Ferrari 599GTB and Ferrari 355GTS

[DCI]

Last Monday and Wednesday I have the pleasure of Driving the above to cars. I was on a road trip across Europe

I'll start with the 599 this has the optional Carbon brake upgrade and was a automatic box one too.

Start with the obvious here, the power, it was immense a V12 front engined rear wheel Ferrari imo is the real Ferrari it's what started their championship winning ways. I know the 599 isn't a true front engined car with the engine sitting back behind the front wheel suspension turrets. But my lord what an engine any revs any gear it will just pull like a train and the noise higher up the rev range is crazy too. It goes from a lovely burble from tick over to 3k revs and then once all the cams shift it screams like a banshee just so organic the noise and the shunt in the back you get when you floor it to the ground.

Interior well is typically italian in style but in quality it's right up there with anything German. Everything felt quality and had a nice touch about it.

The handling well, the car was barely stressed when I was driving it even though I was driving it at 130mph on narrow roads it had no problem with anything I threw at it.

The driving position was perfect also loads of adjustability and could get it exactly how you wanted it. The amazing thing was you could bumble around in the car and it wasn't bothered by it. Leave the gearbox in full auto, it's not the smothest but it is decent not too bad to drive. I have a Video of the 599 I'll up load it later.

Overall, it wasn't as hard as I was expecting it to be to drive or intimidating but it was great fun and to be honest one of the most modern cars I have driven that just does everything brilliantly without any fuss or issues compared to driving lets say a modded GTR Skyline or Supra, they are hard to drive incomparison to the Ferrari etc. The instructors where great really teach you how to drive the car.

Now the 355

That was a complete contrast to the 599. It is what I imagined the older ferraris are like to drive. Not really very smooth until everything heats up and needs to be minded whereas the 599 would hide your mistakes the 355 amplifers them and punishes you.

Starting off in the 355 and it needed about 10 mins of easy driving to heat up the gearbox oil as it was stiff to get into the first 3 gears. But once that was done my lord it was great, the clutch was very heavy the steering didnt work really well at low speeds, the engine wasn't great below 4k revs it felt argicultural and unsophisticated compared to the 599 but all of the above made it even more fun to drive when you got everything right in it. It would just reward you the more you got used to it rather than covering up your mistakes it made you make smooth gear changes up and down the gearbox and smooth with the steering. One thing I noticed over the 599 was the 355 preferred to be settled in the corner with the thortle than being left on the gear to hold it round the bend.

The 355 was way way slower but even more fun to drive it made you learn it's way to drive than the 599 adapting to your style of driving. It was brilliant. And to be honest one of the last Ferrari's that was kinda thrown together now they are a bit more clinical which is great but I like the kinda Italian madness of the 355 and the older cars.

Heres a few pics

[gixxerboy1]

i hate you

[RaginCajun]

I second that!

[DCI]

Lol, wasn't the response I was hoping for but hey ho, Gixxer, you have a good looking wife to tend to my Fezza experience was a once in a lifetime thing haha Next year tho, I'll be going back and driving their Aventador and the 430 Scuderia.

[gixxerboy1]

Lol, wasn't the response I was hoping for but hey ho, Gixxer, you have a good looking wife to tend to my Fezza experience was a once in a lifetime thing haha Next year tho, I'll be going back and driving their Aventador and the 430 Scuderia.

haha, the closest me or her are getting to one was a few years ago she worked the lambo both at the auto show.

I would love to drive the Aventador. I have heard the trans sucks though

[DCI]

To be honest, all this moaning about them non DSG gearbox is a load of cock imo. It made the car feel real imo in the 599, it was like every gearchange was like being forced back buy a big caliper gun it was great and bumbling around town it was great. I have a vid of an Avantador on my FB page but dunno how to post it here. It's quite funny cos we were in my buddies 530D and had to do 130mph to catch em up just to hear him take off in it.

You can rent them in Italy if you are ever over there Gixxer.

[gixxerboy1]

To be honest, all this moaning about them non DSG gearbox is a load of cock imo. It made the car feel real imo in the 599, it was like every gearchange was like being forced back buy a big caliper gun it was great and bumbling around town it was great. I have a vid of an Avantador on my FB page but dunno how to post it here. It's quite funny cos we were in my buddies 530D and had to do 130mph to catch em up just to hear him take off in it.

You can rent them in Italy if you are ever over there Gixxer.

they rent them here to. way more then im spending in a day

[DCI]

They seem a bit pricey over your way all right man compared to Italy, it was quite cheap to be honest, in the 599 I burnt about 50 euros worth of fuel lol.

[DanB]

how you get your hands on them to start with bro

i havnt heard of any being robbed lately so im at a loss lol

[DCI]

Lol, was in Italy man, so rented over there bud. Was a long time waiting to drive them both to be honest.

[DanB]

Lol, was in Italy man, so rented over there bud. Was a long time waiting to drive them both to be honest.

ya mind me asking what it set ya back?

and would my fake license be all I need if im ever over that way lol

[DCI]

Lol, they ask have you a licence and have you it on you but never checked lol. The excess's are a bit mental tho, crash the 599 and you give him 12k there and then. In total for 30 and a bit mins each worked out at 550 euro in total for the 355 and the 599.

[DanB]

Lol, they ask have you a licence and have you it on you but never checked lol. The excess's are a bit mental tho, crash the 599 and you give him 12k there and then. In total for 30 and a bit mins each worked out at 550 euro in total for the 355 and the 599.

just aswell the license isnt in my own name then

what sounded better?

and not bad price considering.....

[DCI]

They can't really be compared man. The 599 is a totally different beast to the 355. The big V12 up front just sounded epic to be honest. And it had so much low end torque and power it was like a shotgun going off when you flatten your foot to the floor it was great.

The 355 is what more people relate the sound of Ferrari too, as they are the more modern sound of Ferrari's but it was great high in the rev range than lower down, once you pass 3.5k revs it just comes alive just as a Ferrari should sound like. Iw as going to go for the 430 Scud but spotted the 355 it was class.

[DanB]

They can't really be compared man. The 599 is a totally different beast to the 355. The big V12 up front just sounded epic to be honest. And it had so much low end torque and power it was like a shotgun going off when you flatten your foot to the floor it was great.

The 355 is what more people relate the sound of Ferrari too, as they are the more modern sound of Ferrari's but it was great high in the rev range than lower down, once you pass 3.5k revs it just comes alive just as a Ferrari should sound like. Iw as going to go for the 430 Scud but spotted the 355 it was class.

you ever see the red f430 parked across from nursing home in chapilazord?

i heard a 355 at full whack before but never a 599

did you let them out good and proper yeah?

[DCI]

Yeh man, was flat out in the 599 doing 130mph in a 30 moh zone there's no bother in them letting you drive quick when they trust you they kinda let you off to do what you like. There's loads of 430's in dublin haha see at least one a week in the southside

599 is great at full whack

[Trying-Hard]

I would love to drive the Aventador. I have heard the trans sucks though

It does, unless you like a swift kick to the head when shifting it.

[DCI]

But if you had a manual, you be doing the same imo. And the DSG box just takes from experience imo, it just is boring with DSG boxes too smooth, the cars are meant to be raw etc.

[gixxerboy1]

But if you had a manual, you be doing the same imo. And the DSG box just takes from experience imo, it just is boring with DSG boxes too smooth, the cars are meant to be raw etc.

lambo's always had that raw reputation. They were the car that would try and kill you.

[Renesis]

I would love to drive the 458.

[dec11]

jammy bastid!

[DCI]

lambo's always had that raw reputation. They were the car that would try and kill you.

You're getting the idea now. If they were all perfect and well rounded then you wouldn't bother with a Lambo you'd go off and get a V10 R8 instead or a RS6 Audi, they all can be brought up to aventador power with a few mods the RS6 even more so, if you get the last model with the V10 twin turbo engine in it. That is the whole point of a supercar they are not meant to be easy to drive or civilised, have seen the aventador in real life, it's like a circus on wheels mental looking object and just screams, IVE ARRIVED in a shouty mc shouty way possible.

I would love to drive the 458.

From talking to the instructors, one of which was an official Ferrari test driver and has driven every Ferrari from the 355 to the new F12 which I was staggered when I saw it how tiny it is compared to the 599. Was saying that the 458 was way too easy to drive and did too much of the problem solving for you rather than just letting you figure it out for yourself. Driving the 599 it was in sport mode and would let you slip it out of a junction just enough as not to kill you wereas the 458 will have it sorted before you even notice he was saying.

jammy bastid!

Was hoping, you'd be back to see this buddy, it was epic, the 355 is everything you would want in an italian car, kinda like the coop you had it had it flaws but it was the flaws that made it.

[austinite]

That thing has a wheelbase as long as a suburban. t's much bigger than it looks in pictures.

[DCI]

The 599? Ya, it's massive, about 6 and a bit foot wide so it is and the LWB makes the car a better handler due to the roll axis being less with a longer distance between the front and rear wheels. Was such a balanced car tho and the faster you drove it the more it stuck into the ground I just need a video editor to get the video up of the 599 as I want to put music to it as you can hear me talk way too much shit to the chap that owns the car lol.

[lovbyts]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I may have to do the same, rent one if I get over that way. As for doing 130 mph no biggie. I have set my car on cruise control at 120 mph and been up a little over 150 for several minutes at a time. When you drive 120+ mph for an extended time and you slow down to 60 mph or so it feels like you are crawling....

[dec11]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I may have to do the same, rent one if I get over that way. As for doing 130 mph no biggie. I have set my car on cruise control at 120 mph and been up a little over 150 for several minutes at a time. When you drive 120+ mph for an extended time and you slow down to 60 mph or so it feels like you are crawling....

try that on a superbike, you could sleep and ride it a nat speed limits

[dec11]

You're getting the idea now. If they were all perfect and well rounded then you wouldn't bother with a Lambo you'd go off and get a V10 R8 instead or a RS6 Audi, they all can be brought up to aventador power with a few mods the RS6 even more so, if you get the last model with the V10 twin turbo engine in it. That is the whole point of a supercar they are not meant to be easy to drive or civilised, have seen the aventador in real life, it's like a circus on wheels mental looking object and just screams, IVE ARRIVED in a shouty mc shouty way possible.



From talking to the instructors, one of which was an official Ferrari test driver and has driven every Ferrari from the 355 to the new F12 which I was staggered when I saw it how tiny it is compared to the 599. Was saying that the 458 was way too easy to drive and did too much of the problem solving for you rather than just letting you figure it out for yourself. Driving the 599 it was in sport mode and would let you slip it out of a junction just enough as not to kill you wereas the 458 will have it sorted before you even notice he was saying.



Was hoping, you'd be back to see this buddy, it was epic, the 355 is everything you would want in an italian car, kinda like the coop you had it had it flaws but it was the flaws that made it.

yeah italian cars are a love hate relationship but when everything works they're unbeatable as far as driver satisfaction goes. only close to the 20vt coupe 'driver experience' was a MK11 GTI golf

[DCI]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I may have to do the same, rent one if I get over that way. As for doing 130 mph no biggie. I have set my car on cruise control at 120 mph and been up a little over 150 for several minutes at a time. When you drive 120+ mph for an extended time and you slow down to 60 mph or so it feels like you are crawling....

Lol, wait till you see the roads I was driving you'd shit yourself lol. This wasn't a highway or anything like that. The road had a max stated limit of 30mph lol. With mid day traffic etc was good fun I'll get the vid up when I figure out how to put music to it. I know driving at high speed is great. I was in my buddies 530D in Germany and I chased after a brand new 535D Touring at 150mph flat out and he was still going but he was my blocker did this for over an hour, you cover some serious ground at that speed.

try that on a superbike, you could sleep and ride it a nat speed limits

Lol, yeh?

yeah italian cars are a love hate relationship but when everything works they're unbeatable as far as driver satisfaction goes. only close to the 20vt coupe 'driver experience' was a MK11 GTI golf

Yeh the MKII is cool aul bus but the 355 was everything you could ever want in a ferrari hard to drive but once you learned it, it worked so well.

[Bigherm21]

Sweet deal bro! I would give a nut just to drive one of them. Lol

[DCI]

I sold an exhaust and saved up a bitta money to do the above so it was worth it haah I really enjoyed it to be honest something you'd never really forget.

[lovbyts]

Lol, wait till you see the roads I was driving you'd shit yourself lol. This wasn't a highway or anything like that. The road had a max stated limit of 30mph lol. With mid day traffic etc was good fun I'll get the vid up when I figure out how to put music to it. I know driving at high speed is great. I was in my buddies 530D in Germany and I chased after a brand new 535D Touring at 150mph flat out and he was still going but he was my blocker did this for over an hour, you cover some serious ground at that speed.

Yeah I hear you and you are correct, that makes all the difference in the world. I once took at caution 40 mph turn at 120 mhp+. The car handled it no problem but after the turn and it straightened out I had to take the next exit because my adrenalin was going to much I couldn't get my foot to stop shaking. lol

[DCI]

Yeah I hear you and you are correct, that makes all the difference in the world. I once took at caution 40 mph turn at 120 mhp+. The car handled it no problem but after the turn and it straightened out I had to take the next exit because my adrenalin was going to much I couldn't get my foot to stop shaking. lol

I was the same after the driving the Ferrari, I was talking to the owner after and he was saying the sweeping bend I drove they do it at night when there's no traffic at 145mph sometimes more if the car feels it can take it I was staggered when he was saying that.

I did the same on the trip on an autobahn in Germany scared the bejesus outta my buddy as I was doing an indicated 140mph on the clock which is about 130 odd mph in reality and it was a sweeping bend thankfully I was in the ouside lane of a 3 lane highway and nothing near me I had to do a racing line to control the car it was an interesting moment lol Enjoyable but had to pull over to let my adernalin cool a bit. nothing makes you feel more alive doesn't it when you go flat out in a car.

[lovbyts]

I was the same after the driving the Ferrari, I was talking to the owner after and he was saying the sweeping bend I drove they do it at night when there's no traffic at 145mph sometimes more if the car feels it can take it I was staggered when he was saying that.

I did the same on the trip on an autobahn in Germany scared the bejesus outta my buddy as I was doing an indicated 140mph on the clock which is about 130 odd mph in reality and it was a sweeping bend thankfully I was in the ouside lane of a 3 lane highway and nothing near me I had to do a racing line to control the car it was an interesting moment lol Enjoyable but had to pull over to let my adernalin cool a bit. nothing makes you feel more alive doesn't it when you go flat out in a car.

Agreed. My car does 178 mph stock but it's far from stock. Many with similar HP to mine (400 hp at the wheels) have done right at 200 mph. I have THOUGHT about pushing it up to 180 but have not done it yet. I would only do it after I have proven it would do it on the dyno first and then after making sure EVERYTHING was bolted down tight under the car. It's amazing what comes loose after a couple of years. Mine is only a little V6 twin turbo. Ive driven a Viper V10 and would love to drive a V12.

[gearbox]

Agreed. My car does 178 mph stock but it's far from stock. Many with similar HP to mine (400 hp at the wheels) have done right at 200 mph. I have THOUGHT about pushing it up to 180 but have not done it yet. I would only do it after I have proven it would do it on the dyno first and then after making sure EVERYTHING was bolted down tight under the car. It's amazing what comes loose after a couple of years. Mine is only a little V6 twin turbo. Ive driven a Viper V10 and would love to drive a V12.

V6 Twin turbo what car? Sorry if you mentioned it earlier.
I have a C 5 with just an exhaust

[lovbyts]

V6 Twin turbo what car? Sorry if you mentioned it earlier.
I have a C 5 with just an exhaust

Stealth RT TT/3000GT VR4 same cars.
Nothing is stock on mine anymore. I had custom pistons made (my design) by Wisco with higher compression and deeper valve clearance due to the zero stock clearance, port matched and balanced. AFC fuel controller, upgraded from 360 injectors to 550s, stock 9b turbos upgraded to 13Gs, custom exhaust with gutted main Cat and 2 pre cats and several other things all done by yours truly except the short block.

[dec11]

Stealth RT TT/3000GT VR4 same cars.
Nothing is stock on mine anymore. I had custom pistons made (my design) by Wisco with higher compression and deeper valve clearance due to the zero stock clearance, port matched and balanced. AFC fuel controller, upgraded from 360 injectors to 550s, stock 9b turbos upgraded to 13Gs, custom exhaust with gutted main Cat and 2 pre cats and several other things all done by yours truly except the short block.

i read reports on electrical gremlins with those mitsi TT engines, hows yours been? one can buy 3000gt's dirt cheap now but if summit goes wrong its mega money to sort.

[lovbyts]

Yeah it's surprising how cheap the 3000gt and even more so the Stealth is even the twin turbos. Main reason is they are expensive to work on and almost no one knows how to make them run right. The transfer case is also a weak point if you are into racing 1/4 mile. The car is not light, almost 4000 lbs and thats a lot of stress for an AWD car spinning all 4 frequently. People spend a lot of $$$ chasing down gremlins in them. I have been lucky and I also know what to look for and watch. I know a few things to look for on used for sale ones that can turn you a quick buck also. When they run right though they are very fast and handle great due to the AWD and AWS.

Back on subject though, I would really like to dive a true exotic as long as I didnt have to spend a months wages to do so.

[DCI]

Agreed. My car does 178 mph stock but it's far from stock. Many with similar HP to mine (400 hp at the wheels) have done right at 200 mph. I have THOUGHT about pushing it up to 180 but have not done it yet. I would only do it after I have proven it would do it on the dyno first and then after making sure EVERYTHING was bolted down tight under the car. It's amazing what comes loose after a couple of years. Mine is only a little V6 twin turbo. Ive driven a Viper V10 and would love to drive a V12.

I know what you are saying. Friend of mine has a GTR R33 which I have driven a lot it's circa 450bhp depending on what mood he is in, he can switch maps etc to give more power. But they get to a real 150mph not a bother but after that, you can kinda feel the car doesn't really like or enjoy going after that speed as it makes them not twitchy but not stable if that makes any sense you can feel the car is being pushed beyound it's comfort zone.

The V10 is the only car I've never driven, I've been in V10 M5's but that's not the same thing imo. I have to say comparing the 355 and the 599 is chalk and cheese the 355 is old school and the 599 is new school it will do everything for you and compliment you, wereas the 355 will make you drive it the way it wants to be and to be honest it's probably more fun to learn to drive it right rather than it adapting to you.

[JohnnyVegas]

Congrats on getting to drive those cars on the road. I think that is a lot more fun than renting them and driving on the track (there are a couple of places you can do that here).

I can't imagine driving more different cars, and it must have been fun to see what a range there is. I like the smaller lighter cars and even some of the older cars over the new. For driving fun I would take a smaller, (traditional - in the back) mid-engine car any day.

[bp2000]

Congrats on getting to drive those cars on the road. I think that is a lot more fun than renting them and driving on the track (there are a couple of places you can do that here).

I can't imagine driving more different cars, and it must have been fun to see what a range there is. I like the smaller lighter cars and even some of the older cars over the new. For driving fun I would take a smaller, (traditional - in the back) mid-engine car any day.

you ever do the vegas track thing? You can rent all the exotics and pay by lap.