Our superbike reviewer got a fleeting taste of supercar ownership on this Ferrari driveaway.
Our superbike reviewer got a fleeting taste of supercar ownership on this Ferrari driveaway.
NO matter where your supercar loyalties lie, driving a Ferrari is always a special experience. So when someone asked if I would like to tag along on the inaugural Ferrari South East Asia Grand Tour, in my very own Ferrari (on loan) for four whole days, all I could do was pinch myself, thank the motoring gods (or in this case, my editor) and quickly reschedule all other appointments. The tour saw Ferraris from Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia taking part in drivingrelated activities up north, which included a track day at the Sepang International Circuit and a drive up the winding Bukit Tinggi Hill near Kuala Lumpur. It was a trip that totalled about 800km, excluding the track time at Sepang.
Boyhood dream aside, it was also a reunion of sorts for me. I was reacquainted with the California T (a convertible whose media launch I attended last year) and the sensational F12, which I drove during a visit to Ferrari’s home in Maranello earlier this year. Unfortunately, my time in the F12 would be limited to hot laps with a race driver on track. Still, the driving was never dull when travelling in an 80-Ferrari, 650-cylinder and 36,000bhp (thereabouts) convoy.
From 458 Speciales and V12 F12s, to 430s and 599s, the procession stopped traffi c – quite literally – wherever it went. Besides leaving bystanders astonished, downtown Kuala Lumpur came to a standstill whenever we drove through it, thanks to a police escort who very kindly and effi ciently parted the capital’s infamous gridlock just for us. After a parade lap around Sepang, we were let loose on the 5.5km circuit. Despite its “entry-level” status, the 560bhp California T was no pushover, slugging it out with its bigger, sportier siblings until fastdisintegrating tyres forced it to reluctantly call it a day. There was, after all, still a B-road blast the next day to look forward to. The California T might not be a thoroughbred on track, but on the open roads, its superb ride and ultra-punchy midrange (thanks to turbocharging) mean it was a supremely comfortable and capable grand tourer. At one point, I saw an indicated 304km/h during a “free-for-all” segment of the drive.
It was not all fast and furious, though. Fancy dinners, spots of golf, good food and free-flowing drinks were sprinkled into the mix for the participants when their steeds took well-deserved breaks in between the action. To top off the tour, a blacktie gala dinner was held for the participants at The Cliff ord Pier at the Fullerton Bay Hotel on the final night back in Singapore. The comradery and atmosphere may have been electrifying, but it was the cars that took centre stage on this epic journey. Having spent four days in a powerful Prancing Horse, I can honestly say they are every bit as intoxicating, emotive and lifechanging as people lucky enough to drive them say they are. Without putting up certain body parts for sale, I’ll probably never have my own Ferrari. What I can do is look forward to next year’s event and pray I get picked to play “supercar owner” again. 488 GTB, anyone?
