2017 has been Ferrari's year (ignoring the Formula One), with their 70th Anniversary being a strong contender for 'world's longest birthday party...' We followed several of Ferrari North Europe's
celebrations
touring the country
taking the spirit of Maranello
with them as they went. However, in September, in this country at least, celebrations officially drew to a close. The grand finale took the shape of Ferrari Racing Days at Silverstone, and after spending the weekend there it's safe to say they went out with a bang!
The event consisted of several different spectacles. At the serious end of things it was the antepenultimate round of the 488 Challenge cup, with two well fought and exciting races between the equally matched track only variants of the Ferrari 488 GTB. Things got a little more interesting though when the letters 'XX' were mentioned. The Corse Clienti program was out in full force at Silverstone. In other words, there was an eye-wateringly amazing selection of FXXs, 599XXs and FXXKs. Never have I seen so many raw, unrestricted, outrageous racing machines in one place. And the colour schemes on some of them were magnificent. Satin Blue, TdF Blue, Satin Black, Satin White, McDonald's Spec, Black and Yellow, Black and Red... it was all there! People say there's nothing better than a Ferrari in red, however, having seen an FXXK and 599XX side by side, both in matching Satin Blue paint work, I can tell you, there is something a lot better than a Ferrari in red!
And all of that is before they'd even turned them on. The noise. I cannot describe the noise. After much deliberation, the 599XX Evo is the best sounding. It just is. The exhausts exit from behind the front arches and produce an otherworldly howl. The way these cars rev to 9,000 rpm. The scream each of those revolutions emits. The gunshot of a bang as flames shoot from the car when shifting. There's no doubt that these are some of the greatest modern automotive creations on the planet. I was even lucky enough to be taken around the Silverstone GP circuit in a 599XX, and they are somehow even more bonkers from inside than out. What an absolutely sensational experience.
Elsewhere on track was a selection of different Ferrari Formula One cars, all from the naturally aspirated era. The howl of the V10s is an unforgettable noise - it takes something very special to distract from the XX cars, but unsurprisingly a pack of bright red, very noisy race cars managed it.
Each day there was a track walk and parade lap, with a LaFerrari Aperta and Ferrari 812SF leading the way. The 812 looks almost too good in silver, even when next to its bigger, badder sibling - the Aperta. Members of the public joined in the parade laps with the likes of an F12 TdF, Enzo, F40, F50 and 275 GTB/4 making the entire weekend an incredible celebration of the Cavellino Rampante and a fitting end to Ferrari's 70th Birthday celebrations in the UK.
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