Ferrari heads cross-country
599 GTBs drive 20k miles across the Americas
Ferrari 599 GTB in livery
It follows last year’s “Ferrari 15,000 Red Miles” tour of China by two 612 Scagliettis driven by a team of international journalists, when 51 Chinese and international journalists drove the cars from the start line in Beijing all the way to the finish in Shanghai over 45 days. En route the cars visited 37 different cities and climbed to an altitude of 5,231 metres in the mountain passes of Tibet.
In the Panamerican 20,000, a total of 50 different international journalists, each one representing publications from all over the world -- sadly not PistonHeads -- will take turns behind the wheels of the two sports cars, during the 15-stage, 84-day tour.
Just don't think about the depreciation costs of adding 20k miles to a new Ferrari over just three months...
The route
The route will wind its way through the most famous areas of pre-Columbian and native American historical interest. They will visit the Foz do Iguazu falls on the Argentinean-Paraguayan border having first stopped off at the beaches of Rio de Janeiro and Saõ Paulo and then crossed the tropical rain forests around Curitiba.
After the Falls, they will drive through the Argentinean pampas before powering up through salt plains of Chile and Bolivia. From there they will make their way along dirt roads to La Paz and through the spectacular countryside around Lake Titicaca, which, at 4,000 metres, is the world’s highest lake.
The 599 GTB Fiorano’s entry into Peru will be the first contact with the Inca civilisation: the sacred valley of Cuzco, the peaks that guard Macchu Picchu and the mysterious lines of Nazca. But then it’s on to Lima and back to sea level again. From there the Tour makes its way past the towering volcanoes and deserts of Ecuador to get to Colombia. Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala will make up the tropical South American leg of the Tour and will also provide the first encounters with the vestiges of the Mayan civilisation.
One of the most magical views on the entire American continent, the ruins of Palenque, will greet the Tour which, after it passes through Mexico City, will make its way up into the United States via Baja California. The American leg of the Tour will take the cars all the way from Los Angeles to Houston taking in Monument Valley en route, before they drive on to Miami and then Washington.
After that they continue on to Chicago and Toronto before finally making their way to the finish line in New York.
The cars
The two specially-liveried 599 GTB Fioranos (one a Tour de France blue and the other a Rossa Corsa red) will only be very slightly modified to help them cope with terrain in the toughest parts of the route.
They will each be fitted with a special underbody protector made from 4 mm thick duralumin rather than plastic and their suspension set-up will be slightly higher to cope with the difficult road conditions. Apart from this, however, they will be standard production models powered by a 620 hp 65-degree V12 engine which delivers 448lb-ft of maximum torque at 5,600 rpm. Both cars will be equipped also with the electro-actuated six-speed F1 gearbox and transaxle transmission.
Support
Support comes from sponsors including Shell (V Power, Helix and Q, fuel and lubricants), Alcoa (technical partner and manufacturer of the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano’s aluminum chassis), Case IH (a Fiat-owned company, worldwide leader in the production of agricultural machinery) Pirelli (supplier of specialist tyres for the different terrains being covered), the Fiat Group (support vehicles), Puma (clothing), Saima Avandero (transport of cars and spare parts), Buonitalia (a company working to promote Italian products worldwide).
Assistance and spares will be provided by six support vehicles: three Fiat cars which will be replaced by three Alfa Romeos in Mexico, and three specially equipped Iveco trucks. As the Tour’s technical partner, Shell will be providing a specially equipped vehicle and its own team of technicians for the entire duration of the Tour.
Might have to see if I can extend my next work trip to see them arrive in NY though
Some might argue that Ferrari doesn't need publicity, what with its cars selling out and everything. On the other hand, they do need to keep those cars selling out. It's part of the mystique. Ferrari can't afford a dud.
But publicity is the key in this marathon. Shoot, I just might file a lawsuit against Ferrari just to get the ink for my website. Not that I'd win, but if it were outrageous enough...say, Ferrari exhaust emissions cause penguin deaths...it would run in papers all over the world. Ooh, maybe paint my body red , put a prancing horse sticker on my bum and stencil my website address across my chest. Good Morning America, here I come.
I will certainly be hoping to be working in the US when they arrive in New York, it's only a short train ride from my current client in Philadelphia.
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