I Can’t Buy One But I Can Dream Can’t I?

December 21st, 2009

A new Ferrari is out in time for Christmas
If you were thinking about changing your car before the end of the year, here’s your chance. Just put $216,500 in your wallet and head for the nearest Ferrari dealership. Seeing that it’s almost Christmas, ask for the red 458 Italia model. It’s the one with the very powerful and very loud V8 engine in an aluminum chassis and body, an entirely new car. This should see you well-set for the coming decade. Driving around in this baby will also help you forget your dwindling pension fund and the non-stop global warming.

Its performance
This car looks fabulous with a functional, unadorned purity that comes from the way aerodynamics dictate the shape. At the maximum speed of 200 mph there’s around a third of a ton of power going on. Some speed, that, and very useful in the daily traffic jams. The phenomenal acceleration will outrun any cop in any weather, but you will have to hang onto to your internal organs.

The gearbox
The car boasts a new seven-speed sequential gearbox, now a double-clutch unit derived from that of the Ferrari California. Ferrari’s previous paddle-shift transmission brought a pause in acceleration with each upshift; this one not only eradicates the pause but also adds a momentary increase in acceleration from the rotational momentum of the engine as the engagement of the higher gear pulls the crankshaft speed down. But this is not the seamless, creamy-smooth shifting of which a double-clutcher is theoretically capable. There’s more drama if the shift feels more “mechanical”, so Ferrari has deliberately roughed-up the shift action a bit.

How it feels
A new steering-wheel design brings almost every hand-operated driving control within its orbit, including thumb-operated indicator buttons. Behind it is the tidiest dashboard yet seen in a Ferrari, with a big, central tachometer and TFT screens each side of it containing the speedometer, the satnav screen and a choice of systems readouts. Driven with the verve for which it is made, the Ferrari feels invincible. Its steering responds much more quickly than that of an F430 but it doesn’t feel remotely twitchy because the rear suspension helps to keep the response measured and progressive. It just feels compact, instantly flickable and amazingly supple, given how flat it stays through fast corners.

Can you suggest anything else?
If the Ferrari feels a bit much for you mechanically, there are some other choices in the same price range.

The Lamborghini
There is the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4: Mid-engined with 417kW and more raw character. Prices start at around $200,000

The Audi
Audi R8 V10: Based on the Lamborghini Gallardo but Audified with a 391kW V10 engine. It’s a satisfying supercar and (relatively) good value. Starts at $203,000.

The Porsche
Porsche 911 Turbo: Rear engine in archaic 911 fashion but modern technology and all-wheel drive make it manageable despite 372kiW and colossal torque. A little cheaper at around $145,000

This entry was posted on Monday, December 21st, 2009 at 9:30 am and is filed under Personal / Internet. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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