Experience Day
At the end of August, I attended an experience day, where I had just 6 laps to drive two supercars: an F360 and a Gallardo, in that order. Each session lasted around 4 minutes, and was accompanied by a trained instructor. I had very little time to adjust to each car. But it was awesome.
Ferrari F360
The Ferrari was very pretty in its traditional red, and flowing styling. The interior was usable, the pedals simple and the paddle shift gearbox user friendly. It was, overall, slightly higher than the Lamborghini, meaning that the ride was considerably simpler, and, in a way, smoother.
But there were problems, for me. The shift was responsive, but took its time. It felt slow and laggy, for a supercar. With the exhilaration and adrenaline coursing through my body, each shift up seemed to take a very. Long. Time. Of course, that’s mostly just because it’s quite old, but it still took away from the overall feel of the car. And then the main the issue. The throttle safety feature.
My Huge Problem With This F360
Basically, there was a fix on the throttle which made it so if you pushed the pedal at all whilst cornering in, it dropped the revs. Clearly this is a measure to prevent idiots from messing up the corners at the event and putting spectators in danger, but who puts that in a supercar. There was nothing like this on the Lambo… so why?! It was sad, and frustrating. I don’t know if I’d have felt differently if it hadn’t been installed – I’ll never know. Unless I get to drive one again.
Lamborghini Gallardo…Oh Yeah
The Gallardo, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. It was slightly more difficult to get in and sit down, slightly more difficult to see out, and slightly less aesthetically pleasing inside. But, damn, it was nice to drive.
The throttle response was instant. As was the cornering, the speed of the gear shifts, and the feeling of sheer exhilaration. Not confusion and slight terror, like the Ferrari. The Lamborghini provided a brilliant example of being almost perfectly in touch with the car, knowing where every part of it is and where it’s going. It makes you feel alive.
It took me about 10 seconds to decide that I liked the Gallardo much more. It was sharper, nimbler, quicker. Overall, it just felt better. As a convertible, many car enthusiasts might have looked down on it, but the thought didn’t even touch my mind throughout the whole experience.
Ending Opinion
I originally approached the day with the expectation that Ferrari would provide the engineering and Lamborghini would provide the looks. I was totally, totally wrong. I came away from the Ferrari smiling. I came away from the Lambo grinning my face off, with the same expression for the next few hours.
So, in my personal opinion, if you ever had the choice between these two cars, it’d be the Lamborghini Gallardo. Any day.
Glad you had a good test. I think I would prefer the Lambo too!
A few years back I drove the Ferrari F430 (if memory serves me right) and the Lamborghini Gallardo – both convertible – and the Gallardo was the one that left me with the biggest grin. There was a kick every time I changed gear and the sensation as whole was simply more exciting and memorable.