I've never had a chance to drive a Pantera. I've been to a few track days,
and haven't seen too many good drivers. Some of them can lap fairly fast,
but they don't hustle the cars, if you know what I mean. They lap at speed
they are comfortable with, and the difference is probably ten seconds at
about any track. You have to not insist on being in control at all times. I
tried to explain that to someone the other day, and couldn't get it across.
That if you're going fast there is only one line. You don't have options.
When you have options you're not going fast.
The great thing about the 360 is that it's such a capable street
car--comfortable, civilized, beautiful. But then you put it on the track and
you can slither it around better than any car I've driven except Peyote. The
handling is phenomenally good for a street car, and if (make that when) the
back end gets loose you just stay in it and enjoy. Doesn't do funny stuff.
It's probably the best Ferrari ever. The F40 is a close second, but so
uncivilized that you never see one with more than 5000 miles on it. I assume
the Enzo is equally unusable. My 360 has 8000 in less than a year.
-----Original Message-----
From: SHANE Ingate [mailto:hottr6@hotmail.com]
Sent: Sunday, August 08, 2004 7:34 AM
To: Bill Babcock
Cc: fot@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Monterey
Bill Babcock wrote:
>You need a new 360 spider. Drove it today at PIR for a Ducati track
>day--they invited me as long as I'd give a rides to the winner of a
>drawing.
>I turned pretty consistent 1:26's with no chicane. Not bad for a street
>car--Peyote does 1:32 with the chicane, and it's generally 3-4 seconds
>different, so roughly 1:28 for Peyote. Of course it doesn't turn 160 at
>the end of the straight like the Ferrari does.
When I lived in San Diego in the '90s, we'd drive the Pantera to Monterey.
The following Monday we would always be invited to track day with the
Ferrari Club. Even though some of the F-cars were pretty hard driven, the
only cars that got past me were non-novice F40s. After a few years of
getting drubbed, the Ferrari owners stoped bringing their F-cars and brought
their Vipers and GT3 track Porsches instead. Sigh.
At the end of the day, jumped in the P-car (pimento color, I always ran #29,
maybe you remember Bill?) to stay over at Paso Robles prior to the drive
home on Tuesday.
Shane Ingate, polishing Dellorto's in Maryland
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