I was on my way home from on 154(San Marcos Pass) this past Saturday.....passing several cars before slowing down to traffic.

In the distance ahead of me I see a VERY wide red car.....an S2000? No...it's a Ferrari. Then I realize I've never seen this one. It was a convertible for sure. The driver sees me in his rear view mirror and gives me the thumbs up and I waved back. He was driving at a leisurely rate and I had no intentions of racing.

Beautiful sound out of that V-12.....you can hear it from way back. And like typical Ferraris, very wide. Visually, I think the 360 Modena Spyder looks much better.

Well, I got my latest copy of Automobile magazine yesterday and I see the 550 Barchetta on the cover. I read the article and as it turns out Ferrari is making only 448 of this model...and already all of them spoken for(Michael Schumacher one of them). V-12, 480 HP(something like that), $200,000 plus.

Anyways, it wasn't so weird seeing a Ferrari on the road(I see them everyday almost), but the fact that this one was 1 of 448! I wonder if it was someone famous.....

 

Several years ago Road & Track had an article on the music an engine makes, complete with colored harmonics graphs from a variety of cars: Porsche 911, Corvette, Viper, Ferrari V-12 (Maranello, I believe), and so on. Just looking at the color plots you could tell that the V-12 would have the best sound: smooth contours, no abrupt color changes, obvious harmonics. The ugliest plot would be a matter of opinion, obviously, but the Viper's would be in the thick of it: lots of odd vibrations and discord.

The sound of a Ferrari V-12 is one you never forget. Years ago I was driving a 911 up Tustin Street in Orange, CA and pointed to a side street about 1/4 mile ahead on the left. "There's a Ferrari coming out over there," I told my passenger. As we passed the street, a Daytona pulled up to the stop sign. It had been three or four years since I had heard one, and only once. But you never forget the sound.

 

Durring my track day at Road Atlanta recently, I saw 2 355's in racing trim. Unmuffled Ferrari V12 is a GLORIOUS sound. Especially when coupled with the 2 Porsche 966's (also in race trim) that were out on the track with them.

 

355's are 8 cyl, I think. Still a great sound. I like the 550 and 456 best for the engine music, myself.

 

That show on Speedvision a while back, about Ferrari, which was hosted by Alain De Cadenet is one that I could pop in the VCR and just listen to all day long. The sound of all the different Ferrari V-12s in that show was incredible, from the sub-3 liter V-12 in the 1951 MM to the 333SP, each one had its own beautiful song.

 

Yeah, the sound just sends goose pimples down my back....in a good way! All sports cars and engines have their good distinctive 'trademark' sound but there really is nothing like the sound of a good Ferrari.

 

PS I wonder what a plot of an S2000 song would look like . . . .

 

Damn.. 550 Barchetta. That car is BEAUTIFUL!! Might not be as sporty as the modena, but it's definitely on a class of its own.

Talk about the ultimate GT car.... The beauty of Ferrari's V12.

 

Enzo Ferrari used to say that the 'real' Ferraris where the V12's.

I think that's why I'd better get me one a' dem...

 

I need to go back to school to learn how to read. I thought I saw rice sound.