360 Modena Review
Discussion
Today at 2pm I handed the keys back to the owners after a fantastic weekend in Wales with it
I hired it from these chaps....
http://www.classiccarclub.com/
I arrived at the place at 9:30, met Mike, and the guys who had sorted out the hire. Very welcoming, nothing like I expected as after the induction it was simply a case of being shown the F1 box, being told how much the excess is and then being told to take it through a tunnel and enjoy it.
First impressions of the car were mixed, learning to operate the gearbox smoothly in heavy london traffic sucked a fair amount and it took me an hour and a half to reach Canvey Island where I picked up Missus Dave. Driving the car is a complete event, feeling it loosen up as the temperatures slowly rise, adding another 500rpm for each change until it's completely up to temp aren't for saving the engine, it feels utterly bullet proof, they just add to the anticipation for when you can really open it up.
The car was great fun on the motorway, kids sticking there faces against the glass as I overtook or they went past, regularly dropping 3 gears, with the blip BLAP BLARRRRRRR that accompanies it, and roaring off when a particularly exciteable person wanted a listen, mainly me . I wont bore you with the steady drive to Wales as it was dark by the time we got there but this was the scene in the morning at Woodhouse Farm in Rhayader....
Driving down a slippery wet muddy grassy farm track with about 2" of room between the 15 odd parked Land Rovers was interesting, it certainly made a fun final few metres of the drive. I can vouch for the slip angles being large and the TCS being off at this point, at all other times it was left well and truly on, so I apoligise for the lack of sideways hero antics and 190mph B Road blasts while flipping the bird to the livestock
On the saturday I got to really start enjoying the car.
We headed over to the Elan Valley in the morning and the car rocked!!!! The change in the engine character between 3000 and 6000 had me grinning every time, downchanges with smooth blips, crackiling off the rock face and the instant response of every twitch of your hands or feet. The back end felt unstable to me at first, like it was turning round too quick but I think this was more down to me not being used to a short wheelbase mid engine car. It just gripped gripped gripped and then gave a slight shimmy as your foot buried itself in the carpet and you shot off like a flaming gazelle. This car is AWESOME!!!!
Not a bad view to wake up to at 3am (Yes, 3 am) in Wales.
Daves awesome Beany Breakfast....
Also, despite my driving, early wake ups and beany breakfasts, Missus Dave has agreed to Marry me the lucky bugger
I must apoligise though to all the people behind me in the Dartford tunnel this morning, I was the knobber in the 360 slowing right down before unleashing the fury. Everyone who overtook afterwards and gave me a thumbs up seemed to enjoy it though.
I am going to hire another car in the summer, a classic and i've narrowed it down to a 230SL or a Citroen DS. The guys at the club did me proud and if my year carries on going as well as it has then i'll be joining it fully as a christmas present to myself, they have a fantastic selection of cars and choosing which one will be a pain in the arse, but I can't really moan about that, very very highly reccomended so take a look.
Ooh, some boring bits....
I averaged over 25mpg, pretty close to 30 I think.
It took loads of stuff pretty easily, a big space in the front and a good amount behind the seats.
The gearbox was incredibly smooth after you got used to it.
4th gear from 2000rpm to 8500rpm makes you go all a tither, it's by far the best engine i've ever had the pleasure to use. Certainly not the most powerful, but as a complete package, it wins hands down. I even prefer it to the 500E lump which is unheard of!
Dave!
I hired it from these chaps....
http://www.classiccarclub.com/
I arrived at the place at 9:30, met Mike, and the guys who had sorted out the hire. Very welcoming, nothing like I expected as after the induction it was simply a case of being shown the F1 box, being told how much the excess is and then being told to take it through a tunnel and enjoy it.
First impressions of the car were mixed, learning to operate the gearbox smoothly in heavy london traffic sucked a fair amount and it took me an hour and a half to reach Canvey Island where I picked up Missus Dave. Driving the car is a complete event, feeling it loosen up as the temperatures slowly rise, adding another 500rpm for each change until it's completely up to temp aren't for saving the engine, it feels utterly bullet proof, they just add to the anticipation for when you can really open it up.
The car was great fun on the motorway, kids sticking there faces against the glass as I overtook or they went past, regularly dropping 3 gears, with the blip BLAP BLARRRRRRR that accompanies it, and roaring off when a particularly exciteable person wanted a listen, mainly me . I wont bore you with the steady drive to Wales as it was dark by the time we got there but this was the scene in the morning at Woodhouse Farm in Rhayader....
Driving down a slippery wet muddy grassy farm track with about 2" of room between the 15 odd parked Land Rovers was interesting, it certainly made a fun final few metres of the drive. I can vouch for the slip angles being large and the TCS being off at this point, at all other times it was left well and truly on, so I apoligise for the lack of sideways hero antics and 190mph B Road blasts while flipping the bird to the livestock
On the saturday I got to really start enjoying the car.
We headed over to the Elan Valley in the morning and the car rocked!!!! The change in the engine character between 3000 and 6000 had me grinning every time, downchanges with smooth blips, crackiling off the rock face and the instant response of every twitch of your hands or feet. The back end felt unstable to me at first, like it was turning round too quick but I think this was more down to me not being used to a short wheelbase mid engine car. It just gripped gripped gripped and then gave a slight shimmy as your foot buried itself in the carpet and you shot off like a flaming gazelle. This car is AWESOME!!!!
Not a bad view to wake up to at 3am (Yes, 3 am) in Wales.
Daves awesome Beany Breakfast....
Also, despite my driving, early wake ups and beany breakfasts, Missus Dave has agreed to Marry me the lucky bugger
I must apoligise though to all the people behind me in the Dartford tunnel this morning, I was the knobber in the 360 slowing right down before unleashing the fury. Everyone who overtook afterwards and gave me a thumbs up seemed to enjoy it though.
I am going to hire another car in the summer, a classic and i've narrowed it down to a 230SL or a Citroen DS. The guys at the club did me proud and if my year carries on going as well as it has then i'll be joining it fully as a christmas present to myself, they have a fantastic selection of cars and choosing which one will be a pain in the arse, but I can't really moan about that, very very highly reccomended so take a look.
Ooh, some boring bits....
I averaged over 25mpg, pretty close to 30 I think.
It took loads of stuff pretty easily, a big space in the front and a good amount behind the seats.
The gearbox was incredibly smooth after you got used to it.
4th gear from 2000rpm to 8500rpm makes you go all a tither, it's by far the best engine i've ever had the pleasure to use. Certainly not the most powerful, but as a complete package, it wins hands down. I even prefer it to the 500E lump which is unheard of!
Dave!
Nice story.
But......You got OVER 25 to the gallon? You can't have been giving it enough clog. I NEVER get more than 17MPG, even when I take it easy!
Lovin' the camping stove cooking baked beans with the Ferrari in the background, hehe.
But......You got OVER 25 to the gallon? You can't have been giving it enough clog. I NEVER get more than 17MPG, even when I take it easy!
Lovin' the camping stove cooking baked beans with the Ferrari in the background, hehe.
Edited by Need For Speed on Tuesday 24th February 09:27
I was really surprised. We spent a fair amount of time on the MOtorway but while in Wales it was all fun roads. It is pretty gutless compared to my barge but it had such a massive reach in each gear that the lack of torque wasn't much of an issue. I was enjoying it mostly between 3 and 6K, it changed in character and kept a good average speed up.
The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
Howitzer said:
I was really surprised. We spent a fair amount of time on the MOtorway but while in Wales it was all fun roads. It is pretty gutless compared to my barge but it had such a massive reach in each gear that the lack of torque wasn't much of an issue. I was enjoying it mostly between 3 and 6K, it changed in character and kept a good average speed up.
The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
Ah, that would be where you were going wrong then Dave.The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
The 360, like all the mid-engined V8 screamers, doesn't make max power until well beyond 8k!
I seriously didn't think any Ferrari had the gearing to pull 30mpg at any speed...
Still, you managed to bring it back in one piece, which is more than some first time Ferrari drivers manage.
Godzilla said:
Howitzer said:
I was really surprised. We spent a fair amount of time on the MOtorway but while in Wales it was all fun roads. It is pretty gutless compared to my barge but it had such a massive reach in each gear that the lack of torque wasn't much of an issue. I was enjoying it mostly between 3 and 6K, it changed in character and kept a good average speed up.
The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
Ah, that would be where you were going wrong then Dave.The fuel gauge was playing up a bit and every time I went to fill up I could only just get £30 odd in. Really impressive, no need for full throttle most of the time, just good progress and smooth fast driving. Loved it !
Dave!
The 360, like all the mid-engined V8 screamers, doesn't make max power until well beyond 8k!
I seriously didn't think any Ferrari had the gearing to pull 30mpg at any speed...
Still, you managed to bring it back in one piece, which is more than some first time Ferrari drivers manage.
It was more economical than my 500E despite the low gearing, you don't need full throttle to go fast on a twisty B-Road.
Or I am a big girly no knob haha.
For hire prices it's best to speak to them, I got a deal on a twin hire so see what they can offer and ask what cars they have in, it seems to change quite often.
Dave!
Or I am a big girly no knob haha.
For hire prices it's best to speak to them, I got a deal on a twin hire so see what they can offer and ask what cars they have in, it seems to change quite often.
Dave!
Dave,
Dropped that very car back to CCC HQ at 7am on Friday morning so it must just have cooled down by the time you took it out again!
Completely agree with everything you say about the car. Getting the car out of London in heavy traffic was fairly gruesome - especially trying to be as kind as possible to the clutch whilst in slow moving traffic.
Everything clicked into place on the open road though and enjoying the car (and the noise) through the gears was magic.
Would recommend the club's Quattroporte, 997 and also BMW Z1. Unfortunately the Z4M Coupe has now gone becuase that was a real beastie. My mate Mark has driven most of their stuff including a lot of the old stuff (sorry Classics), so PM me if you would like some feedback on how he got on - some of them are definately more healthy than others......
Cheers,
Marc
Dropped that very car back to CCC HQ at 7am on Friday morning so it must just have cooled down by the time you took it out again!
Completely agree with everything you say about the car. Getting the car out of London in heavy traffic was fairly gruesome - especially trying to be as kind as possible to the clutch whilst in slow moving traffic.
Everything clicked into place on the open road though and enjoying the car (and the noise) through the gears was magic.
Would recommend the club's Quattroporte, 997 and also BMW Z1. Unfortunately the Z4M Coupe has now gone becuase that was a real beastie. My mate Mark has driven most of their stuff including a lot of the old stuff (sorry Classics), so PM me if you would like some feedback on how he got on - some of them are definately more healthy than others......
Cheers,
Marc
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