2005 Ferrari F430 Review

Specifications

Simply Sublime

I realized I was spoiled rotten when, at the Mont-Tremblant track in St. Jovite, Quebec, Im frustrated because the Ferrari F430 test Im about to undertake is to be limited to three laps. Three laps! Thats hardly enough time to get to know a car as painstakingly engineered as this.

Nevertheless, three laps were all that I had and I was going to make the best of the situation. While waiting I wasnt exactly twiddling my thumbs, mind you, as Ferrari had kindly offered up a lovely 612 Scaglietti plus an equally impressive Maserati Quattroporte to bide my time, both of which offered a great deal more performance than the majority of cars in their respective segments. But Ill leave full reports on each to another day, and now focus on the brilliant red sports car that caused me to fly halfway across the country in the first place.

Milling around the car prior to the testing process, I couldnt help but stare. Its one thing to catch sight of Ferraris “entry-level” model in a photo, or even at an auto show, or for that matter in a dealers showroom, but to experience the F430 in its element, in the metal,warming up in the pit lane ready to go out and do fast laps around one of Canadas premier race tracks, is a sight to behold.

Ferrari has done a marvelous job updating the car from its F360 roots, but to judge it as anything but all-new, in the automotive industry sense ofthe term, would be a mistake. After all, according to Ferrari, the F430 only carries over about thirty percent from the outgoing F360, and to the average enthusiasts eye, of which Im one, only the greenhouse, the front edge of the hood and upper bumper appear remotely similar to the old car.

From the front end, the headlamp clusters are more vertical in shape, while the ducts integrated into the front fascia, a design element thatwas so controversial in the previous car, are more elegantly shaped in the F430. Its side profile is similar, but new, much more pronounced upper and lower engine/brake cooling ducts change the overall shape dramatically. And the rear end design is entirely unique, at least when compared to the F360. It takes much of its design language with the outrageous Enzo supercar; and to me pulls off the integration of the protruding taillights in a much cleaner fashion than its rarified sibling. The cars slate-gray diffuser looks absolutely stunning, and the glass engine cover shows off the glorious crinkle painted “testa rossa” engine - no homogenized plastic engine shroud here.

That engine might be the first Ferrari V8 ever produced that could win over V12 purists, as it not only rivals the classic Scuderia configuration forout-and-out power, but also sounds sensational whether hearing it from inside the cockpit or from behind the car as it speeds past on the open straight.

And in case youve never heard a Ferrari in full song, its a sound you cant mistake for anything else. Compared to Porsches throaty boxer six or Lamborghinis guttural V12, the Ferrari delivers a higher pitched aria, more Mariah Carey than Tom Waits. Of course, the engines pitch has been lowered slightly with each upgrade due to greater overalldisplacement, but the F430 still sounds more mechanically refined than the majority of its competitors.

That engine note is deeper inside the car, but at first sight all thoughts of the engine dissipate into an afterthought, its just that breathtaking. Truly, its one of those rare objets dart that goes far beyond mere ergonomics in order to satisfy the brands worldly clientele. The first thing I noticed was its bright yellow tachometer face, sitting dead center in the gauge cluster directly behind the traditional yellow prancing horse emblem in the center of the steering wheel hub. With its chronograph-like design it reminds me of a Girard Perregaux wristwatch, but of course the timepiece was inspired by Ferraris cars, not the other way around.

The steering wheel isnt even completely round, squared off slightly at the top, in similitude of the F1 “grab handles” that MS and RB rotate while hard charging every other weekend. Likewise the cars paddle-shift actuated gearbox is similar to the race-ready transmission the carmakers F2005 incorporates, at least in context.

Ferrari offers the F430 with a six-speed manual as well, but as much as I enjoy shifting my own gears I have to admit to being a big fan of the F1 gearbox. I suppose, not being as expert behind the wheel as some of my colleagues, the way the sequential transmission blips the throttle to match the lower gear while downshifting makes me feel, and sound like a much better driver than I really am.

While Im beating myself up for not measuring up to driving professionals, or even semi-pro owner-operators who take part in the marques 360 Challenge series, of which one race was to take place on the weekend following our Friday test drive, I have to admit that the amount of time spent on various tracks during new model launches, and especially this particular race course, have helped to improve my game. This experience allowed me to jump right into the F430, with little time for “getting to know you” chit-chat, and bury the throttle on my way out of the pit lane.

My most immediate thought was just how far Ferrari has come with its production F1 gearbox. I remember when it used to pound on the backside with each full-throttle up-shift like someone was taking a sledgehammer to the rear of the drivers seat. Not anymore. While quick and positive when rowing through the gears, its much smoother and therefore a much easier process to control.

Out of the pits the track immediately crests a hill and then plunges down into a right hand bend. Its important to keep the throttle down through this curve, but to get onto the brakes quickly and stay in the middle of the track for a sharp right hander that immediately juts to the left. Not quite a chicane, its still possible to clip both curbs on the way through to a gentle but extremely fast left hand sweeper, staying to the far right at exit and then cutting through the apex at full throttle.

What an amazing sound, the 4.3-liter V8 howling near redline, a quick flick of the wrist and the engine drops a few tones while responding with even more thrust on its way to a fast right, clip the curb slightly and then bend down out toward another curb down one of the back straights.

I was actually surprised at how well the F430 took to the curbs, a processthat often upsets cars with limited suspension travel. No problem here. It just absorbs the big red and white obstacles as its focuses on optimizing the best line possible, or at least making the best of the line Ive chosen to input thought its very communicative steering system.

At the end of the straight, getting hard on the brakes is most important as the next corner needs to be set up ideally or the long straight that follows will be utterly wasted. I kept wide to the left as long as I could before cutting across the curb and then peeling off the steering gradually, trying to remember every inkling of advice taught to me over the years by the likes of Derek Bell, Hurley Haywood, Alex Tagliani, and the list of instructors goes on.

Perfect. The exit might have just been my best ever, no doubt thanks to a car that is among the most capable Ive ever tested here at Mont-Tremblant. The surge of adrenaline impelled by an astounding 490-horsepower shot the F430 up the slight grade, over the crest and down the other side, easily eclipsing the top speed I managed in a Dodge Viper only weeks prior. Not bad.

As the long straight ends, it looks as if theres a greater need to get onto the brakes stronger than necessary, but I resist the urge and instead plunge into the corner while feathering the throttle. Its an ultra-quick right turn that the Ferrari takes as nonchalantly as if it were on a cruise up the country club driveway, a performance it reiterates as the track bends to the left, twisting up a steep grade toward the bridge corner. Under the bridge, a sharp left tempts me with a rather tall curb, but you need to be suicidal to take this one full-on in the F430. I tried this once in a Saleen Mustang and found myself mowing the lawn in an embarrassing display of tail wagging. Instead I just clip the curb on exit and push on to the graduated right hander that dips quickly before the tightest turn on the track, one that either forces the car out to the pit lane or tempts you into another lap. Take a guess as to which choice I took?

While I didnt spend anywhere near as much time in the drivers seat of Ferraris latest as Id have liked to, it only took moments to realize I was in control of something truly special. Of course, this would have been true of any previous Ferrari, but none would have allowed me to immediately find the ideal driving position, to instantaneously get comfortable enough behind the wheel so that I could pull off some of the best laps of my amateur driving career. Yes, the F430 has raised Ferraris game to the point it can measure up to any rival on the track or off. Its now a car that could easily be an enjoyable daily driver, delivering an ease of operation and with that, a high level of refinement that previous V8 models couldnt.