I finally drove a CS! From the perspective of a non-Ferrari owner

As a non-Ferrari owner, I feel that I've been very fortunate to have so many experiences with these incredible automobiles. I've driven 7 completely different models of Ferraris but my Ferrari adventures were taken to a whole new level when my friend handed me the key to his Challenge Stradale last Saturday.

On April 23, 2005 I saw a Challenge Stradale for the very first time. I always loved Ferraris but until that time I had never heard of a Challenge Stradale and I certainly didn't fully understand what I was looking at when I first saw it. I was in total awe when I saw how much carbon fiber was inside. The Alcantara, the larger wheels, the stripe, the lower more aggressive stance... I was in love at first sight! I will never forget that day.

Fast forward almost 5 years and the CS is still my favorite naturally aspirated V8, even after the introduction of the F430, Scuderia & 16M.

Saturday, January 23, 2010... I see my friend pull up in his newly acquired Challenge Stradale and I notice that someone else is actually driving the car. I think to myself, "luck bastard!". Several minutes later when I'm done photographing most of the cars I approach him to say hello. He holds the key out and says, "alright, take it for a ride... rev through the gears and have fun. Just don't wreck it." I've driven some of his other cars and I know that he wants people to enjoy the experience, so that's exactly what I planned to do.

I grab the keys from him and don't look back. I get in the car, adjust the leg room, turn the big knob to adjust the seat back. Then I put the key in and turn it to the "On" position. I pull back both paddles to put it in neutral. I turn the key all the way and nothing happens. I push the button on the key fob just in case the alarm is still activated. I put the car in 1st, hear the F1 pump engage. I turn the key to the "off" position. Let's try this again... turn the key to "on", put in neutral, turn key all the way. Still nothing! Okay Michael, think... what are you doing wrong? I look down and see the GIANT red button that says START. D'oh!! I had the same problem with an F430 Spider. lol..

I press the button and the car roars to life. I disengage the parking brake, back out and take off through the parking lot. When I stop at the stop sign in the parking lot, I barely press the brake pedal but I'm almost jolted to a stop. Wow, these brakes really work! My other initial thought was that not only the car, but the actual seating position seemed quite a bit lower than most modern Ferraris. I take off north on a 4 lane divided road and revved through the gears. To be honest I didn't really pay much attention to how fast the gears were shifting but they didn't seem slow to me. It may have shifted slower in the lower RPM range but I wasn't there very much. Right before a know speed trap I take the turnaround. I start to downshift and it sounds good but not amazing. Then I believe it was from 4th to 3rd that the engine just screamed and at that point I felt like I was in a true race car. It was beyond amazing!! I'm sure each downshift would sound like that in the right RPM range. As I make the u-turn I'm careful to not give it too much gas before it completely straightens out and I just gradually put the power on and rev through the gears again.

As I slow down to go through an intersection a motorcycle cop pulls out in front of me. I just got done doing a pretty spirited run so I thought he either heard me or saw me. I switch lanes and start to downshift to do a u-turn at the next intersection. Again, when I shift from 4th to 3th the engine screamed and the motorcycle cop snapped his head around to see what the heck was going on. It looked like I scared the crap out of him. Lucky for me he was already through the light and I was stopped waiting for a turn signal. This time when I made the turn I gave it a little more gas and I could feel the rear start to slide. I let off a little and it straighten right back up. I pounded through the gears this time and then brought her back to her rightful owner.

I felt like the car was a little low on torque but it has plenty of power for the street. I've driven faster & more powerful cars but this was by far the most enjoyable. The car seemed very predictable and easy to handle.
I now declare that I will own a 1:1 scale Challenge Stradale one day. It might not be my first Ferrari but I will buy one and when I do, I won't ever sell it.

Life is good for this Ferrari enthusiast. Many thanks to the owner... you've helped me to set a goal that I must now accomplish.

 

I'll try that on the track first.

 

Thank you. Rosso Scuderia with a factory stripe & red Alcantara with black inserts.

 

Yes, this is 136348... and I love it!!
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Yes, I drove it on 1/23/10 in Austin, TX. Scottsdale sold the car and then bought it back 3 months later. I drove it while it was here in town.

I don't keep the list in my wallet, it's here on FChat. I don't know the s/n of every Ferrari I drove but I know most of them.

 

Yes, it has been repaired very well and there are no signs of damage at all.

What it comes down to is that the car was originally misrepresented. My friend wanted a "no stories" car and was willing to pay extra for one. If I had the means, I would buy the car in a heartbeat and never regret it. I love everything about it, especially the rare yellow calipers. The stories wouldn't matter to me because I would never consider selling the car. My friend has a serious problem... he can't ever keep a car for longer than a year. 6 months seems to be the average time length for him.