Well, I finally took the time: the following are brief write-ups on the various cars I’ve driven. They are completely and totally my subjective opinion and, though I don’t mean them to be, may very well be controversial. I in no way, shape, or form assert to be a ‘professional’ or even a ‘great driver’. If you’re really curious, try to drive these cars yourself (if you haven’t already) – your mileage will undoubtedly vary, and your opinion is certainly as good as mine… probably better
-Z18
0. Ferrari 360 Challenge
I ranked this car zero because, well, it’s not street legal. I drove one quite a few laps at Willow Springs and wow, what can I say. It’s a lighter (and therefore faster) 360 with much tighter suspension, fantastic grip (Pirelli P-zero Slicks will do that for you) and amazingly fast F1 shifters. Not only that, a factory roll cage, race seats, racing harness, etc. is stock. If I ever buy a track-only car, this is definitely on my list, especially since they’re down to about $140k used (well over $200 when I was looking). When you drive a street Ferrari you can tell they’re bred for the track as well – how much more that is true in a real Ferrari race car.
1. Ferrari F40 (euro-spec)
I rented this car in Germany and drove it on the Autobahn and on the Nurburgring. I’d read and even heard from people that this car is very hard to drive, that the power is uncontrollable, the interior plain, and the ergonomics uncomfortable. I say that’s crap. The power was very controllable, the interior very much like the 360 Challenge above (Spartan, and race car-like – I LOVE IT), and the ergonomics not really that bad. No, it’s not a daily driver, but yes, it is the road car closest to a true race car that I’ve ever driven. And oh, the horsepower. For those that don’t know, the European F40 is the true F40 – the American spec car was neutered to meet emissions… in fact, it lost so much HP they had to re-gear it just to get like a 4 second 0-60. The European model, on the other hand, has got to be somewhere around 3.5 – 3.7 sec. The handling is very stiff and the car is a natural on the track. Also worth noting is how well it accelerates when you’re already at speed (something, as of late, that is becoming more and more important to me). As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was able to gain on a GSXR-750 sportbike from about 80mph to around 150mph. Unbelievable. Additionally, the F40 is my favorite car of all time in terms of appearance. And while I’d still rather have an F50 (or even the F60/Enzo) because of its naturally aspirated V12, this car is still a dream car for me. If only the American-spec car wasn’t so much slower… buying one here would be more for looks and less for performance, I’m afraid
2. Ferrari 360F1 Modena
I own a 1999 360 and it is truly an amazing car. The build quality is much higher than older Ferraris, its cabin is more roomy than any other sports car I’ve even driven, and the performance and overall feel (the way the car communicates to you, the driver) is astounding. It is much more drivable day-to-day than, say, the F40, but it’s still a Ferrari – it’s loud, and people stare and surround the car where you park it… so it’s still probably not a daily driver for most, although it could be. The power is excellent, and even though it redlines at 8500, there’s still plenty of mid-range torque – enough to have fun with, but not so much that it makes it difficult to drive (say, like a Viper). The F1 transmission is a dream – while some ‘purists’ still prefer shifting conventionally, I’ll take the F1 transmission any day of the week, even though it still shifts rather roughly if you’re not under full acceleration (which should be rare… say, only when there’s a bimbo box or a cop in front of you).
The car is both amazing on the street and on the track. My only complaint would be that it comes stock with tires too skinny for it (215 front, 275 rear) and with Michelin Pilot Sports (a tire I really don’t care for). Once I put tires on it more close in size to what the Challenge car comes with (225 front, 295 rear) and Pirelli P-zero asymetricos, it turned into a dream. I’ve no idea what the skidpad is, but my Zanardi NSX is .99g and the 360 is superior (now that proper tires both in terms of compound and width have been equipped), so I’m guessing 1.01gs or so. I also have Tubi exhaust and air filters, allegedly giving me 5-15 more hp (depending on who you want to believe). In terms of straight line performance, I have drag raced a Viper GTS and we were neck and neck. I have come to a conclusion, however, after driving so many cars… I think I prefer specialists to generalists. To that end, I want my Ferraris to be extreme: loud, fast, race-car like, and exotically attractive. The 360 is a little too much of a compromise for me, and I’d prefer a Euro F40, an F50, or Enzo had I the funds… if you’re going to go Ferrari, I say go all the way.
3. Acura NSX Zanardi
Speaking of generalists, I indict the NSX… but more on that later. The Zanardi is an amazing car, ranked for me above, for example, the Porsche 996 Turbo even. The car is really just an Americanized Type S, and is therefore lighter, lacks power steering, and has tighter suspension, amongst other details. Basically, you get by default what most enthusiasts do to their NSXes right off the bat anyway, plus the exclusivity and gorgeous grey BBS rims. The strengths of the NSX for me? Beautiful (I don’t agree with the assertion that the looks are dated), unparalleled build-quality (it feels even better built than my wife’s Lexus), fantastic handling and feel (second only to the Ferrari’s above), and an engine that can survive day to day driving and thousands of thousands of miles (I drove a ’91 NSX with 90,000+ miles on it and it was still very tight.. the engine still bright). The cons? Well, we all know them: the car needs wider tires (partially addressed with the latest model update) and more power. (I’d also say stiffer suspension, but we’re still talking about the Zanardi). All in all, some people have called the NSX the Japanese Ferrari, and I agree. They are indeed very similar… similar looks, similar handling, similar philosophy behind the power band (both high revving, etc).
4. Porsche 996TT
My favorite daily driver to date, but that’s also my problem with the car. Having driven it extensively on the street and on the track, in my opinion it’s MUCH happier on the street. To me, the 996TT is more of a GT car than a sports car. You sit higher, there’s a little too much body roll, you are insulated from a lot of road feedback, etc. On the track it’s easy to drive pretty fast, but then when you really want to push it, and you turn of the incredible Porsche Stability Management System, well, it becomes a bit of a beast (though it is certainly possible I just need more practice with a rear engine car, and that they are more different than mid-engine cars than I suspect). I also don’t like the powerband for the track – all the power is in the middle, and it just tapers out at the high end… plus, it’s a turbo, and even though some reviews have said the lag’s not there, it IS. The throttle performance and response is nowhere’s close to the throttle-by-wire 360’s.
All that said, it’s probably my favorite daily driver. Non-enthusiasts really don’t know if it’s a boxster or what, so there’s rarely a crowd around the car in the parking lot. That extra room and comfy ergonomics? Great for the street. The Porsche, unlike the Ferrari, also has lots of nifty gadgets available, including a sweet sound system and a navigation system. Power? Having mid-range power on the street is perfect, and the car goes from very manageable when the turbos aren’t on to one of the fastest cars around when you punch it. And that power is not only available 0-60, but the thing also takes off like a bat out of hell when you downshift into fourth at 80mph. Also, the AWD is fantastic… not only do you feel more safe when it’s rainy or wet, it helps when accelerating from a stop (you just lurch forward like a tank – no stressing about wheel spin or being pushed this way or that). And it also helps when you hit any kind of bumps, sand, whatever… it’s definitely the safest car when you’re the type that has to drive fast as much as possible (not that that describes me, of course).
5. Ferrari 550 Maranello
I drove the 550 briefly at Willow Springs, the irony being that this is a GT car, not a track or sports car, but I’ve never driven it on the road. I can say this, though: it would be an awesome road car. Though the power is technically comparable to the 360, it’s really quite different. The car has much more torque and a very different power band. The car is also very heavy, with more body roll than even the 966tt. I’d say that if one really wanted to daily drive a Ferrari, this would be the model you’d want. That said, for the money and in that I want my daily driver to be less conspicuous, I rank the 996tt above this. I would have noted also that the Porsche is faster, but then I think this has been addressed by the car’s replacement, the 575M.
6. Porsche 996 C4S
It’s really easy to describe this car: it’s a 996tt without the turbo. I drove a friend’s recently, and it really is just that. The differences are very minor… the suspension seemed perhaps a little stiffer, but I may have been imagining it. The power was great, but also like the Turbo – all in the middle, with it tapering out at the end: definitely more a street car than a track car, IMHO. Bottom line: if you want what a high-end Porsche has to offer but can’t quite afford the Turbo, get the C4S.
7. Corvette Z06 (375hp)
Ok, I’m going to say this right up front: I’m a red-blooded patriotic American, but I don’t like American cars. I typically don’t like their looks quite as much, and I definitely don’t like the build quality (or lack thereof). That said, the Z06 is an amazing car – just look at the data. Quite simply, it’s the best bang for the buck (especially now that it’s 405hp). Not only have I driven one for a bit, I’ve driven with quite a few on the track, and they are incredible. Not only are they fast, but you get like 1.0-1.01g right off the lot. But, though the quality seemed decent, it still didn’t feel that great, and my friend’s had problems pretty much right away. That, and the front end is long, and I just didn’t get very good road feel out of the car – it seemed purposely hidden from me, much like the Porsche Turbo. The car just feels large and more like a GT car, despite the performance numbers that clearly indicate it is indeed a sports car, and a formidable one at that. If I was going to buy an American exotic, however, I think I’d get a Viper GTS ACR… say, yellow with black stripes.
8. Dodge Viper GTS
Wow, the Viper. It was hard to not rate it above the Z06 (and maybe, had I ever driven an ACR, I would). I’ve simply never driven a car that felt like it had as much torque… it just doesn’t matter what gear you’re in, the power is there. If one was a big street racer, this would be the car to have – it just goes, any time, any where. Someone pulls up on you and you’re not ready? Don’t worry – you’re ALWAYS in the powerband. It also looks great… very aggressive and beautiful, IMHO. And, if you have the talent (and I mean, a LOT of talent) it can be VERY fast on the track. Yes, contrary to popular belief that the Viper is just some straight-line muscle car, it actually is a fantastically performing car on the track, both in a straight line AND in the corners.
The cons? Like I said, it’s very hard to drive. For one, there’s tons of engine braking – if you can’t heal-toe with the best of them, you’re going to have issues on the track. And the braking? Well, they FINALLY added ABS (the Vipers I’d driven didn’t have it)… and without ABS, it’s pretty scary. Also, you think the nose is long and in your way in a Corvette? It’s even longer in the Viper, really interfering with the ‘one-with-the-road’ Zen feeling I like to achieve. And build quality? Forget it. It’s not there, and they rattle and make noise in a scary way (or, at least, all three I’ve ever driven have).
9. Mazda RX-7 TT
The 1993 Mazda RX-7 that I used to own was a great car. Decently fast with excellent handling characteristics. And it had good build quality, although I hear that I was rather lucky, that many other of these cars have issues. The power band is good, somewhere in-between the Porsche and the Ferrari in philosophy. The turbo lag is pretty bad, though. I sold mine to a friend who then took it and made a barely street legal track car out of it, and it now can beat my 360 on the track (and he only put probably another $10k into it or so). That’s pretty incredible (and he’s a really good driver, and I don’t drive my Ferrari at 10/10ths).
If we had access to the newer, Japanese only RX-7s here (that have 280+ HP, as opposed to the 240 or so the American spec cars did, and have ‘type R’ equivalent model variations), I assume I’d have ranked this car even higher on the list. But I don’t. I will say that in the $10-$20k price range, it’s the sweetest used sports car you can buy, and one of the easiest to upgrade for the track.
continued next post...
[This message has been edited by Z18 (edited 13 August 2002).]
