On friday night, I left NYC for Boston and was headed up the Saw Mill Parkway to the I-84. It had just turned dark and I saw a pair of HID's behind me that were approaching incredibly fast. I always assume cars that pull hard behind me are cops, so I got out of the way. He stayed behind me, though, and I was really struggling to see what kind of car this was. A minute or so later, he passed me slowly and I saw what he was. Those of you that know the Saw Mill will appreciate how exciting it was to see the shark-gills of a red 550 maranello pass just as traffic was clearing up.

I found a way through a patch of traffic that left him behind, and showed off a little by opening up a gap in third gear. By the time he had gotten loose from the traffic, he was instantly all over me. We were ripping through the twisting Saw Mill for about ten seconds side-by-side, until he gave it some juice and just decimated me. My car was getting squirrelly and I was really working to not die, but I could see that he was just planted and stuck to the road as he pulled away from me. Seeing how rock solid his car was really made the S2000 feel like a toy. I was really envious of that kind of power + downforce.

The other thing was the sound. At a red light, he was right next to me. His engine at idle sounds like thirty zippo lighters being opened and closed in perfect rhythm. It's a very intimidating sound, because it isn't coming from the exhaust -- it's coming from under the hood. When he went WOT, well... you know that's insane.

Anyway, I didn't have any illusions of beating him and I wasn't trying either, but I was totally emasculated by this car. It bothered me all weekend, because I would see all these boy-racers lusting after my car and think "it's no fun to be the Lord of the Flies, once you've met Attilla the Hun." Well, I got over it eventually, but I highly recommend that you stay away from nighttime twisties with new 12 cylinder Ferraris -- It will probably make you feel bad for a little while.

 

I too have been put in my place by one of those V12's However it just made me cut my lunch shorter. One day I'll be driving one of those...or maybe a Winnabago

 

Until I can afford a real Ferrari I'm quite happy with this:

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=27504

 

I honestly think I'd take this Lamborghini over the 550, and I'm a big Ferrari fan:

 

Sunchild,

Earlier this summer, I was on 87/287 heading from the Tapanzee Bridge to the Palisades Parkway when this guy in a red 550 absolutely BLEW the doors off of my Prelude and every other car driving on 87. . .

It may not have been the same guy (though, given the car & location it probably was). . .

Either way, being passed by a 550 will definitely cause temporary damage to one's ego. . .

 

Man, I'd be honored to get blasted by a 550. It's those damn sleeper 'stangs that piss me off.

 

Be damn careful on the Sawmill PW. I have two friends that have almost met their maker on the the Parkway in separate accidents. It can get out of hand at times.

 

I envy your encounter. most of he hot rods around Bedford are either F-150s or riced-out Civics. If I actually saw a Ferrari on the road I think I might pee my drawers! I saw a black 911 (older one) today and got very excited.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Big Al
[B]Be damn careful on the Sawmill PW.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by krhorrocks
[B]Man, I'd be honored to get blasted by a 550.