Driving a Ferrari 488 Spider around Bathurst

It is not enough to be athletic or stylish, winning friends in the sports car world requires offering something no one else can.

That's the thinking behind Ferrari's Bathurst Esperienza, an experience that brings customers closer to the brand while exhibiting the performance potential of its cars.

The Esperienza gives customers a chance to drive the most famous track in Australia during the Bathurst 12 Hour weekend, an event that has become a must-do for prestige performance brands including Audi, Porsche and Mercedes-AMG. Open to Ferrari customers (as well as a handful of journalists), Ferrari's Bathurst event reflects the length the Italian brand goes to to entertain and retain some of its wealthy clients.

Prices for the Esperienza start at $995 to see the race in style, but the full track-day treatment costs over $6,000 for multiple hot lap attempts on the mountain. Owners also get access to Ferrari's private suite above the pits as well as glamping accommodation at the historic Abercrombie House just out of town.

Mount Panorama is hallowed ground. Like many people, I watched the Bathurst 1000 regularly when growing up, and plenty of laps on the PlayStation helped commit the track to memory. Still, nothing could have prepared me for the out of body experience of driving the mountain at speed.

Racing is in Ferrari's DNA. The manufacturer is the oldest and most successful team on the Formula 1 grid, and it also has plenty of success in GT racing.

Melbourne's Maranello Motorsport outfit won the Bathurst 12 Hour using Ferrari's naturally-aspirated 458 GT3 in 2014 before backing up with victory in this year's race using the turbocharged 488 GT3.

The elite driving line-up of factory Ferrari pilot Toni Vilander plus local V8 Supercar legends Jamie Whincup and Craig Lowndes could not be beaten on race day, starting from pole and setting the fastest lap time before securing a one-lap victory over Porsche and Bentley.

While most people in the group brought their own Ferrari to the track, the brand lent us a new 488 Spider convertible for the occasion.

I joined Ferrari on the Friday morning before the big race, driving from Waterloo to Bathurst via the harbour tunnel - where running with the roof down had me giggling like a child. Our eye-catching Corsa Blue Spider won plenty of attention from oncoming traffic on the Bells Line of Road before a slow parade lap at Bathurst offered a chance to eye the track for hot-laps in the afternoon. I enjoyed the wind in my hair with the roof down, scoping out the corners I thought I knew from Gran Turismo.

Behind the wheel and in the deep end

Driving in a group of five cars behind Ferrari racer and driver trainer Renato Loberto, the pace felt intimidating heading into the first corner - until the immense stopping power of the 488's LaFerrari-sourced ceramic brakes brought the car's performance under control. Accelerating up Mountain Straight, I was astonished by the strong pull and auditory rumble of the 492kW twin-turbocharged V8. The car's exquisite carbon fibre shift paddles let me snap through the seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as the shift lights on top of the steering wheel flashed like a Christmas tree.

Bathurst is breathtakingly intimidating at speed, with elevation changes that float the car (and my stomach) around, the walls looming larger and closer than TV or games would have you believe. The $656,513 (including options) price of my 488 meant the thought of going off track and causing damage to the Spider didn't leave the front of my mind, even if the mountain attempted to distract me with breathtaking views as the track drops away at Skyline.

It was hard to stay cool when approaching the crest on Conrod Straight at 230km/h as the front end of the car got light. At the same time, there was an alarming high-pitched squeal from within the cabin that startled me - that was until I realised it was actually me.

The Spider was more comfortable with the speed than I was, staying flat through the bends and letting me know that its limits were almost out of reach for mere mortals. The steering felt pin-sharp and, with race mode selected on the Mannetino switch on the wheel, the 488 was in its element.

Its straight-line speed was immense, recording higher maximums than the power-restricted 488 GT3 race car, thanks in part to a slipperier body devoid of drag-inducing spoilers.

The 488 Spider's uncompromising performance - from the roar of its engine to the neck-snapping acceleration - is truly impressive, and to feel it all come together on Mount Panorama was bucket list material.

Our glimpse into the world of Ferrari ownership was illuminating. It isn't just about having a car, it is about experiencing the full spectrum of the brand, from taking in the race in a corporate suite to enjoying champagne and canap?s in a heritage-listed property and exercising vehicles in their natural habitat.

It's something few other brands can offer.

2017 Ferrari 488 Spider specifications

On sale: Now
Price: From $526,888 plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.9-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 492kW at 8000rpm
Torque: 760Nm at 3000rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Fuel use: 11.4L/100km
0-100km/h: 3.0 seconds

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