[tazandjan]

Mauro- Great day for you and a great description of your drive and of places we have visited in the past. Most Ferraris do a lot of ticking when they cool down, so I would not worry about it. Different types of metals cooling at different rates.

You say a Ferrari attracted a lot of attention in Italy? Now there is a surprise. They were still building the Maranellos in 2005, so the design is still relatively fresh and will always be attractive.

Enjoy her and I am sure you and your wife will enjoy a trip to Maranello together.

[maurodev]

Originally Posted by 212Export

Wonderful write up Mauro. Happy that everything wenr smoothly. Uuuhhh 200km's on the Autstrada...No Tudor system activated ?

Hi 212export, I was careful to avoid it and the autovelox and maintained that speed for a few kms only every time, just to test the acceleration and the car reaction to it

Ciao
Mauro

[maurodev]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Mauro- Great day for you and a great description of your drive and of places we have visited in the past. Most Ferraris do a lot of ticking when they cool down, so I would not worry about it. Different types of metals cooling at different rates.

You say a Ferrari attracted a lot of attention in Italy? Now there is a surprise. They were still building the Maranellos in 2005, so the design is still relatively fresh and will always be attractive.

Enjoy her and I am sure you and your wife will enjoy a trip to Maranello together.

Hi Taz, thanks! About attracting attention, well here in Italy everybody dreams of owning a Ferrari sooner or later. That's true for other brands too: Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati. Less for German brands, including Porsche.
However I didn't expect such attention for an out of production model, not old enough yet to look vintage, like a Testarossa for example, always being much admired when met on the road.
Ciao
Mauro

[550JM]

Originally Posted by maurodev

Hi Taz, thanks! About attracting attention, well here in Italy everybody dreams of owning a Ferrari sooner or later. That's true for other brands too: Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Maserati. Less for German brands, including Porsche.
However I didn't expect such attention for an out of production model, not old enough yet to look vintage, like a Testarossa for example, always being much admired when met on the road.
Ciao
Mauro

Bump...
What about the pics, Mauro?

[maurodev]

Hi Jeroen, I will take a few pics as soon as the weather will permit to use the 550 again. It is still very cold and the roads are heavily salted.
Ciao
Mauro

[550JM]

Originally Posted by maurodev

Hi Jeroen, I will take a few pics as soon as the weather will permit to use the 550 again. It is still very cold and the roads are heavily salted.
Ciao
Mauro

Know what you mean, same here....

[tazandjan]

Jeroen- This is the worst winter you have had in decades, so that is understandable. When is snows in Naples, it is a rough winter.

[550JM]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Jeroen- This is the worst winter you have had in decades, so that is understandable. When is snows in Naples, it is a rough winter.

Absolutely right, Terry! Besides that, it seems like they're dumping all the salt they have on our roads....will take a while for that to be flushed away...
It started raining today.....

[maurodev]

Hi all,

after 5 weeks of delay since bringing it home, at last yesterday I was able to take the 550 for a small trip around Bergamo. The weather was fantastic: sunny and with a temperature around 20°. First time ever my wife Maura tried the 550, so it was fundamental to give her the best of the impressions !

I have enclosed a map with the trip highlighted in red (see 'percorso').

With a couple of friends, we left Bergamo in the morning, heading for the Seriana valley, driving trhough Torre Boldone and Nembro and going Northward. We were lucky, because there wasn't a lot of traffic, so we enjoyed passing through the villages, with the 550 attracting a lot of attention. Near Nembro we crossed a beautiful Alfa Romeo 8c competizione.
Near Bondo we stopped to refuel and to drink a Cappuccino. There we found a Testarossa and a 348. I tried to locate the owners to have a quick chat, but I wsn't able to. Next time maybe...

We resumed the trip heading toward Ponte Nossa, continuing to follow the course of the Serio River. At Ponte Nossa we went toward Clusone, a relatively big village (30k people) sitting in a large plateau. There we followed the splendid SP53 (Strada Provinciale) to Lovere. Lovere is a beautiful and classy town on the shore of the Iseo Lake. We stopped there for a brief walk on the promenade. Then resumed the trip going North-East on the Eastern shore of the Lake, leaving the Province of Bergamo and entering the Province of Brescia. We followed the Lake Southward and stopped again at Clusane, where we had a much needed aperitif and where I finally realized I wasn't taking any pic ! So I took a few (see 1597, 1598, 1599).

Then we went to the restaurant I booked in advance, passing through Paratico and Sarnico (back to the Province of Bergamo). Near Sarnico we had a nice lunch in the Agriturismo Cascina Oglio (see 'cascina oglio'). A nice place on the shore of the Oglio River, rising from the Iseo lake a couple hundred meters form there.

Here we took a few other pics of the 550, myself and my wife (see 1603, 1604 and 1605...about my..ehm..look in this last pic, well consider I just had a glass of incredibly strong locally made Grappa !).

Then we went back home through the wineyards area from Castelli Calepio to Albano S.Alessandro, where we found increasingly heavy traffic.

All in all, about 160 Kms in a sunny day, with good friends and good food. A nice Sunday with the 550 behaving perfectly. The only minor 'issue', the brakes started to 'whistle' a little in the afternoon, although they weren't stressed at all.

ciao
Mauro

[550JM]

Looks like you had a great day, Mauro!
And finally the proof you really own a 550...;-)

Ciao

[maurodev]

Hi Jeroen, yes it was fun ! And I was surprised again by the 'elasticity' of the engine. In 3rd gear you can do nearly everything, even at very low speed, without any 'hiccup'! The steering is so precise you can really drive with confidence even through narrow passages.
ciao
Mauro

[550JM]

Originally Posted by maurodev

Hi Jeroen, yes it was fun ! And I was surprised again by the 'elasticity' of the engine. In 3rd gear you can do nearly everything, even at very low speed, without any 'hiccup'! The steering is so precise you can really drive with confidence even through narrow passages.
ciao
Mauro

It's a great machine, I had the same experience this weekend!

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Great, great post Mauro. Full of envy !!! Thanx for the wonderful pics and the map. One of these days, it is on my bucket list to drive thru Italy and Europe. Looks so wonderful. And I can see that your wife shows approval with her charming smiles ?

w/ smiles
Jimmy

[maurodev]

Hi Jimmy, thanks! Please, if you will come to Italy, let me know. It would be a pleasure to meet you in person.
About my wife, yes, she was smiling at last, but, she had that glass of grappa too, you know !
ciao
Mauro

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Originally Posted by maurodev

Hi Jimmy, thanks! Please, if you will come to Italy, let me know. It would be a pleasure to meet you in person.
About my wife, yes, she was smiling at last, but, she had that glass of grappa too, you know !
ciao
Mauro

Mauro,...thank you kindly for your invitation. You may regret this !

Seriously, you two sure looked happy and at home with that beautiful 550.
Nothing more to add. Picture perfect ! Many safe and fun trips now that spring is here !!!

w/ smiles

Jimmy

[maurodev]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

Mauro,...thank you kindly for your invitation. You may regret this !

w/ smiles

Jimmy

I am sure I will not Jimmy! Just let me know in advance and I will organize something interesting...maybe a little grappa too !!!

ciao
Mauro

[tazandjan]

Mauro- That looks like it would be a really fun drive and all the town names fit perfectly with a drive in a Ferrari. Someone thumped your friend's BMW really badly. Hope it did not happen on this trip.

The more you drive your Maranello, the more you will love her. Did you let your wife drive? Might as well make her fall in love with the car, too.

[maurodev]

Hi Taz, you are very good at picking details and making connections! I didn't say that the black BMW was my friends' car. No the damage was made a few weeks ago, when a cyclist crashed at full speed in the flank of the car, which was still waiting for the green light at a crossroad. The people, a foreigner, probably a clandestine, remained stunned a few seconds, than recovered the bike and fled! Luckily for my friend, the damage was done by the body, not the bike, so it shouldn't be much of a problem to repair it.

About my wife, well she is more a Smart driver, but I am confident she will try the 550 sooner or later!
Ciao
Mauro

[Boxer]

Sounds like it has truly all come together. Glad you had a great day.

[a1exander]

Mauro lovely write up but far more pertinent is the fact that the car suits you