I hate the location of my 550 hand brake....and i notice the 360 hand brake is located on the center console....why the difference?
Its easier having it in the middle,cause they dont have to convert it to the other side when they swap sides if they do the conversions or at the factory when they make it LHD or RHD drive,its no different. Its nice and outta the way down there. It frees up the centre console to keep all the girls panties that get given to ya,after you take them lapping What you dont get any panties after hot laps with chicks???? LOL Cheers
Don't know....My 355s' was on the left side as well, same as the 550. Maybe this is one of those "Enzo quirks" that got filtered out as time progressed.... Maybe its a "racing heritage" thing, like the porsche ignition always being on the left rather than the right side.
Someone with accurate knowledge needs to info us, I have a sense that my idéas aren't that good. 1. Something to do with racing heritage, ex. so that you will notice if you leave the handbrake on (hard to climb out if pulled high up) while leaving the car for stand still after racing and so letting the brakediscs and brake pads melt togeather ? (the 360 has separate brake pads for the handbrake, don't know about the 550) 2. So that you could better do hand brake turns - pulling the handbrake with left arm, leaving the right for changing gears, and yeah uhm steering with your third hand..... (maybe Napolis version is better) 3. Just because it's an exotic (as goldyF355 said) 4. Heritage from those running starts from le mans, you can unlock the handbrake while jumping in the car... (Ok, even I don't believe this one)
That is why Porsche puts the ign. on the left. At Le Mans you could jump in, start the car with one hand and put it in gear with the other for a faster get away. Or if the car was already in gear steer away with your right hand. Neither my MK-IV/Lola/P 3/4 have handbrakes so I don't think that was an issue at Le Mans. Best
Hand brakes are no longer required however they used to be. Lotus 23s and my Merlyn Mk6a came with handbrakes to satisfy FIA appendix J regulations although all they were was a lever with a cable attached to the brake pedal.
I'm sure there is some technical reason why it makes sense. I know it's not a heritage thing-- most 60s Ferraris I have seen have the brake under the dash on the right side of the steering wheel, next to the console. My BB has it in the center console like most cars.
Here's my "handbrake story" ... So in 1989 my dad was in Algar and they had a white/red 328 gtb-- He'd never seen a white ferreri, and it was interesting; he decided to buy it. When he and my mom went to pick it up the next day, they left me and my sister with a babysitter. When my parents got home, my mom took the babysitter back in the new car. A few minutes after she left, my dad smelled burning (yes... it's what you are thinking)... When she got back, my dad's two hour old Ferrari had carbon buildup down the entire rear end, and the parking brake was shot. What happened was the brake (on the left of the driver) automatically went back down after being pull up into "brake" position-- obviously to be unobtrusive. When my mom got in the car, even the p-brake was on, it had recessed into it's regular place, and she didn't think about it (yes, even with the HUGE red light in the console). She never drove his black one... -Joe
I also learned that the handbrake lever (left side) goes down with the brake engaged. Unfortunately, on my 456 the brake has to be 100% engaged for the light to go on. Fortunately, when I picked the car up the brake was only partly engaged. Unfortunately, no light on the dash. Fortunately, a loud squeal in reverse revealed the problem immediately so I stopped. Unfortunately, car will have to go in for a re-tweak of the hand brake. Fortunately, it's under warranty.
