[RufMD]

Well, the weather was good...I had the whole weekend...and it was time for a serious evaluation !

Upon starting the F50, one might be forgiven if they think something is seriously wrong. Noise and clatter fills the cockpit as the direct attachment of the V12 to the bulkhead amplifies every engine whirr, chain clatter, and vibration into the driving area. What really surprises, is how much louder it is at idle compared to the F40. Quite immediately, I noticed how easier the clutch effort is, and how easily the gears engage (not to mention the novelty of a 6th gear ). A quick flip of the front lift switch to clear the driveway, and a whirring noise indicates that the front is on its way up. I must say, that I once thought this feature was a bit of a gimmick, just waiting to malfunction in the up position necessitating needless repairs....but its actual quite useful and reassuring to know there is a little more safety margin at your disposal over low bits.

This particular F50, being a USA model, has the automatic seat belt system, and once engaged, we pushed off. Again, the noise is almost shocking. The car is very driveable at low speeds and at 5k rpms, the noise level in the cockpit precludes an easy conversation...you have to shout ! I quickly discovered that anything below 5k rpms is useless in terms of serious torque, and all the fun stuff occurs above this level. Well, if its noisy and raucous at 5k rpms, you can only imagine the symphony up to 8k+ rpms...incredible ! My friend was driving behind me in the Carrera GT, and he mentioned that it is surprisingly quiet from the outside, hence the propensity for people to do exhaust mods (myself included )

Once the torque peak is accessed at 5k rpms and above, the car leaps forward. It is fantastic to shift aggressively and at speed. It really is a race car for the street, and the only other car I have experienced with a similar mentality is the Carrera GT. Side by side on the road, it was a pretty sight. A couple of playful rolling pulls resulted in some face stretching grins, and preliminary "data" suggests that the CGT is slightly quicker. Interestingly a similar experiment between the CGT and F40 was dead even. Hmmm, maybe an F50 vs F40 runoff is needed

After some spirited driving through the hills and back roads, we arrived back at house. Upon turning off the car, the noise of the heat venting fans is very evident. A good thing too, as the heat build up in the engine bay is considerable. I took the additional step of opening the rear hatch as recommended, and the heat is impressive.

All in all, a very joyful experience...the car has its own character and any comparison with the F40 is a bit pointless (its a completely different car). The lack of rubber in the suspension linkages, combined with the engine being bolted directly to the bulkhead acting as a stressed member, and an engine that is F1 derived, results in a race car experience for the road that is raw and unplugged.

In short, I'm in love with it

[Dmitri]

Thanks for sharing, sounds like you had a great drive.

[Boxer]

yet another one bitten by the F50 bug.

Very nice write up.

I am very interested in your comments on torque. Need to go drive mine again (as soon as I get it back from service) to check. My feeling was that it always pulled plenty hard from 3000 on up and once you hit 6000 it turned feral.

[archiegibbs]

Fantastic. It's nice to have supercar owners posting their accounts. With RufMD and Boxer both posting we are very spoiled
We've also got Krasnavian and his accounts of his 250 GTO amongst other vintage 250's, all we need are Enzo and 288 GTO owners to join in now.

[RufMD]

Received a couple of new rear wheels today. The previous owner had the misfortune of curbing one, and I figured a spare never hurts.

At 13", these buggers are WIDE !

[Dmitri]

Originally Posted by RufMD

Received a couple of new rear wheels today. The previous owner had the misfortune of curbing one, and I figured a spare never hurts.

At 13", these buggers are WIDE !

Definitely looks wide. I'm still amazed when I see how wide the tires are on my Mother's corvette; I'd love to see what goes on an F50

[stile - alpine]

Originally Posted by archiegibbs

Fantastic. It's nice to have supercar owners posting their accounts. With RufMD and Boxer both posting we are very spoiled
We've also got Krasnavian and his accounts of his 250 GTO amongst other vintage 250's, all we need are Enzo and 288 GTO owners to join in now.

you're right there, Archie!

we even have a Porsche 959 owner here, life is good in this forum! =)

RufMD, it is great to read about your experiences with such amazing cars!

I hope you get the time to write a more "intense" comparison between the F50 and the Carrera GT

[Boxer]

Originally Posted by RufMD

Received a couple of new rear wheels today. The previous owner had the misfortune of curbing one, and I figured a spare never hurts.

At 13", these buggers are WIDE !

Very impressive. These are very hard to find. Great idea getting a second set.

[212Export]

Many thanks for your insightful impressions. Comparing to the many diverging car driving impressions on most cars, with the F50, almost everybody experienced it had similar (spectacular) impressions. The F50 is a phantastic car. Enjoy it fully

[212Export]

Originally Posted by RufMD

Received a couple of new rear wheels today. The previous owner had the misfortune of curbing one, and I figured a spare never hurts.

At 13", these buggers are WIDE !

They are really very wiiiiiiiiiiide
When can we expect you're +7 rpm experience and full CGT comparison handling wise ?!
(Sorry, but I guess we are ALL very, very unpatient people )