Ferrari is the childhood dream of almost every little boy. The desire to drive the dream red "sports car" with an inimitable sound does not decrease over the years, but on the contrary, it grows. And when you least expect it, you stand in mute amazement in front of the red Ferrari 458 Spider, which is all yours for the weekend.
The red key in hand, however, raises one small but quite significant problem: where to go with a car of Ferrari's caliber? Which road is worthy of amplifying an experience of such intensity?
Unfortunately, at this time of year, most of the obvious answers like the Dolomites of Cortina d'Ampezzo or the Stelvio Pass are covered in a thick layer of white snow, and the only motorized vehicles that will have the honor of going there until late spring are snow groomers. So it was necessary to literally aim lower.
The 458 Spider is not the newest, fastest or most expensive Ferrari to ever leave the gates of Maranello. After all, its successor, the 488, has been on the market for almost three years. But in the hearts of many, the 458 triumphs over all others, and as the last naturally aspirated V8, it is considered the real Ferrari, untainted by turbos and the pursuit of emissions.
On Saturday morning, we don't waste a second and set off towards Semmering at dawn. The rapid movement along the motorway is accompanied by a lifting fog, which suddenly, as if by miracle, reveals a beautiful azure blue sky. Already on the motorway, the Ferrari confirms its reputation. Perhaps the simplest cabin we have had the honor of seeing so far clearly indicates who is the most important person in the car. The perfect orientation towards the driver is illustrated by the fact that all the functions are turned directly towards him. However, at that moment, a person doesn't really care. The only thing you can concentrate on at that moment is the fact that you are sitting in a Ferrari. In your hand is the steering wheel, on which at first the turn signals and lights are placed ridiculously instead of the traditional radio and cruise control controls. However, the steering wheel, covered in buttons, works perfectly in your hands, everything is where it should be and suddenly you don't understand why it's not like that in all cars.
A quick glance in the rearview mirrors shows you wide red sides, occasionally you catch a glimpse of protruding door handles, and then it slowly dawns on you. You're sitting in a Ferrari, it's not just a boy's dream.
After a quick drive, we pull off the highway at Semmering to finally stretch the 458's "legs". The sun is shining, the roof is down and we head towards Kalte Kuchl. This tiny pass, a stone's throw from Semmering, is a small expressway through the forests of Lower Austria. High climbs are interspersed with sharp turns with parachutes, all running in and out of the forest groves. I set the Manetta (driving mode selector) to Sport mode as if it were cut out of Formula 1 and off we go. If you've ever heard the sound of a Ferrari eight-cylinder in the city, try multiplying that sound perception by ten and you might get closer to what a 4.5-liter V8 sounds like among the forest trees at nine thousand (no, that's not a typo) revolutions per minute. The music coming from the back is not the roar of an engine, but a symphony orchestra attempting to imitate a storm that heralds the end of the world. Add to that the absence of a roof and you are bombarded with so many sensations that you stop breathing.
The road from Kalte Kuchl gradually leads us to the small town of Mariazell, where we find other beautiful roads in the vicinity. Suddenly we are not sorry that we did not get to Italy or Switzerland, because the perfectly groomed Austrian asphalt, which is revealed with every kilometer, gives us the opportunity to discover new, previously undiscovered ones. We come across roads full of fast hairpin bends, only to come to a series of wide switchbacks a few kilometers later.
Unfortunately, the day is too short at this time of year, and when the dark evening begins to mix with light rain, it's high time to head to the hotel.
In the parking lot in front of a small Austrian inn, we have time to think about the Ferrari 458 Spider for the first time. Many say that it is not the most beautiful Ferrari they have ever seen and to be honest, we did not like it for a long time either. But when you stand in front of it and have the chance to look at it and look at it, you suddenly find that you cannot take your eyes off it. Like a painting that has caught your attention for some reason. Its sharp edges mixed with graceful curves will win you over sooner or later. The Ferrari simply oozes charisma like nothing else.
After a few beers to calm down and a night full of leftover adrenaline, we decide to take a risk in the morning. Hopefully we will be lucky and at least one more high pass will be open. Our route therefore heads towards two, although lesser known, but all the more exceptional passes: Solk Pass and Nockalm.
With its narrow profile, the Solk Pass is initially a supercar nightmare. Add to that the drizzle and temperatures approaching freezing point and you start to question your conscience as to why you came up with the stupid idea of climbing to 2000 meters above sea level in October. Fortunately, the descent from the pass erases all these doubts. The sun is shining again, the road has widened and the Ferrari can once again teach us a lesson in fast sprinting forward. The force with which 560 horsepower shoots you towards the horizon is difficult to describe. All your senses are suddenly subjected to overpressure. Another bend is approaching at the speed of light before your eyes, and while you peripherally see the needle of the huge yellow tachometer flying upwards, your ears are bleeding from the roar of the engine. All your internal organs are trying to rearrange themselves in your body at that moment. You come to your senses, step on the giant carbon brakes, and the aforementioned organs snap back into place at the speed of light. It's something so addictive it should be banned.
When we reach the Austrian Nockalmstrasse, I finally get the courage to move the Manettino to my next setting, Race. Everything is a little faster at the moment and especially the back of the car is a lot livelier than before. Despite its width, you drive the car like an arrow. It dives into the corners without the slightest hesitation. All you have to do is downshift two gears on the huge paddles, turn, step on the gas, and if you have the courage, the car will reward you with a wonderful drift. Anyone who has been on the legendary Nockalm road knows that there is enough space for such escapades and we drive there and back despite the occasional drizzle until the evening, until we really don't have to go back home.
It's very difficult to rate the Ferrari 458 Spider as a car. Because the fact that Ferrari is exceptional is very difficult to express in words. Numbers like power or torque only tell a very small part of the story that Ferrari has been writing for seventy years.
Ferrari has always been and will always be about emotion, about how you feel, whether you are behind the wheel, a passenger or a passerby. Everything you see, hear, touch is a little different from any other car. I didn't get the 458 Spider to do even a tenth of what it can do in a few days. It demands enormous respect and humility. And that's what gives it its aura of exclusivity.
There are cars in the world. Then there are very good cars. And then there is Ferrari. There is no other way to sum up this weekend. Ferrari 458 Spider, it was an honor!
Text and photos: Richard Wohlstein
