“Don’t make me angry,” scowled my instructor, the third time he felt it necessary to slam his foot on the safety brake in the passenger footwell of the Ferrari California I was driving.
But really, what did he expect? It was my first time in a sports car – I’m not the kind of guy that gets handed the keys to a Ferrari every day, and I was going to make the most of it.
“Sometimes I fear for my life,” he confided later, seemingly without a hint of irony.
I’m at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi to try out a new test-drive experience. Launched in May, it is a world-first for the brand, offering everyday folk like me the chance to tootle round Yas Island (not the racetrack, the island – on real roads) in a supercharged convertible capable of reaching speeds of 100kph in less than four seconds, and worth more than my home.
Sitting behind the wheel, I feel a strange mix of excitement and fear. It felt a bit like going to interview a very famous person – I was excited about the experience ahead, but scared of embarrassing myself under the pressure. But, mainly, I just wanted to skip forward half an hour to the bit where I can say I’ve done it (and possibly post a selfie).
First, however, I sat down for a briefing, delivered by Italian test drive supervisor Marco Cavigioli. A veteran racing driver who won the Intercontinental Rally Challenge 2WD in 2008, Cavigioli has worked for Ferrari since 1998 and arrived in Abu Dhabi just weeks ago to launch the test drives.
He reels off an incomprehensible list of numbers, specs and acronyms, while waving a wand at an electronic screen detailing hairpin turns and “visual targets”. He uses the phrase “fluid and progressive” a lot.
To me, it all meant about as much as a tour of the Starship Enterprise, but from my notes (and some help from Wikipedia) I can tell you – with only limited confidence – that I drove a 2012 Ferrari California, with a V8 direct-injection, 4.3 litre engine and a horsepower of 490 (four times that of my car).
What does all that mean? That the car can go really, really fast – reaching speeds of 312kph.
“But we’re only going to 300kph,” says Cavigioli. I’m relieved when the laughter around me confirms this is a joke.
Within a few seconds of hitting the highway, I got my first telling off – I was doing 170kph. Just like that. The power of this car was phenomenal.
And an idiot could drive it. It’s an automatic – kind of. Using the snazzy Formula One-style pads on the steering wheel I could change the gears manually – but only if the inbuilt computer thought it was a good idea. Oh, and there’s no need for a clutch. It’s this combination of power and ease of use that makes sports cars so sought after – and so dangerous.
My instructor – a Spanish pro named Jorge Clara, who has been racing since he was 10 – leads me along a pre-planned route, which takes a little more than 20 minutes to navigate. Midway through, Clara switches up from the “comfort” to the “sport” mode, unlocking more of the car’s power and toning down the inbuilt idiot-proof electronics. Next, we enter an empty, single-lane tarmac where I’m invited to floor it from zero. The needle spiked just below 200kph – barely halfway around the dial.
Coming back into land, a crowd of young women begin waving and taking photos of the car – and us. The appeal of such a vehicle is becoming ever clearer.
Stepping out, my hair pointing at angles that defied the laws of physics, I approach the pros for some feedback.
“You like to go fast and you were good at looking in the right direction,” says Clara angrily. “But you wanted more to drive than to listen to what I was saying.”
But really, as I said all along – if you give the keys to a Ferrari to someone like me, just what do you expect?
• The Driving Experience costs Dh600, plus Dh100 for an extra guest in the car and general park entry from Dh250. Find out more from www.ferrariworldabudhabi.com
rgarratt@thenational.ae
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If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
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Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5