- 5th August 2006
With the Baja having 200HP, and the Ferrari 400HP, it's obvious the
Ferrari is going to win on the road. The Ferrari is fairly light but still
heavier than the Baja, and combined with traction issues the Baja isn't
twice as slow as you'd first think.
0-100kph in the Baja passes in about 6 seconds flat, maybe high 5's if you
really launch it hard. Traction is never an issue in the Baja, as it feels
like it wants to wheel stand in first and again into second - the soft
suspension accentuating the effect with the front lifting to full travel.
0-100kph in the Ferrari 360 Spider is simple to achieve, and all done in
about 4.5 seconds. With 400HP you'd normally fight for traction, if you
didn't have traction control (also helped by the fly-by-wire throttle).
Gear shifts are virtually instant, thanks to the F1 style paddle shift
semi-auto (which incidentally as an option costs about as much as the
Baja!). As it screams it's way to 100kph and beyond the V8 sounds more
like the Baja's V6 than a traditional V8 you'd find in a muscle car.
The paddle shift semi auto is definitely cool, it has a traditional clutch
which is controlled by the computer. There is no clutch pedal.
Inside the car's the Ferrari is roomy for a sports car, and noisy for
something worth $300K+. But noisy in a good way. The induction and exhaust
noise of the Ferrari is constantly behind you, letting you know it’s
still there waiting to be unleased. The computer even blips the throttle
on down shifts to match speed and rpm. The suspension also transmits every
little bump in the road.
The Baja is quiet, refined and comfortable over the rough QLD roads in
comparison. In fact the quote from the Ferrari owner when taken for a spin
in the Baja being “I can’t believe how smooth it is”. Driving
normally will give you a quiet ride, the mud tyres being the loudest
noise. That’s until you hit the throttle and let the quad cam V6 spin
towards the 8,000rpm redline. The result being a satisfying induction roar
and screaming exhaust note to challenge the sounds of the Ferrari. It’s
only a challenge though, as the Ferrari is quite the mechanical symphony.
Off road is no contest of course. The Ferrari is scared of most suburban
drive-ways (hence the photo’s on the street), so even the road is too
off road for it. It is a super car after all. The Baja is on the other hand
an off road car, so loves the hills, dirt, mud, sand, whatever. The high
soft suspension, offroad tyres and lack of sway-bars allowing the VW to
embarrass most 4WD’s off road.
This of course has the opposite effect when faced with corners. The Baja
getting plenty of body rolls in corners, and howls of disapproval from the
mud tyres if pushed too hard. It still handles reasonably, but can be out
cornered by most low budget front wheel drives. The Ferrari on the other
hand loves the corners, this is where the stiff suspension is rewarded.
You will out-handle almost everything on the road. You will however pay
for this type of driving with expensive tyre bills.
But how do they pull the birds? Well I have found the Baja works on
teenage females, and gets a lot of "it's cute" comments, but
doesn't really pull the birds. The Ferrari on the other hand gets plenty
of attention. A little too much male attention though...
But of course if I really want to go fast in a straight line, I would buy
a bike. In fact I have one, and yes it does accelerate quicker than the
Ferrari. It’s also more fun in the corners, but that’s another
story…
Sunday - 6th August
I had someone say they didn't see the point of
the comparison above, it was "one of the worst comparisons ever"
and "like comparing sh*t to chocolate". 
Well of course you can't
compare a Ferrari with a Baja! 
I just went for a ride in a Ferrari, and thought I'd write a mock comparison for fun! More interesting than saying "I went for a ride in a Ferrari"...
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