car was doing most of the work. (I guess I should be thankful as I have had the pleasure/fright of teaching a few of these folks to drive their cars on the track and these modern features saved me a few times).
While all this was transpiring with the V8 cars Ferrari never forgot their roots in the V12 GT cruisers. The 550 Maranello was a great front engine car which had several iterations during its production run. Schumacher was involved in developing this car and later several more. The 550 grew into the 599. Not only was it faster but like the V8 metamorphosis, this GT gained many tech enhancements and creature comforts. The amazing dual clutch paddle shift gear box in the 430 and the manettino were also in the 599, banging out shifts in literally milliseconds and making mediocre drivers look like pros. The last iteration of the 599 was a GTO. Carrying this moniker meant it had to perform and it did not disappoint. Ferrari also produced a grand tourer to replace the 456 called the 612 Scaglietti. I was never a fan but I guess it found a spot in the buyer network and despite its larger size still performed.
Then came the 458 Italia (their current V8 car). It is beautiful, sexy and amazingly fast. It does everything very well and is now the benchmark of all modern exotics. As with all Ferraris there are cars that are faster in a straight line, cars that can corner better and even some that will brake better but there are few if any that can put all of it together like this Ferrari. It was so fast that it beat the track time of the famed Enzo around the Fiorano track at Ferrari. It does 0-60 in just over 3 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph. There is nothing this car does not excel at.
Behind the launch of the 458 came two new models - the FF or shooting brake and the F12. Both are front engine (sort of ) V12 cars. The FF was a replacement for the 612 Scaglietti and was a risk for Ferrari as it looks like a sexy station wagon and many questioned who would buy it. Amazingly it has sold as expected and it performs much better than it looks. It had all the tech advances of the 458 and added the unbelievable 4RM four wheel drive system. It actually drives all four wheels independently creating super car capabilities in horrid driving conditions.
The F12 was the successor for the 599 and what a beauty it is. While listed as a grand tourer it is a performer. Producing 730 HP and 509 ft. lbs of torque all driven through a 7 speed dual clutch transmission including all the advanced technology of the 458 Italia. All this is wrapped in a beautiful body that weighs in 150 pounds lighter than the 599. It amazed the press by lapping Fiorano faster than the Enzo and even faster than the 458. Luxury, class and speed.
Super Cars
Ferrari has had many in this class and some would argue they define the class. I would have to say they do because it seems every other super car manufacturer is comparing themselves to a Ferrari. What was the first "super car" from Ferrari? I would say it was the F40. This was a revolutionary car and to this day is considered by most to be one of the best of the marque.
The F40 was named to mark the 40th anniversary of Ferrari and was a replacement for the 288 GTO. It was produced from 1987 till 1992 and only 1315 were ever made. it was a street race car in my opinion. It had a 2.9 liter V8 with twin turbos that produced 471 HP. It was spartan and the body was made of Kevlar, carbon fiber and aluminum to keep weight down. It weighed only 2400 pounds. It hit 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, was the first production car to reach over 200 mph and handled like it was on rails. Its main competitor was the amazing 959 Porsche which took a beating from this red beast.The fastest lap I ever did around Laguna Seca was in one of these beauties and it was bordering on a sexual experience.
In 1995 it was replaced by the F50. Again named to commemorate Ferrari's 50th birthday. Only 349 copies were made. It was really not as performance oriented as the F40 and added many niceties that the barren F40 did not possess. It had a 4.7 liter V12 and produced 750 HP. Several were raced around the world and today command over $1 million a copy. I found the design to be exotic and racy but I preferred the purity of the F40 and its animalistic twin turbo V8.
Here is my F50 story - at what was Sears Point in Sonoma Ca, i participated in a Ferrari track meet. It was actually a very large meeting and we were blessed with the arrival of a race prepped F50. The owner was an elderly gent and hired a young professional want-to-be race car driver to compete in the car. The paddock was a buzz with this beauty being present and we all were anxious to see what we expected to be an awe inspiring performance on the track. We all went out by class to do warm up laps and I was gridded 5 cars behind the F50. On our 3rd hot lap I cam out of the north loop, turn 6 to see the F50 smashed into a retaining wall and shards of carbon fiber everywhere. The idiot young driver forgot the golden rule of racing - warm up your tires. Showing off he powered the car through 6, lost the back end on cold tires and slapped the wall. It was estimated at half a million of damage.
The Enzo was the next super car from Ferrari and it ushered in many of the technological advances we see today. Only 399 of these cars were built and the last 50 were actually added because of pressure from loyal Ferrari customers who wanted one. The Enzo was heavily based on F1 technology and employed many new innovations. It offered the active aerodynamics from F1, had a full carbon fiber body and standard carbon ceramic brakes. It was a new V12 based loosely on the Maserati V8 technology (a sister company). It produced 651 HP and this mid engined car only weighed 3000 pounds. With a electrohydraulic gear box and ceramic brakes, its performance was amazing. At over $650,000 a copy they were all sold before the first one was produced in 2002.
We have waited for nearly 10 years for the next super car from Ferrari and it finally debuted at Geneva this year. The La Ferrari is set to be the next benchmark for the industry and with what we know thus far it will be another thriller. This time however several other super car manufacturers are competing and announced in Geneva too. (See my Blog on Super cars dated March 5, 2013)
It is impossible to describe the sensation of driving a Ferrari but I will try. All you senses are involved. First perhaps is sight - the first time you actually see the car and walk around it. It screams passion, exclusivity and excellence. Then there is touch - get in and feel the Daytona seats hug you, grip the perfectly wrapped steer wheel, feel the cool aluminum gear. Quality everywhere you look. Then there is smell - the leather seats, the carpets. You are further drawn in by the simplicity but focus on speed. Once the engine is fired you are in love. There is no sound on earth like a Ferrari at full song. I have had Ferraris now for over 18 years and in that time I have turned on the stereo in any of them maybe once. The music of the engine is intoxicating and connects you to the car in an indescribable way. It is like an extension of you - doing everything you ask of it with pleasure and surgical skill.
If ever you get a chance to drive or ride in one of these cars don't pass it up. For those that own one I hope you appreciate the special gift you have. Till next time keep the rubber on the road.
Now before I get attacked by loving Porsche and Lambo owners let me explain. Ferrari's are clearly designed to be driven and if you have a passion for driving they come close to perfection. Sure there are many other great cars and I take nothing away from them, but as a marque Ferrari is at the top in my book. Additionally, there is no way I can cover all the history or cars from this significant marque in this blog entry, so I will merely touch on some interesting highlights.
Let me break Ferrari's into four distinct categories - race cars, classic cars, modern era cars and of course super cars.
Naturally Enzo was a racer and that is what drove the man to build cars in the first place. Everyone that knows the marque knows Enzo only built street cars to finance his racing programs. So Ferrari is obviously a great manufacturer of amazing race cars. Start with their Formula One cars. They are the most popular in the world and are on the leading edge of racing while competing against the best. To this day Ferrari is separated between its racing program and its street cars. The race factory is highly secretive and guarded. Since their primary focus is F1 this absorbs immense resources but it also supplies amazing information, data and innovation to their street cars. Ferrari is always competitive in F1 and has been racing there since F1's inception in 1950. It is the most successful F1 team in history and also the most recognizable and supported in the world. No other marque has this storied history. Sadly they have not had a factory sport car racing program since 1973 but despite this many Ferrari's continue to win in all levels of that sport - ALMS etc. The company does support privateers and race teams that use their cars although in a limited and primarily technical basis.
When it come to classic cars Ferrari is at the pinnacle. Actually the most expensive cars sold at auction are Ferrari's. I was present to see a rare 250 GTO auctioned for over $4 million and that is by no means a record. Actually, the most expensive car at auction went for $16.3 million and it was a 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa. The early cars were so beautiful. Enzo loved 12 cylinder cars and many of the best had these powerful engines. Just take a look at some of my favorite beauties and see if you don't agree they are gorgeous. The 250 GT California; the 166MM Barchetta; the 288 GTO; the 1957 Testa Rossa; the 265 GTB; the 330 GTC and of course the Daytona.
While it is true that Ferrari has used several coach builders over the years it is the Pininfarina cars that I love the best. Their designs are of course legendary but it is their Ferrari autos that have stood the test of time. As you will note many if not most of the early Ferrari's were front engine cars and this worked well for Enzo as he could load them with his favorite 12 cylinder engines. It was not until the Dino that Ferrari produced a mid engined car. That is somewhat surprising to many as the name Ferrari has become synonymous with mid engine cars.
All the classic Ferraris were true Italian macho cars. Most had no power steering, the majority had the famous gated shifter and all were a handful to drive. I call all Ferraris prior to 1986 classic. I have been fortunate to own a few Ferraris and can attest to their beauty and performance. Ferrari until the modern era has not really cared much for heavy creature comforts in their cars. Up until the early 1990's they did not even come standard with radios (it took away from the music of the engine). They were designed for driving and nothing else. Sure you got expensive custom made Italian leather luggage as a option but with tiny trunks (usually up front) there was not much room for suitcases.
Here is a funny story - when I went to buy my first Ferrari - a lightly used 328 GTS I was shocked that there was practically no trunk space. When the salesman opened the hood (front of the car) there was this tiny square hole which he said was the trunk. I thought what the hell can I fit in there. So I asked him where do I put luggage if a girlfriend and I were to drive to the coast (California) for a weekend? He did not hesitate and replied, " all your girlfriend will need is her panties and a toothbrush, the rest you can buy her at the coast". As a bachelor I learned over time that these magical cars also had their way with ladies and I have to admit the salesman was right.
Modern Marvels
The modern Ferraris have taken on a new persona. It really started with the 355 and then transitioned to the 360 Modena. The 355 had essentially the 348 body but an improved engine and the first paddle shift semi automatic gear box. I remember driving one of the early cars and hating the gear box. I wondered how Ferrari had done this to such a fine car. It dragged before the clutch would engage, you had to pull both paddles to get neutral and it clunked every time you changed gears. All that went out the window the minute I got it on a track. I saw quickly why this new F1 borrowed technology would eventually catch on.
The 360 Modena improved the gear box considerably through its production run. It added many optional creature comforts and became a car one could drive daily. The body design was changed and the suspension remapped. It was no longer a spin off of the 348 but a true modern exotic. The introduction of the 430 was another huge milestone for Ferrari. They had perfected the paddle shift gear box and refined further the interior and handling by adding all sorts of driver aids. The most exciting was the manettino - a selectable setting on the steering wheel that allows you to easily change the suspension, engine mapping, transmission, differential and throttle response. These amazing technological advancements came primarily from racing but were developed with partners. The E-Diff and the magnetic suspension are two very important ones. What makes these so special is that in A Ferrari they are practically seamless yet contribute to speed and handling immensely.
All these techie features and creature comforts, for some purest, made the car "a sissy" but still undeniably sexy and fast. Initially, I was upset because now a rich techie with no driving skills could take to the track and not embarrass himself because the car was doing most of the work. (I guess I should be thankful as I have had the pleasure/fright of teaching a few of these folks to drive their cars on the track and these modern features saved me a few times).
While all this was transpiring with the V8 cars Ferrari never forgot their roots in the V12 GT cruisers. The 550 Maranello was a great front engine car which had several iterations during its production run. Schumacher was involved in developing this car and later several more. The 550 grew into the 599. Not only was it faster but like the V8 metamorphosis, this GT gained many tech enhancements and creature comforts. The amazing dual clutch paddle shift gear box in the 430 and the manettino were also in the 599, banging out shifts in literally milliseconds and making mediocre drivers look like pros. The last iteration of the 599 was a GTO. Carrying this moniker meant it had to perform and it did not disappoint. Ferrari also produced a grand tourer to replace the 456 called the 612 Scaglietti. I was never a fan but I guess it found a spot in the buyer network and despite its larger size still performed.
Then came the 458 Italia (their current V8 car). It is beautiful, sexy and amazingly fast. It does everything very well and is now the benchmark of all modern exotics. As with all Ferraris there are cars that are faster in a straight line, cars that can corner better and even some that will brake better but there are few if any that can put all of it together like this Ferrari. It was so fast that it beat the track time of the famed Enzo around the Fiorano track at Ferrari. It does 0-60 in just over 3 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph. There is nothing this car does not excel at.
Behind the launch of the 458 came two new models - the FF or shooting brake and the F12. Both are front engine (sort of ) V12 cars. The FF was a replacement for the 612 Scaglietti and was a risk for Ferrari as it looks like a sexy station wagon and many questioned who would buy it. Amazingly it has sold as expected and it performs much better than it looks. It had all the tech advances of the 458 and added the unbelievable 4RM four wheel drive system. It actually drives all four wheels independently creating super car capabilities in horrid driving conditions.
The F12 was the successor for the 599 and what a beauty it is. While listed as a grand tourer it is a performer. Producing 730 HP and 509 ft. lbs of torque all driven through a 7 speed dual clutch transmission including all the advanced technology of the 458 Italia. All this is wrapped in a beautiful body that weighs in 150 pounds lighter than the 599. It amazed the press by lapping Fiorano faster than the Enzo and even faster than the 458. Luxury, class and speed.
Super Cars
Ferrari has had many in this class and some would argue they define the class. I would have to say they do because it seems every other super car manufacturer is comparing themselves to a Ferrari. What was the first "super car" from Ferrari? I would say it was the F40. This was a revolutionary car and to this day is considered by most to be one of the best of the marque.
The F40 was named to mark the 40th anniversary of Ferrari and was a replacement for the 288 GTO. It was produced from 1987 till 1992 and only 1315 were ever made. it was a street race car in my opinion. It had a 2.9 liter V8 with twin turbos that produced 471 HP. It was spartan and the body was made of Kevlar, carbon fiber and aluminum to keep weight down. It weighed only 2400 pounds. It hit 0-60 in 3.8 seconds, was the first production car to reach over 200 mph and handled like it was on rails. Its main competitor was the amazing 959 Porsche which took a beating from this red beast.The fastest lap I ever did around Laguna Seca was in one of these beauties and it was bordering on a sexual experience.
In 1995 it was replaced by the F50. Again named to commemorate Ferrari's 50th birthday. Only 349 copies were made. It was really not as performance oriented as the F40 and added many niceties that the barren F40 did not possess. It had a 4.7 liter V12 and produced 750 HP. Several were raced around the world and today command over $1 million a copy. I found the design to be exotic and racy but I preferred the purity of the F40 and its animalistic twin turbo V8.
Here is my F50 story - at what was Sears Point in Sonoma Ca, i participated in a Ferrari track meet. It was actually a very large meeting and we were blessed with the arrival of a race prepped F50. The owner was an elderly gent and hired a young professional want-to-be race car driver to compete in the car. The paddock was a buzz with this beauty being present and we all were anxious to see what we expected to be an awe inspiring performance on the track. We all went out by class to do warm up laps and I was gridded 5 cars behind the F50. On our 3rd hot lap I cam out of the north loop, turn 6 to see the F50 smashed into a retaining wall and shards of carbon fiber everywhere. The idiot young driver forgot the golden rule of racing - warm up your tires. Showing off he powered the car through 6, lost the back end on cold tires and slapped the wall. It was estimated at half a million of damage.
The Enzo was the next super car from Ferrari and it ushered in many of the technological advances we see today. Only 399 of these cars were built and the last 50 were actually added because of pressure from loyal Ferrari customers who wanted one. The Enzo was heavily based on F1 technology and employed many new innovations. It offered the active aerodynamics from F1, had a full carbon fiber body and standard carbon ceramic brakes. It was a new V12 based loosely on the Maserati V8 technology (a sister company). It produced 651 HP and this mid engined car only weighed 3000 pounds. With a electrohydraulic gear box and ceramic brakes, its performance was amazing. At over $650,000 a copy they were all sold before the first one was produced in 2002.
We have waited for nearly 10 years for the next super car from Ferrari and it finally debuted at Geneva this year. The La Ferrari is set to be the next benchmark for the industry and with what we know thus far it will be another thriller. This time however several other super car manufacturers are competing and announced in Geneva too. (See my Blog on Super cars dated March 5, 2013)
It is impossible to describe the sensation of driving a Ferrari but I will try. All you senses are involved. First perhaps is sight - the first time you actually see the car and walk around it. It screams passion, exclusivity and excellence. Then there is touch - get in and feel the Daytona seats hug you, grip the perfectly wrapped steer wheel, feel the cool aluminum gear. Quality everywhere you look. Then there is smell - the leather seats, the carpets. You are further drawn in by the simplicity but focus on speed. Once the engine is fired you are in love. There is no sound on earth like a Ferrari at full song. I have had Ferraris now for over 18 years and in that time I have turned on the stereo in any of them maybe once. The music of the engine is intoxicating and connects you to the car in an indescribable way. It is like an extension of you - doing everything you ask of it with pleasure and surgical skill.
If ever you get a chance to drive or ride in one of these cars don't pass it up. For those that own one I hope you appreciate the special gift you have. Till next time keep the rubber on the road.