In a literal sense, yes. My lifelong
dream of driving a Ferrari has been fulfilled, however, there is one
substantial fly in the ointment. It wasn’t particularly the best driving
experience of my life, and there’s a very good reason for this. I gave my Ferrari
virginity up to a 1989 Testarossa, which, in human comparison would be the girl
that you’ve looked at out of curiosity because she’s mildly attractive, but was
known to have acquired a gift that keeps on giving. In other words, someone
you’d rather not be with.
There
wasn’t one major thing wrong with the Redhead which killed the experience for
me, more so, it was a combination of almost everything being terrible. The
seating position was appalling, the pedal layout so senseless that I’d imagine
driving this car on a somewhat regular basis would induce scoliosis to the
owner. The handling and steering feel was totally average, maybe even below it
because I was fighting for lock due to the unassisted steering rack. The
transmission, well, clutch aside, everything was terrible. Yes, I dare say even
the open H-gate shifter was disappointing. Shifting was vague, with every throw
filled with uncertainty. A lot of my discomfort was due to my 6’4” leggy build,
but this is about my personal experience with the Testarossa. Hell, I wasn’t
even impressed by the engine. I attribute this to my taste in power being
somewhat spoiled, but also because, let’s be honest, 380 horsepower is nothing
to be astonished by anymore. The flat 12 was smooth and sonorous and put a smile
on my face, but it wasn’t “Ferrari fast” for me. Again, bear in mind these are
my thoughts regarding my experience. I’m used to 380-550 horsepowers from the
v6 and v8 Jaguar F-Type range, with seamless shifting and far more ergonomic
seating and cabin layout. Hell, even my LS1 Z28 Camaro would give the
Testarossa a run for its money in terms of power, and I was immeasurably more comfortable
in the ‘maro. Yikes.
I
drove the Redhead for maybe 3 miles in total, but I couldn’t be happier that
was the case. Spending any more time in the car would make me prone to hate all
Ferraris, but I know not all of them can be so woeful for me. It’s incredible
to think that Ferraris were such compromised cars before, yet people still
developed such a maniacal obsession with them, making the company into what it
is today. Having sat in the modern FF and 458, I’m confident in saying that the
new pieces of rolling art that bear the prancing horse logo are no longer cars
that need a greater commitment than marriage in order to keep for long periods
of time. Thankfully, ditching the discomfort doesn’t mean they bid farewell to the
soul and character of the older models. The new Ferraris still ooze with
Italian passion and insanity, proven instantly upon startup of any of their
cars. Bearing this experience in mind, I can only imagine how much I’d dislike
the older Lamborghinis. Shame. Beauty - for me, then - is only skin deep on
older exotics.
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