Trial of the Ferrari range for the inauguration of SF Grand Est

While a few weeks ago I told you by chance about my brand of heart by revealing some photos of the XX at the Nürburgring here I am ready to tell you about my first time at the wheel of a Ferrari. It was on the occasion of the opening of a brand new dealership in Mulhouse that Ferrari West Europe invited me to a little roadtrip from Paris at the wheel of a few models from the range. Engine Start!

After a fire in 2016 destroyed the dealership, a whole new page was to be written for Modena Motors. Historically based in the Haut-Rhin for 35 years, this major partner of Ferrari sells up to 150 cars a year, new and used alike, thus becoming the 2nd national distributor. To mark the occasion, President Jérémy Mennechet and his teams have chosen to say goodbye to the old surname and now proudly display the name of SF Grand Est.

An inauguration evening was then organized this Wednesday, October 16 to allow some 400 guests to discover this new setting dedicated to passion and sportsmanship. In this brand new 4500 m² building, sporting the manufacturer's latest visual identity, you will find everything you need to maintain your car, but also take the keys to your new toy or even configure your future Ferrari model in the best possible way. . With a whole bunch of colors, materials, seats or rims, it is now possible to have a copy in your image and almost unique.

But before that, in the company of 5 other bloggers and youtubers, I then had the chance to leave from the capital the same morning at the wheel of 3 copies at the Cavallino Rampante. A good initiative on the part of the manufacturer to immerse us in the world of Ferrari and put ourselves in the shoes of a customer.

It is at the wheel of the Ferrari Portofino that we begin this journey with Marie Lizak from Une Fille Au Volant. With its 600 hp twin-turbo V8 under the bonnet, it embodies Ferrari's entry-level. The least powerful, the least expensive, certainly, but not the least interesting. While she was perhaps for me the one I knew the least, I finally literally fell in love with her. I've always been a fan of real convertibles, those that really give us the impression of being in the open air, this coupé-cabriolet introduced by the California in 2008 is the perfect example. And if the roof is closed, it is almost muffled with an absence of wind noise and an engine calms down in 7th gear, once the latter is folded down (while driving up to 40 km/h) you enter a completely different universe of vocalization. Expressive, unpredictable and dazzling, it transports us to a dream. – Yes, there, you notice that I lose objectivity. – Its ease of handling and its versatility, especially when I walked alone part of the night in Mulhouse, blew me away. But beware, ease does not mean Ferrari at a discount. Because with its 0 to 100 km / h slammed in 3.5 seconds and a rear transmission, virility is always in order. When it comes to going to stretch the mechanics in the sublime Ballons des Vosges, it does not take long to understand that it is not to be put in all hands. A few slips call us to order then the instantaneous acceleration, without having to be ashamed of an electric car, slams us into the seat with panache; the moment to brake then comes to add a good dose of thrills, the large carbon-ceramic discs stop us in an instant. A huge smile does not leave my face as each curve is swallowed faster and faster, in a bewildering din. This is automotive passion!

Then, who evokes Ferrari, inevitably thinks of the V12. And it's an impressive 800 hp 812 Superfast that gives us this pleasure. We then exchange the keys during the day and take a seat, almost with apprehension, behind the wheel. This 812 tosses us between two worlds, Formula 1 and the Muscle Car. With a shrill sound and an engine swaying with every press of the accelerator pedal, goosebumps appear on my arms. As with the little Portofino, but with even more sensations here, we take pleasure in forgetting the Auto mode to get by with the paddles. We go through the reports one after the other with disconcerting speed, just like the engine which never seems to run out of steam. 0 to 100 km/h in 2, 9 seconds is a formality and you would already be at 200 km/h without even realizing it (7.9 s). Ferrari is first an engine, then it's a way of driving, but it's also a style recognizable at first glance. As often, I generally remain dubious during the unveiling of a new model, with a few elements that strike me as wrong, then my heart ends up softening by dint of crossing them, before ending in adoration. The 812 was no exception to this rule, but this intimate encounter with a Giallo Tristrato livery accelerated this process. So grounded and broad-shouldered, the beast is downright intimidating on the road. At the wheel too, with its long bonnet decorated with large air intakes and its prominent fenders, we realize what we have in our hands. It too is just waiting to slide and it is even more difficult to apprehend it when we are not pilots. Fierce, it requires a real commitment to whip it in the winding but our one-day Superfast rips the bitumen with such impressive grip that we always ask for more.

Finally, it was at the wheel of the GTC4 Lusso T that we went to the inauguration in the early evening. I'm not going to hide from you right away that I was disappointed by the much more discreet sound than her friends. On the other hand, the Ferrari DNA is still present. Unlike the big sister in V12, this Lusso T inherits the biturbo V8 developing here 611 hp. At the same time, it loses the 4-wheel drive for a power sent here only to the rear wheels, enough to make the butt waddle again in style. The 4 steering wheels are still there and make it amazingly agile for a 4m92 car. A fan of roadtrips, I imagine myself taking family or friends on a ride, discovering Europe, in such a characterful car. With 4 real seats and a 450 liter trunk,

During the festivities, one of the Prancing Horse's senior officials, Enrico Galliera (Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer), was delighted to present the F8 Spider for one of its first outings outside of Maranello. The F8 Tributo, so named to pay homage to the V8 that makes engineers proud by being voted Engine of the Year 4 times in a row,already take off the top. The performances of these small berlinettas are today worthy of the best hypercars of the beginning of this decade. Thanks to a design coming directly from the competition, taking for example the cooling system of the 488 Challenge or a very elaborate aero with a whole bunch of air intakes with a well-defined function, they explode the lap times. Its 720 hp V8 still allows it to reach 100 km/h in 2.9s too, thanks to the hard work on the weight (1400 kg).

Finally, we can only thank the passion of Guillaume, Experience Manager and organizer of this event, towards the brand which will have given everything to exhibit the most beautiful models. Among others Enzo, LaFerrari or 599 GTO we had the chance to be able to turn around the impressive Ferrari Monza SP1 tray or the very latest SF90 Stradale which announces the future of the brand with its 1000 hp hybrid engine.

In addition to the usual possibilities, this investment of 5 million euros will allow customers or future customers to benefit from exceptional services. Security that can accommodate several dozen cars is now possible, as is a transport service. The workshop is equipped with all the latest technologies to meet Ferrari Approved requirements and is increasingly interested in competition and collector's items. By also buying the PACA region sites in Aix-en-Provence and Cannes, we can see a bright future for Ferrari in France.

If we are delighted to have been able to attend this revival of Ferrari Mulhouse, beautiful projects and challenges are still to come in the future, but in the meantime do not hesitate to come and discover this new space, which only Dubai and New York sported the 2019 codes until today, in person in Sausheim or on their social networks @ferrari_sfgrandest. They will be delighted to welcome you.