14 Mar 05
Breaking free from the city limits and bowling down a motorway reveals another refinement issue: in the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet you can have a conversation with the roof down at 80mph without consciously having to raise your voice; in the Ferrari at that speed you're aware of being one step removed from bellowing. Raising the roof changes the nature of the cabin noise to something more mechanical, but actual sound levels inside remain high whatever you do. At least the ride quality is unexpectedly compliant and comfortable.
Which is just as well because once you take this car to its preferred environment, you're likely never to want to come back. It has a switch on the steering wheel which allows you to select the damper, throttle and, when the F1 shift is fitted, gearchange response. You can optimise it for snow or rain, fast road use or what Ferrari enigmatically calls 'race'. This last setting is what you want as it gives you the quickest shifts and best body control. Best of all, the stability systems will intervene only when the they're really needed to save you from yourself and the Ferrari from an expensive introduction to a hedge.
And here, convertible or not, it behaves exactly as a Ferrari should. It's dauntingly quick of course but beyond that, it's not intimidating in the least. On the contrary it gives the impression that it's on your side at all times; by comparison a 360 Modena felt like it was always waiting for that tiny mistake that would give it the chance to mug you. It corners flat and fast and copes with broken surfaces that would have most convertibles shaking uncontrollably with barely a shimmy. I'd have preferred more steering feel, but I've levelled the same criticism at the Berlinetta.
Overall this car is a joy, and Ferrari's best effort at a convertible since it sliced the top off the 365GTB/4 Daytona more than 30 years ago. If you're lucky enough to be in the market for one, do yourself a favour and remember just one thing: the Ferrari F430 Spider may be good to look at but, unlike most convertibles, it's even better to drive.
