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by Klaus Weibler
Engine: F430: 4.3L
V8 / F430 Spider: 4.3L V8
Retail Price: starting at Pounds 119,000 / 127,000 or Euros 145,000 / 161,000 Competing Models: "Competing Segment" on right side of "Best Autos & Cars in the World" page More information on: www.ferrari.it
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Ferrari
unveiled the new F430 to the public at the Paris Motor Show in autumn 2004
and the F430 Spider in Geneva Motor Show in spring 2005 - both cars are
said to be sold out until 2007. Ferrari’s presence at the Paris Mondial
de l’Automobile 2004 came at an important moment for the company in what
has been an extraordinary year in terms of sporting achievements. The important
news was that Ferrari won the Formula 1 Constructors’ World title for the
sixth consecutive year and the Formula 1 Drivers’ World title for the fifth
consecutive year, courtesy of Ferrari racing driver Michael Schumacher.
Ferrari has achieved these results thanks to its enormous, ongoing commitment
to R&D, allowing continuous technological transfer from Formula 1 to
road cars. And this technological innovations provide another leap forward
with the new F430, setting new benchmarks in the sports car industry.
The
Ferrari F430 signals the arrival of a brand new generation of Ferrari 8-cylinder
models. This new car takes Ferrari’s extraordinary achievements with aluminium
technology, begun with the 360 Modena predecessor, to a whole new level,
and offers a series of extremely significant innovations directly derived
from the Ferrari Formula 1 single-seaters. Two of these innovations are
world firsts for production cars: the electronic differential (E-Diff)
and the steering wheel-mounted switch (better known to the Formula 1 Scuderia’s
drivers as “manettino”), which manages the integrated systems governing
vehicle dynamics for 5 different driving styles from "ice" to "race". The
F430 Spider’s sinuous lines, designed by Pininfarina, were fine-tuned using
state-of-the-art computer aerodynamics simulation programmes usually employed
exclusively by the F1 team. The F430 Spider’s shape is the result of lengthy
testing and features a pronounced nolder which is integrated into the end
of the engine cover, new bigger rear air intakes that emphasize the car’s
muscular stance, and a new rear valance that incorporates a diffuser of
competition derivation.
The
main characteristics of the new F430 are its light, compact 4,300 cc 90°
V8 engine, which punches out 490 hp to achieve a specific output of 114
hp/litre, also providing the new Ferrari berlinetta with a weight-to-power
ratio of 2.8 kg/hp (dry weight). The engine itself is attractively set
below a glass cover. Other optional top features are: a braking system
with carbon-ceramic discs for optimal efficiency under extreme use as well
as a Formula 1-derived gearbox that cuts gear shifting times down to 150
milliseconds allowing the driver to make the very most of this truly high
performance car: 0-62 mph acceleration in 4 seconds flat, a top speed in
excess of 196 mph. This all comes with an aerodynamic design that embodies
the very latest competition technologies, specifically the flat underbody
and large rear diffuser to increase downforce.