If you have visited ever visited Oman, it’s hard not to be impressed by the beautiful landscape. From the majestic mountains to the lush wadis and the pristine coastline, Oman’s topography is breath-taking. Hiking, mountain walks, camping, off-road adventures, and even helicopter rides are fantastic options to explore the great outdoors. And on days these activities are not possible, we go on drives around the country, depending on the place we are in. Like the road trip we did from Muscat, the capital city, to As Sifah, a picturesque fishing hamlet with one of the finest beaches in the country. What made the drive special was our ride for the day – the Ferrari F8 Spider.
The stunning open-top V8 is a sight to behold. With a beautifully, chiselled body complemented by sweeping sides, the Ferrari F8 Spider has to be one of the finest looking sports cars from the Italian marque. It’s no surprise we had passing cars flashing their headlights, slowing down to look at the beauty and even asking for photographs with the car when we stopped for a break. Did I mention our car was a bright, sunny yellow? Take the roof down and it is just as beautiful, if not more. As we decided to head out for our little excursion on an extremely bright day, we had to leave the top up, only bringing it down for photographs. The retractable hardtop folds neatly into the compartment in the rear in under 20 seconds.
The interior is classy and every bit what you would expect from a Ferrari. Sink into the sturdy, comfortable race car seats and it’s hard not to feel like a rally driver. The insides are embellished with leather and carbon fibre. The interior design is flawless. The individual touchscreen on the passenger side is a cool touch by Ferrari. The driving wheels, as in most Ferraris, is where all the main controls are located. This includes the indicators (yes!), engine start/stop, dampers, voice control and phone, wipers and the Manettino that allows the driver to effortlessly change the driving modes – Wet, Sport Race, TC off and ESP off (the latter two are not advised unless you are a racing expert).
Inside the Ferrari F8 Spider is a twin-turbo 3.9 litre V8 engine that puts out 720hp at 8000rpm. Despite being an extremely powerful Ferrari, the F8 Spider is a car that lets you be in control always. Even as I hit pedal and got thrust back into the seat as the F8 Spider surged with sheer power, there was not a moment where the car seemed tough to control. Through the winding roads between the mountains that frame the road to As Sifah, the F8 Spider handles the quick bends and occasional rough patches with elan. As we pass the sea, I shifted to cruising mode, a job that the car did well. Even with all the power that the F8 Spider packs, this is a great option as a city car as well.
On our way back home to Muscat from As’ Sifah, I decided to cruise along halfway to not only take in the vistas we were passing but also enjoy the ride. The prancing horse is undoubtedly an extremely powerful car, but it’s also crafted to make the driver comfortable even while crawling through work hour rush.
Beautiful, power-packed, and incredibly gratifying, the Ferrari F8 Spider is made to be enjoyed. To enjoy all its power and also meander through picturesque roads tucked away between mountains and by the seas.