2006 Ferrari F430 Test Drive

Road Rapture

A recipe for celebrity, without annoying paparazzi.

Interior

An admiring Atlanta lawyer, who sat in the car and whose neighbors own a Ferrari, remarked that the interior was more spacious than any other Ferrari he'd been in and that the price actually sounded reasonable — for a Ferrari.

Like most low-slung sports cars, some contorting is required to get inside. Once there, the leather wrapped steering wheel's red starter button and opposing small red dial immediately draw attention. The latter is essentially a mood lever — or mood manettino, as Italians would say — having five settings, each with different parameters for transmission, suspension and electronic stability control.

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Turn up the dial the racier you feel for progressively stiffer suspension settings and looser stability control, along with faster shifts from the optional electronically controlled sequential manual transmission. Disengage the stability control altogether if you're really feeling brave — or crazy. There are a couple of modes for low-traction driving, such as in rain or snow.

The F430 Spider's side-hugging leather seats were comfortable even after a couple of hours behind the wheel, but this car is definitely designed for lean physiques. Headroom is tight for occupants taller than 6 feet — all the more reason to keep the fully powered and padded cloth top down. At the press of a center-console-mounted button, it noisily stows in about 25 seconds.

Outward visibility to the rear would be another reason to pop the top: the F430 Spider's sideview mirrors are otherwise the only sure way to see what's behind you.

A surprisingly spacious trunk nestled between the front wheels will accept most carry-on-size luggage. The opening isn't particularly wide, but the deep compartment accepts a generous amount (8.8 cubic feet) for a mid-engine exotic car.