Traversing the North Coast 500 in a Pair of Ferraris

For those with an appetite for holidaying on four wheels, Scotland is hard to beat. The United Kingdom’s northernmost country boasts long, mountain-lined roads, sweeping valleys skirting around mirror-still lochs, and winding passes that test the mettle of even the hardiest petrolhead. The diversity of its landscapes – and the unreliability of its weather – lends Scotland its signature dramatic look, heavily utilised throughout literary and cinematic canons.

There are many ways you can tackle the tarmac, but one of the more popular in recent years is the North Coast 500. A 516 mile route that laps around the very northern tip of the country, the NC500 encompasses the best that the Highlands has to offer, beginning at Inverness and passing through Ullapool and Durness before John o’ Groats (one of Scotland’s most northern points), and subsequently circling back down through Wick, Dingwall and the Muir of Ord before looping back to Inverness.

Attempting the route in any car – or motorcycle as many do – is a spectacular way of getting your road trip kicks. I was even luckier, then, to drive it in not one, but two of the latest Ferraris. The first of my wheels was the 296 GTS, Ferrari’s “entry-level” sports car, equipped with six cylinders rather than the usual eight. The last Ferrari to do so was the Dino of the 1960s, so many a Ferrari faithful who have become accustomed to the marque’s signature V8s might have felt shortchanged. Getting behind the wheel of a 296 immediately eradicated any doubt over its credentials. 

For starters, the 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 produces 654 hp, with its hybrid electric motor boosting total overall power to 819hp. This not only makes it exceptionally fast, but puts the car in competition with Ferrari’s current racing projects (both of which are featured in Formula One, which have used hybrid V6 engines since 2014, and in the World Endurance Championship, which Ferrari has just won again with its V6 powered 499P). It also sounds the part, emitting an intoxicating roar that is improved by the GTS’ folding roof. It's also surely one of the better-looking Ferraris of recent years. In forgoing some of the more aggressive angles of its predecessor, the F8, and other Ferraris of the last decade, the 296 has a more casual elegance. It is unmistakably a Ferrari, but, finished in Grigio Alloy over a beige leather interior, as my car was, it’s both understated and refined.

Behind the wheel, it was surprisingly easy to drive. It pulled away from the Cameron House Hotel’s drive in electric mode, a novel treat in a Ferrari. It can go for 25km in pure EV mode, resulting in a silent glide through small towns when you might not want to draw too much attention. However, once ascending the A82 towards Ben Nevis, it would have been rude not to wake the powerful V6. A quick flick of the Manettino switch ignited the engine on the go, in the same way the 499P endurance car bursts into life when leaving the pit lane. 

It is not the sound or even the pace of the 296 that impresses most, but the handling. It turns in sharply and predictably, responding to the smallest of inputs and inspiring confidence as you push it. There is a slight hint of body roll, but the car stayed remarkably flat through the narrow, winding corners of this part of Scotland. The car has a dry weight of 1540kg, but it tricks you into thinking it’s smaller and lighter than it is. Coming out of each corner, you only need to breathe on the throttle to enter warp speed, propelling you down the road to the next turn. My 296 got its respite pulling into the gates of The Torridon, one of Scotland’s finest hotels located on the banks of the Loch Torridon, adorning the westerly stretch of the NC500.

My car the next day was a very different beast. The 12Cilindri is Ferrari’s latest grand tourer, and one that should be celebrated for its rare existence in a world of smaller capacity engines and ever few cylinders. Indeed, the 12Cilindri features double the cylinders of the 296, and with none of the turbochargers. This naturally aspirated 6.5-litre pure-breed was built in homage to the V12, the engine which founder Enzo Ferrari believed should be the marque’s only choice. “I don't sell cars; I sell engines,” he once said. “The cars I throw in for free since something has to hold the engines in.”

 With a starting price of £339,245 (and in this spec, £517,847), that ethos makes the 12Cilindri’s block an expensive prospect. But fire it up and it’s all worth it. The engine is a slightly modified version of the V12 that appeared in the 812 Competizione, producing 830 hp and red lining at a shrieking 9500 rpm. It sounds slightly more muted due to the extensive work the Ferrari engineers had to undertake to help it pass ever increasing emissions regulations, but the result is no less dramatic. Floor it and the raucous intake noise fills the cabin in what is surely one of the most intoxicating experiences one can have behind a steering wheel. The large carbon fibre paddles and F1-inspired shift lights integrated on the wheel make each gear change an event, further squeezing every ounce of serotonin from your body. 

If there is one problem with the 12Cilindri, it’s that it might be that bit too fast. While you can happily drive it sensibly for hundreds of miles at a time, allowing its comfortably damped suspension to soak up the tarmac ahead, the excitement of its engine soon becomes overwhelming, and you find yourself wanting to eke out every last rpm as you chase the redline. This makes Scotland’s roads feel tiny, as each corner comes at you thick and fast while the mountains blur either side. To really appreciate the landscape, and the car, regular stops are needed. On this part of the NC500, this was no bad thing. The car park next to the Kylesku Bridge was as good a place as any. A popular stop on the NC500, it’s a sweeping, brutal concrete design that crosses the Loch a' Chàirn Bhàin, and served as a picturesque backdrop for the 12Cilindri, with its own long, brutal lines that reference the 365 GTB “Daytona”. Will it be the last V12 as Ferrari looks to unveil its first electric car? That remains to be seen. For now, it’s onward, further north; there are more roads to discover, and more rpm to be extracted.