The Best Ride of Your Life?

a RUF BTR... not a ferrari but so fast that I felt like I was gonna throw up

 

It is kind of funny this topic has come up. The ride of my lifetime was a few years back at Pocono during Le Belle Macchine d'Italia. And I wasn't driving.

The driver was Legendary Lamborghini Test Driver Valentino Balboni in a 6 Liter Diablo. He took me into Turn 1 pushing 170 mph. And that wasn't the scary part. He then proceeded to take a line that no one else takes, (Not NASCAR Drivers, Track Instructors, or any of the other long time participants in the event) right through the middle of the bank! And flat out down Long Pond straight. Watching him was just like a casual day at the office. Wow.

Here is a link to a video of a ride with him. It is the last video listed.

http://www.mhkaye.com/Videos.htm

Now here is the best part. He will be returning to Le Belle Macchine d'Italia again this year along with former FNA President Dott. Greco. The will be offering rides for charity to anyone that wants them. So now anyone can get what I guarantee will be the ride of your lifetime.

Complete details available at www.italiancarsatpocono.com

 

It is hard to pick.

Had a McLaren F1 for three days and I did DRIVE it.
Rode with Dorsey Schrader in BMW Factory car at TWS back in 1986
Rode with Greg Ray (1999 IRL National Champ) in his 360 F1 coupe and his 550 Maranello at speed.
Getting a surprise ride on a Suzuki Factory road race bike back when I was riding professional MX. Way back in the 70's.
Driving my altered roadster to 8.9 second, 168 mph quarter mile sprints.
Doing hot laps with several different Skip Barber and Bondurant instructors.

Getting a Ferrari demonstration ride by Giuseppe Risi (FoH, FoD and Risi Competizione). He is still a quite accomplished driver.

 

First Ferrari drive 1984 in a Red 308. I remember the excitement of being at the wheel! Drove a 2001 911 turbo in march04. Awesome acceleration! I know the salesman had as much fun as I did judging by the huge grin on his face! What a job!
I must say driving my 512TR with Tubi exhaust is an experience to behold. The sounds that flat 12 makes alone IMO are worth the price of admission!

 

One of the more memorable rides was following Peter Helm in his yellow California spider through Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles. I was in the GTO and was enjoying watching the California track through the corners ahead of me. At the end of one of the straight bits of road, Peter decided to pass a 280SL going 'round a blind bend rather than slow to match the Mercedes' speed. Did I mention we were moving at a brisk pace? As Peter passed the 280SL, crossing the double yellow line in the process, the California's rear wheels let go and I saw it sliding sideways as it disappeared around the corner. I expected to find a complete write-off when I came around the bend, but what I saw instead was Peter coasting 50mph in reverse down the canyon road in front of a stunned Mercedes driver and his date. Peter deftly backed into a side street, engaged first gear and pulled back out onto the canyon road all without losing position to the Mercedes. I've never laughed so hard in all my life.

On another occasion, I saw Peter driving his California on the Pomona freeway---from the passenger seat! It appeared as though this magnificent Ferrari spider was being driven by the invisible man! Try that in your Enzo!

 

Funny thing about my story, it just happened about 2 hours and 4 hours ago at the PPIR track day in Colorado Springs. The cars were...

a yellow 360 Modena w/ black rims
a dark gray Porsche 911 GT3

Both were on the course and both were FAST FAST FAST! on one straight away i happened to glance over to the 360's speedo and saw it at just over 110, and in the GT3, it had an electronic speedo and hit 118 on the straights.
ABSOLUTLEY UNFORGETABLE! although the driver of the 911 was great, I vote the Ferrari ride #1, im not sure but i think the car had a tubi exhaust, it was way louder then the other 360's, even the 360 CS that was there, the girl driving it was named was Brandy and drove a Ferrari like any big balled guy would, she would wait until the last second to brake and then fly into the turns at about 50mph and accelerate through them like a pro.

As my first fast ride in a Ferrari (i had one that lasted about 8 seconds in a 348 TS) I can say that I am absolutley in love witht the 360 now, the car was so magnificent and we were passing people left and right, it was heaven on earth today.

The GT3 was so fun, and the guy driving seemed to have a little bit better control and over-all feel for the car, one memorable time was when we entered the straight away we were right even with this red 360 CS, being the huge Ferrari fan i am i thought the 360 was gunna pull out ahead, but instead the GT3 won. How many can say they have been in a car raceing a Ferrari 360 CS at over 100 mph on a race track and won? Now i can

Anyone who was at this even today would probably agree, it was an exellente turn out

heres a list of some cars i saw....

Roland Linder's F40 LM
another F40
4-5 360 Modenas and spiders and a challenge stradale
numerous Vipers
Porsche turbos & carreras
Porsche 911 GT3
lots of 427 Cobras and replicas
Factory 5 cobra
Ferrari 328 GTS
GT3 Racer (2 time nat'l champ from what i heard)
lots o corvettes
and many others

 

i'm sure Karen appreciates everyone's account of past sexual trysts; no surprise why there are so few women on this board... Sigh...


It's hard to say which ride or drive was my favorite or was the best... My first RIDE in a Ferrari was in a 550 Maranello; holy crap, could the owner drive...! (i found out more so, later, in his E55 AMG)... My first DRIVE in a Ferrari was in Ron's Mondial 3.2 Cabriolet through Malibu and up the coast...

Then of course there was the ride and drive in Bob's 355 Spider; that was awesome...

Driving Bruce's Testarossa is something i'll never forget... In fact, i se the word "Testarossa" a lot, here at work and it just constantly rekindles some very intimate moments i had with that car... No desensitization here...

But then i was fortunate enough to experience things like riding in John Houghtaling's 355 while he whipped the car around the track; or Roland Linder, in his F40 LM... Then, of course, one of my larger-than-life experiences was riding in La Camionette, s/n 2819; The Breadvan...

Drove a 360 last month; that was awesome... Drove 2 328s so far, an NSX, a Boxster and i've ridden in so many awesome cars, it's not even funny... Countach, Diablo SV Monterey Edition, 348 (Jean Louis, 140mph!), some 355s, 550, 360, Porsche GT2, NNO, a few Testarossas, a Lotus Esprit V8 TT and the list goes on... Picking a favorite is probable, just not worth the trouble...

Just thinking about all those experiences makes my heart heavy... On Monday, when i went to Ferrari of Atlanta, this huge silly grin came over my face as soon as we pulled up and i could see all the cars in the parking lot... i miss all of my experiences, but i cherish them... Seeing Ferraris just makes me long for more experiences... i truly love these cars.

 

Karen, by the way, that car currently belongs to Bernard Carl; serial number 3387 GT... i just saw it a few weeks ago... First one i've ever seen... It was so much MORE beautiful in person than any picture could've depicted...

 

havent had a great ride yet the best iid have to say would be 110 in a VW jetta i mean cmon that doesnt count, so any one in the philadelphia area that would like to give me a ride PM me. please.

 

The most exciting drive was the first ferrari i had ever been in, a 512TR. And five years later it is the exact car that i own

 

YF-12A back when it was still classified.

 

The best ride I ever drove was with my oldest brother. I was taking him for a drink in the late afternoon in Newport Beach, California. The restaurant had only valet parking and it was full. When the valet finally opens my door, I explain to him a few things.
First, no one drives my car.
Second, of course I would pay the valet service for the use of their parking lot. I have valet cars in Newport Beach before.
The nice valet said, “Please park in the spot after I move the SL600.” It was parked in the rear.

Never drive less than 12 cylinders!

 

LOL!!!

 

My First Ride was in a 348 spider, it was a fantastic experience. My first drive was a drive around the neighborhood in a 355 spider, I can still remember how worried I was that I might do something stupid. I had the worst case of butterflies. A truly fantastic feeling. But the BEST Ride of my life has to be the slow highway, straight drive home that I took a couple months ago in a 1982 308 GTSi. It was pretty much uneventful and lasted only a few minutes, but it was in my OWN FERRARI, there is absolutely nothing like it.

 

Best ride: 165mph on my fireblade down a motorway a fews years ago with my chin on the tank looking through three inches of the screen. Wind noise blotted out even the sound of the engine...
Best drive: strapped into my 355GTS (6-point harnesses, carbon/ceramic brakes, race exhaust without cats) with my friend David at the 2 day Fcar festival at Spa [best circuit on the planet!] 2 years ago and got the red mist trying to get Eau Rouge correct; to the point where I took it flat redline in 5th gear at well over 150mph and got all four wheels off the ground on the exit hill - had split second moment when I was convinced I was going to kill myself in the concrete wall further up the straight on the right side... ....didn't repeat that on later laps but what a festival & what a circuit!
Best passenger ride: Sitting in the back of a 1934 Rolls Royce Launderlette next to my wife, being chauffeured around the country lanes at 30mph in the July sunshine back in 95, on the way from just getting married to the reception afterwards.
Most scary form of travel: Evening jump, HALO (High Altitude Low Opening) with 2 Para, Royal Marines and SAS out of a Hercules. Full pack and rifle and getting dark. Can't judge where the ground is....
Future best drive: cracking the double century! (only managed 180mph in my 456 in Europe last year so far) and/or driving a 360 Challenge round Spa. I have to believe I will achieve this one day.
Fantasy drive: SP333 or a Prodrive 550 round Le Mans for a few laps (or maybe for a 24 hour race!).

 

Awesome...! Any clue who the driver is...? How about the other folks...? Thanks, Karen...

EDIT: Also, do you know where the picture was taken or when...? Thank you...

 

The day I got my 328GTS from Shelton in Fort Lauderdale, it was '92 and I was only 21 and I was driving for a long time next to a F40, and the girls panties near by were trembling & drooling at our sight. It also got me into a few 3somes... Then the Testarossa at 28 left me speechless at everything it did for me, it also got me married to a 17 V. year old at 30, grazie Enzo.