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Ralph Lauren in Something Exotic...

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by MRONY, May 11, 2008.

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  1. MRONY

    MRONY Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2007
    707
    New York City
    Full Name:
    Mike O.
    #1 MRONY, May 11, 2008
    I took the "new" 355 out for a spin today, when who do I pass going the other way on my absolute favorite driving road in the world but Ralph Lauren, who lives very nearby. He was in something modern, targa-topped and hyper-exotic that I could not recognize -- silver, looks like a 360 in front but a Porsche from behind, with these long, wrapped tailight bands.

    The funny thing is, he's so tiny, he looks like a grandmother peeking over the wheel, and is doing maybe 40 on a road that SINGS at 65-75 (and is perfectly safe as long as you know the road and where there are driveways /junctions) but is BORING at 40 -- and it was empty for at least a mile ahead of him. Passing, all you could see was the high forehead, the silver hair, the 70's aviators and therse two hands reaching up to the wheel.

    As a relatively small, slight fellow, I am not casting aspersions, but there was something amusing about seeing a guy with one of the country's most incredible automobile collections (not just expensive, but ART) driving some 225MPH supercar like a Model T. I mean this is a road the Dino just eats up at speed, and the 355 feels like it's getting a nice, easy flex. Sunny, warm - just an awesome experience. Ralph looked like he was holding on for dear life. He also appeared to have at least one chase car, and he had a middle-aged male passenger.

    Kinda reminds me of my neighbor in NYC who just HAS to have every new FCar the minute it comes out. He admitted to me he's never driven over 70 in any of them. At least RL buys them and keeps them as works of esthetic genius, I guess.
     
  2. amenasce

    amenasce Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 17, 2001
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    Joe Mansion
    #2 amenasce, May 11, 2008
    Carrera GT ?
     
  3. thepinkumbrella

    thepinkumbrella F1 Veteran

    Feb 26, 2006
    6,063
    United Kingdom
    #3 thepinkumbrella, May 11, 2008
    Spyker?
     
  4. whart

    whart F1 Veteran
    Honorary Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 5, 2001
    6,554
    Austin, TX
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    William Maxwell Hart
    #4 whart, May 11, 2008
    I thought you were going to say he was wearing a fancy, sequined evening gown with a boa (Ralph, in something 'exotic').
     
  5. ferraridude615

    ferraridude615 F1 Veteran

    May 4, 2006
    5,836
    Texas
    #5 ferraridude615, May 11, 2008
    They had an article on RL in autoweek a few weeks back. I took a look at the pics he had in his garage, and it looks like it could be an Porsche 959.
     
  6. MRONY

    MRONY Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2007
    707
    New York City
    Full Name:
    Mike O.
    #6 MRONY, May 11, 2008
    Went and looked at photos. YES! That was the car. Imagine driving that beast at 40 MPH on a perfect country road -- that's slower than the guy in the pickup who was behind his chase car, looking impatient!
     
  7. porscheracer01

    porscheracer01 Formula Junior

    Mar 16, 2008
    721
    Parkslope
    Full Name:
    DD
    #7 porscheracer01, May 11, 2008
    Impressive sighting..RL drives all of his cars even the Maclaren F1.
     
  8. MRONY

    MRONY Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2007
    707
    New York City
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    Mike O.
    #8 MRONY, May 11, 2008
    I hope he gets some of them on the track, because the roads in Bedford are beautiful and just great for driving (I go out at first light before anyone else is about, then head for some of the more sparsely populated areas further north)... but he didn't seem to be using the car much. Maybe he's just a bit worried about the press/liability if he were to have a little mishap. It sure was a purty Porsche, though!
     
  9. Ado4wd

    Ado4wd Formula Junior

    Dec 27, 2005
    284
    Germantown, TN
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    Andrew O
    #9 Ado4wd, May 11, 2008
    I thought 959's were never cleared for the US.
     
  10. 285ferrari

    285ferrari Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 11, 2004
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    #10 285ferrari, May 11, 2008
    +1-----I didn't think the Feds would ever give approval for the 959's for over here...
     
  11. Horsefly

    Horsefly F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2002
    6,929
    #11 Horsefly, May 11, 2008
    I believe that 959s (and perhaps other exotics) have a loophole in the DOT/EPA law that allows them to be imported into the US on a case by case basis as a "show car" or "exhibition" car with minimum mileage allowed,....or something like that.
     
  12. TopElement

    TopElement Formula 3

    May 14, 2005
    1,540
    OC & Vegas
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    A Montoya
    #12 TopElement, May 11, 2008
    There are several driving around here. Not sure how they're registered, but they're out often.

    But the OP's description was: "He was in something modern, targa-topped and hyper-exotic that I could not recognize -- silver, looks like a 360 in front but a Porsche from behind, with these long, wrapped tailight bands."
    Hardly sounds like an old 959.
     
  13. vteqe

    vteqe Formula Junior

    Mar 5, 2005
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    Sandy
    #13 vteqe, May 11, 2008
    Bill Gates has a 1988 959 but due to the 959’s questionable emissions and unknown crash ratings, It took a federal law signed by President Clinton for him to legally drive his 959 on American roads
     
  14. enzo thecat

    enzo thecat F1 Veteran
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    #14 enzo thecat, May 11, 2008
    THANK YOU!!!! I was thinking the same thing
     
  15. Shumdit

    Shumdit Formula Junior

    May 9, 2006
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    #15 Shumdit, May 11, 2008
    959's were not Targas
     
  16. Mrpbody44

    Mrpbody44 F1 Veteran

    Jul 5, 2007
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    #16 Mrpbody44, May 11, 2008
    Reason for driving slow was he might have been thinking of those happy days as a tie salesman driving his flat rad Morgan.
     
  17. MRONY

    MRONY Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2007
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    Mike O.
    #17 MRONY, May 11, 2008
    Mind you, I was going about 70, him about 40 in the opposite direction, so it was about 2 seconds, plus a second or so in the rearview mirror thinking "what the hell was that?" Looking through web images, I actually think it was the Carrera GT, plus it was definitely a targa. He has both. I'm actually wondering if the Porsche chase car was the 959...

    Whatever the heck it was, they were a couple of insane vehicles.
     
  18. kvisser

    kvisser Formula 3

    Dec 11, 2004
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    #18 kvisser, May 11, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  19. porscheracer01

    porscheracer01 Formula Junior

    Mar 16, 2008
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    #19 porscheracer01, May 12, 2008
    RL was probably driving a Carrera GT- targa top and silver is the common color. Why didnt you do the U and chase him down?
     
  20. Patentman

    Patentman Formula Junior

    Jan 11, 2004
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    Barry W. Chapin
    #20 Patentman, May 13, 2008
    Maybe he reads F-chat and will post and say hello.
     
  21. paulie_b

    paulie_b F1 Veteran
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    #21 paulie_b, May 13, 2008
    thats my guess also.
     
  22. Rory J

    Rory J Formula 3

    May 30, 2006
    1,133
    #22 Rory J, May 13, 2008
    Probably a CGT, but as an aside, Bruce Canepa is doing US-legal DOT/EPA conversions on these cars now. Gates sent his car to him to get additional use beyond what Show and Display laws allow. Seinfeld's car was also sent to Canepa. Canepa also installs larger turbos, reworks the ECU. I think the cars are pushing 550 bhp or so when he's done with them and they're fully U.S. compliant.
     
  23. MRONY

    MRONY Formula Junior

    Mar 17, 2007
    707
    New York City
    Full Name:
    Mike O.
    #23 MRONY, May 13, 2008
    Narrow country road, no safe place to make a fast U-ey. I am now certain it was the GT with RL driving, and the 959 behind being driven by one of his staffers or maybe a guest.

    If I see him around town, I'll ask him! I drive the Dino down his road all the time. He doesn't have a Dino. Poor guy.
     
  24. ddemuro

    ddemuro Formula 3

    Nov 16, 2006
    2,129
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    Doug
    #24 ddemuro, May 13, 2008
    Back when I encountered Ralph Lauren driving his Bugatti Veyron near Telluride, Colorado, there was ample room to make the U-turn and catch him, and my experiences are similar. He was very small and looked even smaller in such an imposing car, and he was driving considerably under the 65mph speed limit.

    However, he was also very gracious when I spoke to him about it and conversed with me for about a minute.
     
  25. porscheracer01

    porscheracer01 Formula Junior

    Mar 16, 2008
    721
    Parkslope
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    DD
    #25 porscheracer01, May 17, 2008
    +1, some of us are not us lucky as you are... good luck on meeting RL and do take a photo.
    I live in parkslope and celebrities are down to earth, keep a low profile and drive bicycles..
     
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