11 Sep 07
Ferrari wheeled out retired F1 ace Michael Schumacher to unveil the F430 Scuderia, stressing the car's links to the company's grand prix single-seaters. Schumacher also helped in the development of the new road car, a sharper version of the roadgoing F430 two-seat coupe.
The important figures for the F430 Scuderia are a weight of 1,250kg, an output of 510bhp from the mid-mounted 4.3-litre V8, and a 0-62mph time of 3.6 seconds. It can lap the Fiorano circuit in a time near to that of the Enzo, says Ferrari.
The engine modifications follow the F430 Challenge track car's, with optimised inlet ducts and exhausts, carbon fibre intake manifold and filter housing, new ignition coils, more accurate spark monitoring and increased compression ratio. The exhaust's been developed to make exactly the right noise, too.
The automated manual gearbox is dubbed F1-SuperFast2, with 60 millisecond shift times, Ferrari's quickest yet. It works with the integrated E-Diff2 differential, which continually distributes torque between the wheels according to driving conditions and demands, further controlled by the F1-Trac traction and stability control. Ferrari claims 40% quicker acceleration out of corners than with traditional traction and stability control systems.
The Scuderia has a racing version of the manettino multi-function adjuster. There is no 'ice' mode, but instead the traction control can be switched off while the stability control stays on. The suspension can also be controlled separately from the other settings.
The carbon ceramic front brake discs have been enlarged by 18mm. There's a new rear diffuser, revised rear spoiler and large underbody airflow diverter, all to increase downforce. The headlamp assembly, engine cover, front spoiler, side sill plates and diffuser can all be specified in carbon fibre, and different sizes of manually adjustable carbon fibre seat are available.
Other news from Ferrari in Frankfurt includes the re-launch of a number of classic paint colours and heritage-inspired interior trims. There's a F430 Spider on display in ivory paint with a chocolate brown leather interior, and a 599 GTB in a dark grey popular in the 1970s.
Check out the rest of our Frankfurt Motor Show coverage
