Here it is (forgive me quoting myself, but I guess I'm just an arrogant git!)
I kinda feel that whilst "modern" Ferrari are stunning devices for going fast. Stylistically though, they have not improved since the 308 shape (I'd like to stress that this is merely my own somewhat moronic opinion). And if a 308 were made of flesh and blood and stuffed full of nandralone, the 288 would be the likely outcome.
Performance wise, it is very impressive. Around Silverstone, a Stradale is a great thing; it has a incredible precision, a very linear power delivery, and an awesome amount of grip. But it is a new millenium car. The 288 is from a different age. It has 400bhp, but it delivers it in an altogether more visceral way. The turbocharged engine deliveres the power in huge lumps that are quite a kick in the back, and it barks and snorts in a more "earthy" way than a modern car. The car rolls a bit, and the tyres shriek like a peeled rat in a bucket of salt, but the subjective sense of speed is enormous. And very, very satisfying from a passenger viewpoint.
Interestingly though, when asking Joe what top speed he squeezed out of the Strad on Monday, he reckons 135-140 Mph was about the right figure; Peter (the owner\driver of the 288) said we hit 160 Mph at the fastest point, so clearly in top speed term, it ain't no slouch!
I'm not sure how these sensations compare with the F40, but the F40 is designed as a track car (rather like the Strad I suppose) and the 288 is a road car, and has to acquiesce to road car sensibilities such as ride height.
My head would say F40, but both my heart and testicles say 288GTO.
Now all I need is 6 numbers on Saturday night and I can own a true supercar......
I hope the new owner, whoever they may be, uses it the way it was intended.
