[212Export]

Tuesday to Thursday this week, I've been driving "D" 1500km's to the Nürburgring and back on a flawless driving experience. Reason for the Nürburgring date was Uwe Meissners "Modena-Motorsport Trackdays", an event organized every 2 years by him.

First of all anybody who ever will join the event will be deeply impressed. Yes, I've not been at Goodwood so far for the Revival nor the Festival of speed but I'm pretty sure that these Trackdays are one of the best events worldwide for people interested in historic Motorsport.

The field of entrants ranged from about 15 F1's (at least 10 Ferrari F1's) including 50's Maseratis to several SWB's, 312 PB's, 512 M's, 512BBLM's, all kind of challenge Ferraris, including FXX's, 599GTO and XX's to Daytonas and so forth..to name just the Ferraris's. Impressive. The pilots dorve their cars fast and fierce, using that fact that they moved the cars on the official F'1 Nürburgring track. (BTW a wonderful track, broad, huge security zones left and right, perfect organization and pure driving pleasure all day long)

I had "D" parked behind the boxes and stood beside my car checking my mails when a German guy approached to tell me that he always wanted a yellow "D". I denied his question for selling it and asked him with what car he came ? He tipped his finger to a yellow open F50 200meters from us. I asked if he would be driving it on the track and yes he would....(now we are talking business, I thought). I explained him my long F50 story and how much I adore that type of Ferrari when he invited me to join him with the F50 as co-driver...w.w.w.wwhich I didn't deny this time.

About an hour later, I picked up my helmet and joined him in the open yellow F50. What a nice day...F50...yes, sometimes...but on a F 1 track..? RARELY SO!

Of we went. First of all this nice guy was an excellent driver and used to race on the Nordschleife. Right after we left the "Boxengasse" he eagerly started to warm up the tires by hefty left and right cross steering. On the track we have been joined at this moment by 3 FXX's, a Maserati MC 12 race edition, 2 DTM cars and several Challenge cars (260,430 and 458's).

After finishing the warm up lap he started to push the F50 down the main straight of start and finish. The F50 started to sing his song...I was in heaven..but only shortly as he approached the 90 degree slow curve at the end of the main straight much to fast and braked to late as the brakes seemed not yet to be warmed up (speed max was around 250 on the main straight). Going in to the curves which now followed it was easy to realize that the line he was driving was that of a experienced track driver. He was constantly hard on the accelerator pedal right at the apex and pushed that car to the limit. The car had the GoodYear Eagle tires on and he told me before the drive that those worked much better than the Pirellis for him, but he had no experience so far with the Michelin's. From lap to lap he pushed the car harder and harder the way Challenge driver give "Taxi-codrivers" testing laps (until part of them is "gluing" from the inside of the front-window).
The F50 felt extremely comfortable to sit in but by now the seats became much to "loose" and the 3 point harness much to soft...so I had to grip myself with both hands left and right around the leather/carbon seat parts to get additional hold. The driver "slashed" the car around perfectly using full spaces on the curbs and beyond pushing the car to its limit. In that phase we had still o.k brakes and perfect warmed "street-tires" (he started with pressure of 1.7 in the back when cold and they have been 2.8 at the finish) and we challenged a FXX and MC 12 and had no problems to follow them with 2 Persons on board. Of course they played save...probably...but realizing how he throwed that F 50 around the track was very, very impressing. Most importantly, the F50 was stabil, stabil, stabil. You hardly could oversteer that car. The owner told me later that he has a Scuderia as well and that the "borderline" to loose the back is much later on the F50 than on the Scuderia on which he says the car behaves perfectly to a sudden point and after that you have lost it. Compleately different with the F50, because by now the brake was getting very long (he said) and the car started to go sideways as he pushed even more. It was incredible. Also sideways the car behaved totally controlable and perfectly stable without ANY electronic aids (or maybe because of it). I must say that I'm a bad Co driver and I'm not prone to having no fears at all and there..in certain moments I was very much wondering when that wonderful yellow F50 will slip out on one of those fast 30 degrees bents with 230km's hanging on the ass of that FXX, knowing that the schikane will shortly follow and that the FXX has the much better brakes.....and either slippering out to that large gravel zone, destriyng everything or pushing into the back of the FXX by pushing him to much.....it was fascinating.

In the evening I had unusually many beers to digest my experience and my personal thoughts on it. What a great car, street legal with street legal tires. Impressive. I wanted to share this with you all because I think it is most unusual to push a F50 on a race track.

[wetpet]

awesome story, thanks. where is the video?

[Boxer]

Fantastic. Did you also get a chance to drive the F50 on the track?

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Well well, 212, a dream experience for someone in lluv with the 50. Seems like the infatuation has turned into a true longing. Not that I know anything regarding a car of that caliber, seems like that 50 belongs to an owner who can truely appreciate and bring the best out of such a car. For you to be able to experience the potentials under such settings, speechless and impressive. It must have been a wonderful moment for you. So happy that you were able to experience such exquisite opportunity. w/ smiles Jimmy

[212Export]

To answer some Questions:

-No, I did not drive the F50 by myself on the track...I never would do that with a car of such caliber and price as long as it is not my personally owned car.

-As said, I had to grip both hands to the seat, no way to produce a video.

- Yes Jimmy, very true !

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

And all along, I thought that you were too busy at work ,212. My my ... w/ smiles Jimmy

[212Export]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

And all along, I thought that you were too busy at work ,212. My my ... w/ smiles Jimmy

For such...there needs to be always time

[Vitalone]

Awesome adventure 212Export! To be blasting around the GP circuit at the Ring in a F50 taken to its limits by someone who can drive must be a thrill. And a further subtle nudge in the direction of the awesome F50, a Ferrari than can still harass the latest and fastest Ferrari's some 15 years later.

[212Export]

Originally Posted by Vitalone

Awesome adventure 212Export! To be blasting around the GP circuit at the Ring in a F50 taken to its limits by someone who can drive must be a thrill. And a further subtle nudge in the direction of the awesome F50, a Ferrari than can still harass the latest and fastest Ferrari's some 15 years later.

Thanks David, it really was fun. Of course, there is nodoubt that if the newer Ferraris are driven with the same driving skilss as my driver applied to the F50, then those newer cars (Scuderia, 458, 599's FXX etc.) would be faster, mainly because of the braking ability. But as you said interestingly (constructively based) the F50 even after 15 years is probably still the best "pure-handling-measured" modern street Ferrari.

[Boxer]

Originally Posted by 212Export

the F50 even after 15 years is probably still the best "pure-handling-measured" modern street Ferrari.

I have heard this repeatedly from different highly respected experts. Long term, it is what will make the F50 one of the mostly highly desirable Ferraris to own.