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Afternoon spent at Pagani and Opera 02 vineyard. Then a fun evening being looked after by Maurizio in Restaurant Montana. Sat in the same place as this epic scene from 2007. Is there a better table anywhere in Maranello? Image Unavailable, Please Login Table next to us had the CEO and some interesting F1 related people enjoying dinner. Montana IS where Maranello history happens. Tomorrow we test the Roma.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. It reminds me a lot of good memories when I was there many years ago!
Great trip into Modena and Maranello. Been recovering and planning a tour over to Spain for next week. Day one - our own agenda - Enzo Museum Modena - such treasure on show. - Pagani factory tour - Drinks at Opera O2 in the hills above the factory - Dinner at Restaurant Montana. Shown to Maurizio’s section in the back room of the restaurant. This has to be the best restaurant/room/table and host combination in Italy. Epic food and an interesting conversation between Benedetto Vigna and his guests on the next table. Felt like being in Ferrari history like so many before. We were spoilt! Day two - Ferrari Experience arranged by my dealer. - early collection and transfer into the excellent hospitality suite trackside at fiorano. - Roma drive into the hills and back to Fiorano. Great roads and the Roma is a suitable impressive tourer. Not too different to my Portofino, but a fun car to follow the route with the roof down. Not sure on the screens/haptic/interior as our black on black colour scheme wasn’t my taste, but the windscreen reflection of the white trip loop around the seat pods was seriously distracting. Mostly sedate driving but it could get a sprint on when I asked it to. Map to follow. Circa 1 hr driving. - factory tour - got into the areas around the factory gate and the main production line. It’s a taster event so nowhere near as extensive as the full tour we had previously, but a great paddle in the shallows of the Ferrari build process. - dinner at Cavalino. Super fun evening with the group and across the road from the factory gate. Our total group was circa 80 people so the food was not quire what we expected. Good group menu but a bit lacking after Montana the night before.
Day 2 - the main event - early transfer to Fiorano trackside hospitality after a lovely breakfast. - quick track orientation and passenger spin around fiorano in a 296 with the he Fiorano Pack on. - 4 lap blast in a 296 on that historic track. The car is biblically fast with no discernible flat spots in the torque curve. Probably the most stable platform road car I've driven on track. I banked a life memory throughout that session and hearing “you are going to have to really hit the brakes at the end of this straight”, as we passed the pits, told me I’d used the opportunity well. What an amazing thing. Definitely not a car for grand tours but a track weapon way beyond my driving standards. Think I’ll get on when I can afford the track to go with it. (The factory tour showed a very small percentage of 296 with the Fiorano pack, not sure if that’s just the specs being made on that day). - I gave my second track slot to my mate as only the Drivers get drives in the cars. His main memory was driving around and the instructor summarising “so this is your first trip to Maranello, first drive in a Ferrari and its on Fiorano. What a lucky day”. We worked together 20 years ago and closed a few deals that contributed to my journey, so great to bring him along to say hi hanks and start his. - I know lots will say it’s not enough time in the cars but this Experience is more of a toe dip into Ferrari. Have had the journey I’ve had, I did tell others that it’s like pealing the onion. More layers are available and it gets better every layer. No way can you see everything in 2 days (for the First experience package). - Dealer sorted out transfers for p the Ferrari Museum in the afternoon before we flew home late evening. We did see Antonio Fuoco at the factory and I’m writing this watching Le Mans hyperpole …..Forza Ferrari ! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Road route for the drive around the area. Might be a good addition for anyone driving other own car to Maranello (plenty of cars in the area. Including 2 camouflage and 296s we came across. The one on top he fiorano track looked and sounded a bit different to the cars we were driving Image Unavailable, Please Login
On the ferry to Spain. 2000 miles planned including the Picos de Europa mountain range Ex118 amongst others.
Image Unavailable, Please Login Spanish road trip completed. Highlights were the roads, historical places to stay, impromptu stop at Alonso museum, great food and great people. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Great fun and even managed some impromptu meets with other UK Ferraris on route. Roads were vey very empty, Image Unavailable, Please Login only a few cars on the twisties. 1950 miles covered. Car Milestone 30 miles from the return ferry port. Roof was down on a motorway with Electronic’s “Getting Away With It” on the playlist. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I was on the same trip; was great…did we speak? Appreciate this thread as just talking to DL about a Porto and pondering if I should change or not so good to see someone really using the car. Cant fund two toys in the garage and live my 355, but just fancy something different for a bit…life's tough I know!
Superb ! We probably spoke as everyone was super friendly. Hopefully DL will have another cylinder club meeting at Swindon in September.
The weather is crap outside…. so we booked https://www.leshuttle.com/uk-en as the start of the first 2025 euro tour. Bulb festival in Holland for a bit of colour
Wow what a read and I made a comment back in 2020 and 5 years later you still have the portofino . I was looking back then at getting a portofino but a few years later end tip with a McLaren 600LT spider had that a few years but the Mrs didn’t like it so just before Xmas we had a portofino (at last ) they really are such a lovely comfortable car to drive it’s fast but your quite happy just cruise along Any plans to change ? I don’t think there’s anything else to compete with the portofino if you want a 2+2 and a folding metal roof is there !
The car does everything we wanted it to. Great fast touring, destroys continental mileage and can put a smile my face every time we get some twisty roads or it’s time to drop the roof and enjoy the journey. I’ve done the high speed thing on public roads and it’s not really that much fun in the UK any more. Ending upside down in a 911 made me have a word with myself. Track focused road cars are cool but I rent them now or go on hospitality days. never got the racing bug. Only ever had one speeding fine in the uk, back in 2000, but plenty in Europe and the USA though. No plans to change as nothing new floats my boat. Enjoy the Porto, any plans for Europe trips?
id love a road trip to Europe but so busy at home with work etc cant get away . Hopefully one day soon if we can push our land through for building we would buy something in the algarve and drive across to there
Thank you for these posts. They’re exactly what I needed to read today. I have a 2020 Portofino that I love, but five years on I’ve been itching to get something else. I was thinking of going back to Porsche, but the Turbo/Turbo S market is insane right now. I was looking at Mercedes GT 63 Coupes, which have come down a lot in price, but don’t really do anything for me…so I’ll probably stick with my Portofino.
No problem. Glad it has some use for readers. I have thoughts on other things to change to but haptic controls etc mean no chance of changing for a while.
Today is a Roso Corsa day. Hopefully the factory has installed the 3-peat option. How ‘bout them Chiefs! Image Unavailable, Please Login
Slightly amazed and slightly embarrassed that I’ve managed to get 21,000 miles out of my fist set of rear tyres. Don’t remember the same Michelin pilot sport 4 s ever getting over 9000 on my various 911s previously. tyres were down to 2-2.5mm with zero sideways movement despite plenty of spirited driving. Tyre noise noticeably increasing and uk spring ain’t the time for low tread for shifting water. Fronts will be replaced after a euro road trip next month as just under 3mm. Only the front near side has anything like slight uneven wear. Tracking remains spot on. pair of 4s K2 marked tyres for £664.
