[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

212, I was looking at your new avatar and noticed the stick shift with a rather large dome (ball) and short stick (relatively). How do you find the driving with that short stick ? Or maybe it is my illusion. Just curious. w/ smiles Jimmy

[Ice350]

212, where are the pics?

As wonderful as the F50 is, I am more moved by your daughter riding with you. My 2 girls never came with me for Sunday morning drives on the turnpike. My wife knew I would be driving fast and didn't want them to be afraid. Over the years, my wife has learned to enjoy my spirited driving and has become foot heavy herself.....everytime she hits the interstate.
She's looking forward to when I get a Ferrari. The girls are too.

I have a model of the F50. Although the 575 is my favorite car, the F50 is the most beautiful in my opinion. It is a pleasure to hear that the driving experience equals the beauty.

[212Export]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

212, I was looking at your new avatar and noticed the stick shift with a rather large dome (ball) and short stick (relatively). How do you find the driving with that short stick ? Or maybe it is my illusion. Just curious. w/ smiles Jimmy

Dear Jimmy, to answer your question I copied my initial comment from my first real drive from this same thread:
"The gearchanging is very impressive. Of course never as fast as the hammer man from the Scud or even the Italia. But much faster and directer (shorter) than i.e. the F40. The gearchanging feels like those short stroke gearlevers at the right side in the ols Formula cars from the 60's and 70's. Somehow you feel like being able to change gears with a move just out of you hand wrist, instead of moving the whole arm with the F40 (just as a comparison, no weighting as pro or cons)."

The stick is really much shorter than that of the Daytona or F40. I like it both ways but for fast gearchanging, the shorter..the better imo.

[212Export]

Originally Posted by Ice350

212, where are the pics?

As wonderful as the F50 is, I am more moved by your daughter riding with you. My 2 girls never came with me for Sunday morning drives on the turnpike. My wife knew I would be driving fast and didn't want them to be afraid. Over the years, my wife has learned to enjoy my spirited driving and has become foot heavy herself.....everytime she hits the interstate.
She's looking forward to when I get a Ferrari. The girls are too.

I have a model of the F50. Although the 575 is my favorite car, the F50 is the most beautiful in my opinion. It is a pleasure to hear that the driving experience equals the beauty.

Reggie, I would never drive fast without consent/feel well of my daughter. Although I have another daughter AND 2 boys, the oldest daughter clearly is THE "la Ferrarista" of all of them. Interestingly the boys less so, which is perfectly o.k. for me.
We started slow as well and over time and different cars, she adapted better and better. Then she loved the Scuderia and finally when I took her with the Scud to the Monza racetrack I was prepared for everything. Started slowly and at the end of the day she felt perfectly easy even in the high speed full throttle curve after the main straight.
Interestingly things started a little bit all over asgain with the F40 as the sudden Turbo "whooosshh" needs "adaptation" again..especially with the "open" X-ost exhaust setup, but again after a couple of stints over the weeks everything became "handable".
Same with the F50 now as there was some timelag between the F40 to the F50 (about 10 months of lost senses) but adapting well again. But I have not pushed the F50 yet.....

Reggie I have showed many F50 pictures in this and other threads that may help. Picture of my daughter (12) here again, but with the Daytona (excuse me for the small image, I have some problems with those photograph series)

[Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS]

Thanx for the comment, 212. When I asked that question, I was thinking of the classics like Fiat and Alfa Romeo which had tall sticks. I do get you point that shorter is less effort involved and faster. I presume with such an advanced gearbox, it is not necessary to have a tall stick. w/ smiles Jimmy

[tazandjan]

212- Ten years or so from now, your beautiful daughter is going to be the lifetime prize of some lucky guy.

Glad to hear your wife is doing better.

[212Export]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

212- Ten years or so from now, your beautiful daughter is going to be the lifetime prize of some lucky guy.

Glad to hear your wife is doing better.

Terry, I'm not sure about that...she's conquering the "wild" years and being a (nice) beast sometimes.

[212Export]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Chen Shiba DDS

Thanx for the comment, 212. When I asked that question, I was thinking of the classics like Fiat and Alfa Romeo which had tall sticks. I do get you point that shorter is less effort involved and faster. I presume with such an advanced gearbox, it is not necessary to have a tall stick. w/ smiles Jimmy

Yes, you're right Jimmy. The gearchange is incredibly smooth and fast (for being a old way hand stick gearchange application). Fits very well with the light, small flywheel too...!