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Weekend Of Thunder
Words by Alessandro Marrone
Photos by Giorgia Rossi
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Tom Cruise, in the famous film “Days of Thunder”, improvised himself as a Nascar driver and gets the blonde chick (Nicole Kidman) and the race. On the morning of June 12th, after the first busy day for the city parade during the second edition of the “Parco del Valentino”, the guys of SupercarSafari, more than Hollywood icons look more like a sinister band of gringos, ready to put fire to the villages that stand between the starting point and their final destination. What’s in common with the American actor then? The rumble of thunder, the adrenaline you feel when, one after the other, the engines of thirty supercars are turned on as to create a symphony, way closer to heavy metal than to some classical masterpiece, which seems too soporific for the Turin -> Imperia blast, expected shortly after. In the SupercarSafari’s main event there’s the same drama, made of agonizing wait, which gathered Porsche, Ferrari, Maserati, Lambo, McLaren and other cars, ready to prove once again that having a supercar in the garage and keep it there collecting dust, it’s like having a beautiful woman and leave her home for going to watch – well – a football match. Sounds like a logical thing? No way.
That’s why the gas station just outside Turin is literally invaded by this kind of “hunters”. Another Safari ready to gain momentum, with the V12 of that white Ferrari F12 screaming from the early morning – the best and most expensive alarm clock you could possibly want. A hunt that can satisfy even the most hardened vegans, since adventure is the ultimate prey here, a day of driving on some of the dearest roads we know – those that lead, crossing the Roya, down to Ventimiglia, before one last motorway shot to Imperia, where a sumptuous lunch awaits. Everyone is filling up, all to quench our petrol-suckers, and while the gas station still collects the 1 cent extra fallen in the tank, we start moving, prancing, now with hot liquids and with a free strip of asphalt in front of us, taking advantage of the fact that it is Sunday morning and that “normal” people are still out of the game (we can simply say asleep). And then, as if a gunshot had officially kicked off the whole thing, tires start to screech and engines rev like crazy – it’s time to play.
The first part is a motorway drive and so we take this opportunity for shooting some dynamic photo, one by one, to all the cars taking part in the tour of this warm mid-June Sunday. Soon we leave the highway and enter the Cuneo province, crossing Borgo San Dalmazzo before and Limone immediately later. A small break just before the tunnel and then a few more minutes waiting for the green light to make us restart our engines. This is an excellent opportunity to allow participants to share their first impressions on the road traveled thus far, well aware that the best is yet to come. We took part in the tour with a brand new Porsche 991 Carrera 4S Cabrio and the fantastic 3.0 biturbo and the impeccable PDK g’box, have made it all extremely joyful. Green light and we’re already on the other side. Proper corners start coming, down from the Col di Tenda and crossing the Val Roya (stretch of road that we know very well). The rock walls surround a snake of asphalt that seems wanting to eat Ferraris, Porsches & co. and the sound of rumbling engines is greeted in a giant natural sound box. If Jimi Hendrix were alive it would play like Max’s Maserati Granturismo, no doubt. There is time to enjoy some good driving moments, to slide the rear taking advantage of some timid drop of rain and to squeeze our cars, thanks to a warm sun that dried quickly the round. There is respect, there is friendship and cooperation. No place for crazy people tailgating you, even less for risky overtaking that rather than prove that you are good, provides to make you look as a monkey. Everyone lives and brings to life their own driving experience in the best way possible, as any true fan could want: beautiful cars, beautiful roads, beautiful people.
As always, when you’re having fun, hours pass too quickly and in no time at all, the fairy-tale mountain landscape gives way to the Riviera, and a few minutes later we park the cars on the seafront, a couple of meters from the restaurant “La Ruota”, that awaits us for lunch. Another aspect that many would give for granted is that there’s no mandatory parking request and you can also sit at the table, being able to touch the bonnet of your car, still hot, for having driven a rather cheerful morning. Good food, then there is time to pay homage to some of the participants with special prizes that our mag has made available for the day and to have some talk with people you’ve never seen before, as if you know ‘em for so many years. Passion allows you to go over the wall of shyness, and while myself and Vittorio (SupercarSafari president) enjoy to entertain those who took home the awards, as if we were trying to present the next edition of “Saturday Night Live”, Andrea (The Outlierman) receives his deserved praise for his fantastic gloves, other excellent traveling partners. I call them amplifiers of emotions and I do not exaggerate – trust me, I’m serious, even if I’ve been with an Emoticon mask, despite the 30° and the scorching sun.
SupercarSafari completes another success, another right uppercut that leaves you to the mat. That’s why is the reference group for every self-respecting supercar owner and that truly understand what it takes for having bought a 500-horsepower sports car. And the sympathy and friendliness go hand in hand with professionalism and passion that Vittorio and his gang make available to those who really want to live 100% a pure driving enjoyment. Once the tour is over and with a lot of satisfaction (and exhaustion), we get a pleasant communication that promises big and substantial innovations which will help to make SupercarSafari’s events even more unique and adventurous (in the true sense of the word). And if you are the kind of person asking himself if to bring the Porsche or not the next weekend, wishing to save some miles on the clock, take a right decision: sell it and buy yourself a bicycle!
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