SSC uses real-time information to calculate
a side-slip 'target' value - think of this as the perfect cornering attitude to
achieve maximum speed - and then plots where the car is in relation to that
value. Now SSC uses the E-diff to shift the car's balance closer to that target
value. If the slip angle is smaller than the target value, the E-diff is
unlocked to increase agility. Should your side slip be greater than the target
value (i.e. oversteer), the E-diff will lock up for greater stability. The SSC
system also utilises traction control if necessary, but by manipulating the
E-diff it's said to greatly reduce those moments when the electronic leash
strangles the engine. It's so good, says Ferrari, that even the fastest drivers
are quicker with SSC in operation. In 'CT Off mode it's ac its most effective,
giving up to 65 per cent more longitudinal acceleration on comer exit and
requiring 30 per cent less steering movement. Even the engineers admit that
describing how SSC operates is very tricky, but they promise we'll feel it and
love it. I already do. I mean, how can you not love an electronic system that
actively works to create slip angle? Genius.
The
Ferrari's interior is a very civilised affair with manettino dial manages
gearbox, ABS, suspension, e-diff and stability control functions
It's gone midnight when I go to bed with a
belly full of pasta and a head full of questions. Can the Speciale really be
that much better than the brilliant Italia? Should any old numpty be able to
get into it and drive it to 99 per cent thanks to some electronic black magic?
Will all those numbers add up to a tangibly different character? Most
importantly, has feel and feedback been built into the many equations that seem
to make up this crazy car?
Central
stalk inspired by LaFerrari supercar. The key button is marked simply ‘Launch’.
Apollo rockets had something similar
A bright red key is pressed into my hand at
9.13am and we need robe back here at Fiorano by 4pm in order to get a few laps
on the track before it gets too dark. The roads we want to drive in this car
are precisely 56 miles away and our pace will be limited by a Lancia Musa
photography vehicle. Let's call it just over an hour each way, which leaves us
four hours to shoot a cover, a full feature and a video. I love the franticness
of these types of launches but in the melee it's sometimes difficult to just
drive. If you're lucky you'll grab maybe 10 or 20 minutes with nothing else to
think about other than the car and the road. I'm worried that on a drizzly
November day and with so much to do, it might be impossible to be truly
definitive about the Speciale. I'm praying for that 20-minure window of selfish
enjoyment.
Four-point
harnesses can be annoying in the Ferrari; we'd prefer a normal three-point inertial
reel belt
On the A1 away from Modena things don't
seem very promising. It's raining and although I know the mountains are out
there somewhere, their peaks are shrouded in impenetrable fog. Even so, the
Speciale is quickly working its way into my affections. In fact I was pretty
smitten as soon as I laid eyes on it this morning under leaden grey skies. A
little lower and pumped up with aero vanes and side fins, an extended rear
spoiler and a deep rear venturi system, the Speciale looks so much more aggressive
than the Italia.
