A Taste of Maranello

In LA for the weekend visiting family and friends. Had a direct flight from DC. The guy in the aisle seat in my row brought a phone book and read it the whole way. Weird.

Saturday night I went for a ride with my cousin Duane (Cindy’s brother) in his 2001 Ferrari 550 Maranello. It was an interesting display of egos, not Duane’s or mine but of the other drivers.

Every stop light seemed to produce a one car drag race with an economy car or taxi. We’d just motor around but everyone wanted to prove something, gun their engines and floor it when their Christmas tree turned green.

This is a front engine V12 GT car in the classical sense. The car is amazing with a firm ride and the aluminum shift gate elicits a wonderfully mechanical sound with each gear change. The engine is everything, especially with the Tubi exhaust system.

And it isn’t likely to break the bank. Duane estimates $2,500 per year average for maintenance at specialist shops.