Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £118,500 to £172,500
Excitingly focused mini-Enzo looks, fabulously energetic engine, ultra-sharp but easy-to-drive handling, an F1 shift which works as it should, huge stopping power with optional carbon-ceramic brakes, every drive is a special occasion. Servicing is cheaper than for 360, too.
Thirsty on fuel, low nose easy to scrape, infuriating switching-off bleep, you can't open the glovebox with the ignition off
All the thrills of a 360 Modena but with tougher looks and the oversteer reined in. The smallest Ferrari is more desirable than ever.
The F430 is neither serene nor dies it give a boulevard ride, but the engine's tunes aren't so intrusive as to hurt your head and the structure's rigidity means there is no shake, shudder and needless bump-amplification. Wind noise is low; surprisingly, the Bridgestone tyres are quite quiet too. Goodyear run-flats are an option.
You can choose either aluminium (preferable) or carbonfibre (a little gimmicky) for the facia panels, and your tachometer can be red or yellow to choice. Equipment levels are otherwise as you would expect in a high-end car, with effective air-conditioning and a fine stereo if you tire of the engine's vocalisations. The seats are highly supportive, especially the optional semi-race ones, and the driving position can be made much like a racing car's: laid-back, with a high steering wheel. Or not, according to taste. The front boot will take two decent-size bags, the doors have sensible pockets and the glovebox is capacious if annoyingly impossible to open with the ignition off. When it does open, it does so with a click and a beautifully-damped automatic motion. For some reason, there's a long, continuous beep when you turn the ignition off. The engineers accept that this needs to change.
