Just days after taking delivery of his Ferrari 12Cilindri from Ferrari Westlake, our longtime client Mike and his co-driver, Felipe, headed to Miami for the start of Gumball 3000, a seven-day rally that would carry them more than 3,000 miles to Mexico City.

It wasn't Mike's first experience with the event. Two years earlier, he completed the Saigon-to-Singapore edition in a Ferrari F8 with Felipe, an experience that left little doubt they would return. This year's route held additional significance, finishing in Mexico, where Mike's wife is from, made the decision to enter all the more fitting.

Preparation was intentionally minimal. Beyond a full wrap, an upgraded exhaust, and an integrated radar system, the focus shifted to the realities of spending a week almost entirely behind the wheel. "You have to like driving," Mike said. “And you have to like your co-driver.”

The route crossed the American South before continuing into Mexico, with overnight stops in Amelia Island, New Orleans, Austin, Monterrey, San Miguel de Allende, and finally Mexico City. Some memories came from the roads themselves, including a newly completed highway outside Monterrey where tiny tarantulas scurried across the pavement. Others came from the people they met along the way. Crowds filled Canal Street in New Orleans to watch the procession pass, while a stop in a small cowboy town near the border ended with new hats and conversations with locals who welcomed the participants.

By the finish, the 12Cilindri had completed the entire rally without a single mechanical issue, making it one of the few cars to do so. What impressed Mike most, however, was the car's dual character. Compared with the mid-engined F8 he and Felipe drove on their previous Gumball, Ferrari's latest V12 grand tourer offered considerably greater luggage capacity, accommodating two suitcases and two backpacks with ease while remaining comfortable enough that seven consecutive days on the road passed without fatigue.

Reflecting on the journey, Mike's takeaway was simple: "The cars were built to be driven," he said. “You only live once. You don't get time back. Enjoy the car, enjoy the company, enjoy the people you meet. The car will not let you down.”