Slow Ferrari drivers !

[JnP]

Hello from the TVR part of PH.

I was driving down the south of France 2 days ago and drove past 2 599s (One 10 mns after the other). And both were driving rather slowly. So my question was, do you Italian sports cars owners actually 'drive' your cars ?

I was disappointed, I would really have enjoyed a little run with them

[br d]

I just got back from a week driving in France, did 1300 miles. Drove both slow and fast, where appropriate.

[JayK12]

A 599 is a tourer, so they may have been cruising with no interest in having a play. I was sat at 180 on the Autobahn with the roof of the other day, pity you werent around lol.

[JnP]

If you stay around for another 2 weeks I might be up around Strasbourg end of July !

You're probably right about them touring but since I've owned the TVR I haven't had the opportunity to have a run with a car having similar perfs... Its getting frustrating

[Adz man]

Hello Mr. TVR man, and welcome.

Maybe the Ferrari boys just didnt want to get stuck with a TVR that was bound to have broken down sooner rather than later and would have to pull over and help out

Just kidding honest.

On the way back from the Ace Cafe the other night I had three Porsches that wanted to "play". Nah, I wasn't interested in doing 130+mph.

Sometimes it's just nice to cruise and be chilled.

[tomtom]

Yes, I do, on small A, and B-roads. On motorways / dual carriageways... What's the point?

[shado]

There is one reason why some ferrari drivers drive slow.
Being a yard stick of performance we attract alot of "ferrari horse flys". The amount of Scubs,Evos,Bmws and event Tvrs stuck to our bumpers trying to prove a point,can get very old very fast. To be fair though hot hatches are the worst
For all you know the 599s you saw that day may have been harrased by horse flys all day.
I know i get sick of it.

[burriana]

There is something to the view that when you are in a car that you know will leave most others for dead, you have nothing to prove and, it is quite nice to just have a nice relaxing drive and watch the world go by.

I usually sit at about 75 on the motorways as I know I am not going to attract any more unwanted attention than an already "wide as a small county" bright red Ferrari would normally do... and especially in France where, if you get caught doing over 100mph, you are probably going to be catching the bus home.

Mind you, I do remember pootling along through Spain in the 348 Spider and being caught up by a 360... we had a good hours run at around 170 all the way down to Granada which was quite good fun... so we're not always so sensible

[bmad]

JnP said:

Hello from the TVR part of PH.

I was driving down the south of France 2 days ago and drove past 2 599s (One 10 mns after the other). And both were driving rather slowly. So my question was, do you Italian sports cars owners actually 'drive' your cars ?

I was disappointed, I would really have enjoyed a little run with them

Must say the 430 for me is a bit like binge drinking. Generally pretty slow cruising with the occasional mad blast! On average I probably drive the wife's Citroen faster! You just can't drive these cars fast all the time. You'll end up dead or in jail!

[Try5t]

I drive slower in the 430 that I ever did in any other car I have had - I have no idea why!

It's just a nice comfortable ride at 70-80 with the roof down - and when you put your foot down to overtake the exhaust note is stunning at that speed.
If I want to go fast - then I know where I can drive spiritedly and enjoy the car - I am up and gone by 6am to make the most of the quiet roads.

[voicey]

I hardly ever get above 77mph on the motorway - it's just not worth it, if the police see a speeding Ferrari you're sure to be pulled over for a chat or worse.

It's a different matter when I'm on a nice twisty and deserted A/B road....

[anonymous-user]

I think it's a case of "when you know you can, you don't have to"

[JazzyO]

Couple of reasons for me:

1. In a Ferrari you get targeted by police and other lawpuppies. How many TVR owners have been pulled off the road when they are NOT speeding? None I would say. In a Ferrari it's happened to me several times, especially in Germany - "just a random paper check Sir". In Holland, taxmen actually lie in the bushes taking down numberplates (this actually happened at a charity event for cancer kids...I'm sure their mums were very proud). So I have become a bit careful about what I do, with whom and when. If there is a Golf Mk III doing 100mph and I'm doing 95mph, the police will stop me, not the Golf. Just a sad fact.
2. I might have had a play with someone and then 5 minutes later someone else comes along. Sorry dude, you missed out.
3. I find that a lot of people are not out there for a friendly play but they have a small ego and just want to beat the expensive Goliath in their cheap David. Quite often they take ridiculous risks in doing so, and I for one do not want to be implicated in anything when it goes wrong.

Once you've been a Ferrari owner for a couple of years, you don't feel the need to play all the time. Seriously bad for your license if you do, in any case. If I play, it is usually in low car/people density areas with lots of twisties.


Onno

[burriana]

garyhun said:

I think it's a case of "when you know you can, you don't have to"

[burriana]

JazzyO said:

Once you've been a Ferrari owner for a couple of years, you don't feel the need to play all the time. Seriously bad for your license if you do, in any case. If I play, it is usually in low car/people density areas with lots of twisties.


Onno

Nice Griff Onno... I must admit that I do have a hankering to get another one even though after my second I swore I never would. One of the best, most fun-packed roadsters ever built IMHO.

[voicey]

JazzyO said:

Once you've been a Ferrari owner for a couple of years, you don't feel the need to play all the time. Seriously bad for your license if you do, in any case. If I play, it is usually in low car/people density areas with lots of twisties.

Onno

This.

[JnP]

Thanks for the input everyone

I did get pulled over once in the Tiv by the 'Gendarmes' but I live in a small town in France and most have probably never seen a Ferrari either !

That said I understand it can get annoying having people want to race you all the time and I too like driving nice with the top off on small B roads.

I was just out for a little fun between car enthusiasts

Cheers all!

[neal1980]

garyhun said:

I think it's a case of "when you know you can, you don't have to"

When a Ferrari 458 tried to prove that to me recently I had to show him just how fast an N reg TVR can go

No smiles from that ferrari owner, didnt expect that did you

[Try5t]

neal1980 said:

When a Ferrari 458 tried to prove that to me recently I had to show him just how fast an N reg TVR can go

No smiles from that ferrari owner, didnt expect that did you

My mate did the same thing to a TVR with his Nova .. well it did have nearly 300hp from a 2litre turbo charged motor.

Having dealt with accidents involving people "racing" on the road - I let the idiots go by; as someone rightly said above, you just don't want to be anywhere near it when things go wrong and life is too short.

[marcusjames]

JnP said:

I was driving down the south of France 2 days ago and drove past 2 599s (One 10 mns after the other). And both were driving rather slowly.

Were you driving through Switzerland? Was one of them black?