Thanks, my good man. I spoke with him. He is all giggly. Hopes to do the drive this weekend, if you invite... ;-)
No you are not correct. Last time I looked a F1 chassis was a very narrow thing designed for only 1 person ... no way an Enzo uses an actual F1 chassis. But it is made out of carbon fibre. The F50 was closer to an F1 car in the fact that the engine was a stressed member, rigidly mounted to the chassis and had the rear suspension hanging of it. Regarding handling: Many are getting cornering speed, grip and handling muddled up. The best handling car is NOT the fastest car around the corner but the car that is the most forgiving for the driver. Many times in the quest for cornering speed we end up with evil handling cars that only expert drivers can operate. Thus I imagine for us mere mortals the F2002 and F2004 (the best modern F1 Ferraris IMO) it would be a scary ride and we would spin off trying to carry any speed into the corner. MS (Michael Schumacher for those not in to the Racing section ) though of course simply wants grip, and MORE grip. He will use his considerable skills to get around the corner. Ask any racing driver and they will give their left testitcal (sp?) for more grip ... and handling comes way second. Thus I imagine that the 550 gives the driver more warning and information than a mid engined Ferrari and thus will feel the easiest to handle. It is well acknowledged that mid engined cars can require more advanced driving ability than a simple front engined car. Thus best handling cars = well balanced and forgiving cars, say 50/50 weight distribution. Fastest cornering car = rear weight bias with lotsa grip. That is why the Porsche 911 based thingies are still formidable race cars ... but hardly good handling cars. Pete's opinion
I know we like to think of the world in terms of ourselves and our abilities, but certainly think an argument can be made that the BEST handling car is the one that the BEST driver could take a corner with the quickest. If it is possible to take the car through any single corner faster in one car, that is the better handling car. I admit there is a difference between grip, lat gs and handling, but I think everything comes together to provide the maximum cornering capability. I mean Forumula drivers like to dial in some oversteer into the chassis to get more pinsharp handling. It is harder, but the car takes the corner faster.
Okay with your view we should not even be discussing 550's, etc. because they handle poorly compared to a mid engined Ferrari. That I am sure to bet is not true and actually handle better at their limits because they are more predictable and things happen slower. Whatever ... Pete
Stangely, I have yet to see a comprehensive and seemingly reliable skidpad test of either the Enzo or the 360 CS. I would think either of those, or perhaps the F50 with its suspension setup, would be the best gripping Ferrari street cars ever made. Early Forza magazine claims for both were 1.3gs and such -- ludicrous. That said, a couple of mainstream magazines have shown 1.0 or less -- equally, IMHO, ludicrous. I've not driven an Enzo hard, but I have my 360 CS, and I have an F40, and I have a 360 Challenge car with slicks, and I have my 996 tt, my Zanardi NSX, etc. The Challenge car with slicks was obviously the most grip I've ever felt. My '99 360 once I put nice p-zeros on them the same width as those on the real challenge car gripped NICELY, but doesn't feel as good as my CS. That said, I've not taken the CS on the track yet. The F40 on the Nordshliefe was incredible... definitely above 1.0 gs... am guessing 1.05? My anecdotal guesses: 360 stock (with lame Michelins): .95 or so 996tt with P-zeros: .97 or .98 (hard to say -- the 996 has body roll, makes you think that it's going to lose grip, but then doesn't... much like the rest of the car, it hides the 'truth' from you until you push it to a certain poitn. Zanardi NSX (equivalent of a Japanese Type S NSX): .99 (this is actually not as much of a guess as one of the magazines did a really good test of it and several cars and came up with .99gs, which also seemed right to me when I was on the track up against other cars). Corvette Z06: 1.00 or 1.01 -- It would out corner the Zanardi by a little bit. My '99 360 Modena with Challenge rims and wider P-zeros (225 (or was it 235) front, 295 rear): 1.01gs or so it felt to me. The F40 felt even a bit higher. I have an old Car and Driver some place that said it was somewhere north of 1.0, but I can't find it. The grip was awesome, though. The 360 CS. Grippier than the F40? Hard to say -- will know more once I've tracked it. The Enzo? No clue -- drove it very brifely, and no hard cornering. It, like the F50, have crazy F1 style suspensions so one would THINK they ought to grip and handle like crazy. But where are the real tests? The 360 Challenge with P-zero slicks. I've never felt so many g's... has to be up there in the 1.2g -1.4g range. Was a lot of grip when I drove it; but then Cort Wagner took me for a ride in the same car, was drifting it under full accleration going up the hill in turn 3 at big willow while clicking the paddle shifter up a gear all at the same time. Pretty close to a religious experience.
