Now that's what I call a road-trip!
With an exhaust sound that only a brace of Ferrari's can produce, two 599 GTB Fiorano super cars roared into downtown Toronto. This was a
welcome stop-over to an event which will finally end in New York City on the 17th.
It had been a long grueling trip for this pair, as they started their journey on the 24th August in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Now after 20,000 miles on some of the most challenging roads that the America's have to offer, it was time for me to learn more about their amazing adventure.
Although the Panamerican 20,000 is not an actual race, it recalls to mind the iconic road races of the past, such as the Mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana.
The event included 15 stages, during the course of which, a team of automotive journalists from around the world shared the glory of driving (Am I jealous? You bet your life I am!)
Of course, it wasn't all plain sailing for them. Yes, they did get to enjoy
some of the world's most amazing scenery through the windows of what can only be described as "a dream car". However, they also had to endure 20,000 arduous miles, much of them spent traveling on roads which were, perhaps, more suited to SUV's than to ultra-high performance Ferrari's.
Then of course, there were the variations in weather conditions to consider. It can get pretty chilly up in some of the mountainous regions. Not to worry, I'm sure that they warmed up nicely in other parts, like the Brazilian jungle or when crossing the Arizona desert.
When you think about it, this would be a formidable task to undertake in any vehicle, let alone in a highly-tuned Ferrari. In fact, my hearts goes out to them for enduring it.
No, I'm not talking about the journalists. Those lucky devils aren't getting any of my sympathy, I'm talking about those two beautiful Ferrari's!
This brings me to the most amazing thing about this whole venture. Which is, just how much confidence the company has in their new 559 GTB Fiorano. To put these vehicles through such an endurance trial as they did
demonstrates to the world that not all super cars are temperamental playthings of the rich and famous.
Naturally, there were a few minor problems along the way. Tires obviously had to be changed as some of the roads encountered were little more than gravel tracks. In fact, I understand that two of the very expensive wheels had to be changed due to road damage.
I also discovered that at one point in Bolivia, the cars were running on 71 octane fuel. I wouldn't even run my lawnmower on that, let alone a 600+hp V12 Ferrari.
Luckily, Ferrari had Shell as their main sponsor, so apart from an occasional fueling problem due to the vast distances traveled, and logistic issues involved with delivering fuel to such remote areas, the vehicles ran mostly on Shell's V-Power gasoline. Shell also supplied all the oils and lubricants for the vehicles throughout the Panamerican 20,000.
With an exhaust sound that only a brace of Ferrari's can produce, two 599 GTB Fiorano super cars roared into downtown Toronto. This was a
 |
| Ferrari Panamerican 20,000 (Photo: Kevin Corrigan) |
It had been a long grueling trip for this pair, as they started their journey on the 24th August in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Now after 20,000 miles on some of the most challenging roads that the America's have to offer, it was time for me to learn more about their amazing adventure.
Although the Panamerican 20,000 is not an actual race, it recalls to mind the iconic road races of the past, such as the Mille Miglia and the Carrera Panamericana.
The event included 15 stages, during the course of which, a team of automotive journalists from around the world shared the glory of driving (Am I jealous? You bet your life I am!)
Of course, it wasn't all plain sailing for them. Yes, they did get to enjoy
 |
| Ferrari Panamerican 20,000 (Photo: Kevin Corrigan) |
Then of course, there were the variations in weather conditions to consider. It can get pretty chilly up in some of the mountainous regions. Not to worry, I'm sure that they warmed up nicely in other parts, like the Brazilian jungle or when crossing the Arizona desert.
When you think about it, this would be a formidable task to undertake in any vehicle, let alone in a highly-tuned Ferrari. In fact, my hearts goes out to them for enduring it.
No, I'm not talking about the journalists. Those lucky devils aren't getting any of my sympathy, I'm talking about those two beautiful Ferrari's!
This brings me to the most amazing thing about this whole venture. Which is, just how much confidence the company has in their new 559 GTB Fiorano. To put these vehicles through such an endurance trial as they did
 |
| Ferrari Panamerican 20,000 (Photo: Kevin Corrigan) |
Naturally, there were a few minor problems along the way. Tires obviously had to be changed as some of the roads encountered were little more than gravel tracks. In fact, I understand that two of the very expensive wheels had to be changed due to road damage.
I also discovered that at one point in Bolivia, the cars were running on 71 octane fuel. I wouldn't even run my lawnmower on that, let alone a 600+hp V12 Ferrari.
Luckily, Ferrari had Shell as their main sponsor, so apart from an occasional fueling problem due to the vast distances traveled, and logistic issues involved with delivering fuel to such remote areas, the vehicles ran mostly on Shell's V-Power gasoline. Shell also supplied all the oils and lubricants for the vehicles throughout the Panamerican 20,000.