4 Ferraris, 48 Cylinders, 54 Years

DRIVEN: FERRARI 330 GT 2+2, 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA, 599 GTO & GTC4 LUSSO

We travel through the history of the Ferrari V12, driving four cars spanning six decades.

Written by: Jonty Wydell

A true Ferrari enthusiast would say that a proper Ferrari has its engine in the front and that engine has to be a big, thumping V12. In a world where turbocharged V8 Ferraris have begun to dominate, with even their latest range-topper being a hybrid V8 in the shape of the SF90, I definitely feel that things are always better with a V12. One such Ferrari enthusiast, Pete, invited to celebrate the wonder of the Ferrari V12 by driving four V12 Ferraris spanning six decades: the 330 GT 2+2, 365 GTB/4 Daytona, 599 GTO and GTC4 Lusso.

What a spectacle it was to have these cars in convoy snaking through the Peak District, four Ferraris in discreet colours (no resale red here) with the Blu Chiaro 330 GT 2+2 leading the pack. This car has the true look of a classic Ferrari, wire wheels, lots of polished trim including that beautiful front grill and the boat tail rear. The overall shape resembles the lines of a Ferrari 275 GTS which was a convertible version of the 275, but with different lines to its GT base car.

A 275 GTS will set you back a few million, however despite the 330 GT 2+2 sharing the looks, a right-hand-drive example such as this is worth just £300k. Having never previously driven a 330, I opted to jump in this one first and was surprised by just how well it drives. This particular car had all the options ticked including such luxuries as power steering, electric windows and air conditioning — quite high tech for a car from 1966! Following close behind was the instantly recognisable shape of the Ferrari Daytona. Although older than me by a good 10 years, it has certainly aged a lot better! The sleek lines of this big grand tourer give the impression of speed, and the looks are backed up by a 4.4-litre quad-cam V12 which shoves out 353bhp and helps the car to 174mph flat out, making it the fastest car in the world at the time.

I drove a Daytona through central London a few years ago and it was not the nicest of experiences as these cars need to be let loose on the open road. Thankfully, driving in the Peaks, it was much more at home, meaning the power of this brute could be unleashed. Although at slow speeds it feels a tad cumbersome with its big steering wheel, once the speed starts to pick up, the car begins to respond in exactly the way a Ferrari should.

It’s very torquey, meaning it will pick up and go in any gear, covering ground at a deceivingly high rate of knots, but it will hold its speed through a set of bends without any major drama. This would be the perfect supercar for jumping in and eating the miles down to the French Riviera and certainly would not be out of place in Monte Carlo or Saint-Tropez.

Heading into the modern day, we had the black GTC4 Lusso which just had to be the V12 variant, not only to fit in with our shoot, but also because the car seems lesser without the noise of a 6.3-litre, 690bhp V12 up front. This car has been designed as a practical everyday family car, and that is exactly how owner Pete uses it. The car was filthy inside and out, with a child seat in the back and the obligatory spilt drink splashes around said seat. There was even a Deliveroo bag in the boot, showing that this car had been used for a job normally assigned to a '90s Nissan Micra!

This car boasts immense figures. 0-125mph takes just over 10 seconds and the crazy acceleration continues all the way up to a simply outstanding 208mph! You can use the Lusso all year round; with its trick four-wheel-drive system and shod with a set of winter tyres, it can be driven on snow without any issues at all. I know this as I was fortunate enough to drive a Lusso in snowy conditions in Italy a couple of years ago and I was astounded by how well it handled, both with traction on but also with it turned off!

I can also confirm that this car is equally at home in the Alps in summer, having used one last year on our Tour des Alps. It made the perfect lead car, surprising many members as it was tossed into hairpin bends at alarming speed without any drama. There’s no doubt about the fact that, if you want the perfect all-round car, this has to be it. Its practical, exciting, makes a wonderful noise, it's bonkers fast, and above all, it’s a V12 Ferrari.

Finally, a car which I think is very underrated, the 599 GTO. This car was criticised when released for not being a true GTO as the car was never a homologation for anything. It was, however, a 599XX for the road. That car was developed in the very expensive programme where clients pay to help develop future Ferraris. You didn’t even get to take the car home with you despite the price tag being in excess of £1 million! The 599 GTO was a limited edition, with only 599 built, however there is evidence that there are certainly more than that out there, but don’t let that take anything away from what is one hell of a car.

Not that we were comparing this to the Lusso, but purely for reference, this car has just 30bhp less than the four-seater, yet it is nearly 200kg lighter and rear-wheel drive only. It can also hit 208mph and reaches 60mph in about the same time, and that’s where any similarity ends. The GTO is possibly the finest of the modern-era Ferraris in terms of engagement and noise. With a common complaint about modern cars being that people miss the involvement of a manual, the 599 GTO’s singleclutch gearbox still demands driver input for smooth changes, and the downshifts are pure aural pleasure once you flick it into Race mode, which is where it belongs. The GTO comes alive through feedback from the wheel and the howl of the engine. Although there is still electronic trickery at work in the GTO with its various traction control settings and fancy E-diff, it still has a very mechanical feel to it. Current offerings from the prancing horse feel just that little bit too enhanced in terms of grip, rather than displaying these levels of rawness. It’s been years since I last drove a GTO and I had forgotten just how good a car it is. In terms of investment potential, I'd say it’s a very safe place to put your money too, as the more we move into the new turbo era and away from noisy, naturally-aspirated, big-capacity V12s, the more these cars will be appreciated.

This has been one of the best days since I started working for Supercar Driver, being the die-hard Ferrari fan that I am. I have always had a great appreciation of cars wearing the prancing horse, from the early years up to the modern day, so to drive these four amazing cars back to back and see how the company has developed their technology over time was a dream come true. There is something about the Ferrari brand that invokes excitement in people of all ages; the way they have always been at the forefront of engineering and speed is part of that, but there has never been a let-up in the focus around the driver. Modern-day technology is taking away some of that, with a focus on safety and emissions, but Ferrari has managed to keep the excitement, and fingers crossed, new legislations won’t ruin the brand's character in years to come.

From the owner

@2manycars_official

MEMBER’S CARS: FERRARI 330 GT 2+2, 365 GTB/4 DAYTONA, 599 GTO & GTC4 LUSSO

After Jonty had a good day at work behind the wheel of four V12 Ferraris, we thought we’d catch up with their owner Pete to find out about actually owning them.

Where did your passion for cars begin?

Probably back when growing up when my brothers worked in the car industry selling Mercedes. My mum owned a garage in a rough part of Manchester so I spent a lot of time around them. No one I knew when I was young had any nice cars and then I remember when my brothers first started driving they both got K reg Novas within about a month of each other which they did up. Then, one upgraded to an MX5 and the other to a 3 Series BMW which started getting me hooked. I’d spend a lot of time at my nan and grandad’s where I’d end up watching cool films which featured people like Steve McQueen or Paul Newman who of course had nice cars like the 550 Speedster or the 250 Lusso.

You’re clearly hooked on Ferrari, why?

I actually wasn’t that into Ferrari when I was growing up — they were nice but I didn’t really get them. I had a few Ferraris in my 20s, but even then, I thought they were ok but nothing that special. That was until I had my McLaren 650S and I popped into Ferrari Wilmslow with it to see what they had on offer. They had a 458 Italia in and the salesman said it would drive better than the McLaren, which I argued it wouldn’t, but I still ended up taking it for a test drive. I just fell in love with it and ordered a 458 Spider — it was so exciting to drive.

From that point, I began ramping up my Ferrari collection. There’s nothing that can touch Ferrari for me right now. I’m not a Lamborghini fan as I just find them a bit too flash and not as driverfocused as the Ferraris, plus they don’t have much racing heritage.

I bought the 599 GTO first. Funny story actually as I’d gone to JCT600 Ferrari in Leeds to view an F355 Spider with Fiorano handling pack which I’d seen for sale and wanted. Anyway, I ended up buying the F355 but as I was heading out, I saw the bottom of this gunmetal car poking out from under a cover, so I asked for a look. The sales guy pulled the covers back, I saw this 599 GTO and I was like, “Right, I want it!”. So, the guy went to go and do some figures as the car was up at £625k, but I really wanted to pay £599k for a 599. He came back with a price of £595k instead, which was obviously great, but kind of pissed me off a bit that it wasn’t £599k! After buying it, I’d got it tucked up in the collection and had never driven it. It wasn’t until we went out to do the film shoot with you guys that I properly drove it. Then, after I bought a 250 Lusso, I got into the classics and followed it up with the 330 GT 2+2, and shortly after that, the Daytona. The Daytona I’m not quite as fussed about because of the styling. It’s an iconic car but as they’d changed style houses from Scaglietti, I find the styling a bit ‘meh’. The GTC4 Lusso then came about as a daily driver after my brother owned an FF.

Which one do you drive the most?

Definitely the GTC4 Lusso as it’s a daily driver, although I don’t need the rear seats anymore as we just use my wife’s Bentayga for family stuff, so the GTC4 Lusso will be replaced by an 812 GTS very soon, which will be the new daily driver. I am going to see the Ferrari Purosangue in May, but until I’ve seen it, I’m not sure if it’ll be for me or not.

Are they keepers?

Well, since the shoot, the 330 has already gone. It went to DK Engineering and sold within a week. It was just a little bit too similar to the 250 Lusso and so it wasn’t getting used, which pains me, so I felt it best to sell it on so someone could then do some miles in it. The Daytona has also gone up for sale but hasn’t sold yet, although I’m half tempted to get it back as it’s different and I will actually drive it.

What’s next?

I have a 275 coming which I recently bought from Tom Hartley Jnr. It’s a beautiful car finished in green, the same as my Lusso, and it’s the GTB/6. The 250 Lusso is having a major restoration at DK Engineering too so that will be completely fresh by the time I get it back. I’d really like to add a 250 GT SWB to the collection but they’re now mega money so I will have to see about that. I realised I don’t have the time to drive them all, so I’m trying to keep the collection to fewer cars, but more special cars.

Watch our video on the Ferrari 330GT 2+2 and GTC4 Lusso

Watch our Watch our video on the Ferrari Daytona and 599 GTO

OFFICIAL FERRARI DEALER Graypaul Nottingham

CLASSIC RESTORATION, SERVICE AND AUTHENTICATION

Ferrari Classiche was established to provide restoration and maintenance services, technical assistance and Certificates of Authenticity to owners of classic Ferrari cars.

The Classiche department, housed within the former Ferrari foundry at the Maranello factory, is where the historic archives of all technical drawings and original designs are preserved.

As a Ferrari Classiche Officina Dealer, Graypaul Nottingham can assist you in understanding the history of your Ferrari and provide you with provenance and restoration services, from ordinary to extraordinary maintenance, to inspection and drafting of the preparatory documents for certification.

Contact Graypaul Nottingham for more information.

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