Ferrari 296 GTS

Anything Maserati can do... Now it's Ferrari's turn to take the lid off its latest supercar, and the results are spectacularly good

- JETHRO BOVINGDON

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE PREPARE the smallest violin you can find, for I'm about to reveal that a launch event for a new Ferrari can be stressful, rushed and deeply frustrating. So packed with activity that it passes in a blur and when you finally slump into the seat of the aeroplane for the return leg you're completely shattered and can't piece together exactly what's happened in the last 14 hours or so.

You see, we quite like Ferraris, as do the genuinely esteemed readers of this magazine and the vast YouTube masses that lurk in hiding ready to pounce when a new video arrives featuring the Prancing Horse's latest and greatest. Millions of incredibly knowledgeable, erudite and well-reasoned enthusiasts salivating at the thought of a lively, balanced debate full of nuance and hardly any 'c' words. So we want to do everything: two or three options for the subscriber's cover, a big, beautiful feature and a considered and spectacular video. That's a lot of assets to gather in a little less than a full working day. Throw in bad weather or getting lost or that awesome road we thought we knew about not really existing... and suddenly the dream of a Ferrari launch becomes a blur of frenetic activity and mild panic.