Braking: "I did a few brake tests, and you really can't get yourself in trouble. The stopping power is amazing (60-0 mph in 117 feet). There was no veering left or right; I could've stopped on a quarter."
Power: "If you don't have enough torque, you can get yourself in trouble if you come in to a corner too fast, then try and get out. With this car, where they've got the torque so low down, you can be in a situation, and are likely to be able to drive yourself out of the problem. As a street car, it's hard to believe they could produce something as good as this." And a 0-60 of 3.9 seconds stands up to any comparison.
In spite of comments about flogging the Modena at its limits, there's a lot to be said for the 360 as a true gran turismo. The larger cabin is a wonderful place to crank away the miles. Legroom, always a problem in mid-engine exotics, is not in the Modena. One 6-foot-3 Doyle-Risi crew member noted this is the first Ferrari he's sat in that had adequate seat travel, headroom, and leg space for him to be truly comfortable. The wider track helps, too, keeping the wheelwell area from eating up too much of the footwell space.
We've tested some electronically adjustable shock absorber systems that seem to have little effect on ride or handling, one way or the other. Not so the Ferrari's, as activating the Sport mode noticeably firms up the damping. While eating up California's Highway 101 (as we did), switch off the Sport setting, and the freeway ride becomes keep-your-wife/girlfriend comfortable. Adds Taylor: "I think the biggest thing, comparatively speaking, between the 355 and the Modena, is ride quality. When you're in a 355, the ride is a lot harsher. With this car, the driveability is so much easier, and it inspires confidence immediately. It's such a smooth ride compared to the others; a brand-new ballgame." There's a bit of luggage space behind the seats, and a deep trunk well up front.
Our complaints are few. The F1 system remains controversial. It clearly shifts gears faster than any human can, and as Taylor puts it, "On the changing down, the way they've got the engine revs matched to the gear speed is very, very impressive. It can, in fact, make an average driver look really good." But it's jerky around town, and pulling the upshift paddle as you let off the throttle also produces harsh shifts. Mac experienced difficulty orchestrating perfect launches during track testing, as there's no clutch pedal to modulate. It's a case of human versus computer. But there's no way the average driver won't be faster with it, and its technology is clearly the way of the future.
The anti-theft system takes a bit of getting used to. Once unlocked, you have 30 seconds to start the engine, or the ignition is deactivated; hit the key fob button again. Hit it too many times, and you lock the car, and set off the alarm trying to start it.
Finally: The digital fuel readout looks out of place in the otherwise attractive sea of analog gauges.
Rumors persist that Ferrari will introduce a lighter weight, more powerful GT3 version, not unlike the Porsche Carrera GT3 now available in Europe. We'll need to test that one, too. Maybe at nother racetrack. Hey Wayne! Ready for Round Two?
Our thanks: Doyle-Risi Racing, www.doyle-risi.com; American Le Mans Series, www.americanlemans.com; Laguna-Seca Raceway, www.laguna-seca.com; Ferrari North America, www.ferrari.it; Pirelli, www.pirelli.com.
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