Tuesday mornings = Ferrari F430 Spyder

It's Tuesday morning, I'm at BNI. My Business Networking group I meet with every morning at 7:00 am in Miranda to catch up with fellow local businesses. This is where we get together and help each other out with business items such as learning a new way to operate or just picking up a new skill. But what it's really all about is money. Making money and getting more business.

So, where does a Ferrari fit into the picture?

Well, we had a guest who turned up that works for a car broker company that specialises in prestige performance cars. He had a Ferrari F430 Spyder parked out the front of the meeting place. So, on the way out the door we chatted and started to talk bikes. I mentioned motorcycles in my 60 second spiel where everyone takes a turn in getting up, given 60 seconds to burst out who you are, what you do, where you're from and what you have to offer and what type of customer you want this week.

Well, the owner of the Ferrari's ears perked up when I mentioned bikes. So we got chatting, walked out the door and ended up near his car, which was no where near mine. We talked some more and I bid him farewell when he turned to me and said, "Your car is all the way down the street, come on, lets go around the block".

I got given the keys.

I also started to sweat.

This car is worth more than my home.

Starting it up was an event. The vibrations that went through the car immediately made me aware that the car was now alive and ready for a blast down the street. Blipping the throttle with my big toe yeilded a magnificent yelp of "give me more".

Putting the flappy paddle gearbox into 1st was silent. I was expecting the same clunk you get from a bike engine. Slowly released the brake and dabbed the throttle, but first doing a head check. I moved on, creeping slowly from the curb with the engine just idling.

When I was in the clear, I was given the nod to punch it. Holy shit!!!!!!! I haven't felt this much acceleration since riding a Hyabusa for the first time. The tyres lost traction instantly, the car lurched forward with such brutal power and noise that my vision went blurry and I focussed on things 10 kilometres away.

The brakes were so sensitive and bit like a bear trap. The feel was so amazing. It was like my feet were on the discs. So much communication that my mind was being overloaded with too much data. Something I'm not use to, having not ridden a bike with similar performance for a number of years.

Bang! Into 2nd gear, now long past the legal speed limit of this country. The tyres lost traction yet again and this time I was counter steering in order to head in a straight line. With the amount of grip, power and handling ability, I was able to really control the sideways action with needle point accuracy. The feeling of being one with the car was right here, right now.

It was time to shut off the taps and come to a corner, one more and I'd have to get out.

What a magnificent car that is worth every cent of its purchase price. I could sell my house for this thing. The enjoyment I got out of it for the 5 short minutes were just a teaser of how pleasurable this car would be to drive.

Now the depressing parts;

The interior, although purposeful, was Italian. So bits were falling off and there was a loose nut somewhere holding the exhaust. The passenger door shut with a clang. As opposed to the drivers door that sounded more solid and put together. The roof converted into a targa top, open roof. It tucked away nicely out of sight. It took a long time doing it though. But with this much power, you could make up for the wait.

But who cares!!!! All the shortcomings, issues, problems, inferior build quality are all forgotten as soon as you start your engine.

Now for the sadder part. I had to jump back in my Punto. The Punto is a great car. But seriously, it felt slow, old and tired. It felt like it was suffocating no matter what the throttle laid at.

The Ferrari has left me feeling both happy and unfulfilled. Happy, because I now know there's a car out there that will keep me smiling every time I look at it, drive it, wash it, smell it and talk about it. I'm smiling right now. I'm saddened because I don't have one in the driveway. I'll probably never get another chance to be in one again. I'll have to sell my house and my soul just to be near it.

Is it worth it?

Oh yeas! I'm that shallow.