Wednesday 25 July 2007

Kevin Haggarthy Road Tests: Ferrari F430 Spider




Ferraris are a complete high for me, and this one more than most. Check this for a driving experience.........



Road Test Feature: Ferrari F430 Spider F1

The image remains firmly planted to this day. It is one of those unexpected once in a lifetime driving experiences that remain permanently etched in the mind. Somehow, everything seemed right on that day; the sun shone as if to grace the presence of the Ferrari F430 Spider, more than making its presence known on the A604 running alongside Leicestershire’s beautiful Rutland Waters country side. What’s more, it was proving to be a great driving challenge, and not least an awesome sight; this red, low, loud, attention seeking Italian stallion eating up the tarmac at simply astonishing pace. The car just so much faster than anything else around and right now, as I’m writing this, that engine note is playing on my dictaphone, and I’m reliving the experience all over again.

We are on a test road route I have driven many times – challenging bends, fast straights, cambers, once-only overtaking opportunities. On these roads with a fast car you need to be alert, as bends and blind crests appear very quickly, but somehow it all just enhanced the driver challenge in this fabulous Ferrari. In all my many years behind the wheel of ultimate exotica on these very same roads, none, - and I mean none has exceeded the sheer pace, finesse, and sheer no nonsense capability of this car. And none have given greater driver satisfaction.

The ultimate performer

The Ferrari F430 Spider is literally the committed driver’s dream; all the ‘serious driver’ ingredients are there; wrapped into a highly refined stupendous thoroughbred, that has evolved from the brilliance and commitment of 60 years of knowing how to make not just any supercar, but Ferraris’. And that’s a matter of national honour.

This car is civilised yet, in performance terms, brutal. The driving experience is so compelling that it may well destroy your private life, and even lead your partner to question if it is the relationship or your Ferrari that matters most. Dangerous ground, yet believe me, it is ground you will tread, for the keen driver’s magic tick list is all there; pick-up is razor sharp yet refined, and the car is immensely powerful. It remains firmly planted on the road when driven hard, throwing your body weight into the full flow and curves of those newly contoured leather seats. Brake hard into a fast bend; flick the paddle shift gear lever a down shift or two and the engine wails into a wonderful crescendo as the F430 ‘blips’ on the down change to allow you that magic neutral and balanced entry into a bend, with the engine and chassis set for hard acceleration on the way out.







The variably weighted steering is firm enough when required, allowing you to ‘feel’ the road as you switch the body weight hard through the bends, and then there’s the highlight to come when that endless powerful acceleration pushes deep and hard into your lower back, powering you into oblivion until fear or self preservation suggest it’s time to lift off. You will simply never run out of power in this car, only courage.

Once you get into a fast cross country drive, the whole experience becomes almost a spiritual thing, for the car ‘thinks’ with the driver the whole time, responding to your every command. The result? At the very least a permanent grin, and forgive this awful cliché, but it really is the ultimate driving experience. Sorry BMW. Yes, there is proper meat to this legend.

Pray your indulgence for but one of many stories; There were five cars ahead of us on one of the long straight on the A604, with a tight left hand bend about five hundred yards ahead of the car at the front of the pack. The Ferrari wanted to go much quicker than the whole bunch, but the risk of overtaking five cars and pulling in safely before a blind bend requires exceptional mid range grunt, and a whole lot of confidence in your equipment. The F430 and I had been together for 150 miles so far, we knew each other well, but was it really fast enough to overtake five cars safely and tuck in well before a blind bend? Oh yes it was, and have no doubt; a long headlamp flash to warn all five cars ahead, and we were passed the lot in an instant and unbelievably, with more than enough distance left to tuck in safely for the bend ahead. Wow. After that experience, if I wore a hat, I’d have taken it off to show respect for this car.

And that’s what it’s all about with Ferraris; Story after story. You will be forever hearing about what the car is like to drive, and sit over many a pint telling some amazing tale about its many heroic feats on the road. Ferraris may look drop dead gorgeous and sound truly amazing, but it is the living part of this legend, the driving of the thing, that is the true essence of this car. They are built and developed by people who love fast cars and can drive, highly skilled test drivers with abilities well beyond our imagination. And it shows, and in this case so too does the Ferrari’s famous racing heritage.

New by design

It all began with Ferrari’s commitment to making a very good car even better. That ‘very good’ car was indeed the F430’s predecessor, the 360 Modena. To the untrained eye, the new F430 does indeed look very similar its predecessor, but it is a thoroughly brand new car both in technology and design.





The famous Italian design house Pininfarina are responsible for penning the lines of the F430, and have succeeded in enhancing rather than compromising the original classic Coupe lines. Top down, the Spider is certainly the more striking car of the two, typifying that exotic Ferrari image, yet the Coupe is sometimes preferred for those who are looking for that classic understated design subtlety, with smooth classic exotic lines. Most obviously, the large front air vents and Enzo Ferrari style rear light clusters distinguish the F430 from its predecessor, whilst subtle styling innovations like twin mounting rather than single mounting arms on the wing mirrors enhance the lines of the new car. Styling is always a very subjective affair, but the word ‘beautiful’ is never far from the mind when you look at this car.

It is noticeably roomier inside compared to its predecessor, a feature enhanced by a slimmer central tunnel, making the F430 almost ‘spacious’ for a car of this kind. Yes, and it’s oh-so Ferrari behind the wheel – the yellow rev counter being the most prominent feature, housing a digital readout of the gear ratios, while the neat central binnacle comfortably houses all other gauges. It’s comfortable too, the seats having been redesigned for greater lateral support.

In typical Ferrari style all major controls are within easy reach of the driver. The starter button is mounted to the left of the steering wheel, and the wheel itself has the upper rim flattened to improve visibility in the straight ahead position. Dash inserts can be personalised in carbon or aluminium to suit your taste.

Gone are the days when you had to lift and neatly put away the roof of Spider badged Ferraris’. The F430 Spider has a fully automatic electric hood (opening or closing takes 20 seconds from start to finish) with the usual customary full vision view of that amazing engine from behind. With the mid mounted engine, just too big (and beautiful) to be hidden from view or spoiled by the add on of a boot, there is no compromise to either seating or boot space. The hood stows away completely in its own compartment just ahead of the engine, enabling you to indulge totally in the joys of open top motoring in a Ferrari, and relish the orchestra of one of the Worlds greatest sounding engines.

The F1 Influence

Formula 1 technology features strongly in the F430, and two of these are World firsts for production road cars. One, referred to as the ‘E-Diff’ (electronic differential), was initially developed for Ferrari Formula1 cars, and is designed to transfer large amounts of engine torque to the road, allowing the car to grip on corners at high speeds, whilst generating extremely high g-forces. It guarantees maximum grip out of bends and massively improves road holding on normal roads.



Second is a rotary steering wheel mounted switch, known as the manettino. In short, it regulates the gearing and suspension of the car to suit relevant driving conditions or your preferred driving style, raging from the safe and timid, to ‘ultimate hard core driver’.
The switch is effectively a selector on the left hand side of the steering wheel that allows the driver to change the set up of the car to suit personal preferences and driving conditions. Five settings are possible, ranging from ICE for very slippery conditions, to Low Grip, a standard drive setting, Sport, and ultimately ‘Race’, which, as it names suggests is set up strictly for the race track and recommended as territory for the skilled enthusiast. There’s even a braver setting - CST, which deactivates all the traction control technology leaving all talent of the driver. Gulp. In this car, you’ve got to be pretty highly skilled to switch off the CST, drive hard, and get back in one piece. With CST deactivated the car’s talent is still not in question- it’s brilliant- it’s the driver who has to be confident of his/her own skill behind the wheel.

Ferrari DNA

Yet these are mere technical highlights, for the whole DNA of the new car owes tribute to what has to be one of the Worlds greatest engines. The F430’s 4.3 litre engine (its name sake) is completely new, and generates a massive 490 bhp to rocket the car to 60 mph in just over 4 seconds and to a top speed of over 193 mph for those choice trips to the derestricted Autobahn (and you will end up making them by the way) while you still can. The engine is all new, ( Ferrari reckon it doesn’t share any components from the old car), and whilst the engine has a 20% increase in engine displacement (3586 to 4308 cc) it weighs just 4KG more than the 360’s, and yes it does feel more powerful and lighter.

You’ll need some pretty good brakes to deal with all that power though. Again, the influence of Formula 1 means that carbon ceramic brake discs are available to give exceptional 100% all time efficiency akin to a formula 1 car. – they’re a hefty £10,450 option if you dare, but if you’re a hard driver, and not least a track day hero, you’ll find that the ceramics last a lot longer too; ponder the option to satisfy your conscience, but they are highly recommended.





A usable Ferrari

Technical wizardry aside, the beauty of this all new ‘baby’ Ferrari is that it is totally useable, even for day to day commuting. A press of a button snicks the gearbox into auto, allowing you to drive around town sitting in traffic jams just as comfortably as any standard saloon. The rather excited engine hum behind hints loudly that Cities are not this car’s chosen territory, but you are sitting in a legend, and somehow that just feels the right place to be.

Kevin Haggarthy
Ends.


Specification


Engine and Performance

Type 90 deg V8
Displacement 4308 cc
Max. power output 483 bhp
Top speed Over 193 mph
0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration 4.1 secs


Fuel Consumption
Urban cycle 10.5 mpg
Extra-urban cycle 21.2 mpg
Combined cycle 15.4 mpg
CO2 emissions (combined cycle) 420 g/km

Insurance Group 20


Price £142,750


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