What was it like to drive most of Ferrari's hypercars back-to-back? Find out in our latest online long-read...
S4, Ford RS200 and Metro 6R4 – nd its architect was Ferrari’s F1 designer, Dr Harvey Postlethwaite. The GTO was never seriously raced; what it did was demonstrate Ferrari’s grasp of the latest technologies to create the ultimate road-going supercar of the day.
I was expecting the Enzo to be all over the back of the GTO, but its annoying xenons flaring in the rear-view mirror don’t appear to get any closer. I can feel why: the GTO is sailing over this tricky surface, barely acknowledging so many of the lumps, bumps and compressions that test the travel of the Enzo and F40. Then there’s the unassisted steering – direct, feelsome and marvellously weighted.
First gear is very leggy, but once you’re on your way the ratios of the six-speed ’box are perfectly spaced, and the shift is sublime. It’s perfectly loaded across the gate, positive and precise as the lever snicks between the aluminium fingers before slotting home with a satisfyingly lip-smackingIt’s a fantastic sight tailing the GTO into corners in the twilight, its round brake lights aglow, two-foot-long flames shooting from its blunderbuss-style tailpipes on the overrun.
‘It’s certainly not the savage animal that you might think it is,’ says Meaden. And Bovingdon concurs. ‘I approached it with a mixture of one part excitement and nine parts fear. I wanted to be a little bit intimidated, I wanted it to be loud and difficult to master, I wanted to emerge exhausted but elated. It didn’t quite happen.’
I’m following in the spray-laden wake of the GTO and keen to see its pace, but when the first decent straight presents itself and the F50 and F40 scoot away, the GTO appears to be napping. I flip the Enzo down a gear, wait close behind for a few seconds, decide Bovingdon wants to hear the Enzo blat by, and nail it. The thump in the back is immense, the traction control light flickers and the acceleration falters momentarily, and then the shove resumes and we howl by. Chalk up one for ASR.
I know, I know. It’s the Ferrari I’d like to see when I lift the door of my dream garage. Yet on these roads, in this company, it hasn’t struck the right chord. ‘It’s a legendary car with the aura to match,’ says Meaden. ‘It looks like much more of a weapon than the GTO – all the subtlety and curves have gone – and it’s quick, certainly, but there’s little of the rawness and steely edged tactility the F40’s reputation suggests it should have.
Ultimately it’s this lack of interaction that keeps it off the top slot. As the driver you should be more involved. The Enzo does the full-on ten-tenths drive like nothing else here, aided by spectacularly effective brakes and, when necessary, finely judged traction control. It’s surprisingly happy to burble around town too. The gripes surface when you’re somewhere in between; the lack of steering feel or a gearlever and clutch to master make it unsatisfying.
‘You become immersed in the experience,’ gushes Bovingdon. ‘The delicacy of its feedback, the rush of its turbos and the supple chassis really got under my skin. That all this comes wrapped in a compact, beautiful package is a big bonus.’
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China launched 2 rockets back-to-back just ahead of astronauts' landingThe double rocket launch set the stage for a successful Shenzhou 13 crew landing.
Read more »
Calabasas dismisses girls basketball coach Jena Laolagi, who claims she endured ‘bullying, harassment’ from district officialsLaolagi, who led the Coyotes to back-to-back playoff appearances, had complained about the way she was being treated by district superintendent Dr. Dan Stepenosky, whose daughter was on the team.
Read more »
Alleged Mobile rape suspect captured in ArizonaThe alleged abuse McElroy is accused of happened back in 2018.
Read more »
Bentley to restore first ever T-SeriesThis 1965 T-Series was a Bentley show car back in the day - and VIN 001.
Read more »
'Invincible' Season 2: Steven Yeun is Back in the Recording BoothSteven Yeun is back in the recording booth for 'Invincible' Season 2.
Read more »