Thoughts on the Scuderia...

Hi,

I wanted to post up some thoughts on the Scuderia. I've put about 200 miles on the car and still feel that there's something really special about this car.

I'm sure all the true tifoso have seen the Motor Trend review and the Top Gear test and the Official Ferrari videos including the on-board with Michael Schumacher video... but none of that really compares to the driving experience.

Of course, before you DRIVE one, you need to BUY one and frankly, I cannot imagine a better partner in Ferrari than Chris Miele and the folks at Ferrari of Central New Jersey. For anyone who has not bought a new Ferrari, forget about everything you think you may know about the Ferrari buying experience. Chris is a straight shooter, who stands by what he says, and delivers an outstanding experience. Of course, he's backed up with shop of stop-everything-and-deliver folks from Michael in service, Nelson who does everything and anything, Jackie who never lets a phone call slip, and service department, parts shop, and back-office that promises and over delivers time and time again.

So, what's it like to drive?

1) Steering: The first thing I noticed behind the wheel of the car is the steering. When I drove the Veyron for the first time, I felt that the steering was the most revolutionary aspect of the car. The feedback from the wheel was crisp without being tiring, precise without being jarring and delivered a road feel like nothing I've ever driven. The Scuderia has a similar feel in your hands. You rest your hands gently at 9 and 3. Grasp the wheel firmly and start to drive... and the feedback to the drive through the wheel is absolutely spectacular. At low speed, cruising speed, and high speed. It's nothing that I've felt in a Ferrari ever and a vast improvement from the base-model F430.

2) Shifting: Whoa. I have yet to fully understand how the different modes on the Mannetino impact the shift speeds and recommended shifting points, but I've figured out one thing: The transmission on this car is the ultimate. Nothing I've ever driven comes close. The shift lights on the top of the steering wheel are one of the best instrumentation changes to the car. And when you shift at the recommended point... BANG. The gears change and the power curve is absolutely constant. There's no perceived disengagement or loss in power. It's hard to explain, but you pull the lever and by the time the lever has returned to it's resting point, the shift is complete, the tach has dropped to the absolute right point in the power curve and the forza keeps on coming. It's also amazing what the Mannetino can do to change the feel. I believe that much of what you feel is in the E-Diff, but like I said, I'm still learning.

3) Handling: I'm no slouch behind the wheel of a car. I'm far from the best, but I'm pretty sure that I've got a few credentials that back up the fact that I know what I'm doing. I took the Scuderia through some twisty roads last weekend and, well... it's phenomenal. The car's suspension is very responsive. It's got a remarkably predictable feel and while I did not come close to the limits, the Scuderia does a spectacular job of keeping the wheels pointed where you want them, the back of the car in the right place, and the contact patches pressed firmly to the pavement.

4) Braking: Lots of people whine about Carbon/Ceramic brakes. "The rotors need to warm up", you'll hear lots of people say. (Ignore the part where ceramic doesn't retain heat) Anyone who has ever raced, like, for real on an actual race track in an actual series or even done a club Driver's Education event will tell you that you need a lap or 2 (3 if you're at Lime Rock) to "warm up" the car. One of the most important things to "check" on those initial laps is the brakes. Even iron rotors need to have a little heat to them, especially if you're running a race pad, to make the "bite" stronger. In the Scuderia, and I'm nit sure why, the brake system seems to work very, very well when cold. I did a few brake checks with cold pads & rotors. The car felt sure footed, stopped predictably and quickly, and didn't seem to have any excessive week brake feel when cold. I'm assuming that the pads heat VERY quickly to get that bite rapidly. Surprisingly, the tires squeal when rapidly stopping indicating that the ABS touch, at least the way I had the car set, is very, very light.

5) Engine: I'm a huge fan of the F355 exhaust note, especially with Hyperflow cats and a Tubi... or even a factory system with 25,000 or more miles. The car just sounds right. The Scuderia, right from the factory, has become my new favorite. Sure, the F355 will hold a special place in my heart, and there are 2 Challenge Stradales running around whose sound of "the hounds of hell" is just amazing, but this car is the real deal. Of course, the sound of the engine is among the least important qualities. The throttle response, the power band, the spolling of power is just perfect. Couple that with the driveline tuned by the man himself... and you've got 4-wheeled nirvana.

I've attached a few pictures of the car. It may not be overly apparent, but there's a few special things on the car. Chris Miele was absolutely instrumental in the way this car got built. He's got a spectacular eye, a great feel for how to put together a car, and very strong relationships at the factory that can make things happen -- things that other shops will tell you cannot be done. I'm not gonna reveal all the little bits and pieces of this car but if you should see it, give it a very close look...

As you can probably tell, I'm really wonderfully surprised by the Scuderia. I'm a Ferrari fan, as you know, but I've always felt that they've had too much "Grand Touring" to be a hardcore performance car. That's why I've kept the GT3 around. It is, err, was, the ultimate race car for the street. But now... if anyone wants a white GT3 with FIA race history and 9,000 miles let me know...

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some traffic tickets to deal with.
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Yep, I was at the NYU Hospital event and then dropped it off at Gotham. You can tell mine because of the red center caps.

Probably in a week or three. Gotta let Demetri drive it.