2006 Ferrari F430 Review

Specifications

Quite Possibly the Perfect Sports Car

Lets get one thing straight. There is no ultimate sports car. At least there isnt one that is best overall, to all people, all the time. Certainly a given car will hold bragging rights to top speed, straight line performance, slalom speed and lateral grip on the 300-foot skidpad, all good for a little free publicity, but in the real world we each have individual preferences, and even then our various moods and the purpose behind a specific journey will dictate what car will suit us best at that moment. Therefore, Im not going to start this review by saying that Ferraris new F430 Spider is the best sports car Ive ever driven, but I will go so far as to claim its amongst the best.

First and foremost a sports car has to have a provocative shape. For instance, while Ive always admired Acuras NSX for its spry balance and engineering excellence, I initially found its design to be so conservative that it looked dated even when it debuted in 1990. Whats more, other than a mild freshening for model year 2002 its been pretty well the same design right up until the present day. Ferrari, on the other hand, has gone through four complete revisions of its entry-level mid-engine V8 within this time period, starting with the Testarossa-like 348 that replaced the much loved 328, the especially beautiful 355 that followed for model year 1996, the radical 360 which came in 1999, and now the new 430 that debuted in coupe form last year, and topless for 2006.

Last year I ran the coupe around le Circuit Mont-Tremblant a few times, and came back grinning like a kid whod just experienced his first roller coaster ride. A wonderful machine, with deft handling and a ferociously tuned V8 parked mid-ships behind driver and passenger; I deemed it one of the best sports cars Id ever driven. Normally Id leave it there, happy that Id experienced the best Ferrari V8 to date and respectful that a drop-top version was available for exhibitionist sun-worshippers willing to accept a less capable performer so that all passersby could see just how cool they were. You see, Im a coupe person. Im not big on sunbathing, am happy to roll the windows down if I need wind in my hair but happier still to crank on the A/C, and much prefer the taut structure of an enclosed car to the loose and wiggly rigidity of a convertible. After a day in the F430 Spider, mind you, I might just be changing my colors.

Oh, theyd still be red, as Ive always had an affinity for Italian cars and especially Ferraris, lusting after the 246 Dino and 308 when other kids were pasting Lamborghini Countach posters on their wall, and still wishing that Id had the pleasure of meeting Françoise Hardy (Ya-Ya girl in the film Grand Prix, 1966) in her prime, when my ex-classmates, no doubt, still have the very sexy, albeit very girl-next-door Farrah Fawcett poster in her rosso bathing suit pasted onto a back page of their folio. Ha! Wondering where that analogy came from Im forced to realize that somehow a boys feelings towards exotic cars stems from the same hormonal urge that causes him to flock to beaches in summertime, not to play in the water, but for the girls. Somewhere along the way we mature, or at least grow in stature and age, and the reality that those girls on the beach are more likely to call us Dad or Grandpa doesnt stop us from spending the price of an average American home in order to purchase a sports car that makes us feel younger.

OK, the old man with thinning gray hair driving his exotic sports car in order to find a mate a third his age is a stereotype that was proven somewhat wrong at Ferraris annual Portland Rally last month. On average, the forty-some Ferrari owners that came to test their mettle on road and track were younger than Id expected. A number who owned small tech firms, or so they said, and most with their enthusiastic wives either in the passengers or drivers seat. Truth be told, a few women owners shattered the stereotype completely. One of the loudest groups Ive ever experienced at a dinner reception, Ferrari owners seem to be as driven personally as they are as drivers, and their enthusiasm for life, when normally hanging out with the moribund crowd of underpaid, overworked auto scribes, was refreshing. Of course, it would be easy to say that waking up with the knowledge of a Ferrari in your garage could make anyone smile, but I choose to believe that its such an attitude that has caused this group of well-heeled enthusiasts to purchase one, in some cases two or three, in the first place.

We set out from the depths of Portlands 5th Avenue Suites basement garage as if we were each Steve Smitty Smith (Tim McIntire) in the 1976 film Gumball Rally, cresting the curb a little more carefully mind you. Onlookers crowded around the exit to catch a glimpse of yet another Ferrari, from “commonplace” 355s and 360s to more exotic machinery like a lovely Daytona coupe, a particularly beautiful 330 GTS, the oldest car on the tour, a number of 575Ms, a new Superamerica and even a relatively new Enzo! Our bright red F430 Spider, close to last out of the garage, was given equal credence, being that most people have yet to see the radical new roadster.

Compared to the coupe, theres something magical about the Spider. Sure, theres much to be said for having all eyes in the city looking your way, first ogling the car and then shifting to see just who is behind the wheel, but thats not what Im talking about. The engine and exhaust notes, which are unlike any other vehicles and arguably the most intoxicating of any sports car, are much more audible with the roof down. Even more adrenaline inducing is the sound of the air induction system that lies right behind the ears. Hit the throttle and air gets vacuumed into the 430s massive side ducts to breathe on the engine. Itll stand the hair on the back of your neck upright!

Just outside of the city on one of Portland International Raceways auxiliary roads, Ferrari had set up an autocross course to test the cars and drivers. Points for the quickest duo would be tallied up with those for other achievements, speed on the open road not necessarily being one of them. Actually, being a timed rally, out and out speed would detract from the points total. The trick to having a great time and not losing points for going over the speed limit, at least in theory, was to get lost and then, behind the rest of the pack, have to make up time in a hurry. Fortunately for me and my co-driver, getting lost was inherent in our genes and therefore, catching up was all the more enjoyable.

We took to the rural roads with a fury when it was safe to do so, and the F430 Spider reacted to the twists and turns as if it was merely toying with us. The Ferrari leapt from corner to corner, charging through the straights with all 490 horsepower immediately coming to action as the tach spun up to 8,500 rpm, was controlled and immediately responsive to hard braking, and then magnificently agile through the next set of curves. It was impossible to satiate my craving for speed. The more the F430 delivered, the more I needed. Such an addiction Id yet to experience in quite the same way. Certainly Ive driven some pretty incredible cars, but like I stated earlier in this review its all about personal preferences.

Everything about the F430 comes naturally to hand. The driving position is ideal for my body type; the only adjustment needed being a tug on the seat to pull me closer to the drilled alloy pedals and steering wheel. And that steering wheel; its about as driver oriented as any wheel Ive ever clasped onto. Not only is it shaped perfectly for optimal hand positioning, as if anyone would expect anything less, but rather having audio or cruise control switchgear integrated into the spokes an attached aluminum faceplate houses an engine start button on the left, and a switch for toggling through performance presets on the right. I left it in the “Sport” position all day, well, at least until I hit the autocross course where I turned it to the right for “Race” mode. Here it reduces the level of electronic driving aid intervention. I chose not to click it all the way to the right, which would have completely defeated all electronic nannies, and also didnt try out its extreme left position, for snow or ice, nor the one directly beside this, for wet and slippery conditions. In Sport mode it was pretty well impossible to tell that any safety net was taking control during 9/10ths corners, leaving me to feel like quite the hero.

Likewise its almost impossible to miss a shift with the F1 gearbox… I say almost impossible because I actually did double upshift coming out of a corner during the autocross, on camera no less. How embarrassing! Yes, it only takes a flick of the fingers to change gears, up on the right, down on the left, as it should be, and the process is so invigorating I found it difficult to remain in any given gear for very long.

After a run out to Cannon Beach, the long way, or so I found out when we were about an hour late for lunch, we took the freeway back in order to experience what it would be like to deal with this exotic on an everyday basis. In one word: easy. It cruises easily no matter the speed, is comfortable no matter the distance, and takes to long sweeping corners with complete control, just the way it eats up tight, circuitous back roads. Im not going to say that the F430 is more capable than a Porsche 911 Turbo or Corvette Z06, per se, but for me the combination of auditory sensations, plus the Ferraris exhilarating acceleration and adroit road manners put it at the top of the entry-level supercar gang. Again, were back to the personal preferences. Ill take mine in red, thank you, with tan leather hides. I havent decided on whether Id go for the drop-top over the coupe, but Im leaning towards the former. The sound of that induction system is priceless, and there isnt any noticeable loss in structural rigidity. Yes, the F430 Spider just might be the perfect sports car.