355 Crash Story

1) Slow down on public roads. It's clear that you don't know how to control your vehicle and your questions are scaring me.
2) Enroll yourself in a reputable driving school ASAP. You will learn the answers to your questions first-hand, make the road a safer place and have fun to boot.

--SONET

 

Wasn't Enzo Ferrari very protective of his cars and refused to sell to a few very wealthy and high-profile clients because he felt like they didn't deserve a Ferrari or something like that?

I don't think they should do that, but you can understand the thinking behind it- I mean, after all, it is Ferrari. It's the stuff that racing legends and myths are made off. This is THE auto company, THE racing team that even high-priced hotshot F1 drivers get weak-kneed for.

 

Most everyone knows how to drive a car (throttle, brakes, turning, etc). Doing it in a high performance setting, such as a racetrack, gives people the opportunity to learn their car's dynamics and most importantly, the limits of their skills.

Some cars mask driving 'mistakes' while others that have the skills can make any car go fast. The only safe and controlled way to hone these skills is on the track though.

Instructing someone on a racetrack and having them improve their skills and actually see, feel and hear their improvement is reward enough for some, myself included.

 

I heard some stupid things but this might take the cake.


A mandatory class to learn how to drive a ferrari 355 please ...
a corvette zo6 is faster and quicker
m5 is quicker
m3 is quicker
911 turbo is faster
are all these manufacturers gonna have drivers ed too....

Dont expend 6figures if your gonna drive like an idiot or do it where know one else can get hurt...

 

Agreed, but either way, you can't possibly push any of those cars to their limits and learn how to do it properly unless you go to the track.

 

That guy, my only brother, and my only sibling, would have been 55 years old today. Not the kind of guy that was a yahoo, and not his first Ferrari I don't believe. Accident recreation demonstrated that he was not driving anywhere need triple digit speeds. The root cause of crash was going over speed in a turn, lost his ass end, etc, etc. As a result the MB E430 caused 18 inches of intrusion through a poorly designed/protected drivers door resulting in major head and thoracic trauma, killing him instantly. It was clearly his fault that he died, left behind a wife and 2 young children who lost out on growing up with a dad. He was a multi-millionaire when he died, as was his wife. The estate sued Ferrari and settled for a large sum of money, meaningless....I miss him for everything we could have shared growing up as mature men and fathers. Oh, what could have been. I have been a very happy and safe driver in my E class benz for 10+ years (not the same model...now E550, perfect blend of luxury, power and control for my needs). I see Ferrari's daily, and sigh, as I loved them before he died, but now despise them for what it makes me wish for, his life and voice to talk to.

 

I'm compassionately sorry for your loss. I can hear it in your words.

You sound very responsible and reasonable to understand that your brother played a big part of the incident. Surely any vehicle hit broadside by a Mercedes would not fair well. I concede that Ferraris first priority doesn't seem to be safety.

Yet, if I can offer a different perspective. I don't think it was the vehicle that took your brother. I think it was his actions. I'm not judging him. Quite the contrary...He seems to have been someone that embraced life... I hope someday, instead of mourning him, you can celebrate the life he had and the time you had with him....

Thoughts with you and his family.... Aloha

 

That's tragic.
No matter if he was a genius or an idiot someone has lost their life and left loved ones behind.
My condolences

 

+1
Also,
What are you going to do for used Ferraris, Porsches, etc.

 

Dude,
Check yourself into a driving school PLEASE!!!
I'm sure there are plenty of people here that have the know how but what if you get info from an idiot and go kill someone. You need to practice it hands on in a safe environment before driving sideways.

 

First thing you read when opening a 575M Maranello owners manual:

"As its engine is extremely powerful, it is not recommended that inexperienced drivers be allowed to use the car".

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

I'm so sorry. If my only brother died in a Ferrari I would hate the cars too. Thank you for reviving this thread. It's a good reminder for all of us to take it easy on public roads.
My apologies for the other forum users that were saying bad things about your brother.
I think they're all gone now, 11 years later.

 

agreed

 

I didn't even realize this was an 11 year old thread.

 

Condolences Bro, I feel you

Gob Bless

 

Thanks all. Hey, like all of you, I love opening up my car on a desolate stretch of asphalt, so it's hard to say Be Careful, but I've never even sat in a Ferrari, but long ago wish I had. Is it to contrived to talk down to you all by saying be thoughtful of where you are going to push your cars a little too close to the edge of control. Most high performance cars aren't taken to tracks to play with, they are street driven. It's just a sad day when a little fun turns tragic. I could care less if he had a fender bender event or even totaled the car, but dying is not and was not part of his plans when he and his best friend were driving home from the market with some bbq for the family lunch. The friend was a budding musician signed with a major label, had a major closed head injury and lengthy recovery. Family of his had to sue my brothers family (no health insurance....don't get me started I'm a trauma surgeon myself) to cover costs of long rehab and hospital. I just was so sad yesterday on his birthday. He actually spoke to me as I was in a record store and one of his favorite albums was just sitting on a shelf, almost begging me to play it for him. Brought tears to my eyes.
Guys/Gals, enjoy your machines, recognize their power and weaknesses, as well as your own. They are a beautiful loaded weapon with you as the trigger. Be careful when and where you aim your car, and the responsibility you have to yourself, your loved ones, your work and your friends. Words to always live by, I hope.

 

Hey, How about some happy news. News that mainstream media doesn't want to cover. This came out on Friday night on HBO Vice series but was not shown here in Canada. This is HUGE news and should make everyone wonder why the CBC, CTV, ABC, NBC, CNN and all of the other major news networks are NOT even talking about this. That fact confirms what I have alway thought, but thats another story. Watch this video...If this doesn't make you smile then you are living for the wrong reasons. Enjoy.................life
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8SvBAjXGyQ&feature=youtu.be

 

Very tragic....another great car lost

 

I disagree. That would mean every sports car manufacturer should do the same thing but that still might not change bad judgement or mechanical failures. Also a lot of these cars are bought used. Paul Walker's friend drove a Carrera GT and had a racing background and it didn't work out well for him or Paul Walker, sad to say.

I feel bad that he lost his life, but I feel worse that it was his own fault. I've never explored the limits of my car on public roads. You learn your cars limits in a controlled environment and you never go fast on a road you don't know well.[/quote]

I feel bad as well for the driver and his passenger, but it sounds like the situation could have been much worse.

 

Just out of curiosity, on what grounds did the estate sue Ferrari? That the car was unsafe in its handling characteristics, or that the crash protection was inadequate, or that its design and construction were somehow below current regulations, or ????

Given the description of this unfortunate accident, I fail to see why Ferrari would accept even 1% of the damages and liability, if the car involved met the currently applicable safety standards for a USA model vehicle, and was clearly being operated illegally and irresponsibly.

 

Who gives a rat's ass about the car??? A life was lost. Car is just a bunch of plastic & metal in this context!!!

 

+1

 

I often wonder how safe my 355 is if I had a side impact....Feels like I'm on the ground with 4 inches of metal between me and the outside of the door. If I ever get T boned by an SUV I feel surviving it is a low probability......and if I did being seriously injured is a given

 

4" more than a motorcycle.

Most if us have been driving small sports cars for man many years. Defensive driving is second nature. Being respectful of the car and conditions is equally important.