Calling all Car Guys/Girls

[JMAUSGP]

In another thread it was suggested that there would be some interest in an event that I recently attended.

I have had on my bucket list for some time to attend the Ferrari Driving Experience. Well, I finally got to do it and although I had high expectations, it blew away my highest expectations.

The track was Mont Tremblant, the instructors were all professional race car drivers, the cars were the new 458 Italia, 430 Scuderia, California and 599 HGTE.

Driving there cars at the limit was an eye opening experience to say the least.

The 458 Italia is head and shoulders above the Scud, 599 HGTE or even the Enzo. This car is impossible to describe. It lives between 8,000 and 9,200 RPM. It doesn't matter which gear, the car is similar to a spaceship or fighter plane, there just isn't another Ferrari that you can compare it to and I would suspect at the moment there are no other cars to compare it to, but that will probably change. The aero package, the power, the handling, the transmission, the car is ablsolutely phenomenal with no area of weakness that I can see or feel.

We drove Scuds and Italias back to back and it was night and day. The 458 is way faster than the factory has let on. Some of the pro drivers were close to 10 seconds faster in the 458 versus the Scud.

I could go on and on aobut the Skid pad, the slolom, the breaking and the lapping that we did with these cars but it would tak a long time.

If you are a car guy, some day you have to get a ride or drive the 458, no matter what kind of car you like, the 458 will have some kind of effect on you, unless you don't like to go fast.

Here are some shots, to give you an idea of what we were driving.

 

[JMAUSGP]

Here are a couple more pics to look at.

 

[Hocky]

Cool pictures. Personally, I definitely prefer the styling of the F430 to the 458, but the 458 is definitely a neat car that is pretty quick out box. I would love to get my wife a California. ;-)

 

[JMAUSGP]

We drove Californias on the skid pad, what a hoot.

The instructor was the North American Drift Champion and he would drift the Californias in a figure 8 with you in the passenger seat for 6 continuous laps.

When I say it was incredible, I am not kidding.

To say the 458 is quick out of the box, is an enormous understatement, they are on a different level than the F430.......

Hocky are you saying you might want to buy my 430?

 

[Hocky]

Sure, you in the market for real estate? I can trade you one of my houses. lol

 

[repman]

That is a incredible site all those prancing horses lined up in a row , I am :drool:ing all over my computer what a mess

That had to be an incredible experience I am sure you will never forget.

I have never cheated on my wife in 30 years of marriage but if that Italia was a women my wife might be real disappointed in me.

Congrats on marking one of your items off the list.

 

[Ron]

Personally I like my Porsche twin turbo better than my friends 430. The 458 is a whole different car. I have only sat in one at the Ferrari dealer, and seen the the same one at the Beverly Hills cars show on Fathers day. Yearly event. What a beautiful car. I will never own one. Out of my league. Sterio equipment is my thing now.

 

[JMAUSGP]

Ron,

I understand what you are saying and Porsche makes a great car not just good but great, the 458 is something else and I know people say this car or that car is great, but trust me on this, the Italia is unlike any car I have ever been in and not by a little, its feel, performance everything about this car will shock you. If you get the chance to drive or ride in one, take it.

It truly is closer to a fighter jet than a car, I can't really describe it properly but besides being blindingly fast it gives off a feeling that the interface between man and machine is unlike any car out there.

I am not saying it is the fastest factory stock car of all time, but the interface is something you have to experience to understand. If you are in to cars it is worth it to experience the 458, but you need to do it on the track, that is the only safe place to put the car at 9000 rpm and truly experience it.

I am guessing that the V8 in the Italia shares much technology with the Ferrari Formula One V8. Ferrari was testing their F1 V8 at over 24000 rpm before the FIA shut everyone down and put a limit of 19,000 and now 18000 on f1 V8s. This thing lives at over 9,000 rpm and it isn't even straining, it feels like it could do 12000 easily with just a software upgrade. This thing is just unreal, and it has carbon ceramic brakes that don't quite
aero dynamics that are unheard of, a 7 speed transmission with a zero lag time between shifts, built in launch control, custome suspension settings, traction control, yaw control and it has parking sensors and a backup camera.

 

[slowGEEZR]

Ok, ok, add driving a 458 on a long track to my bucket list.

 

[jtwrace]

oh boy. Do I wish I could post my video's of the Ferrari test drives...yikes!

Sorry.

 

[Audioseduction]

That’s just too cool! I would love to have a chance to drive any of those. Thanks for sharing!

 

[Bernard]

Hey Joe,

Which of these cars was it you told me you were driving at old lady speeds of 85mph, while the instructor took you in the same car at 135mph?:devil:

 

[Ron]

Joe, I might have a chance to drive one someday. My friend with the 430 probably will be getting one in the future. He is always on the list with the Ferrari dealership. I don't think there is a list to be on with this car, but they assured him, being a good customer, that there might not be a problem.

 

[JMAUSGP]

Ron,

Short of doing any sexual favors.........make sure you get a chance to drive your friends 458, because if he is on the list he will probably get one.

Just remember who told you to take a change of clothes with you when you drive it.

 

[Hocky]

Were the cars all dual clutch gearboxes or did they have some true manuals? Did you get to drive both?

 

[JMAUSGP]

All new Ferraris are standard with Dual Clutch paddle shifters. Rumor has it that they may offer sticks for the relics, but I would be surprised, they are way too slow to shift, and it is dangerous taking your hands off the wheel at over 200 plus miles an hour, which is the new top speed of the 458, 458 Challenge and 599 GTO.

We got to drive all the cars, it was the most fun you could have with your clothes on.

Driving the Scud and 458 back to back was an eye opening experience. The Scud was suppose to be as fast as the 458, but it turns out the 458 is significantly faster than the Scud, to the tune of maybe 4 or 5 seconds a lap.

The 599 HGTE was fast and luxurious. Anthony Lazzaro took us for hot laps in the 599 HGTE and he was doing power slides in and out of every corner at over 120 miles an hour, mind bending.

The Californias were a blast on the skid pad. They had the North American Drift Champion as one of the instructors. He took the California with passengers in a full drift through a figure 8 for six continuous laps, that was a hoot and a little scarey as I had never seen the passenger window become a front windshield before.

 

[Ron]

Joe, I am just curious. Have you taken any high performance driving courses? Have you tried the shifter carts? They are a blast.

 

[Andrew Pratt]

That sounds like the perfect day. Wish I could do that once in my life.

 

[tonepub]

Looks like you had a great time....
Great stuff!

 

[Hocky]

We should schedule a track day to run at Putam together.