My Quest: Six cars in six years
Discussion
. 
Thanks everyone for the replies, I love reading them! 
Last week, we were back in the Aston for an old friend of mine whose eldest was heading off to college. A family of Aston Martin fans, so we had smiles all round, and the Vantage got what will likely be its last prom outing under my ownership.
And yes, I’ve decided it has to go up for sale.
I can’t put all of my cars in the garage, and I particularly don’t like having them on the driveway, or in storage really. And let’s not forget that financially, with all of these old and potentially expensive cars to maintain, it’s a bit like playing automotive money roulette. It was a tough decision though and has taken me weeks to actually do it. I got as far as the payment screen on one of the selling sites, I entered my credit card details initially, but couldn’t bring myself to press the button so I abandoned the idea for another week. 
But the decision has now been made!
Spin the wheel, which one will bring financial disaster first….?
School Run in the Ferrari.
This was always going to be an interesting experience. I’m still new to the car and learning its ways and the Aston gave me a similar level of stress when I first got that until I was familiar with it. But there is no denying that the Ferrari amps this up quite a bit. The school run is already a sensory overload, it’s a narrow road to school, kids going back and forth across the road on foot, on bicycles, there is a mini (painted) roundabout to contend with, no pedestrian crossings, cars parked literally everywhere and buses parked so badly that most days you have to mount a very dicey grassy curb to get around them. Yellow lines and parking restrictions mean absolutely nothing on the school run and it brings out the absolute worst in driver decision making. Whilst you can marvel at the bewildering levels of daily ridiculousness from afar if you can walk to school, its a different story when you are driving in it trying to avoid (or actually be) the chaos.
And the Ferrari is big. And it doesn’t do curbs. And it doesn’t like traffic. There is lots of traffic. It’s a bit grumpy on hills too. There are lots of hills. Hills with lots of traffic. And if you make a mistake? Everyone is watching whilst one fumbles about with this throbbing red manhood extension. I know they are, because a sheepish glance around, eyes are always looking back. They can all hear what one is doing too because it’s sooo freakin’ loud.
So yeah, you are really on display and I’m still getting used to the controls too. We’ll cover controls and gearbox in another update.
Porsche Logo is staying
So the school run is probably the stuff of nightmares for a car designed predominantly for racing and going fast for large portions of the day and not really what its designed to do. That said, the experience does have its plus points, as some of the kids reactions upon seeing the car are really fun. One lad literally covered his mouth in surprise seeing us drive past, whilst another one across the road mouthed “Ferrari”. I think back to when I was a kid, I would have loved to see a Ferrari at my school, it would have been unbelievably motivating for me.
My daughter is used to me driving her about in my silly array of cars, so no issues there, but given all of the above I don’t think I’ll be using the 360 for too many school runs - certainly not daily ones as the opportunity for things to go expensively wrong are just too high, and I don’t feel that people would offer much by way of tolerance to a driver of this type of car making any kind of error.
Reactions
I took Mrs Cloudy out in it earlier this week for the first time and on the journey we stopped at a petrol station. Whilst there a lady came over and asked if her son could have a photo with the car. Then on the journey home I noticed the passenger in the car behind was taking photos/videos too. Lots of people do look at it - enough that, in traffic, I did consciously reach for the sunglasses as a rudimentary cloaking device.
I’m really looking forward to getting it out on the country roads and getting more familiar with the car in the coming weeks and months.This is where this car will make sense and be an absolute joy to drive. I can’t wait!! Whether you like it or not, this car is always going to be an event to drive. I’m just going to make sure that they are the good type as often as possible.
I’ve not managed to drive it beyond this as my spare time over the last couple of weeks have been helping families out doing prom runs in the Camaro and the Vantage. But with those now finished, I’ll be sure to get more pictures and drives out in the 360 and will report back!
Here’s to an exciting summer of driving!
TheDoggingFather said:
This sounds like a great plan, entirely without terror
PRO5T said:
Out with the old and in with the new?
Pretty much yes. Well, I suppose it’s more ‘out with the old, and in with the older’. Last week, we were back in the Aston for an old friend of mine whose eldest was heading off to college. A family of Aston Martin fans, so we had smiles all round, and the Vantage got what will likely be its last prom outing under my ownership.
And yes, I’ve decided it has to go up for sale.
I can’t put all of my cars in the garage, and I particularly don’t like having them on the driveway, or in storage really. And let’s not forget that financially, with all of these old and potentially expensive cars to maintain, it’s a bit like playing automotive money roulette. It was a tough decision though and has taken me weeks to actually do it. I got as far as the payment screen on one of the selling sites, I entered my credit card details initially, but couldn’t bring myself to press the button so I abandoned the idea for another week. But the decision has now been made!Spin the wheel, which one will bring financial disaster first….?
School Run in the Ferrari.
This was always going to be an interesting experience. I’m still new to the car and learning its ways and the Aston gave me a similar level of stress when I first got that until I was familiar with it. But there is no denying that the Ferrari amps this up quite a bit. The school run is already a sensory overload, it’s a narrow road to school, kids going back and forth across the road on foot, on bicycles, there is a mini (painted) roundabout to contend with, no pedestrian crossings, cars parked literally everywhere and buses parked so badly that most days you have to mount a very dicey grassy curb to get around them. Yellow lines and parking restrictions mean absolutely nothing on the school run and it brings out the absolute worst in driver decision making. Whilst you can marvel at the bewildering levels of daily ridiculousness from afar if you can walk to school, its a different story when you are driving in it trying to avoid (or actually be) the chaos.
And the Ferrari is big. And it doesn’t do curbs. And it doesn’t like traffic. There is lots of traffic. It’s a bit grumpy on hills too. There are lots of hills. Hills with lots of traffic. And if you make a mistake? Everyone is watching whilst one fumbles about with this throbbing red manhood extension. I know they are, because a sheepish glance around, eyes are always looking back. They can all hear what one is doing too because it’s sooo freakin’ loud.
So yeah, you are really on display and I’m still getting used to the controls too. We’ll cover controls and gearbox in another update.Porsche Logo is staying
So the school run is probably the stuff of nightmares for a car designed predominantly for racing and going fast for large portions of the day and not really what its designed to do. That said, the experience does have its plus points, as some of the kids reactions upon seeing the car are really fun. One lad literally covered his mouth in surprise seeing us drive past, whilst another one across the road mouthed “Ferrari”. I think back to when I was a kid, I would have loved to see a Ferrari at my school, it would have been unbelievably motivating for me.
My daughter is used to me driving her about in my silly array of cars, so no issues there, but given all of the above I don’t think I’ll be using the 360 for too many school runs - certainly not daily ones as the opportunity for things to go expensively wrong are just too high, and I don’t feel that people would offer much by way of tolerance to a driver of this type of car making any kind of error.
Reactions
I took Mrs Cloudy out in it earlier this week for the first time and on the journey we stopped at a petrol station. Whilst there a lady came over and asked if her son could have a photo with the car. Then on the journey home I noticed the passenger in the car behind was taking photos/videos too. Lots of people do look at it - enough that, in traffic, I did consciously reach for the sunglasses as a rudimentary cloaking device
.I’m really looking forward to getting it out on the country roads and getting more familiar with the car in the coming weeks and months.This is where this car will make sense and be an absolute joy to drive. I can’t wait!! Whether you like it or not, this car is always going to be an event to drive. I’m just going to make sure that they are the good type as often as possible.
I’ve not managed to drive it beyond this as my spare time over the last couple of weeks have been helping families out doing prom runs in the Camaro and the Vantage. But with those now finished, I’ll be sure to get more pictures and drives out in the 360 and will report back!
Here’s to an exciting summer of driving!
I am so glad to have found this thread, what a great read, inspiring and entertaining.
Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Adenauer said:
I am so glad to have found this thread, what a great read, inspiring and entertaining.
Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Really kind of you Adenauer, thankyou! As for which car, go for both! Also great timing, the sun came out over here in Germany at last today so I thought I'd take my little French mistress to work with me. Once I got here I thought about selling her and getting something a little more grown up and have been looking at a V8 Vantage all morning trying to decide whether I'd rather have an English brute, or my little French Tart.
Mr Tidy said:
A school run in a Ferrari is always going to be a nervy experience, but it sounds like you made some kids' day!
Good luck working your way through your list.
Thanks Mr Tidy!Good luck working your way through your list.
Update
It’s been a busy few weeks with prom runs! I do these for friends and also for people who are either big Transformers fans, or perhaps can’t afford the costs of hiring a prom car, without charge. They are always really uplifting experiences, all that young excitement and enthusiasm, everyone well dressed and looking great, and parents who are on an emotional rollercoaster of seeing their young ones practically grown up, whilst also wanting their special day to be just perfect for them. And of course all of the teachers are there to celebrate with them. It never ceases to amaze me just how much effort our teachers put into so many extra-curricular tasks, wonderful humans that they are. This year I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the next generation of beauticians, chefs, archaeologists, engineers, and even a glass blower, amongst other things! My best wishes to them all!
Bumblebee making a huge fan of the movie franchise very happy, arriving at her prom
Whilst the Aston is still around, it has also had a few outings with the nice sunny days, so here’s a picture of that too!
Doesn’t it just look fabulous!!
Ferrari Drive
Returning to the Ferrari though, I had a physio appointment today, and her practice has moved, now around 40 minutes from me. The journey there is all motorway and A roads, with very little by way of traffic or traffic lights, so it’s a nice free-flowing journey. The sun was out too! Perfect for Ferrari stuffs then.
So out came the big red lizard-like motor, bringing the sounds of the gods with it and I had a great drive there and back. A couple of short tunnels gave the opportunity to squeeze the loud pedal, Tubi mixing the blend of thunder with that old school Formula 1 soundtrack. Out on the open roads it sounds absolutely magnificent and hearing it as you pull away from a standstill is just out-of-this-world fun! Acceleration is very brisk, and whilst the 360 is docile enough to pootle around at 30mph if you need it to, any hint of force on the go pedal (and you want to press it for that noise), will put you over any speed limit pretty rapidly. It has bags of power in reserve.
Handling wise, I’m still very much on the cautious side, so we are most definitely not powering into corners with reckless abandon, but it does feel very similar to my old Boxster in terms of how it handles and the weight distribution. This is a very good thing as that car was wonderful to drive. Similar in some ways, but an overall different proposition entirely as the overall package of a 360 really does feel like a racing car to me. A racing car first that can also do road things. Compared to, say, my previous Porsches which felt the opposite; road cars that can also do racing. This makes a big difference to how these cars feel to drive - and also the opportunities when you might want to drive them.
The stereo system can’t match the engine sonics though, and is barely audible. If you crank it up, it just makes the speakers vibrate and rattle in torturous pain, but no extra musicality can actually be heard. My car has a full Pioneer system fitted, including speakers so someone has clearly had a go, but it’s no match for Tubi.
I have to admit, I do feel quite self conscious driving the 360 at the moment. I love everything about cars, it’s my hobby, my passion, and this is the ultimate dream car for me, but driving about in a Ferrari does feel a bit ‘show off’ - a feeling that I’m not very fond of. I found myself thinking about how much more enjoyable it would be if there were fewer people around to see me driving it.
Comes back to the track focus again - it’s the natural home for this type of car for plenty of reasons…maybe I need to look into that? Or therapy. But that emotionally complex nugget aside, this car feels special. Really special. I feel so very happy and privileged to get the opportunity to own one and I’m looking forward to learning more about the car and getting out on some drives, likely visiting the Motorist cafe sometime soon.
User error
This afternoon I gave my cars a clean, but the 360 wouldn’t start after I’d finished. The engine just wouldn’t turn over. Turning the key, and all the lights came on, along with the “OK” message, but then… nothing. I thought it was the immobiliser so I tried that, but still nothing. I called Roger (who I purchased the car from), and described the situation. He asked if I could get the car into neutral, which I couldn’t, at which point he said “OK, when you go to start the engine, REALLY push the brake pedal hard”. So I gave it some force and it started right away!! Woohoo, panic over! Turns out this is because I’d had my foot in the brake at some point when the car was turned off. The pedal goes solid and therefore it doesn’t easily register that you have pressed the pedal, and so won’t start the car.
Anyhow, panic over and here’s a pic…
Parking
Yeah, I still can’t do it. I can get my Camaro inch perfect every time, first time….
Ferrari on the other hand, miles away!
More practice required!
That brings us to the end of this update, and if you’ve made it this far, thanks very much for reading my ramblings. Hope you are enjoying it.
Cloudy147 said:
Update
It’s been a busy few weeks with prom runs! I do these for friends and also for people who are either big Transformers fans, or perhaps can’t afford the costs of hiring a prom car, without charge. They are always really uplifting experiences, all that young excitement and enthusiasm, everyone well dressed and looking great, and parents who are on an emotional rollercoaster of seeing their young ones practically grown up, whilst also wanting their special day to be just perfect for them. And of course all of the teachers are there to celebrate with them. It never ceases to amaze me just how much effort our teachers put into so many extra-curricular tasks, wonderful humans that they are. This year I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the next generation of beauticians, chefs, archaeologists, engineers, and even a glass blower, amongst other things! My best wishes to them all!
Bumblebee making a huge fan of the movie franchise very happy, arriving at her prom
Whilst the Aston is still around, it has also had a few outings with the nice sunny days, so here’s a picture of that too!
Doesn’t it just look fabulous!!
Ferrari Drive
Returning to the Ferrari though, I had a physio appointment today, and her practice has moved, now around 40 minutes from me. The journey there is all motorway and A roads, with very little by way of traffic or traffic lights, so it’s a nice free-flowing journey. The sun was out too! Perfect for Ferrari stuffs then.
So out came the big red lizard-like motor, bringing the sounds of the gods with it and I had a great drive there and back. A couple of short tunnels gave the opportunity to squeeze the loud pedal, Tubi mixing the blend of thunder with that old school Formula 1 soundtrack. Out on the open roads it sounds absolutely magnificent and hearing it as you pull away from a standstill is just out-of-this-world fun! Acceleration is very brisk, and whilst the 360 is docile enough to pootle around at 30mph if you need it to, any hint of force on the go pedal (and you want to press it for that noise), will put you over any speed limit pretty rapidly. It has bags of power in reserve.
Handling wise, I’m still very much on the cautious side, so we are most definitely not powering into corners with reckless abandon, but it does feel very similar to my old Boxster in terms of how it handles and the weight distribution. This is a very good thing as that car was wonderful to drive. Similar in some ways, but an overall different proposition entirely as the overall package of a 360 really does feel like a racing car to me. A racing car first that can also do road things. Compared to, say, my previous Porsches which felt the opposite; road cars that can also do racing. This makes a big difference to how these cars feel to drive - and also the opportunities when you might want to drive them.
The stereo system can’t match the engine sonics though, and is barely audible. If you crank it up, it just makes the speakers vibrate and rattle in torturous pain, but no extra musicality can actually be heard. My car has a full Pioneer system fitted, including speakers so someone has clearly had a go, but it’s no match for Tubi.
I have to admit, I do feel quite self conscious driving the 360 at the moment. I love everything about cars, it’s my hobby, my passion, and this is the ultimate dream car for me, but driving about in a Ferrari does feel a bit ‘show off’ - a feeling that I’m not very fond of. I found myself thinking about how much more enjoyable it would be if there were fewer people around to see me driving it. Comes back to the track focus again - it’s the natural home for this type of car for plenty of reasons…maybe I need to look into that? Or therapy.
But that emotionally complex nugget aside, this car feels special. Really special. I feel so very happy and privileged to get the opportunity to own one and I’m looking forward to learning more about the car and getting out on some drives, likely visiting the Motorist cafe sometime soon.
User error
This afternoon I gave my cars a clean, but the 360 wouldn’t start after I’d finished. The engine just wouldn’t turn over. Turning the key, and all the lights came on, along with the “OK” message, but then… nothing. I thought it was the immobiliser so I tried that, but still nothing. I called Roger (who I purchased the car from), and described the situation. He asked if I could get the car into neutral, which I couldn’t, at which point he said “OK, when you go to start the engine, REALLY push the brake pedal hard”. So I gave it some force and it started right away!! Woohoo, panic over! Turns out this is because I’d had my foot in the brake at some point when the car was turned off. The pedal goes solid and therefore it doesn’t easily register that you have pressed the pedal, and so won’t start the car.
Anyhow, panic over and here’s a pic…
Parking
Yeah, I still can’t do it. I can get my Camaro inch perfect every time, first time….
Ferrari on the other hand, miles away!
More practice required!
That brings us to the end of this update, and if you’ve made it this far, thanks very much for reading my ramblings. Hope you are enjoying it.
Providing free prom transport is a really thoughtful gesture. It’s been a busy few weeks with prom runs! I do these for friends and also for people who are either big Transformers fans, or perhaps can’t afford the costs of hiring a prom car, without charge. They are always really uplifting experiences, all that young excitement and enthusiasm, everyone well dressed and looking great, and parents who are on an emotional rollercoaster of seeing their young ones practically grown up, whilst also wanting their special day to be just perfect for them. And of course all of the teachers are there to celebrate with them. It never ceases to amaze me just how much effort our teachers put into so many extra-curricular tasks, wonderful humans that they are. This year I’ve been fortunate enough to meet the next generation of beauticians, chefs, archaeologists, engineers, and even a glass blower, amongst other things! My best wishes to them all!
Bumblebee making a huge fan of the movie franchise very happy, arriving at her prom
Whilst the Aston is still around, it has also had a few outings with the nice sunny days, so here’s a picture of that too!
Doesn’t it just look fabulous!!
Ferrari Drive
Returning to the Ferrari though, I had a physio appointment today, and her practice has moved, now around 40 minutes from me. The journey there is all motorway and A roads, with very little by way of traffic or traffic lights, so it’s a nice free-flowing journey. The sun was out too! Perfect for Ferrari stuffs then.
So out came the big red lizard-like motor, bringing the sounds of the gods with it and I had a great drive there and back. A couple of short tunnels gave the opportunity to squeeze the loud pedal, Tubi mixing the blend of thunder with that old school Formula 1 soundtrack. Out on the open roads it sounds absolutely magnificent and hearing it as you pull away from a standstill is just out-of-this-world fun! Acceleration is very brisk, and whilst the 360 is docile enough to pootle around at 30mph if you need it to, any hint of force on the go pedal (and you want to press it for that noise), will put you over any speed limit pretty rapidly. It has bags of power in reserve.
Handling wise, I’m still very much on the cautious side, so we are most definitely not powering into corners with reckless abandon, but it does feel very similar to my old Boxster in terms of how it handles and the weight distribution. This is a very good thing as that car was wonderful to drive. Similar in some ways, but an overall different proposition entirely as the overall package of a 360 really does feel like a racing car to me. A racing car first that can also do road things. Compared to, say, my previous Porsches which felt the opposite; road cars that can also do racing. This makes a big difference to how these cars feel to drive - and also the opportunities when you might want to drive them.
The stereo system can’t match the engine sonics though, and is barely audible. If you crank it up, it just makes the speakers vibrate and rattle in torturous pain, but no extra musicality can actually be heard. My car has a full Pioneer system fitted, including speakers so someone has clearly had a go, but it’s no match for Tubi.
I have to admit, I do feel quite self conscious driving the 360 at the moment. I love everything about cars, it’s my hobby, my passion, and this is the ultimate dream car for me, but driving about in a Ferrari does feel a bit ‘show off’ - a feeling that I’m not very fond of. I found myself thinking about how much more enjoyable it would be if there were fewer people around to see me driving it.
Comes back to the track focus again - it’s the natural home for this type of car for plenty of reasons…maybe I need to look into that? Or therapy. But that emotionally complex nugget aside, this car feels special. Really special. I feel so very happy and privileged to get the opportunity to own one and I’m looking forward to learning more about the car and getting out on some drives, likely visiting the Motorist cafe sometime soon.
User error
This afternoon I gave my cars a clean, but the 360 wouldn’t start after I’d finished. The engine just wouldn’t turn over. Turning the key, and all the lights came on, along with the “OK” message, but then… nothing. I thought it was the immobiliser so I tried that, but still nothing. I called Roger (who I purchased the car from), and described the situation. He asked if I could get the car into neutral, which I couldn’t, at which point he said “OK, when you go to start the engine, REALLY push the brake pedal hard”. So I gave it some force and it started right away!! Woohoo, panic over! Turns out this is because I’d had my foot in the brake at some point when the car was turned off. The pedal goes solid and therefore it doesn’t easily register that you have pressed the pedal, and so won’t start the car.
Anyhow, panic over and here’s a pic…
Parking
Yeah, I still can’t do it. I can get my Camaro inch perfect every time, first time….
Ferrari on the other hand, miles away!
More practice required!
That brings us to the end of this update, and if you’ve made it this far, thanks very much for reading my ramblings. Hope you are enjoying it.
I'm not sure why you feel a bit self-conscious in your Ferrari - I think I'd feel the same in any of those 3 cars! But does what other people think really matter if you are enjoying yourself?
My paranoia wouldn't let me park that close to a wall in case I came back to a flat tyre!
And I'm very much enjoying your ramblings.
Mr Tidy said:
Providing free prom transport is a really thoughtful gesture.
I'm not sure why you feel a bit self-conscious in your Ferrari - I think I'd feel the same in any of those 3 cars! But does what other people think really matter if you are enjoying yourself?
My paranoia wouldn't let me park that close to a wall in case I came back to a flat tyre!
And I'm very much enjoying your ramblings.
Thanks Mr Tidy, the proms are certainly good fun! I'm not sure why you feel a bit self-conscious in your Ferrari - I think I'd feel the same in any of those 3 cars! But does what other people think really matter if you are enjoying yourself?
My paranoia wouldn't let me park that close to a wall in case I came back to a flat tyre!
And I'm very much enjoying your ramblings.
Re: Flat tyre, that’s something I’d never even thought of! Let’s hope that doesn’t happen lol.
360 Update
Garage parking - I’ve found a way that works, it’s not ideal, but it works. I fully recognise this is the most first of all first world problems, so I’m certainly not complaining, just updating on the experience. Rather than reversing the 360 into the garage, I drive it in forward until both sets of wheels are past the wind-stop on the floor, then allow it to freewheel forward. The Mrs tells me when to stop, then I turn it off in neutral, and just push it forward the extra few inches. Easy!
Downside? It means I can’t get the Camaro out without moving the 360 first. But whether it’s driving or reversing it in, I am getting better now I can gauge the throttle more. It’ll always need pushing in though due to the clutch on F1s being a bit lurchy and the space being so tight.
Driving - So far, I’m finding that all of the things that make it utterly amazing, are also its biggest drawbacks….
It sounds amazing, like a racing car, especially in the tunnels!!
It handles really nice and it’s pretty easy to drive now I’m used to the gearbox. It’s also big in there, an unusual amount of room for us tallies. Leg room, knee room, headroom… I’ve got plenty of it all. Contrast to the Aston which has a really small cabin. I could drive the Ferrari long distances, but I need a lot more breaks in the Vantage as my back is too squashed.
But the noise also means you can’t hear much at all when driving it. So you got to really keep an eye out on what everyone else is doing… but because it’s really big, low and wide, whilst that makes it look really striking, visibility is pretty s
t as a result. You can’t see past other cars because you are sat on the floor, emphasised by the fact most of us now drive tall vehicles of some description. You also can’t make split decisions in traffic because it’s a bit dimwhitted when compared whizzy modern cars. And other drivers are generally not very patient.All of which I found to my cost….
Thankfully mostly just on the surface and all cleaned off barring a tiny scratch which you only notice if you know to look for it, and I’ll get that tidied up..
People also look at it a lot. That’s cool on a motorway. Less cool on a complicated and congested, traffic light riddled roundabout that you’ve never been on before and you are trying to work out which of the 4 lanes and 6 exits you’re trying to navigate to.
But driving it in a straight line (motorway), or on the twisties without anything else on the road to get in the way, it’s probably unmatched as an “all-senses switched on” driving experience!
In summary, all of the drama which makes the Ferrari 360 absolutely sensational is also… just drama… the rest of the time.
It really will be an interesting ownership experience this one. I reckon it would be extremely fun on a track as none of the compromises would apply. But I feel that is its most natural home anyway. Will I ever find the time to do a track day though? Probably not.
Other news…
What else is going on? Well, the Vantage is still up for sale. I’ve had a few enquiries on it, but nothing serious just yet. My temporary insurance ran out so I decided to just insure it fully which, at just £210 for the remainder of the term (10 months), I really can’t grumble. I’ll still be driving it about until it sells. Here’s my sad face:
I love the look of this car, whenever I go out in it, giving it a backward glance when I’ve parked it up always makes me really happy!
In the meantime, my bank account will continue to clench its buttcheeks.
As for the Camaro, it has got its own thread ( click here if you are interested), but as a brief update, I attended a Comic Con with the car last month, and there was a short promo video made featuring my car which is quite cool….
That’s all for now, thanks for reading!
Edited by Cloudy147 on Tuesday 23 July 22:50
Called at The Motorist cafe this morning, part of the Collecting Cars coffee morning event.
Was good fun, loads of nice cars and people there. I was directed to the hard standing section next to the main cafe entrance.
I went for the space next to the disabled one to give a bit of room for manoeuvre. Still can’t park the thing. Felt better when the McLaren opposite pulled up. He had two goes at parking wonky before giving it up as a bad job as well.
Had a few brews and good chat with a whole bunch of car guys, including the owner of the 912 that parked next to me, and the owner of the very rare Aston Rapide!
Lots of cool cars were there….
Some nice Porsches of all ages were there. I do like the 996 with the GT kits in silver.
Mitsubishi GTO. A Supercar from my youth!
This Porsche looked the same as my old 997, including the wheels. Aaaah, good times!
Famous Lambo!
Finished the morning off with a game of pinball. I LOVE pinball!
A great car morning out!! I’ll definitely be back again soon. The Ferrari behaved flawlessly and was a very enjoyable drive, and a few people asked me about my ownership so far, so was nice to share the experience.
Was good fun, loads of nice cars and people there. I was directed to the hard standing section next to the main cafe entrance.
I went for the space next to the disabled one to give a bit of room for manoeuvre. Still can’t park the thing.
Felt better when the McLaren opposite pulled up. He had two goes at parking wonky before giving it up as a bad job as well. Had a few brews and good chat with a whole bunch of car guys, including the owner of the 912 that parked next to me, and the owner of the very rare Aston Rapide!
Lots of cool cars were there….
Some nice Porsches of all ages were there. I do like the 996 with the GT kits in silver.
Mitsubishi GTO. A Supercar from my youth!
This Porsche looked the same as my old 997, including the wheels. Aaaah, good times!
Famous Lambo!
Finished the morning off with a game of pinball. I LOVE pinball!
A great car morning out!!
I’ll definitely be back again soon. The Ferrari behaved flawlessly and was a very enjoyable drive, and a few people asked me about my ownership so far, so was nice to share the experience. Good news: I’m getting used to driving the Ferrari now. I’m a bit better with the clutch, and with hills, and I’ve also found decent positioning for the mirrors which means I’m actually able to see things on the flanks. All of this is making the driving experience more enjoyable and I’m feeling far less self-conscious about the whole thing now. I just get in and drive it like any other car.
It was a nice morning today so I thought I’d drive up to Ferrari Leeds and register my car with them - and get my personal number plates made up at the same time. The registration was successful, and they updated my cars details on the Ferrari database as well. So my name is now officially on the Ferrari register somewhere. Yippee!
This gives me access to the Ferrari app too!
For owners only. Don’t I feel special!
It’s quite good actually, it gives me details about my car, the spec from new, recalls and campaigns completed, details of upcoming events and all sorts. Very nice!
Also invited to a breakfast meet at the dealership in a couple of weeks time, which I’ll definitely attend if I’m able as that sounds like fun.
The showroom itself is lovely. For those who haven’t been, it’s a newly built showroom specifically for Ferrari sales and service, and is on two floors. A few pics from today:
Unfortunately I didn’t get the number plates made up as I didn’t bring the V5 doc, so I’ll have to go back another day. Hardly a chore, just another (positive) reason to visit and give the car a run.
All of this is making the driving experience more enjoyable and I’m feeling far less self-conscious about the whole thing now. I just get in and drive it like any other car.It was a nice morning today so I thought I’d drive up to Ferrari Leeds and register my car with them - and get my personal number plates made up at the same time. The registration was successful, and they updated my cars details on the Ferrari database as well. So my name is now officially on the Ferrari register somewhere. Yippee!
This gives me access to the Ferrari app too!
For owners only. Don’t I feel special!
It’s quite good actually, it gives me details about my car, the spec from new, recalls and campaigns completed, details of upcoming events and all sorts. Very nice!
Also invited to a breakfast meet at the dealership in a couple of weeks time, which I’ll definitely attend if I’m able as that sounds like fun.
The showroom itself is lovely. For those who haven’t been, it’s a newly built showroom specifically for Ferrari sales and service, and is on two floors. A few pics from today:
Unfortunately I didn’t get the number plates made up as I didn’t bring the V5 doc, so I’ll have to go back another day. Hardly a chore, just another (positive) reason to visit and give the car a run.
Last weekend was the first child-free day that my wife and I have had in a long time, so we decided to go to a stately home for a bit of culture and a nice lunch in the Ferrari.
We went for Harewood House as we have been past the entrance a few times recently but neither of us had been before. What we didn’t know beforehand was that we had picked the weekend of the VW camper festival, and the fields were rammed with tents, vans and dub-stuff!
Nevertheless we parked up in the field …
…and went down to the house and had a nice time looking at the fancy rooms and learning a bit about the history of the house. Finished off with lunch in the cafe and a quick wander around the VW stalls.
A group of modified Sciroccos. A car that’s still on my list. Rising Blue please!
After an enjoyable time there, we headed to my wife’s Auntie’s house, and her husband asked for a ride in the car. For the first time since I’ve owned it, I gave it some beans in first gear and holy shyate, this thing doesn’t half take off. It feels like a jet the way it hunches at the back, launches forward and pins you in your seat. By the time we’d got into second gear, we were at the speed limit and that was that. My goodness it’s so quick. I’d like to find a run way or a max-speed type day where I can really feel the full force of the acceleration through a few more gears, that would be a lot of fun!
Comparing it to the Vantage, and even the Boxster before it, they are both quite linear, revvy cars that need to be worked to get the most from the power. Contrast with the Ferrari which feels so much more powerful in the middle of the rev range. But I’ve only done it the once, so need a bit more practice to properly compare.
When it comes to the Ferrari, I’ve mentioned before the attention it gets, so will note anything on this as well because it is certainly a part of the experience, whether you’d want it to be it or not! Kids often take photos as they go past on the motorway, but one particularly comical interaction came on a dual carriageway on the way home whereby a lady in the passenger seat had her head completely out of the car, staring at our car with an expression I can only describe as a muddle of delight, surprise and confusion. My good lady says that, from the passenger seat, it does seem to be more noticed than our Camaro - which itself is quite an eye catcher, musing that more people probably know what this is, and you don’t see them often on the roads.
When we got home I gave the Ferrari a quick clean and back in its toy box for now. Today I took the Vantage out to my visit my parents, no dramas, a nice comfortable cruise with the great music system that’s in these cars.
Facebook Memory…
Last point to note, that I found this coincidentally yesterday on a Facebook search… ten years ago almost to the month when I bought my car. I’ve been looking all this time, and now I’ve finally done it - and so has my friend who posted this on my feed!
We went for Harewood House as we have been past the entrance a few times recently but neither of us had been before. What we didn’t know beforehand was that we had picked the weekend of the VW camper festival, and the fields were rammed with tents, vans and dub-stuff!
Nevertheless we parked up in the field …
…and went down to the house and had a nice time looking at the fancy rooms and learning a bit about the history of the house. Finished off with lunch in the cafe and a quick wander around the VW stalls.
A group of modified Sciroccos. A car that’s still on my list. Rising Blue please!
After an enjoyable time there, we headed to my wife’s Auntie’s house, and her husband asked for a ride in the car. For the first time since I’ve owned it, I gave it some beans in first gear and holy shyate, this thing doesn’t half take off. It feels like a jet the way it hunches at the back, launches forward and pins you in your seat. By the time we’d got into second gear, we were at the speed limit and that was that. My goodness it’s so quick. I’d like to find a run way or a max-speed type day where I can really feel the full force of the acceleration through a few more gears, that would be a lot of fun!
Comparing it to the Vantage, and even the Boxster before it, they are both quite linear, revvy cars that need to be worked to get the most from the power. Contrast with the Ferrari which feels so much more powerful in the middle of the rev range. But I’ve only done it the once, so need a bit more practice to properly compare.
When it comes to the Ferrari, I’ve mentioned before the attention it gets, so will note anything on this as well because it is certainly a part of the experience, whether you’d want it to be it or not! Kids often take photos as they go past on the motorway, but one particularly comical interaction came on a dual carriageway on the way home whereby a lady in the passenger seat had her head completely out of the car, staring at our car with an expression I can only describe as a muddle of delight, surprise and confusion. My good lady says that, from the passenger seat, it does seem to be more noticed than our Camaro - which itself is quite an eye catcher, musing that more people probably know what this is, and you don’t see them often on the roads.
When we got home I gave the Ferrari a quick clean and back in its toy box for now. Today I took the Vantage out to my visit my parents, no dramas, a nice comfortable cruise with the great music system that’s in these cars.
Facebook Memory…
Last point to note, that I found this coincidentally yesterday on a Facebook search… ten years ago almost to the month when I bought my car. I’ve been looking all this time, and now I’ve finally done it - and so has my friend who posted this on my feed!
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