(Very) Long Term Test report 5 - Supercar Sunday
Today was an early start to drive to Goodwood for this month's Breakfast Club. The theme? Supercars!
My fiancée reckons that the Daytona is her only rival for my affections. Well, that's not true since no car can replace my fantastic lady (I'll now find out if she reads the blog!). It is true though that the Daytona does hold a special place in my heart and I can't imagine ever selling it.
The interior leather is looking a little tired, so I spent most of last Sunday morning with various leather cleaners and food to try and restore some of the lustre without ruining the patina. The car is also due for it's annual Permaguard treatment this week which should keep the paintwork looking fresh.
Enough of the pampering! The Supercar Sunday is always a very popular event and attracts a huge crowd and with that comes the inevitable traffic jams. Today was no exception but getting an early start meant I was able to avoid the worst of the traffic and get there before the queues for the bacon rolls had built up too much. My friend's 246 Dino was not so lucky - it stalled and refused to restart in the queue to get into the circuit. He was able to continue when the car cooled down.
Modern Ferraris, Lamborghinis and Porsches made up the majority of cars, the highlights of which were a brand new Ferrari 458 Italia in white (Bianco Fuji), a yellow Enzo, and a couple of Lamborghini Murcielago SV's. Other modern machinery included two Bugatti Veyron's, one of which was the targa-topped Gran Sport version, and a Pagani Zonda F.
In addition to the Daytona, the more classic Ferraris were represented by a 250 Lusso (parked next to the Daytona), a 275GTB4, a 330GTS and several 246 Dinos. Disappointingly, for a supercar day the car that for many represents the archetypal supercar - the Lamborghini Countach - was not represented (or at least, I didn't see one) although there was a Miura there early on.
A smaller but no less desirable GT was a lovely Alfa Romeo Guilia GTA:
Two cars stood out for me. The first was a wonderful Mercedes 300SL Gullwing. The car was bumperless, sported a tow hook and clearly looked like it was driven both hard and regularly.
The second was a McLaren F1 GTR short tail. Made road legal, the car still sported its single race seat and livery and looked every inch the ultimate track day car.
It was relatively cool when I left this morning but the temperature had climbed considerably as I headed home around midday. The Daytona does have an air conditioning system (a factory option when new) but when warm the system does not provide much air and what is provided isn't really conditioned! Still, the old-fashioned method of lowering the windows does allow you to hear the wonderful V12 music more clearly.
It's nearly seven years since the Daytona became mine, but I still get the same buzz about driving it as the first time I took the wheel. There are many supercars tht are faster (most of them at Goodwood today) but very few can be more charismatic.