RE: Ferrari F50 at Suzuka: Time For Tea

[wst]

What was the left foot braking for? The write up says "big stops", but he was doing it out of Spoon heading up to 130R which strikes me as more of an acceleration stage.

[PZR]

wst said:

What was the left foot braking for? The write up says "big stops", but he was doing it out of Spoon heading up to 130R which strikes me as more of an acceleration stage.

Force of habit. Kurosawa's professional racing career was in the era when pad knock-off was a very real problem.

[PHMatt]

Funny how 20 years later people look at these a lot more fondly than they did back then.

I can't pass comment, never seen an F40/50 let alone driven one. I just recall them being fairly panned. Which is surely why in a mental world of classic cars, they're not up there with the F40/McLaren/Miura madness.

[Kaizer]

cholo said:

Obviously I'm not the expert and he is, but watching him on the throttle looks very un-smooth (is that a word)

I've always been taught on track days to be as smooth as possible (smooth is faster), but mid corner, it just looks like he is on-of-on-off with the throttle.

He is double de-clutching, which with some cars made before the 70's you need to, but in the F50 absolutely no need to.

But hay, if you got the skills why not show it.

[Scrimper]

PHMatt said:

Funny how 20 years later people look at these a lot more fondly than they did back then.

I can't pass comment, never seen an F40/50 let alone driven one. I just recall them being fairly panned. Which is surely why in a mental world of classic cars, they're not up there with the F40/McLaren/Miura madness.

I believe that after the speculation that took hold of the F40 soon after launch Ferrari then controlled the ability for people to flip and F50 by restricting resale for first there years (think it may have been through a lease contract?) and also not giving any cars to the press to drive. It is a far better car than the F40. In terms of value, the last one sold at auction last week at over £1.6m and an F40 sold in the same auction at around £1m. I think they are beginning to get recognised, the last couple that sold in the States went for over £2m, but euro spec cars cannot get imported to the US for a few more years yet.

[Blayney]

https://youtu.be/XcSnaHcAlKU

This video shows why I always preferred the f50 to the f40.

[Harry Flashman]

This car looked a bit awkward at launch - but it has aged so, so well.

And that noise!

What a machine. A friend's Dad was offered one for not much many years ago. George still teases his father for not buying it.

[dunnoreally]

PHMatt said:

Funny how 20 years later people look at these a lot more fondly than they did back then.

I can't pass comment, never seen an F40/50 let alone driven one. I just recall them being fairly panned. Which is surely why in a mental world of classic cars, they're not up there with the F40/McLaren/Miura madness.

Yeah, I remember there being a controversy at the time about the F40 actually being quicker, and a number of reviewers saying that they just weren't that nice to drive, despite everything. I'm also never likely to even get near one, but it is interesting to see attitudes change.

Then again, who could stay angry at a big, flashy, very analogue Fezzer with a supposedly F1-derived V12 sitting just behind the driver?

[greenarrow]

dunnoreally said:

PHMatt said:

Funny how 20 years later people look at these a lot more fondly than they did back then.

I can't pass comment, never seen an F40/50 let alone driven one. I just recall them being fairly panned. Which is surely why in a mental world of classic cars, they're not up there with the F40/McLaren/Miura madness.

Yeah, I remember there being a controversy at the time about the F40 actually being quicker, and a number of reviewers saying that they just weren't that nice to drive, despite everything. I'm also never likely to even get near one, but it is interesting to see attitudes change.

Then again, who could stay angry at a big, flashy, very analogue Fezzer with a supposedly F1-derived V12 sitting just behind the driver?

I think at the time it was a combination of factors - 1) coming out a year after the McLaren F1 and not being as fast 2) the world economy was still in a slump after the 1990/91 recession so the interest/demand for super-cars was subdued, 3) No UK magazine ever got to road test one.

I think the tide started to turn with stuff like the EVO magazine Ferrari road test in about 2004 where the rated it their favourite Ferrari ahead of the Enzo/288GTO and F40...

Its always been my favourite Ferrari super-car.

[GM182]

Blayney said:

https://youtu.be/XcSnaHcAlKU

This video shows why I always preferred the f50 to the f40.

Shame about the terrible picture quality but the sound more than makes up for it.
V12s rule!

[slipstream 1985]

PHMatt said:

Funny how 20 years later people look at these a lot more fondly than they did back then.

I can't pass comment, never seen an F40/50 let alone driven one. I just recall them being fairly panned. Which is surely why in a mental world of classic cars, they're not up there with the F40/McLaren/Miura madness.

I am fortunate to have had a proper passenger ride in one one the road driven in anger. It is amazing. Such a stiff car and the engine is right at your ears. Every gearchange you feel the engine thunking you forward.

[j90gta]

dunnoreally said:

Yeah, I remember there being a controversy at the time about the F40 actually being quicker, and a number of reviewers saying that they just weren't that nice to drive, despite everything. I'm also never likely to even get near one, but it is interesting to see attitudes change.

Then again, who could stay angry at a big, flashy, very analogue Fezzer with a supposedly F1-derived V12 sitting just behind the driver?

I think officially the F50 is supposed to be marginally quicker than the F40. However due to the lighter construction and sheer rawness of the F40 it feels quicker. The F40 is much more physical to drive.



This is why an F50 goes and sounds like it does!

[markcoznottz]

Kaizer said:

cholo said:

Obviously I'm not the expert and he is, but watching him on the throttle looks very un-smooth (is that a word)

I've always been taught on track days to be as smooth as possible (smooth is faster), but mid corner, it just looks like he is on-of-on-off with the throttle.

He is double de-clutching, which with some cars made before the 70's you need to, but in the F50 absolutely no need to.

But hay, if you got the skills why not show it.

Why no need to?

[diehardbenzfan]

Must have been in the year 2011, I used to procrastinate a lot in college as my pc was facing away from the teachers desk and I spend a lot of time on pistonheads looking at dream cars for sale.

I rememeber there was a grey F50 with red leather on sale for £450,000! Fast forward 6 years and I seriously can't believe that they go for well over a million now. Surely that is like buying money? I should have asked my dad to sell the house and lump all the money on that F50, would have been a millionaire now.

I also remember scuderias and 599 gto's going for 100-200k and F355's going for 40-70k now all of them have more than doubled in value.

I wonder how the bank would feel on lending that kind of money on a car that will 100% double in value within 10 years. I'm only 23 but I'm sure some of you middle age'rs (is that a word) here should consider it!

[slipstream 1985]

diehardbenzfan said:

Must have been in the year 2011, I used to procrastinate a lot in college as my pc was facing away from the teachers desk and I spend a lot of time on pistonheads looking at dream cars for sale.

I rememeber there was a grey F50 with red leather on sale for £450,000! Fast forward 6 years and I seriously can't believe that they go for well over a million now. Surely that is like buying money? I should have asked my dad to sell the house and lump all the money on that F50, would have been a millionaire now.

I also remember scuderias and 599 gto's going for 100-200k and F355's going for 40-70k now all of them have more than doubled in value.

I wonder how the bank would feel on lending that kind of money on a car that will 100% double in value within 10 years. I'm only 23 but I'm sure some of you middle age'rs (is that a word) here should consider it!

355s were down to 30k.

[soad]

topgunkos said:

My ultimate Euromillilions car, pure porn.

And people said it's an ugly car.

[Blayney]

diehardbenzfan said:

.
I wonder how the bank would feel on lending that kind of money on a car that will 100% double in value within 10 years.

If you could guarantee it we'd all be doing it.

[PunterCam]

GCH said:

To this day I still can't fathom why they made it without a roof...

I don't see why you'd ever want a roof on a car like this - bloody fabulous.

[DanielSan]

ecksjay said:

tsuchiya's drift bible is on youtube (I think) and goes some way to helping explain the effects and benefits of heel and toe... at least visually

I've had that on DVD for years, really need to give it a watch again.

[MDL111]

slipstream 1985 said:

diehardbenzfan said:

Must have been in the year 2011, I used to procrastinate a lot in college as my pc was facing away from the teachers desk and I spend a lot of time on pistonheads looking at dream cars for sale.

I rememeber there was a grey F50 with red leather on sale for £450,000! Fast forward 6 years and I seriously can't believe that they go for well over a million now. Surely that is like buying money? I should have asked my dad to sell the house and lump all the money on that F50, would have been a millionaire now.

I also remember scuderias and 599 gto's going for 100-200k and F355's going for 40-70k now all of them have more than doubled in value.

I wonder how the bank would feel on lending that kind of money on a car that will 100% double in value within 10 years. I'm only 23 but I'm sure some of you middle age'rs (is that a word) here should consider it!

355s were down to 30k.

Sold mine for 27k in 2010 or 2011