Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale

I think I would have been around seven or eight. I was walking back from the shops with my grandfather when out of nowhere came this stressed, squawking, knock-kneed harridan, waving her arms in the air screaming 'HELP! HELP!"

"What's the problem?", said my grandfather.
'I'VE LOCKED MYSELF OUT AND POOPSIE IS ALL ALONE MWAAAA MWAAA HA HAAAAA!'
"Calm down, I'm sure we can help..."

She took us to her house and between them they quickly realised that if they could get me into the open window - 10 ft up, next to the drainpipe - then maybe we could help her out.

So the old boy bent down, looked me in the eyes, gave me a proper pep talk then put his hands together for me to put my foot on. Then he pushed me as I grappled up the drainpipe, and after a few scurrying moves with my trainers all I had to do was pull myself through the open sash window. Bob's your uncle! I was in. And right in front of me was 'Poopsie'. Madam had neglected to tell us that 'Poopsie' was actually a fearsome guard dog....

Slithering up drainpipes, negotiating Rottweilers and tiptoeing through wealthy women's houses...it's times like those, I feel, that can set you on life's course. If I'd listened to the devil on my shoulder, I might have ended up a neat little cat burglar, having rather enjoyed this. But no, I did my duty, patted the dog, ignored all the cash on her side table in the hall, left the shiny gold trinkets on the chaise-lounge and just undid the catch on the front door.

'My! What a lovely lee-ee-tle wee-ee-tle boy you are!', as she doused me in kisses and cheap perfume.

I'd imagine sitting in a car like this would have the exact same angel/devil on the shoulder effect. You'll be tootling along in traffic and come up to the lights, with no-one in front. What do you do? Just pull away like normal? Or listen to the devil? Switch to 'Corsa' mode, ASR off, engage 'Launch Control'...keep the brake pedal down while gently forcing the gas, just getting the right engine speed, until the lights go green and it's foot of the brake as the clutch snaps shut.....

Choices, choices, choices....life's little decisions.

The Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale. The lightened, stripped out, tuned and tweaked version of the popular Modena. Whilst the factory stripe is optional, 110kgs are removed by virtue of carbon-fibre seats, titanium springs and a paucity of common electrical gadgets. Perspex sliding windows would seem a tad medieval but the viciousness with which this can attack Laguna Seca would alleviate any fears of cost-cutting. It's all in the name of lightness. The 90° V8 gets a 25bhp power hike, dropping the 0-60 time by a further three-tenths of a second.

378 were made in total between 2003 and 2005, with 119 destined for the UK.