Ferrari 599 vs Lamborghini Gallardo Balboni edition - not comparable
October 18 2009, 1:49 PM
Hi, DRMW,
The comparison isn't a fair one, a bit like comparing a Ducati and a BMW Touring Bike.
Even comparing the Murcielago to the Fiorano is not really fair; one is hard edged, raw; the other incredibly, even surprisingly civilized except when called into action by the right foot.
There is enough horsepower and torque to make the rear end break loose, even with traction control; this seems more a result of sheer physics than chassis and suspension design, like the Gallardo Balboni Edition.
The Fiorano is, again, incredibly smooth and civilized at most street legal speeds. It is spacious; it is comfortable. Several people I know who got (short) rides were pleasantly surprised, and one even felt impressed enough he might actually seriously consider one.
But get into it, stomp on the throttle, and the engine is...well, pretty damned impressive!
The steering is a little overboosted at low speeds for my taste, and one can feel the weight in corners. It is not tossable like most traditional light weight sports cars. But the Fiorano is not a sports car; it's a GT car, and in that regard I find it even more successful than the modern Aston Martin's I've experienced, even ones with similar or even more impressive paper specs.
Can a c. $300,000 car be considered a bargain? Well, if one looks at it as almost getting two cars for the price of one - civilized daily driver, and spirited high speed cruiser and stop light dragster all rolled into one - I might even argue that, yes, it's a pretty impressive bargain...
Cheers,
TM
"A Purist does not believe in gilt by association. Respect, AND disdain, have to be earned..."
Well, the road grader is different, the sports car isn't from the cross region rival with the raging bull, and the time is 40 years later...
and hopefully, the drive ends a little differently.
Director's notes: There is a very interesting real and natural time warp in the clip; what might sound like an expletive is actually quote literal...can you imagine explaining to your insurance agent, "well, I was driving, minding my own business, when the tires slid out on a hot steaming pile of ...?!?"
The Fiorano is incredibly civilized and smooth at typical public road speeds, straight or curvy.
The road up to (and down) Marchairuz Pass is for the most part smooth and nicely sweeping, though it does pass through some small villages where one should be considerate and responsible, right foot heaviness notwithstanding...This was on the way back down to Geneva.
(applicable in certain countries)
