Ferrari Street Etiquette

    The dark and stormy days of December make me think of Ferraris snuggled away into their garages, warm and dry, looking forward to the coming spring and the adventures that await.

    Come warmer weather your Ferrari will need to be brought out for some needed exercise. Those first drives are important to get the fluids warm and moving.

    Certainly, your car should be serviced and all critical points inspected to make sure the winter slumber has not brought any hidden surprises like rotten hoses and belts, or nesting creatures that were looking for a warm place to hibernate.

    This article is not about automobile maintenance, or the care and feeding your Ferrari. It is about how you, as the driver need to prepare.

    A pilot always pre-flights the airplane before jumping in and lighting the fires. The Ferrari driver should do the same. While walking up to the car are the tires looking like they should? Are there any oil leaks on the ground? Antifreeze?

    There are different colors for the fluids that leak, and you should be familiar with each and where they might come from.

    The first drive after the slumber should be a slow warmup until the temperatures stabilize before any hard driving. Remember, right now, you are the test driver. Systems should be checked. Do the windows go up and down? Blinkers work? Be aware of anything that does not feel right.

    Does it handle? Turn and stop feel right? Test these well before you begin to push harder.

    Once all is stable, THEN you can begin to enjoy the thrill of the mechanical symphony only a Ferrari can provide.

    Does the engine pull smoothly to redline? Does it studder or shake? Pay attention to any unusual noise. When does it happen? Make notes, if necessary; your service manager will appreciate it when it goes in for service.

    Once you have made it this far it’s time to share the experience.

    While flying small airplanes can be an incredible experience and way too much fun, there are people who have never had the opportunity to take to the sky and enjoy the view.

    I have taken many up for their first time and I want the experience to be a good one. The first time up in the air can be disconcerting to ground-based persons. The banking of the plane is unnatural in feeling and the visual picture can be scary.

    I always keep my maneuvers gentle with shallow bank angle. Yes, I can control a sixty-degree bank, but most would think the airplane is going to fall out of the sky. I also talk through every maneuver and describe what is getting ready to happen and what they might feel.

    The object is to make the entire experience enjoyable. If I didn’t, then I could not convey what the joy of flying is about. Don’t scare the passengers. Period.

    Which brings me to an article I ran across in a club magazine that described an incident at a Ferrari parade lap around a racetrack.

    It appears Ferrari owners were to line up for a set of display laps between races to show off their cars. The group was led by a pace car and speeds were to remain reasonable and slow. No passing and no hanging back to get a short run through a corner.

    This was to be a parade, not hot laps. The story continues with one car not following the plan and passing others, speeding, and ultimately crashing off the track.

    This act has caused the suspension of future parade laps for the foreseeable future.

    We have all seen the videos of fools and idiots lighting the tires while leaving a Cars and Coffee event and losing control. Sometimes into the crowd. Not everyone can drive like Schumacher or Sainz.

    As a Ferrari owner we have a duty to represent ourselves and our cars in the best possible light in the public eye. Doing stupid stuff in front of a crowd does nothing for your personal reputation or for Ferrari in general.

    Doing stupid stuff while being part of a group like the Ferrari club does nothing to enhance the public view of the club itself or your standing with other club members.

    We, Ferrari owners, have an obligation to present ourselves to the public and our passengers as caring and responsible owners representing some of the finest machinery on the planet.

    Taking passengers for their first ride is not the time to prove you should have been a Formula One driver or test the limits of acceleration and braking. Yes, you know you can make this turn faster than anyone, but should you?

    Is taking a newbie who has never had the pleasure of sitting in anything faster than a Honda Civic going to appreciate your skills when experiencing the awesome power and handling of your Ferrari? Or will the sensory overload of the sight and sound be coupled with your unknown, at least to your passenger, skills?

    Don’t scare the passengers. Period.

    Your passenger has no concept of what your Ferrari can do. There is no need to demonstrate it’s maximum capability.

    I test drove Ferraris before and after service at the dealership for six years. Often, I drove several different cars with different capabilities during the same day. A 330 GTC and a 328 GTS are very different. Jump into a Koenig Testarossa with twin-turbos and it is a whole different ride.

    Six years with never a ticket and never an accident. Many of the cars I tested to near-limits on the street. BUT there is a time and place to do stupid stuff.

    Alone in the car, I have nothing to prove except to myself. I did things I would have never done with a passenger in the right seat.

    The point is, consider the circumstances and your surroundings BEFORE you decide to break the law. Pay attention!

    Now, if you really want to go fast, there are plenty of places to get quality track time. With the advent of private tracks there are many opportunities to enjoy speed in a safe and controlled environment.

    Take an instructor and discover what your Ferrari can really do. Track time will often make you become a better and safer driver, not only in your Ferrari but in every other car you drive.

    Have fun and keep driving! Happy New Year!!