![]() ![]() ![]() The tarmac in Italy seems to have deteriorated in sympathy with the nation’s economy and there are cracks and potholes everywhere, yet if you set the magnetorheological dampers to their ‘bumpy road’ setting then the Ferrari irons out the imperfections incredibly well. This means we’ve got a quick run down the motorway for an hour or so first and I decide to stay in the expensive red alarm clock. We’re heading down towards one of evo’s favourite Italian stomping grounds today, the wonderful roads around the Futa and Raticosa passes. It’s very F1, very theatrical and I can’t help but smile. The engine remains at a high, angry idle for approximately a minute before settling to a more subdued number of revs. Hold down the big red starter button on the steering hexagon and you trigger a high-pitched whirr of starter motor for just over a second before the 12 cylinders bark into life, startled from their slumbers like rooms 115 to 220. I hope they appreciate it because the F12 Berlinetta is quite a special way to be woken. In this case that means all the snoozing and snoring residents of the Hotel Corte degli Estensi. Starting a supercar in the light of a sparklingly cold dawn is one of those pleasures that can be enjoyed by anyone within earshot, not just those lucky enough to be sitting behind the wheel. It’s more useable than a Diablo or a Countach, but as I feel my way gingerly along the unfamiliar roads, struggling to see past the A-pillars and getting blinded by oncoming lights, it feels about as practical as keeping a blind bull in a Royal Doulton warehouse.That evening we agree that the cars need a bigger road, so we can really get under their respective skins. Stunning it may be, but leading the way home in the Aventador in the dark at the end of the day proves that it’s definitely not going to rival the Aston in the GT stakes. #Mytracks speeding ticket upgrade#Perhaps a Veneno-spec upgrade to the engine would help… The Aventador’s single-clutch gearbox has also improved since we last drove one, but its drivetrain, although organic and characterful, feels merely ‘current’ when compared to the Ferrari’s ‘next generation’. Its brakes are also the most reassuring to lean on right up to the ABS trigger point, although admittedly the initially damp roads do favour its four-wheel drive and winter tyres. Meanwhile, perhaps unexpectedly, it’s the Lambo with its heavier steering that is actually the easiest car to get comfortable with. It’s so sensational that Nick even dares to mention the engine in the same breath as the Rosche V12 in the McLaren F1. The way its dozen cylinders rev with apparently no inertia is insane and the twin-clutch gearbox not only keeps up, but actually enhances the experience. The overwhelming comments from people clambering out of the Ferrari centre around the fact that, without question, it has the best drivetrain of any road car on sale today.
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