F40 - Driving my icon!

Back to the very first second I remember I have been a Ferrari fan. The sound, the looks and the myth about this fantastic brand and its cars have fascinated me ever since.

I remember my first drive in a Ferrari when I was 4. A bright blue 400i. After that my uncle took me for a spin in his brand new Testa Rossa (black with red leather). It was like Christmas, Easter, Birthday and New Year together!

When the F40 came out - I was 7 - I fell in love with that somewhat bulky design and the brutal Power that killed everything else back in the day. I spent all my pocket money for Burago models (one in yellow and in red) and Books and I raced the car in "Need for Speed" on my fathers PC (I NEVER took the 959!!!) so many times that my mother got angry and banned the computer from our house.

When I was old enough some people were crazy enough to lend me their F-Cars. Back then I was working for Swissvax and in my young 20's I dove everything from 250 GTE, 250 GT SWB, F355, Maranello and everything between it. I even got to take my Girlfriend on a date in this perfectly restored 250 GTE.

Out of all Ferraris the 250 GT SWB with its fantastic 3'000 ccm Colombo Engine, the 550 Maranello and the F40 have fascinated me most. In my eyes they are just perfect.

Today I am the proud owner of a few beautiful automobiles. The 550 was a birthday present to myself when I tunred 30. I have driven over 20K miles with it and don't regret one of them.

Now to the F40: I know for sure that when I'm "grown up" I will have one but unfortunately I have never ever driven one. Tomorrow this shall change!
Jeremy Clarkson once said you should never drive your Icon. Why not? I drive one of my Icons - the Maranello - very frequently. It has never let me down and still fascinates me in every way. It's a fantastic GT and despite its age makes many modern Supercars very nervous - very much so on the German Autobahn ;-)

Well, tomorrow is the big day. I'm finally driving the F40. A dream coming true after 25 years. Tonight will be much like the night before my very first Ferrari encounter 28 years ago. ...Why can't those hours just pass... Why is it not tomorrow already... It's just one more night, but some long 24 hours and 32 minutes...

I will let you know how it went....

 

Here some Pics of a fantastic Burgundy weekend together with my friends. Gian, the guy with the 599 and I have been friends since ever. We have shared the Ferrari passion together since ever. It is great that we somehow can live the dream together...
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Gian is a long sleeper - I am not at all. This usually results in me having a VERY clean car when we leave... Since his car was very dirty, he chose to present my ridiculously clean engine... ;-)
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Well, the cars are ours... the Chateau unfortunately belongs to a guy called Jacques Boisseaux.

Chateau Meursault produces some very fine Burgundy wines...

 

no worries... i'll drive it very carefully...

although, one with a bit of practice can drive this car spectaculary...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFUGYNOlyNI[/ame]

 

Hey Pap

Yes, I've had the bug for quite some time. And it get's worse every year ;-)...

The guy who offered me the drive is not from the Forum. He was the owner of my Maranello before. He's a bit older than me (in his 70') and his family doesn't care to much about his cars. Quite sad as he has a fantastic Collection of Ferraris, Lambos, Rolls-Royce's and many more.

I told him that the F40 is my absolute dream car and that I hope to buy his F40 one day as the Maranello he sold me is the best ever car I bought.

I like the idea of following a car over years while saveing money for it and hoping it will one day belong to me.

I am trying to realize it on my 30th birthday... March 21st, 2020... If I win the lottery probably a bit earlyer....

 

aaaaarrggggg... the car was out of juice... it was sitting to long and therefore didn't run. I have to wait for another nice weekend ;-(

The owner wasn't happy eighter as his mechanic did not prepare the car for us on saturday. He Offered me to take the Murcielago for a spin, but I didn't take it. I was there to drive an F40...

As soon as I have driven it I shall write you all my impression.

sorry for this lame answer but It was not what I wished for...

 

Nope that's a Quattroporte. A friend of mine drives it almost as an everyday car and she performs very good. Every now and then a light that goes of bot never ever something serious. Quite a cool car to pick up your kids from school.

 

Well... I was 30 when I bought the 550. But I think no matter what age you are, if you can live your dream you are very well of ;-)

When I was 22 i had a Porsche 964 Turbo - and because this was WAY to expensive for me to run I bought the Subaru Justy from my 95 year old neighbour. These days the money happened to be gone long before the month was over. Hey, but every first week of the month I was driving this beautiful Porsche.
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Ah... I can't wait for the day when I'm walking in my garage fire up my F40 and drive it over the Swiss mountain roads. hmmmmm