Maranello, home of dreams and a motoring mecca. In the rolling hills of northern Italy, the industrial town in the heartland of ceramics offers a little more than pretty pots. The town's name is synonymous with one industry, the production of cars that are stimulants for the soul. Michael McAleer reports.
It's lunchtime and the streets are lined with workers, in full Ferrari garb and overalls, lazing in the sun before returning to work.
Ferrari's operations are divided by the main street. To the left, the production plant for the road cars. To the right, the Gestione Sportivo, home to one of Formula One's most successful racing teams. At its rear lies the Fiorano test track. In the middle of the track, next to the pit garage sits a two-story period villa. This was the office of founder Enzo until his death 15 years ago. Today it has been converted to an apartment for Michael Schumacher when he comes to the track for testing.
Ferrari's entire operation employs about 2,800 staff, 800 of which work on racing development and production, and another 500 on Maserati. Inside the factory and it's a long way from the traditional auto plant.
Recently listed in Fortune magazine as one of the 10 best European companies to work for, staff at the engine facility work under a tinted glass roof, amid banana trees and in a spotlessly clean environment that one would better associate with a pharmaceutical plant. There is no cacophany of noise, just the gentle buzz of machinery that doesn't restrict normal conversation.
On average it takes 21 days from foundry to complete car. So far, they have produced about 100 Enzos, with production finishing at the end of next year. Average production per day is 0.7 Enzos, 14 eight-cylinder cars like the 360, and nine 12-cylinder cars, like the 575 and 456.
Every car that comes of the production line will have completed 120km of road testing, and when initial engine testing is added on, your new car will have completed 500km by the time you pull out of the Maranello garage.
Across the road, at the Fiorano test track and, in the pit lane, the suave Italian figure of Dario Bennuzi steps out of the Enzo. He's just completed a couple of 180mph fast laps in the car, ending with a 360-degree spin. Bennuzi lives Ferrari. Its leading test driver, he approves the development of the cars. While Schumacher gave regular advice during the early days of the Enzo, it was Bennuzi who pounded out mile after mile in the car on a daily basis. Bennuzi and Enzo are one.
We're joined by two of his more junior test drivers. The uniform here is slightly different from the Ferrari overalls. It seems to consist of cords, black leather jackets, black poloneck and, of course, the regulation sunglasses. The three drivers look more suited to the catwalks of Rome than the pit lanes of Fiorano.
We join Andrea Bertolino in a glorious red 575 Maranello, trimmed in cream leather, and offering a top speed of 202mph from its V12 5.8-litre engine with a 0-60mph in just over 4.3 seconds.
He couldn't get more Italian if he burst into a verse of Rigoletto. His cool demeanour and friendly disposition serve to calm the situation and distract us from the fact we are hurtling towards the 180-degree right at 145mph. But then you have to be pretty cool to drive a fire-red Ferrari. So we join in the act as best we can.
With 220 metres to go before we run out of road, he's actually speeding up...180 metres...cool as ice, let's not let the side down...150 metres, we crack a smile with that "my aren't we going fast towards that wall", kind of expression...120 metres from what appears to be our final mortal moments. At this stage the debate inside our head divides between the nonchalant "he does this every day" school of thought, versus the "can he see out of those sunglasses...my God, maybe he's blind" school. Just before 100 metres we feel we ought to note the fact that there's a 180-degree corner approaching. "Sharp corner ahead," we foolishly inform one of the full-time Ferrari test drivers. On cue he hits the enormous brakes, buries the car into the corner and runs on the kerbs.
There's no mistaking the pulling power or torque in this car. Frequently people ask us to explain torque. From now on we're going to refer them to Andrea. Every time he changes gear, we're thrown back into the seat as the new wave of power springs from the engine onto the road. We're taking it easy at times, but even then the power of the 5.8-litre 515bhp engine is awesome.
Yet it's noisy enough, when pushed to the limit, to really annoy the neighbours. And they're not far away. At the exit of the last corner before the longest straight, three blocks of flats overlook the track. As we tear past, it seems like the designer Y-fronts on the washing line swing in the breeze. As the track is used every week, the only answer must be that they are the apartments of absolute petrolheads, spy photographers, or the Maranello community for the deaf.
After a couple of demonstration laps with the Enzo, it's time to leave Dario and his boys to get on with their hard daily slog of throwing Ferraris around the test track. It's a hardship that will stick with us for years to come.