Still overloaded on adrenaline from the wild ride with Salvino, my right leg shook uncontrollably as I turned the key. I eventually gained full control of it as we exited the pits. Salvino, a self-professed bad passenger, was to my right and visibly nervous. I told him not to worry (although I wished I hadn't drunk all that cough syrup a few minutes before).
It became obvious after just a few turns how well Salvino and ECO sorted the car. The turn-in response was razor sharp, with hardly any body roll. The front end is so tied down, you'd think the earth could spin on its axis. After every turn, you realize you could've gone in a little deeper, gotten back on the gas a little earlier. You realize it's still waiting for you to come up to its level.
The acceleration is much more impressive when you're in control of it (and your own fate). The engine seemed capable of revving to infinity and a couple times I bumped the stratospheric rev limiter when I was too busy making mental markers for the next turn. Exiting a corner and getting on the throttle with too much enthusiasm will make the tail start to step out, but in my case, Salvino set the traction control on sport mode, which allowed the rear to step out for a split second before it was reeled back in, and it makes you think you're better than you actually are.
There were times when the car asked me to abandon my sense of self-preservation, to trust it completely. After a few laps, I eventually kept it flat through a left-hand kink and let the black magic of downforce and ground effects keep me pressed to the tarmac. The brakes were phenomenal, a firm, linear progression that didn't fade during my session. The steering feel was exceptional; the tires' contact patches felt like extensions of my palms.
With a few laps under my belt, I started to get into a groove. Limits, my own and the car's, were pushed, braking points were shortened, and my foot was more eager to get on the throttle and more resistant to lifting. The 360 encouraged and rewarded. And then it happened. Drops of rain started building up on the windshield. My session was over. I put in one more lap just to savor the sound of a high-strung V8 wailing at 9000 rpm down the back straight, to get the ass to wiggle out of a tight corner, to thank the car for an unforgettable ride.
DrivetrainLongitudinal mid-engine, rear-wheel drive
Engine3.6-liter V8, dual overhead cams, five valves per cylinderMods: DigiTec ECU, K&N air filters, Challenge Stradale exhaust
TransmissionSix-speed F1 sequentialMods: ECO custom TCU software
SuspensionMods: Challenge Stradale springs, PRS camber plates
BrakesMods: Race Technologies/Brembo six-piston calipers, 14-inch rotors, Porterfield carbon-Kevlar pads (f); Race Technologies/Brembo six-piston calipers, 13-inch rotors (r)
Wheels and TiresBBS Challenge, 8.5x18 (f), 10.5x18 (r)Toyo RA1, 225/40-18 (f), 305/30-18 (r)
ExteriorECO GT front bumper and splitter, flared rocker panels, side mirrors, decklid and rear wing
PerformancePeak Power: 495 bhp Peak Torque: 315 lb-ftTop Speed: 215 mph