Ferrari Day Out – A Day With The Supercars

Ferrari Day Out

Driving the Ferrari siblings on Mumbai roads was a surreal experience

Ferrari is a name which needs no introduction. We all have, at some point in our life aspired for one, dreamt of one and if really really lucky, have managed to get one for ourselves. This Maranello-based company has a glorious history when it comes to motor racing. Ferrari is the oldest team in Formula 1 and has tasted tons of success in the sport. Every Formula 1 driver’s dream is to drive for Ferrari someday. Michael Schumacher, a name synonymous with Ferrari has steered Ferrari to their most dominant years in Formula 1 during 2001-2004. He is also credited to developing a lot of tech for the road cars. Ferrari is not a car they say, it’s an emotion, which runs high if you are a Tifosi (I need not explain that, you know it).

My tryst with Ferrari has been a game of hide and seek. Being an auto journalist, it is second nature to drive fast and exotic cars and I have a long list of supercars which are done and dusted. Yet, somehow, whenever opportunity knocked with Ferrari, it didn’t sync with my calendar and I didn’t end up going and had to send a colleague instead. Well, the wait was now over but this was a unique challenge in itself. We were not going to be burning rubber on a racetrack, instead, we would be driving the cars in the thick and thin of Mumbai traffic with an occasional burst of speed on the Bandra-Worli Sealink.

The Ferrari showroom is located in the heart of the city and you just can’t miss it. More often than not, you are sure to give it a second glance. We had two smashing cars at our disposal and both of them being in their signature Scarlet colour. The Ferrari Portofino, a gorgeous looking convertible and the GTC4Lusso T, which is a family car and the first Ferrari 4-seater to be powered by a V8 engine. We had a stint in both these cars and this is how the experience panned out.

The GTC4Lusso may not be the best looking Ferrari due to its shooting brake design but it is unmatched when it comes to practicality. It can seat 4 people, is reasonably comfortable at the rear and is a hoot to drive. Powered by a 3.8-litre Twin-Turbo V8, it produces 610 PS of power and 760 Nm of twisting force. It will accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in just 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 320 km/hr. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a chance to unleash all its horses but we did get a first-hand experience of the 4WS or the Four Wheel Steering System.

Despite the big numbers, the cars were very usable and easy to drive, grabbing lots of attention wherever we went

On the other hand, the Ferrari Portofino is one hell of a looker and a great car for topless motoring. It has superb road presence and is nothing short of an eye magnet. This 2 door, hard-top convertible shares its powerplant and output with the GTC4Lusso, all except it produces 600 PS instead of the 610 with the latter. The 0-100 acceleration time is the same at 3.5 seconds as it is comparatively lighter in weight. You can open the roof on the move as long as you are under 40 km/hr, however once opened, you can push the pedal to the metal, the wind brushing through your hair providing nirvana of sorts.

Now, let’s talk about our experience with these cars. One would think that these supercars will be a pain to drive in city conditions as they are made with the aim of going fast around a track but seems like we were wrong. It’s like a case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. They are extremely comfortable in bumper to bumper traffic. We were surprised to be lugging around at 40 km/hr in the city while being in the 5th gear. Such is the torque of these machines. However, they turn into monsters when you floor the pedal. We floored it at the slightest opportunity and all 600 horses galloped with such precision, it was nothing less than art in motion. The exhaust is just music to the ears and the attention you get is actually beyond comprehension.

The modern Ferraris get an additional multi-information display in front of the passenger seat which gives you all details of mode, engine setting, chassis setting and so on. This makes it engaging to the passenger as well. As I mentioned before, the 4WS was quite interesting. The GTC4Lusso gets this and this is actually known as 4RM-S in Ferrari speak which is 4-Wheel Drive and 4-Wheel Steering, all in one. At slow speeds, the rear wheels are turned slightly in the opposite direction from the front wheels. This helps by reducing the turning radius and making jobs like parking a lot easier. When things speed up, like on a racetrack, the rear wheels turn in the same direction as those upfront, improving stability and grip.

Our drive, although short, was fun and it can be summed up as a perfect day at work. Who wouldn’t want their office for the day to be a Ferrari? One question I was asked was, if I had to pick one of the cars, what would it be? Well, it was a tough one. Both cars are exceptional in their own ways and are masterpieces. While the Portofino looks smashing, especially with its roof down, the GTC4Lusso was my pick as it was more engaging to drive and although marginally, had a sweeter and louder exhaust note. Surely, it was a great day to be an auto journalist. Will sum it up with Enzo Ferrari’s quote ‘If you can dream it, you can do it’