Ferrari F40: The fastest car I’ve ever driven

Or should this read “the fastest I’ve driven a car”? As far as the fastest car I’ve ever driven…that is definitely a Ferrari F40. While selling luxury cars in Las Vegas, our owner bought some $2M dollars (back in 1998) of cars from a very wealthy client. We needed to transport the cars, among them, the F40, a Diablo, Hummer H1, Ferrari 328 GTBi, and other not so exotic luxury cars. I had the privilege of driving the F40 for a few precious moments. The twin turbo V-8 suffered from turbo lag but when they spooled up, it was like taking off in a jet plane…unbelievable.

Now for the car I’ve driven the fastest. In my first role as a General Manager for another dealership in Vegas, my used car manager came across a 2001 BMW M5 and I bought it. Back then, it was THE ultimate 4 door sedan and coming from someone whose owned 10 BMW’s over the past 15 years it lived up to it’s billing. Case in point. As being the leader of the dealership, I loved to give the usual daily Sales Meeting but on Saturdays the meetings had a different tone because of my drive in. I lived some 15 miles away from the dealership, would leave for work at 6am or 6:30am and was lucky enough to find this most amazing route. It was the frontage road merging to with the 215 Freeway. After crossing Decatur Boulevard, there was an opportunity to take that car to its 155mph limiter for a couple of miles and I did so almost each and every Saturday morning…what a rush. The sensation was unbelievable but as I would take the McCarran Airport exit, I would have to brake hard to exit. I would then bear right and turn left under the 215, I would go under the airports runways, sunroof open at this point just to hear the roar of the 5.0 liter V-8 revving to 7000 rpms. Then another heavy braking zone to get on Sunset Road for an opportunity to test my “heel and toe” technique…I knew then as I know now, in these days of cars being faster, more advanced and just a little more sterile, that was the greatest car, on the right road and at the right time.

I just wonder what that F40 would have been like.

Ferrari

Fernando Alonso is driving for Ferrari’s Formula One team in 2010. Did everyone see this coming? Towards the end of the 2009 season, Santander Bank of Spain finished its 3-year advertising contract with McLaren-Mercedes, announced its commitment to Ferrari’s Formula One team. Rumors around the mill had Alonso going to the Scuderia. Now with that announcement from Santander for the 2010 season, his signing was imminent.

Who says advertising in racing has run its course? This advertising contract, I’m sure, is worth hundreds of millions of dollars. ING, last year, was expected to SAVE $66M to $132M because of cost cutting in advertising for Formula One’s Renault team. Remember, Alonso raced for Renault. Can you imagine the total dollars Santander is spending to promote the most recognized Formula One team with Spain’s most famous racing driver? Those rabid fans are crazy over Fernando Alonso, and with 2 Formula One Drivers Championships, why not? Sounds like a sound investment in promoting the most advanced racing series with one of the most recognizable names in the sport.

Fernando Alonso will be remembered in history as one of the best, his aggressive driving style, his come from behind victories, and his fierce competitiveness. Now he is with the most famous of all teams. I cannot wait to wake up at 7:30 am on the East Coast on Sundays to watch (I would wake up, as many others do, at 4:30 on the West Coast if I still lived in LA.) I have been a longtime Ferrari fan and am excited to see how the next season pans out for Ferrari. It is going to be fun.

Renault

In the Los Angeles Times Dan Neil wrote about kicking Renault in the shin. Regarding the Renault ad that went with his column, let's just say that I am not an electric car fan.

There is something about having a car that communicates with you via the sound of an engine, the way it shifts gears and the way you feel when you get to your destination. If our climate dictates there need only be zero emissions vehicles then so be it. Other technologies exist that makes cars so much cleaner than before. Even today, the cars that use fossil fuels do not impact the environment as we are led to believe.

If you look at the number of cars on your commute that make you close your windows, click recirculate on your a/c or make you get ahead of them, those are the culprits. Rather than legislate some un-Godly CAFE average (which you and I will pay for anyway), let's educate the average person on maintaining their cars to be smog legal, for one thing. This way we can keep buying cars without fear of being harassed because you bought something that gives you pleasure to drive. Leave the politics to the politicians; don't buy something to make a statement. Buy it because you worked hard enough to get what you want and want to enjoy your purchase.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-neil12-2010jan12,0,4474706.column

Peugeot and Mitsubishi Discuss Deeper Ties

In the New York Times, Matthew Saltmarsh wrote, "PSA Peugeot Citroën on Thursday joined the ranks of global automobile giants gambling that a deeper alliance — in this case with Mitsubishi Motors of Japan — will offer it shelter from the uncertainties surrounding the industry."

With an anticipated merger of two relatively, by world standards, weak companies and the prospect of pooling money, manufacturing and platforms for vehicles, I can see the common benefit. One thing though, if these "weaker" companies combine, who can take the reigns and focus back on what the customer wants?

The article states how Peugeot does not enjoy the "pricing power of the German brands". Mitsubishi is also looked on as having a lower ranking in comparison to Japan's other makes. How do two underperformers merge to become better? How will these economies of scale translate into products the world auto buying market wants?

If you look at the perennial performers in the world markets, the infusion of money into their respective companies via governments has done what? Are they better off now or are the same people who made the decisions to produce vehicles without seeing the financial crisis on the horizon still running their course?

If this merger makes sense for the long term, which is how every business needs to proceed, the makers need to focus on one very important question: "Am I building what I think the consumer wants or what they truly want?"