Marc West laps up a weekend in automotive heaven as he joins Ferrari owners for their annual event at Silverstone

As a teenager my bedroom walls were plastered with automotive exotica – Steve McQueen in his Shelby Mustang, James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5 and the Porsche 550 Spyder of James Dean.

But, one four-wheeled fantasy got my blood pumping more than any other… Ferrari.

Last weekend, all my boyhood dreams (and Christmas’) came at once when I got to join one of the world’s most exclusive clubs… for one day only.

Corse Clienti is the Italian sporting marque’s customer division and the stable decamps but once a year to the home of British motor racing, Silverstone – a circuit with which they share a long history dating back to Jose Froilan Gonzalez’s first racing win in 1951.

This unique event kicked open the stable door in 2012 and allowed 983 wild horses to run free – setting a new Guinness World Record. And, last weekend was no exception with a sea of red as far as the eye could see on the Stowe Circuit.

One (of the three) F40 owners in attendance – who wished to remain anonymous, but who’s registration plate read ALO7NS0 – was more than happy for the admiring crowds to get up close and enjoy his rare thoroughbred.

“It’s a wonderful motorcar and a privilege to own. If seeing it here today puts a smile on someone’s face that gives me a buzz too.”

Oxford Mail:

Dare I admit it, but it was almost easy to become blasé about yet another prancing stallion. But then, I saw her – with angles even sharper than Kate Moss’s cheekbones – and it was love at first sight.

Painted in the distinctive palette of rosso corsa, this limited-edition supercar is pure automotive art – a masterpiece, no less – with a price tag to match of over £800,000. And, it’s name…? LaFerrari, bella bella!

My entire experience was soundtracked by the roar of Maranello’s finest, but nothing quite prepares you for the glorious high-pitched screech of a V10 Formula One engine flat out down Hanger Straight.

Scuderia test driver Marc Genet put the F2009 through its paces around the 3.66 mile circuit before wowing the crowds with a dizzying round of tyre-shredding doughnuts – leaving the sweet smell of burning rubber lingering across the former airfield.

After being lucky enough to get behind the wheel of a 458 Speciale in the afternoon, the ride in my own red two-seater sports car (from Japan) wasn’t quite the same anymore and I genuinely considered which body part I’d be prepared to sell to be galloping home along Oxfordshire’s B-roads in one of Enzo’s marvelous machines.

If I buy a lottery ticket every week and keep my fingers crossed maybe I’ll be lining-up on the starting grid at next year’s event too. In the meantime, the UK’s only F1 circuit offers a true bucket-list opportunity to experience the performance, passion of innovation of the Ferrari brand throughout the year.

Oxford Mail:

With 400bhp of V8 power, the F430 Modena is the ultimate track car – and yours to drive to its limits for four laps of unfettered motoring joy.

First, find your lines with full instruction from a pro in a Toyota GT86, before firing up your stead for the day and paddle shifting through all six gears to a (potential) top speed of 195mph.

Before you know it, you’ll be screaming out of the famous Copse Corner with a smile fixed firmly on your face.

There’s a debrief at the end of the day with a full assessment of your driving skills, so you know what to work on upon your return – and, believe me, you will want to come back!

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For details visit silverstone.co.uk/experiences

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