START-UP ADVICE

SPEND IT
TRAVEL
WEEKEND ESCAPE TO
THE COUNTRY
A marriage made in heaven – stunning Ferrari 458 Spider, late Autumn sunshine
basking the New Forest in a glorious glow, and reservations at both The Pig and
Lime Wood, two most excellent places to stay, dine and thoroughly enjoy.
J
ust a two-hour jaunt down the M3 from
London, the New Forest is arguably at its best
this time of year. The gold and copper leaves
fall and dance around you as you drive through
picture postcard heathland with its swathes of
violet heather and blue skies above – and a Christmassy
scent of pine in the air. Wonderful.
The 458 Spider is a matchless combination of cruiser
and sprinter, perfect for this type of trip – and for this
time of year when the weather can be changeable, with
its revolutionary retractable folding hard top, which can
be deployed in just a few seconds if a shower starts.
This most gorgeously eye-catching of all modern
Ferraris has notched up over fifty awards worldwide so
far since its launch, including for its remarkable 570 HP
4.5-litre V8 which has won International Engine of the
Year twice and has been cited as the ‘ best convertible
sports car on the market’ , and “simply sublime’. Out
on the road during this trip it’s easy to see why. The
458 bursts to life with an amazing soundtrack, as you
pull away in the blink of an eye, its 4.5 V8 coupled with
Ferrari’s acclaimed 7-speed plus reverse F1 dual-clutch
gearbox enabling instant thrust back in your seat
acceleration with no discernable changes and there’s
plenty of low-down torque and strong acceleration
throughout the rev range. You can’t help but play,
and of course curse the central New Forest’s 40 mph
limits, and seek out other roads on the perimeter
which enable you to see how well she goes when the
restrictions are lifted.
Top tip – beware of driving under bridges with the
Forest’s free-roaming ponies close by, thanks to the
amplification of the car’s already incredible engine
notes, it’s rather easy to cause a stampede of Wild West
proportions. They naturally didn’t appreciate the 458’s
mighty roar as much as we did.
Of course you’d expect any Ferrari today to feature
world-bench-mark-setting handling and ride, and the
458 never disappoints.
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