Ferrari Purosangue: On the road from Maranello to Le Mans

Today, Ferrari is better better known for its Formula One team, but it’s on the 13.626km long Circuit de la Sarthe where the Prancing Horse forged its reputation on the world stage, with nine victories over a short 16-year span from 1949-65, a remarkable run of success only bettered by Porsche and Audi over the century-long history of the race. Ferrari might be Formula One, but Ferrari was once also Le Mans.

Once on the road, though, and in the flow of traffic, you realise how quickly the Purosangue morphs into a car that can be driven every day. Yes, there’s a stonking V12 under the long swooping bonnet, but it’s a refined engine, barely eliciting a burble as you navigate traffic at city speeds.

Day two and another long bomb on the highway, this time the final 500km or so to Le Mans. Here, the country evens out, the mountains long consigned to the rear-view mirror. In their place, rural France at its finest with pretty villages nestled in valleys overseen by ancient castles high up in the hills. It’s postcard stuff, visions etched into memory even if our journey doesn’t stop to take it all in.

He’s still poring over the Purosangue days later when we catch up for the final time. For a man invested in the brand, heavily, a man who owns a collection whose value easily runs into nine figures, his ringing endorsement speaks volumes about the Purosangue. Is it a true Ferrari, you reckon? Absolutely, he says.