Ferrari 599 Fiorano — Smooth Superpower
A few short years ago, if you had your heart set on a street-legal production car that would break the 200-mph barrier with reasonable control, it was a short list that included the rare Bugatti EB110 and McLaren, along with a couple of very limited models from Ferrari and Lamborghini. All were a thrill to drive, but taking a long road trip in a Ferrari F40 or Saleen S7 was not a relaxing way to travel.

Even many sub-200-mph supercars are not the logical choice for a long drive. Twenty years ago, I drove a new Lamborghini Diablo from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I still remember stopping each hour to do a regimen of stretching exercises to complete the trip without suffering chiropractic damage. And no, it wasn’t a two-hour drive.

Every supercar is great looking and impossibly fast, but most are only suitable for short trips on perfectly paved roads or racetracks. But Ferrari’s magnificent 599 GTB Fiorano is a joy to drive, and unless you unleash the 611 prancing horses, it simply feels like a luxurious grand touring car. And even over patchy pavement, the magnetic shock damping delivers a smooth, quiet ride.

Parked at the curb, the 599 looks like a rather normal Ferrari, and at first glance the uninitiated observer might think it’s a kissing cousin to the larger 612 Scaglietti or 575 Maranello models. But take a closer look and you’ll find every curve of the bodywork and every air vent has absolute purpose, yet they all intersect to create a luscious shape. Still, our metallic grey 599 did not create the instant excitement of an F55. Until I hit the start button.

The Fiorano’s highly-tuned V12 awakes with a sound that is so sweet it should be patented. The exhaust note is powerful, but so smooth and subtle it’s almost absent at low to normal speeds inside the leather-rich cabin. Getting underway is accomplished with a flick of a delicate toggle control in the center console where the shift gate used to reside.

If you wish, you can select "Automatic" for the F1 gearbox, a rather amazing move in a car that can lunge to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds on its way to a 205-mph top speed. But after a little drive in "A" to test the smoothness, I moved to the magnesium paddles behind the carbon fiber Formula One-style steering wheel. That same wheel includes red LEDs that light in progression as the engine approaches its 8,500-rpm redline.

Accelerating through the gears in this Ferrari takes a stout heart, a willing passenger, and lots of bail money if you decide to continue past third gear on public roads. At any speed, or even parked at the curb, you come to understand why any person of sound mind would part with the kind of small fortune these cars actually command. I would still have my test 599 as I write this, but they made me give it back.
— Brian Douglas

Specifications

Type: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine: 6.0-liter, 65-degree V12

Horsepower: 611 @ 7,600 rpm

Torque: 448 foot-pounds @ 5,600 rpm

Base Price: $316,000

As Tested: $358,000

Fuel Economy: 11 city/15 hwy


Venus Williams

Acura Tennis Leaving La Costa
Looking for love this summer, as in tennis? The Acura Classic, in its 24th year, runs from July 28 through August 5. According to the tournament’s public relations firm, this will be the last year it will be at long-running host site La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, which transforms itself from luxe to a world-class tennis venue. This premier event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour attracts tennis’s superstars, with this year being no exception. Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, and Venus Williams hold court, while vying for nearly $1.4 million in prize money. Attend as a single or come as doubles; tickets range from $70 for the weekday pass to the $1400 Platinum Package, which gets you VIP treatment and an invitation to the Wimbledon Brunch. In addition to great game, the Acura Classic benefits over a dozen charities, including the Acura Classic Benefit for Breast Cancer and Youth Tennis San Diego. (760/438-5683, www.acuraclassic.com) — E.S. Magill

Surface

Play The Tables
It’s rare I promote gadgets not available yet, but this one felt exciting enough to get the buzz started. Straight from the Spielberg film Minority Report, Microsoft has announced that they will release their first "sensitive table tops" within the next three years. Simply called Surface, the tables are essentially 30-inch computer monitors that allow users to view and interact with a number of media source applications. "Sensitive" in this case means more than simple touch screen technology — the table will employ sensor technology, meaning that you don’t need to physically touch the table to interact with the media. Simply waving your hand over it, or performing recognizable movements over it, will cause it to react. Microsoft sites the example of the paintbrush program, which will let users paint pictures on the table by reaching out and pretending to grab a brush, Then, by simulating brush strokes in the air, the image appears. The table will also recognize certain objects placed on top of it, and can be enjoyed by many users at one time. Estimated costs of the Surface tables are currently at $10,000, but Microsoft says they are trying to get the price down before they hit the stores. (www.microsoft.com/surface)

LiveScribe Smart Pen

Speak And Spell
Smart pens have been around for a while, and the latest addition, The LiveScribe Pen, has improved upon old ideas. Before, most pens merely remembered what you wrote by recognizing the hand motions and later transfering the notes to a word processing program (pretty cool stuff in its own right). LiveScribe’s Pen adds the ability to record audio notes specifically associated to what you’re writing, which it will automatically link up to the notes later in a PC. Let’s say you mumbled, "Call Bill on Tuesday," as you wrote down his number. The pen will convert that audio to text and link it to the number in a wordprocessing program. It’ll record up to 100 hours of audio, and additional applications will follow, such as the ability to solve mathematical equations. A limited number will be offered in September for $200. Interested parties can apply for one now on the company’s Web site. (www.livescribe.com)

MediaMate

DVR Wherever You Are
Blue Raven’s new DVR viewer, MediaMate, is, for now, the newest way to get your "TiVoed" movies and TV shows on a portable device (Apple’s Video iPod still hasn’t solved this trick). The device has a seven-inch high definition screen with the ability to scale up for outputting to HDTV sets. With 40 and 80 gigs of memory, depending on which model you purchase, and add ons such as a scheduler, wireless remote (not sure why you’d need a remote with a pocket-sized device), and three in one card reader (for additional memory sticks) The Blue Raven pocket DVR is probably the device you want to pick up if you’re the type who likes to TiVo the week’s shows to watch later on your lunch break or on a car ride. Prices run $329 for the 40-gig version, and $429 for the 80-gig version. (www.blueraven.com)
— Ryan Thomas
 
 


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