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As we crawl through Florence I have another look around the cabin, noticing the rally-car style stripe top-centre on the wheel that serves as a visual aid for when your wheel-action gets a bit manic. I also admire the fact the Manettino contains no normal, standard or economy mode instead ranging from Ice, Low Grip, Sport, Race and the final toggle ‘CST’ with a big cross on it – which I have been warned repeatedly not to disengage. An electronic beep draws my attention back to the fuel gauge. The F430’s 95 litre tank, according to the Ferrari specification, will take you around 520 kilometres (21 gallons, 320 miles), so once we had filled up I wouldn’t have to worry about it again for a whole lot of road. Eventually after U-turning and weaving through junctions and roundabouts we pull into a petrol station and fill all three cars – meaning that in theory we would all need petrol again at the same point in the journey.

Without needing to work the paddles too much, we make our way out of Florence and begin to head north towards Mugello - the races would be starting soon. As if some kind of inter-Ferrari-psychic message had been received, the first tunnel we came across triggered both the windows and gears to drop in all three cars, and with a surge of acceleration the 3-day road-trip was officially underway.

Leaving the city and short stretch of motorway behind we headed towards the mountains and through a few villages. The Italians definitely have a sense of pride in Ferrari, enjoying the sight of one of their countries most glamorous exports. Between villages when the roads open up and straighten out I started to discover the car a bit more, overtaking lines of cars quickly and safely. When the road tightens up quickly become aware of the car’s dimensions; at almost 2 meters wide and 4 and a half meters long the F430 is not a small car, but its agility and precise controls allow you manoeuvre through tight corners with confidence.

As we approach Mugello we start to see more Ferraris and through the traffic I can see a few other 430s, lots of 360s and a few of the rarer classics. As the road descends and I can see further down the traffic and my heart skips a beat when I see my all-time favourite car, a bright yellow F50. I’m not a Ferrari nut, but there’s no denying that over the years they have produced the some of the most iconic vehicles and drivers. I wonder how people will look back on the current range of cars in 20 years time – other than the Enzo none of the cars seem particularly striking or outlandish at the moment.

Eventually, we pull into the Mugello circuit – past the hideously kitsch super-sized Helmet shaped information desk. As we exit the under-track tunnel we’re ushered to the car park and parked carefully and precisely. Welcome to the only place in the world where owning a Ferrari doesn’t make you feel special!

Ferrari are constantly adding to their strong racing heritage – something the brand is well recognised for. The departure in 2006 of Michael Schumacher, their most prominent Formula One driver for many decades, set Ferrari up for an interesting year. However, 2007 saw them win the Formula 1 Championship in the last race of the season, as well as the FIA GT crown.

In 1993 Ferrari established a championship for Ferrari owners and enthusiasts. Allowing gentlemen and semi-professional drivers the opportunity to compete in two separate classes, it is now known as the Trofeo Pirelli (for semi professionals) and the Coppa Shell (for non-professional drivers). 2004 saw the debut of Ferrari’s F430, the successor to the extremely popular 360, and in 2007 the F430 Challenge replaced the 360 Challenge as the racing car used in the championships.



Serving as an endlessly more glamorous and exciting alternative to some of the more mainstream one-make challenges, the Ferrari challenge offers anybody the chance to invest their money into purchasing or leasing a car and taking part in the 7 race challenge that takes the teams all over Europe.

The races in Mugello are the reason I flew out to Italy in the first place. This week would be the last race of the 2007 season, Sunday’s final would be followed by a parade to celebrate Ferrari’s countless victories this year. Kimi Räikkönen, Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher are all involved, with Kimi and Felipe set to demonstrate the current year’s Formula One cars.

We abandon our cars and begin to explore the circuit. I took a stroll down the many marquees housing teams from all over the world, discovering cars in various states of repair, and the last of the cars squeezing their way through the thin corridors riddled with enthusiastic fans. The crews were busy repairing and fine-tuning the cars; with non-professional gentlemen-drivers running wild on the track in awesomely powerful machines there had been a fair few accidents over the weekend. It is not every day you get to see someone using the handle of a wrench to bend and warp a panel on a Ferrari to fit the brake lights.

From the pit wall I can see the other side of the track is full of people, banners and flags waving. The grandstands are packed and the grid is slowly filling up with 430s in various states of livery and repair. The entrants have to carry some sponsorship for the challenge but are given areas where they can place their own decals. I’m almost certain that in most cases the single-sponsor on the car is the company the driver owns; the very reason they’re able to enter this series – a good percentage of the cars carry the names of banks, investment companies and finance related brands. For a hard-working city it must be a fantastic contrast spending the weekend in Italy, racing beautiful and powerful cars on the same track as some of today’s motorsport legends.

The Coppa Shell race begins and it’s not long until the huge screens are covering crashes all around the track – however it’s refreshing to see the drivers fight their way back onto the track and finish up a race. All of them are keen to get their money’s worth. Although the standard of racing is quite varied, the technology surrounding the series is at the highest level.



When the racing had concluded and the cars put away, the drivers made their way trackside, spread out between the hospitality and the pit wall. Fresh from the press conference where the extension to the FXX programme was made public, Schumacher arrived on track in his all-black FXX for a demonstration. There’s no denying this is an extremely fast car, its 800bhp engine can propel the car from 0-60mph in 2.8 seconds.

By the time Schumacher heads off the track, the cars are already lined up ready for the parade. Like an automotive Noah’s arc, one of every Ferrari fills the pit lane, from the classic 250 to the modern Enzo and everything in-between, even the very same yellow F50 I saw on the way in.

With several laps under their belt the cars start to pull in, and filter back into the car park. The very final treat of the day was Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen heading out on the track in this season’s Formula One cars. A few high speeds laps and a doughnut finale engulfed the grandstands, pit wall and everything surrounding in tyre smoke. This was my cue to head back into my own Ferrari and vacate the circuit; the last thing I wanted was to be trapped on a busy road filled with adrenalin-loaded Ferrari enthusiasts! It was time to begin the exciting part of this road trip – I had to get from the Ferrari circuit in Mugello, to London.

The roads were open and wide, seasoned with an abundance of tunnels. Within an hour of the journey I felt completely comfortable with the car and partially aware of its capabilities. So far I had seen no sign of its limits, the top speed of the F430 is 196mph and I had no plans to test that! However, a few quick visits to the mid-hundreds left me completely confident in the car’s ability to reach, if not exceed its 196mph claim. I was here to experience what it is like to own and drive a Ferrari, not to report to you what it is and isn’t capable of. However, what I can say is that on the road, almost anywhere on Earth, you will reach your own limits before the car will.

The engine note is sublime – two of the four exhaust pipes contain butterfly valves to calm the noise levels down on idle and gentle acceleration. A fantastic and simple idea that works well, but as the hours ticked by I couldn’t help but wish they would open a fraction later as any acceleration (above what was needed to maintain speed on a straight and flat road) would throw open the valves and the drone of a powerful and tuned V8 would erupt and echo around the cabin. It’s a beautiful sound when you’re climbing up the revs, but can get monotonous and irritating awfully quickly when you’re not.

With about half of the day’s journey in the bag we pulled in for fuel. We planned a short detour for lunch, deciding we would head to Portofino, one of the most beautiful villages on the Italian Riviera.

If you find yourself anywhere near this part of the world in a beautiful car (or even without) then you must stop by. The coastal roads wind along the edge of a cliff – offering a unique cross between alpine bends and sea-front views. Although it gets extremely busy in the summer, for our October visit the roads were almost empty and the dock was quiet.

By the time we finished our lunch and returned to our cars a crowd had gathered, peering through the windows and taking photos from every imaginable angle. As an Aston Martin slipped by unnoticed it only reconfirmed my suspicion that the Italian people care for the Ferrari not only because it’s a beautiful and rare item, but because it’s a part of their heritage, their country and what they’re known and recognised for by the outside world.



Now it was time to put the miles on; we had planned to be in Switzerland by tonight and the Champagne region tomorrow. We headed back through the narrow and twisting roads leading out of Portofino and as we accelerate down the motorway overtaking, undertaking and circling each other I have a chance to really understand what owning this car must feel like. The Ferrari’s behaviour varies so much depending on its current environment. On tight and winding roads it really is the ultimate toy; you can accelerate and brake with such brutal force. In the middle of a city the car is well behaved, very simple to move slowly and with the ‘auto’ mode engaged you can concentrate on nothing but the traffic surrounding you. On a motorway it sits comfortably at most speeds, the engine feels best at 110mph, however, whatever speed you choose to cruise, there is always enough power to explode into action and propel you forward with organ-altering forces.

Our plans to reach Switzerland before the sunset where thrown out of the window in Portofino so it was almost 9pm when we waltzed into our hotel, exhausted from the drive. That night heavy rain fell, so in the morning it was time to twist the Manettino down to ‘Low Grip’ mode. Powerful brakes and wide tyres (there’s nearly 600mm of rubber across the back of the car) makes these cars susceptible to aquaplaning and I didn’t fancy slipping off the side of an alpine pass!

As we climbed in altitude the rain kept coming down but the car behaved perfectly. The electronic aids were barely noticeable although I’m sure they kept me on the road as I began to pickup speed climbing the side of the mountain. There is no doubt this is an all-weather car. Any vehicle that behaves well on a track, dry-motorway or wet mountain road scores big points with me.

The behaviour of the car is courtesy of Ferrari’s new electronic differential, a technology derived from Ferrari’s Formula One programme. On the test tracks the E-Diff technology is supposed to be worth an extra 3 seconds per lap in comparison to the Ferrari 360. On the road it improves grip and stability by distributing the power between the wheels based on a huge number of parameters (including accelerator pedal angle, steering angle, yaw acceleration and wheel rotation speed). This and the Manettino are the two biggest electronic improvements over the 360.

After our Swiss lunch it was time to cross the border. Rather unsurprisingly the sight of three Ferraris was enough to get the border patrol guards interested enough to want to see all our paperwork. After a few minutes of mining around in the luggage compartment and numerous pockets and holes inside the cabin we had satisfied the guards and were on our way across the French Alps, destination Reims.

If you have ever been skiing you’ll be familiar with the anticipation of wanting to be out on the slopes as soon as possible. Once out you have a fabulous day working your body as hard as you can in the morning to ensure you get a full day’s ski. As the day comes to a close you’re tired, you ache and you want nothing more than to make that last run down to your chalet, pull off your boots and sit by an open fire. Then you’ve finished your drink, you’re warm again, and then the thought crosses your mind, “what a day, shall I go out again… right now… I wasn’t ‘that’ tired”.

The same applies here, when I’m tired of driving and I swap seats with my passenger, it takes all of about 5 minutes for the thought to cross my mind, “OK! I’m ready to drive again – I wonder if he’s had enough yet?”

Our final day would consist of three short legs, from our hotel we would drive into the heart of the Champagne region and visit some of the different Champagne houses. The lanes between the hotel, the houses and the vineyards were tight but smooth, with epic visibility. It was a beautiful moment watching the road get dragged underneath the wheels, with Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier forming no more than blurs in the 430’s side window.



As our last visit of the day came to an end it was time to pack the magnums and cases we had purchased into the car – no easy task. In the cabin, alongside the cameras and tripods, we now had gallons of wine in between legs, behind seats and everywhere else.

The trip back to Calais was pleasant, straight and uneventful. We tried extremely hard to remain within the speed limit - this stretch of road is one of the most policed strips in France. We arrived at the Eurotunnel - without a single sighting of any police - and slipped easily down the ramp and into the train. The journey through the train to our cabin was painfully tight as the tyres almost touched both kerbs. Although small and plastic, the kerb and tyres made a colossal screech which was amplified by the train’s interior. Thankfully there was no damage when I checked. As the slowest part of the journey concluded we had a chance to compare notes on the cars.

The 599 is the fastest of the cars – on the motorway it could pull away and leave the 430s standing. Its detuned Enzo engine sounds the best by far, and on the longer legs the 599 beats the 430 in comfort.

Looks wise, as usual it is all personal. Whilst many think the 599 is a beautiful car I have to disagree. It certainly has its angles where it looks fantastic, but in general I think it’s too bizarre. The 430 on the other hand is classically beautiful. The oval vents on the front; reminiscent of the 1961 Ferrari 156 F1 Phil Hill drove and won the championship in, the wing mirrors with the model name inset like the infamous and iconic Ferrari F40. This car is a true evolution of everything Ferrari has been working on for so long, it’s exciting to drive and a pleasure to be inside. It’s easy to control when you need it to be, and an absolute monster when it’s on the limit – a limit I am certain you will never be able to experience without an empty racetrack.

This was my first European road trip, but now I am totally spoilt – I can’t think of a car I would rather do it in again. At least not until the 430’s successor is made.

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