New Ferrari F430!
The Ferrari F360 Modena is dead – long live the F430! While there won’t be any parades down the streets of Paris, expect there to be a buzz of excitement around the Ferrari stand at this year’s Paris motorshow. The release of a new Ferrari is always a celebrated matter in Italy and around the world. Many have waited for this very moment to see the replacement to one of Ferrari’s most successful production cars, and we assure you that the development of this particular breed will not disappoint!
As with the entry-level Ferraris of the past, the new F430 will take on an aluminum body, as well as an aluminum frame. The lightweight metal structure has been shaped to take the form of a wedgy two-seat, mid-engined vehicle, just as with the F360, 355 and 348 of the past. Ferrari intends on using their best technology and supercar-levels of performance in the F430 to catch up on ground lost to its arch-rival Lamborghini, and in preparation for a series of super-fast assaults from the new range of upcoming Porsche GT-series 997 generation 911s. Ferrari’s newcomer takes an evolutionary approach in its styling borrowing from the new 612 Scaglietti, and heavily influenced by Ferrari’s latest supercar, the Enzo. A quick look over and the thinner, vertical stacked headlamps with powerful xenon beam headlamps. A center ‘inverted’ intake on the front’s leading edge has been slotted between the two main intakes, the shape and placement borrowed from the Enzo. The same goes for much of the upright rear end, particularly the protruding taillamps which break the rear fender’s curving surfaces.
The reworking of the body doesn’t just stop here; there are many bodywork tricks incorporated into the slender F430 in order to improve airflow and reduce drag. The two, widened intakes, now accented by carbon fiber trim provide additional flow to cool the brakes. Additional lacerations around the front air dam and on the side skirts provide extra airflow without compromising the car’s aerodynamics. Amazingly, the wind-cheating design also produces negative lift at speeds, ensuring that the wheels stay on the ground. The larger engine breathes through accentuated scoops on the rear fenders, reminiscent of the LeMans winning 250 LM of 1965. We put such great emphasis on the styling of the F430 for one main reason: it maintains a simple, beautiful look without resorting to typical tall spoilers and dramatic bodywork. Like the Enzo, and many modern Ferraris, the F430 features a flat undertray and carbon fiber rear diffuser, both of which are a testament to the engineering involved in allowing form to follow function, without skimping out on visual aesthetics. Even the most seemingly simple components, such as the glass rear dome, was styled by the wind.
Compared to the F360, the F430 looks about the same in terms of body proportions, but it may surprise you that the new vehicle features a few interesting changes in directions. The vehicle is 4512 mm (177.6 in.) long – a slight increase from the F360’s 4475 mm (176.18 in.) length, however the all important width and height are both down to 1923 mm (176.2 in.) and 1214 mm (47.8 in.). This is against the supercar norm which usually sees an increase in width as the body grows in length. The wheelbase, as well as the front and rear tracks remain unchanged from the F360 at 2600 mm (102.4 in.), 1669 mm (front) (65.7 in.) and 1616 mm (rear) (64.6 in.). Kerb weight, including all engine liquids and gasoline is 1450 kg (3190 lb).
The name of the new model, like most recent Ferraris, stands for the displacement of the motor. But where’s the additional geographic or historic moniker which most new Ferraris bear? It appears that Ferrari have come to a bit of a road block in deciding on an official name for the new vehicle. So far, we’ve heard entries including ‘Modena Evoluzione’, ‘Monza’ and ‘Fiorano’ which all meaningful (and elegant sounding) names with great significance to the firm, but it’s yet to be confirmed by the factory. We put our money on Monza, as it’s the most logical step forward from Modena.
When Ferrari designed the 4.2 liter V8 motor for Maserati after purchasing the Italian sports firm, we were sure it had something in mind for its own use. It turns out we were right, as it’s now the powerplant for this very car. Enlarged to 4308 cc, the engine received several internal upgrades, which include a larger, 81 mm stroke which should allow the motor to rev higher and harder. The original oversquare bore of 92 mm has remained the same. Like the F360, a flat-plane crankshaft has been used to drive the motor. It differs from a regular crank as it fires two cylinders at the same time, and has the added bonus of creating that delicious metallic Ferrari scream. With these revisions in place, the motor makes peak of 490 horsepower at a screaming 8500 rpm, while torque measures in at 343 lb-ft at 5250 rpm. Compared to old F360, the gain in power is a staggering 100 horses! Next to its direct competitor the Lamborghini Gallardo, the new Ferrari loses out on the power race, but with a specific horsepower per liter rating of 113.95 hp/L, and a power to weight ratio of 2.96 hp/kg this prancing horse is bound to win on the road. Ferrari suggests that the F430 takes under four seconds to reach 100 km/h, before topping out at 315 km/h (196 mph).
In the press release, Ferrari claimed that the F430 is more than 70% new, features more technology derived directly from its championship-winning F1 racing cars than in any other mass produced car. With the amount of money spent every year on Schumacher and co., it’s only natural that some of the equipment that helps the red and white team lap international courses faster than the rest be applied to production vehicles. For starters, Ferrari will once again be offering its F1-style gearbox, complete with paddle shifters; however the six-speeder has been tuned to shift gears faster than ever before. Currently, Ferrari has no intention on offering a regular manual transmission but we’re sure that enthusiast will demand some sort of standard gearbox. The sublime Brembo-sourced cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc brakes which recently appeared on the 575 Maranello, and on the F360 Challenge Stradale will be an option. Also added to the list are adjustable dampers and a new invention called the E-Diff, an electronically controlled differential which Ferrari claims is a first for a production car.
The steering wheel on the F430 is a functional link to Ferrari’s famous F1 cars. Like the Enzo, it features thumb-actuated horn buttons on the wheel’s rim, as well as a large, red starter button. The steering wheel also houses the rotary knob which features a five-setting adjustment for the car’s traction and stability control, E-diff, active dampers and transmission program. The F1-inpsired system has settings for normal conditions, ice, slippery roadways, racing and ASR-off – each can be selected to suit the driver’s needs. Think of it as a condensed version of Schumacher’s own wheel. From what we’ve seen of the F430, we can safely say that the interior’s a close copy of the exterior – plenty of references to the Enzo, but well within the domain of the Modena. The dashboard and instrumentation are straightforward with yellow-faced rev-counter up front and center. All other gauges are smaller and offset to either side with standard black faces. The center console takes on a simpler look, with a radio, Enzo-style five-star vents and simple rotary switches for the HVAC system. Fine leather trim swathes the dashboard, and a pair of sporty, redesigned bucket seats.
In order to catch the first glimpse of the F430, you’ll need to make your way over to the Place Champs D’Elysées in Paris for the car’s late September debut. At the motorshow, the final details on specification, pricing and availability will be announced. The first European deliveries are expected to take place starting as early as October or November, but it will be several months before the cars are expected to show up on our shores. Expect a North American debut at either the Detroit or LA Motor Show. Pricing is expected to be about 5% higher than current models, somewhere around $275,000. Like the F360, Ferrari has a few plans for the F430, including a soft-top Spyder version, and a driver-focused, stripped-out Challenge Stradale version. It’s expected that the Stradale will further increase the power of the 4.3 liter V8, and further lighten the kerb weight by use of exotic materials like carbon fiber. These two models will arrive in two years at the latest, and priced accordingly for their additional specifications.
