How Different Is It Driving A Ferrari Or Lambo Manual Vs Normal Car?

Nah..

Even my carb 308, reputed to have a heavy clutch, is a piece of cake...

Pure pleasure!


Greg

 

While they do require more skill than a Toyota rav 4 or a Honda civic, I have never found them to be as "brutal" as many people describe. I have driven Gallardo's, Murciélago's, 360's, 355's, 550's and so forth in stick all the way up to Porsche Carrera GT. While the Carerra GT was by no means easy at first go, it wasn't impossible, it just behaved similar to how a race cars clutch is. The real difference between high end sports cars and everyday cars is the blending of throttle and clutch when driving. First time I drove a Murci I got close to stalling because as I was letting out the clutch I wasn't adding enough throttle. While this could happen with any car, it was a lot more sensitive. Once driving to run them smoothly you do need to match rev's when shifting but like other sticks they have syncro's too so if your not perfect it's ok. While they are unquestionable a lot more sensitive to driver input they are not brutal to drive. Once you get seat time in a specific car and get used to it, they are a lot better to drive than conventional cars because of the feedback you get from them. I call the Brutal myth Busted!

 

The difference is the feelings that you get while driving a Ferrari or a Lambo that you don't get in a normal car.

 

It's not so much the weight of the pedals so much as the footroom in my experience.... the newer Ferraris aren't so bad but the older ones are pretty cramped for foot space, other than that it's nothing difficult.

 

Some Ferrari series have awful blind spots when changing lanes. Also, you need to be aware at all times that you're in a car with low clearances, do not drive straight into a steep driveway or parking lot ramp.

 

Very different. A partial list off the top of my head...

1. Footwell in older cars, as Mark mentioned
2. Noise: in a Lexus, you sometimes have to look at the tach to see if it's running. Most Ferraris serenade you with engine music. Varies by car, but in a 328 it's substantial - the car is very raw, no soundproofing. It's less in the GT cars - 550/575/612/599.
3. Visibility: Not as easy to see out of as something like a 911 or Corvette. Again, it varies by car. Also, you're below the line of sight of the people driving their Expeditions/Tahoes/Escapades, so be wary.
4. Warm up: The older Ferraris, especially, take longer to warm up than any modern car. That includes gearbox oil. You can tell when the car's really awake.
5. Ingress/egress: No doubt, it helps to be thin, flexible and short. (Less applicable to more modern Ferraris, which were designed for the stouter driver...)
6. Ground clearance: I have a Jeep as my daily driver till this summer, and you can drive over any of the crap that litters the freeways, take any angle of approach, etc. With a Ferrari, forget it. You need to be cognizant of steep driveway aprons, broken pavement and so on.
7. Gated shifter, where applicable: Until you get used to it, it will slow down your shifts. Once you've got the hang of it, you'll wonder why all manual gearboxes don't come with one.
8. Manual steering, up through the 348, I believe. This makes parking lots a chore, but once you're underway the steering has a wonderful feel. Still, if you're doing a U-turn on a divided road, it helps to have muscular arms.

Anything I missed?

 

I consider Ferraris to be "normal". The other stuff is simply inferior.
Seriously, when you are used to driving well engineered cars on a daily basis, and here I include probably all of the Germans as well as Ferraris, Maseratis, Bentleys etc, it is a bit of rude shock to get into a rental Ford or Chev. They simply feel unfinished, in major areas like suspension and interior materials, buzzy engines and a general feeling of being not up to the task.

 

I find my car to be easier to drive than the 545i I had before.
The engine is more flexible, has more torque and is almost impossible to stall it.
The clutch effort is about the same as the BMW.
I see only 2 caveats:
- the car is low and has a long overhang, therefore it requires finesse and caution when entering driveways, parking lots and the likes, and constant vigilance for road debris.
- above 4000 rpm there is a rush of torque coming to play and it is better to be pointing in the right direction when that happens.
Having said that, I have to fight with my wife over the keys to the car !!

 

+1

I can't stand GM rental cars. The last Pontiac Grand Prix (sic) that I rented felt like the steering wheel was attached with weak rubber bands. I could hit the gas in a Sunbird and have time to go for a sandwich before the thing would move.

How different are sports cars from commuter appliances?

That will depend on the driver.
When you think the word "drive", are you talking about a verb or a gear?

People used to snoozing along in a waddle box, gabbing on the cell phone, eating fries, or drinking coffee will likely hurt themselves in a car that does exactly what you tell it to do -- whether you meant it or not.

But people used to sports cars will still pay attention to their driving in a mundane-mobile -- and may be taken by surprise how poorly it responds.


On a related topic, I've noticed that most police cars are junk -- Impalas, Suburbans, ... anything that's cheap. I've also noticed that police cars tend to follow rally ricers, attracted by those huge wings. And EVOs and STis (like Ferraris) stop quicker than 99% of the cars on the road.

So: any stats on how often cops tail-end the ricers or sportscars they're following?

(I ask, because a while back, my EVO almost got clobbered by a cop who didn't notice the SUV pulling out in front of me. The cop got mad at *me* for slowing down. Go figure.)

 

Excellent post!

 

+1 x2

I also have a hard time accepting a Grand Prix, Malibu, Aveo or any GM product as the norm anymore.

I consider the BMW 3 series the benchmark for a good, normal car. It doesn't have the atrocious steering of GM cars (usually overboosted, but always insulated from whatever is going on with the tires and road...), makes decent power, stops predictably, handles predictably and sounds like a (gasp!) car. Visibility is good, comfort is good, and it commands a 'normal' amount of respect -- people don't think you're a Saudi prince, but they figure you care somewhat about what you drive and are gainfully employed somewhere.

The Audi A4 is another one. Nice sedan, affordable, not the thrill ride of a lifetime but does everything well.

The Honda Accord would be the obvious 'normal' car, but prices on the upper end models have crept too close to BMW/Audi territory. That said, even the base Accord/Civic are much more appealing to drive than GM's car offerings.

 

Yup. I hate it when I move my foot when turning and feel the steering shaft on my foot.

 

The older sports cars are designed with heel and toe driving in mind, and the smallest ones always have the pedal box offset to the right, like the 246 and my Europa. It takes getting used to. I think newer Ferraris et. al. have a more straight forward pedal box with more spacing between the pedals. I read a Mondial owner asking about pedal overlays to assist heel and toe technique.

Of course F1 shifting makes a more in line pedal box with the driver's torso much easier, so these cars will feel more familliar to most people.

Ken

 

It's like sex: It's a lot of work, but it's a lot of fun, and it does wear you out.

Get some rest, then repeat all over again.

 

355s, 360s, and 430s on ... are easy to drive, especially once you get used to the F1 transmission. Once you get the hang of it, much faster than a stick. And much safer too. Can't miss a shift unless you are a complete bozo.

Biggest difference is the feedback the car gives you and the ability to drive with your right foot (if you know what I mean). In no other street car have I felt the oneness of man and machine (except some race cars I have driven).

Feedback: An M3 will give more feedback than a regular BMW. My 6 speed Boxster S is pretty good. But they are a far cry from the 360 F1. Tiptronic isn't even close to the F1 transmission. My M3 was a 5 speed (I would never have a sportronic transmission). No car outside the race track gives the feedback of the Ferrari. Just more fun and interesting to drive.


Yes, you have to watch dips, speed bumps, sloping drives and potholes. In the Colorado mountains you ALWAYS have to watch for rocks on the highway. You have to pay attention. You have to drive the car, it doesn't drive itself. that's what I like about it.

My wife (who will drive nothing but a stick shift) wants to learn how to drive the Ferrari this summer. After she experiences the Fcar driving experience, how am I going to get any time in the driver's seat? Help.

Did I mention FEEDBACK?

 

To put it correctly,

"Dating or being married to an American woman is like driving a beat-up Ford Escort. If you are only used to driving a beat-up Ford Escort, then you have no idea what it feels like when you drive a Bentley or Ferrari. You need to at least test-drive a Ferrari, so you'll have a reference point on what a real car feels like."

 

Define 'old'. My 86 TR (20yrs old) has plenty of footroom.

 

For me its the backache I get after driving about 1/2 hour. It hits me in the lower back and is so bad I can't fathom a cross country drive. All day would put me in the hospital.

 

You think a Ferrari is stiff compared to others? Wrong. I can name at least a few that top that. My sister’s Viper was almost as brutal as my 240Z car w/ custom V8. A new Porsche 911 turbo is good. I’d love to take a Ford GT for a spin but have only done it in a Holman GT 40 on track. Oh, well…
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I find my 328 vastly more comfortable than my EVO's Recaros.

Are you leaning forward when driving? Try not bending your elbows so much. (Just a thought)

But if you want a real backache, try a '70s Pinto. I got one as a rental, briefly. Those horrible seats make you hope the fuel tank would explode. I took it back and told the rental agency I'd rather walk.

 

I like virtually everything thats been said so far.

One general theme is that driving these cars requires a higher level of Precision to drive than anything else. Not just in clutch work/shifting, but also just in driving the vehicle in general. Everything is more responsive to the input that you give it. In my trailblazer I've got several degrees of freedom in my steering input before I actually begin to change the angles of my tires. In the ferraris and lamborghini that I've driven, those same inputs will have you crossing the lines in the road if you aren't paying attention to what you are telling the car to do.

But, basically, it's just a heck of a lot more fun.

 

The TR isn't as bad as some of the others.... most modern cars you can drive with flippers, can't really do that in a Ferrari though

 

mm. I would say my Maranello isn't that hard to drive. I would say it's pretty close to Mk4 supra.(sorry to compare to a Toyota, but it was the closest feeling ) It's kind of like that. It's not hard at all actually. My Skyline GT-R with twin plate clutch is far worse.... Just imagine.. I am sure most Ferrari owners are over 30, and do you think they will actually buy a car that will be insanely hard to drive? I don't think so. Ferrari made sure they are easy for those daily driver models..(special production models are different story I am sure. but it couldn't be that bad)

 

Get her one too!