They don't make cars like that anymore!

Beautiful 65 degrees today so I took the top down on my Mondial and went for a long drive. At one point, I got horribly lost and found myself at the top of a long winding mountain pass. I could see at least a mile down the road and, guess what...no cars! Well, I was all alone and decided to open her up. I will admit it was a little juvenile, but I simply could not resist. It was the first time I ever took the car to 8/10ths and I was incredibly impressed. For all Ferrari's perceived flaws, they were so far ahead of their time when it came to vehicle dynamics. The engine is so flexible, the gear shifting is so precise and the ratios are so perfectly spaced. More importantly however, the steering wheel gives perfect feedback, I could actually feel the rear end of the car rotating around and could keep the car perfectly balanced without the aid of any electronic nannys. I never pushed her hard enough to induce tire squeal, but I definitely pushed her hard enough to learn a great deal about her balance, I know modern sports cars can go faster, however, when it comes to raw feel and interface between driver and car, I just can't imagine it getting any better than these older Ferraris (except of course, even older Ferraris!.

After I finished that little burst of speed, I settled down into a nice 40 mile country drive, enjoying the scenery in complete comfort while the engine growled behind me. It served this role as well as it took the country blast moments earlier. Granted, it is probably not the best track car of its era and the 308/328 are clearly lighter and more nimble. However, as far as 4 seat convertible GT's go, the mondial--TO ME--is about as good as it gets. I know many of you disagree, and I am not saying this to start another defend the Mondial thread, but if I had all the money in the world, I would still own this car...that is how much I love her.

I know I post frequently on this topic but I am continuously blown away by the sheer perfection of Ferrari. As that corny song goes "every mile's a memory".