 |
|
Ferrari F430 Gallery
|
|
F-ing awesomeCan the Ferrari 360 Modena really be five years old? The first all-aluminium road car from Maranello still seems lithe and modern, even if it does come across as a little bulky for the smallest Ferrari. But time moves fast and Ferrari has wanted to make the most of its Formula One prowess by linking it, not for the first time, to a road car.
So, bring on the new F430, a Ferrari which goes against the company's recent trend by not having a name after its number. Clearly derived from the 360 but mostly new, it features a new-generation V8 (the last one was 15 years old, derived from the 348 unit) which shares its bare block casting with the Ferrari-designed Maserati V8. But the engine uses the flat-plane crank usual in a Ferrari V8, so it screams rather than beats.
More torque, more power and more cubic capacity (4.3 litres) are the obvious features, four instead of five valves per cylinder a less obvious one. Even more obvious is the new body that clothes a modified version of the 360's semi-spaceframe aluminium chassis. Designed, as is usual for a Ferrari, by Pininfarina, it looks tighter and more compact than the 360 and borrows design features from illustrious other Ferraris old and new.
The twin air intakes on the nose are typical of a modern supercar, but here they are also redolent of the 1961 Formula One 'sharknose' Ferrari's snout. The side intakes just below the windows are like those of a 1965 250 LM, while the tail-lights, surfacing above the rear panel like emerging whales, mimic the Enzo's.
Technology is also borrowed, or so Ferrari is keen for us to believe, from Formula One. Most significant is the 'e-diff', or electronic differential, which dynamically and ultra-quickly alters the way torque is distributed between the rear wheels. It promises a revolution in the ease and confidence of driving a potent mid-engined Ferrari.
How potent? The F430's 4.3-litre engine creates up to 490bhp, a 23 percent increase over the 360 in a car which weighs little more (the extra mass is the result of meeting current European and US crash regulations). This power is also more than produced even by the F40 of 1988 (478bhp), which is extraordinary for an entry-level Ferrari. It's enough for a 0-60mph time of just 3.9 seconds and a top speed beyond 196mph. The optional, but more popular, F1 paddleshift transmission is claimed to shift more quickly and smoothly, while carbon ceramic composite brakes - as used on the Enzo and the 360 Challenge Stradale - are an expensive option at around £9500.
A neat feature is the 'Manettino', a rotary knob on the steering wheel to select the right traction/stability program and suspension setting according to how and where the F430 is being driven: ice, rain, sport, race, all off. There's also a steering-wheel-mounted start button.
All this can be yours for around £117,500 with the F1 shift. It's expensive next to rivals, but it's also a very fine Ferrari. A soft-top Spider version arrives next year.
|
