Thursday 18 / April / 2024
Driving a Ferrari is incomparable, but I haven’t driven many super cars in my lifetime. Some would consider it sacrilegious to drive a Spider 488 Twin Turbo Engine on automatic. Then again, that’s exactly what I did.
A few weeks before my test drive, I’d spotted a 2005 Ferrari 360 Modena at the traffic lights. I’d only seen such cars in my younger days, playing Need for Speed, but here it was, in the flesh. Never in my dreams had I thought I’d be asked to drive a 488 Spider Ferrari.
I had the opportunity to drive two different models: The 488 spider and GTC4Lusso. To be completely honest, being in the presence of such legendary machinery was satisfying enough. It truly makes you wonder, how could one feel so nervous and in complete awe in front of inanimate machines.
The 488 Spider was the perfect bachelor, or bachelorette, car. The Spider series features convertibles, which means it is made for one hell of a ride. I had a new appreciation for Oman’s scenic landscapes without a roof over my head. Red leather seats, a red leather dash, a stunning red carpet and Ferrari’s trademark bright red paint. It was quite stunning all around.
The ride was low enough to wonder if you’d fall into the seat as you attempted to climb into it, or at least that’s what happened to me. But you can’t help but feel this surge of energy as she starts. The roar of the engine starts is her signature. The Spider does a 0-100km/h in three seconds. Words can’t explain that sensation. You can only live it to experience it.
As a woman in her mid-twenties, I was fascinated with the Lusso. Years ago, when premium luxury-brand crossovers began entering the market, I thought to myself, “Hmm, I could totally see myself picking up the kids in that”. Then as I entered adulthood, I soon became accustomed to standard, affordable cars.
Dreams of those sleek machines became a distant memory, but as I approached the GTC4 Lusso, with its seductive lines and practical four doors, those old desires came rushing back. It is elegant, sophisticated, smooth, and sporty, but, more than just a pretty face, under the hood the Lusso is packing a monstrous V-12 engine. Yes, a V-12.
Driving the Lusso feels completely different from the Spider, in a good way. The steering allowed my hands to feel a sort of comfort I’d never experienced before, and the subtly tanned leather seats and white piping really made me feel like a woman. The test drive took us up the steep hill towards Qantab and Shangri La, and it was easily the fastest I had driven up, without even having to turn off the air conditioning.
The four wheel drive system really gave me a sense of control over the car. Being able to control and manage this massive machinery is a must in this country, and the Lusso made that surprisingly simple. The GTC4Lusso goes 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, 0-200km/h in 10.5 seconds and slows down from 100-0km/h in just 34. Some might say this is too much power and too much performance to waste on a trip to the grocery store. But as someone enamoured with the thrill of the automotive experience, I say, why not make every ride in life exhilarating? —[email protected]
Specifications
Ferrari 488 Spider
Engine: 90° V8, turbo-charged, dry sump
Total displacement: 3902 cm3 (238.1 cu. in)
Bore and stroke: 86.5 x 83 mm (3.4 x 3.3 in)
Maximum power: 492 kW (670 cv) at 8000 rpm
Maximum torque: 760 Nm at 3000 rpm in VII gear
Specific output: 172 cv/l (2.07 kW/cu. in)
Compression ratio: 9.4:1
Transmission: 7-speed F1 dual-clutch transmission
Maximum speed: > 325 km/h (203 mph)
0 – 100 km/h: 3.0 sec
Fuel consumption: 11.4 l/100 km
Ferrari GTC4Lusso
Engine: V12 - 65°
Total displacement: 6262 cc
Bore and stroke: 94 mm x 75.2 mm
Maximum power: 507 kW (690 CV) at 8,000 rpm
Maximum torque: 697 Nm at 5,750 rpm
Compression ratio: 13.5:1
Transmission: 4RM EVO/4WS/ 7-speed F1 DCT/ E-Diff
Maximum speed: 335 km/h
0-100 km/h: 3.4 sec
Authorised Oman Dealer:
Alfardan Motors LLC, Alfardan Building, Meydan Al Azaiba, Muscat, Oman
Tel: +968 2452 3014
