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Have My Dreams Come True Now That I’ve Finally Driven a Ferrari? Well…






       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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