Dino 246 GTS: A day of fun

When Elysée Wednesday member Scott McClure mentioned that he was driving one of his Dinos to Los Angeles, it got my attention in a big way. I had never driven one of these Ferrari-made 246 Dinos though I had long admired their shape and often marveled at the sound of that engine as one would pass by on the road. I liked its size, too. The Dino is compact--a go-kart for grown-ups, you might say. Scott gave me an immediate 'yes' when I asked if he would like his Dino to be the subject of an EWTV drive segment.

Our crew on this outing consisted of Larry Crane (Auto Aficionado), Jeanetta Dumouchel (a producer with me on the Carrera Panamericana documentary), Chad Glass (who executed the Carrera Panamerican poster and the cover and internal art for my GTO book--perhaps I should say 'our' GTO book) and Kira Gurnée (who is producing her own TV series, 'Corkscrew Adventures'). Scott and I completed the group.

We gathered at the top of Beverly Glen and discovered that a number of Ferraris were present--430s, a 512TR, a 308 Dino--but Scott's red Dino drew the crowd. Though a beautiful car in photographs, the Dino shares a characteristic with all the Ferraris I've ever seen--they are even more beautiful to the eye than to the camera. The voluptuous curves of this spider reward the eye and have an almost hypnotic effect on the observer. The obvious style references to the P4 race car are very well executed here.

As we motored out onto Mulholland Drive, it was quickly clear that Scott drives his car like a Ferrari factory test driver doing justice to the Prova Modena plate attached to the Dino. The gearing was ideally suited to the tight corners and relatively short straights of Mulholland. We could not have picked a better road to sample this car.


Above, Chad drives Scott. Below, Kira drives Jeanetta.


Above, Jeanetta takes off with Kira. Below, Kira joins Scott.

When I took the wheel, what impressed me most was the quickness of the turn-in. Placing the car on the outside of a corner, only a small movement of the steering wheel put the car right on the apex and the Dino sling-shots through the turn. The power-to-weight ratio gives the car all the performance one could want on Mulholland and then some.

Above, the Dino showing poise. Below, Larry Crane is right at home.


We all took turns at the wheel and behind the cameras--still and video--so the day's effort was collaborative in every sense. Larry Crane took some low-angle roadside shots of the Dino drive-bys that recalled some shots from Steve McQueen's film Le Mans. Everyone had a great deal of fun--it took a day or so to get the smile off of my face--and I am only sorry that my son Sean was not with us on this occasion, the victim of a changing work schedule.


I'll post video clips once they have been edited.