2005 Ferrari F430 Test Drive

Engine As Art

Ferrari's F430 showcases its engine under a glass hood. The forthcoming F430's convertible top won't hamper the view.

Behind The Wheel

Interestingly, the F430's engine doesn't sound like a typical V8 because of its crankshaft configuration. Most V8 cranks are designed for smoothness, allowing cylinders on both sides of the V to fire alternately, and balancing opposing pulses. The F430's "flat" crankshaft, however, forces the engine to operate as though it were two four-cylinder engines running in tandem, thus creating a distinctive, ripping exhaust sound —- which is a good thing, because it wouldn't do to have a Ferrari sound like a Corvette.

+ enlarge image  |  view gallery >

Four-cylinder engines are vibration-prone, and two of them should be twice as vibratory, but that isn't the case with the F430. Whatever the reason, the engine is superbly smooth.

The F430's optional sequential manual transmission is the best yet —- so good that if you try to "help" it by lifting off the throttle between shifts, you'll simply confuse its electronic brain. Keep your foot to the floor, flick the paddles, and let electrons take care of the transitions, whether shifting up with the right or down with the left paddle.

The F430's paddle shifters are stationary, mounted on the steering-wheel column, unlike on BMWs and Audis, which have them attached to the steering wheel. Regardless of where they attach, these little paddles are so intuitive as to encourage shifts otherwise unfathomable with conventional manual transmissions — which isn't necessarily a good thing.

During some laps at Lime Rock Raceway in Northwest Connecticut, I became annoyed that when I cranked the F430's steering wheel to enter a turn, the paddle shifters were no longer at my fingertips, making mid-corner shifts more difficult. "Why are you trying to shift while turning?" asked an experienced Ferrari driver. Good point.

The F430 isn't as intimidating to drive as some other super cars. For one thing, it doesn't overwhelm with the sense of acres of expensive bodywork. Outward visibility is also good, except to the right rear: You'll need a passenger to spot for you while merging with traffic coming from the right. Between the traction control and electronic differential, there's no wheel spin like in other high-powered cars — just an enormous lunge of acceleration and an exhaust crescendo.

Zoom in to see the F1-style paddle shifters up close. + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

With 25 percent more torque than its 360 Modena predecessor — and 80 percent of it available at just 3,500 rpm — the F430 has a split personality: You can pussyfoot around town at 1,200 rpm, or bury your foot and turn it into a wild thing. Past Ferraris were much crankier at lower speeds, with engines and gearboxes tuned exclusively for high-speed driving.

On the track, which is the only place an F430 can safely be driven hard, the car is remarkably controllable and predictable despite a 57 percent rearward weight bias. It's so stable and planted that it urges you to push increasingly harder, a tendency abetted by the luxury and comfort of the cockpit, which insulates you from the reality of being in a thinly disguised racecar.

The F430 is a luxury car in every sense. The cockpit is trimmed and carpeted as elegantly as any Lexus, with lots of leather —- the days of smeared contact cement long gone.

In the center of the instrument panel is a 10,000-rpm tachometer in your choice of standard black, Ferrari red or garish yellow. The variety of other instruments — oil and water temperature, oil pressure, a 220-mph speedometer and a full spectrum of info and warning-light icons —- leave room for only a bar-graph fuel gauge.

We're guessing the F430 will average about 12 mpg in a combination of cruising and irresistible spurts of spirited driving, which is why the F430 has a 25-gallon fuel tank. Get used to $70 fill-ups.

The F430 Spider's soft top disappears under a deck lid. + enlarge image  |  view gallery >

The seats are firmly bolstered both at the ribcage and the thighs and won't be tolerant of too much girth. Entry and exit is entirely conventional, with none of the usual super-car contortions required by crazy doors or extreme seats.

Ferrari's just-released Spider version of the F430 is mechanically identical to the coupe except for the automatic folding cloth top, which Ferrari engineers managed to position either stowed or erect without compromising the all-important engine-under-glass display. The Spider is 155 pounds heavier than the coupe because of added rollover structure and a complex top-folding mechanism with seven electro-hydraulic actuators. Top speed is 185 mph for both hard-top coupe and Spider, but compromised aerodynamics will prevent you from achieving it with the top down.

Trunk space is also the same on coupe and Spider and isn't bad. You won't be carrying golf bags or a pair of hard-side suitcases, but there's a deep baggage well under the front hatch and room behind the seats for briefcases and purses.