Motive Club Feature Article - Aston Martin’s DBS

Monday, January 05, 2009

PERFORMANCE FEATURE by Holly Reich

I fit into the Ferrari 575 M Maranello as easily as I would slip into a pair of Manolo Blahniks. The $228,339 beauty was mine for a few blessed days when I covered the 7th annual Ferrari Challenge Rally in July of 2004. 50 cars were entered including 10 vintage autos from the 50's and 60's. The oldest model on the challenge was a 212 Europa from 1952; the newest were a 2004 Enzo and 360 Challenge Stradale.

The 850 mile three day route launched (or should I say lifted off) from the lovely La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs and cut through surreal desert landscape to towering mountains in the San Jacinto and Santa Ynez range. In northern California, the course buzzed along staggering northern seascapes and Santa Monica’s coastal canyons winding up at the plush Four Seasons Santa Barbara. The last leg of the challenge had some of the gnarliest roads. Twisting inland through tight turns around vineyards and farms, the rally ended up at the Carmel Valley Resort and the Concours at Pebble Beach.

On the first morning out it was 105 degrees easy and the winds were blowing hot air off the desert in Palm Springs. "It’s like getting blasted by God’s own hairdryer!" my driving partner noted.

That it was. After all, this is the kind of excitement to which Ferrari owners gravitate.

Car enthusiasts Michael and Kitty Potapow from Ocala, Florida have six vehicles in their garage: a Hummer, MINI Cooper S, T Bird, Mercedes-Benz SL500, Mercedes-Benz S500 and a sterling silver 550 Ferrari Maranello.

Michael, who has owned six Ferraris, was among 100 owners in the Rally. "Once you get the taste of it, you’re hooked!", explained Potapow, a four-time participant.

"We bought our neighbor’s house to make our garage bigger," recounted Steve Pruitt , a second year Rally participant in a red 2004 Challenge Stradale. Steve and his wife Teresa stood out as what you would think of as the prototypical Ferrari duo--handsome, tanned and casually elegant.

Aston Martin

The Sandy, Utah couple described their nine-vehicle, glass-walled garage -- complete with plasma TV, high-tech stereo system, a refrigerator stocked with Pelligrino and champagne, a race simulator, a heated bronze colored glazed concrete floor and a copper roll-up door -- with more than your basic car collectors' pride.

I had some of that pride going on. My spacious Ferrari 575 M Maranello V-12, the one with 515 horsepower, a 0-60 of 4.2 and a top speed of 202 was a racehorse with wings.

Furthermore, this low-riding angel has, as one exec pointed out: "a bipolar personality". That suits me just fine. Drive it on tight mountain passes and it sticks like glue; take it to the floor on a highway and it growls like the devil. And boy, does it sing! The husky exhaust note makes Demi Moore’s voice sound soft.

And, as expected, comfort rules. Mine had buttery soft, caramel-colored leather seats, discreet carbon fiber accents and paddle shifters on the side of the steering wheel for smooth transitions.

Talk about transitions. After flying around in the Ferrari for a few days, my life was looking like "chopped liver". I fixed that quick. Went out and bought a pair of buttery soft Manolos!

The Facts

2004 Ferrari 575 M Maranello
Power Plant .............................. V-12
Horsepower................................ 515
Transmission Manual 6-speed
Optional F1 transaxle
0-60 ..............................................4.2
Top Speed ...................................202
Base Price ..........................$228,339
New Package for 05 on 575 M
(GTC Handling option retail
price will be $25,248)

Options

The Carrozzeria Scaglietti programme, allows the customer to "indulge their personal wishes".

For example, the 575M Maranello's can be buffed up with carbon fiber treatments, leather racing seats and 19 inch wheels exclusively designed by Pininfarina. A new performance package called the GTC Handling Option features carbon Ceramic Brakes similar to the Enzo Ferrari and revised suspension. This option is derived from the 575 GTC driven at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

One can also choose seats with "Daytona" upholstery, a set of luggage designed by Pininfarina for the boot and coordinated clothes carriers for the rear shelf.

Ferrari will also create a completely new color from a sample provided by the customer. This extends to the bodywork and every element of the interior from the leather to the carpets or, in the case of a convertible, the top stitching, which can be in a contrasting color or of a different length and size.

The rally is open to Ferraris of any model year, with a special class created for historic cars, built prior to 1970. Cars must be insured and registered for use on public roads and a technical check -up, prior to departure, is required. The cost which includes full accommodations (four nights), first class, with organized breakfast, lunch, cocktails and dinner, route book, luggage transportation, all event memorabilia, video and technical assistance is $5,250 for one car with two participants. Learn more here.