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Ferrari’s range of V8-engined sports cars will be joined by the new F430 Spider when it is unveiled at the Geneva Show (3-13 March 2005).

Ferrari’s new drop-top includes a number of important technical features which give hints of the car’s F1 pedigree, starting with the innovative electronic differential - first developed by the racing division for the Scuderia’s all-conquering F1 cars – which improves traction and roadholding under all conditions. The Spider also features the steering wheel-mounted commutator switch, known to the Scuderia’s drivers as the ‘manettino’, which allows the car’s set-up to be adjusted easily and quickly.

Formula 1 is thus again the inspiration for the development of the company’s road cars. Designed by Pininfarina, the F430 Spider’s sinuous lines, in fact, were fine-tuned using state-of-the-art computer aerodynamics simulation programmes usually employed exclusively by the F1 team.

The F430 Spider’s shape is the result of lengthy testing and features a pronounced nolder which is integrated into the end of the engine cover, new bigger rear air intakes that emphasise the car’s muscular stance, and a new rear valance that incorporates a diffuser of competition derivation. The engine itself is attractively set below a glass cover.

Just like the berlinetta, the new Spider incorporates two elliptical air intakes that feed the front radiators. The shape of the intakes is inspired by Ferrari’s racing cars from the 1961 season, especially the 156 F1 which Phil Hill drove to that year’s F1 Championship title. The spoiler that joins the two intakes at their bottom edge is highly effective in directing the central air flow towards the flat underbody.

The F430 Spider boasts a compact, fully automatic electric hood that allows the engine to be seen in all its glory at all times and which, once lowered, takes up relatively little space, despite the uncompromising central-rear engine layout.

The F430 Spider is powered by Ferrari’s new 490 hp, 4,308cc 90° V8 which is capable of pushing the car to a top speed of over 310 km/h (over 193 mph) and covering the 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in just 4.1 seconds. This lightweight and highly compact power unit produces a specific output of 114 hp per litre with a weight-to-power ratio of 2.9 kg (6.4 lbs) per horsepower (dry weight).












Even though this looks amazing as hell, in my opinion, I wouldnt take a convertible over a f430 coupe. But thats just me

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brandon11983

That is drop dead sexy. I would kill without hesitation for that car.

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Tech

i'm not a huge fan of the rounded front air inlets... i kinda liked the more square-ness of the old version.

that being said, everything else is wonderfully updated and improved.

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Scorps

Not bad at all....gotta love the open air top

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GetRdone

one more thing that i will never be able to afford....ever

omega2K4

Damn. That car is gorgeous. I like the Spiders, but I've always liked the Modenas better for some reason. I'm not big on convertibles.

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krwlz

Whats projected price on this car? Haha, funny that the new Chevy Vette Z06 performes better for prolly less money.

...however theres still the issue of which symbol you want on your car.

Lockjaw

If I had to pay for it. Vette.
If I could just walk in and pick what car I wanted. Ferrari every day of the week.I do think the Modena looks better though.

Rippley

The Vette performs better than the F430? Please enlighten me as to how? No, seriously, I would like to know. I haven't been able to find any comparo's yet, so it'd be cool to hear exactly what you mean?

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Lockjaw

He doesn't know but it's probably fairly likely.

The Z06 is going to have 500 horsepower and a matching torgue number so it'll have a crap more power down low allowing it to get off the line faster and is probably going to weigh just a tad bit less than the F430. There also is a fairly decent chance that the Vette will be comparable in suspension set up. Time will tell but I wouldn't doubt it if the Z06 was just a bit faster in a straight line and around a road course.

Rippley

'Round a road course? I have a hard time believing it, given the F1 hours out into developing the e-diff and all things suspension-related, on on the F430. In a straight line I'm willing to concede that the Vette is probably going to be faster, depending whether the wildly different transmissions cancel out the superior HP/ft.lbs in the Vette. It'll be interesting to see...if Ferrari ever allows the two to be compared.
On a road course however, like I said, I just have a hard time believing it, but that could just be me refusing to accept the inevitable.

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Lockjaw

People thought the same about the Ford GT and it destroys the Ferrari 360.

Old Detriot isn't without it's tricks you know.

jfelco

friggin Sawheeeetttttttt!!!!

stingc

Gearing makes the peak torque that an engine produces pretty much irrelevant. It's much more important to look at where the torque and power peaks are. If you do that, you'll see that the Ferrari has a much flatter torque curve than the vette (oddly enough). The Ferrari also redlines 1st gear before the vette, and has a rear weight bias, so it will probably be faster off the line. It will also shift more quickly. I think it's a tossup in a straight line.

I don't know which will be faster around a track, but I'd bet a lot of money that the Ferrari is more fun to drive. I drove a regular C6 recently, and it was very disappointing. I doubt that they'll recapture enough fun in the Z06 model to compete with Ferrari (or even Porsche).

I also saw a review of the F430 which claimed that it's best feature was the new stability/traction control. It is apparently much less intrusive than on other cars while still being safe. So regular drivers can drive it much faster without having to worry too much about killing themselves.

Lockjaw

The problem with that is nobody has seen a true dyno of either of this cars so judging power bands is basically not going to be possible until then.
But looking at the RPM peaks and the respective numbers the Ferrari is going to have a much more peaky powerband compared to the Vette.
Secondly the Vette's gearing IIRC hasn't been announced but even if it's using 3.15 gears(which I doubt considering the last Z06 used 3.46 gears)compared to the 4.30 gears in the Ferrari will not be enough to beat the Z06 off the line. The Vette has it's peak torque lower in the RPM range and like most massive pushrod V8s it won't have a problem with the low RPM torque.
Just look at the numbers. 342 lb/ft at 5200 RPM vs the Vette with 475 @4800 RPM.
The Vette WILL be faster off the line. They are figuring the Z06 to have a 0-60 time in like 3.8 seconds.

The Z06 C5 and the regular C5 are night and day. We will wait and see of course but the Vette will be as fast or faster I'd wager.
Ok I'll stop hijacking the thread now.

Shadow

My new love!

stingc

Peak torque: 5250 rpm (Ferrari)/4800 rpm (Vette)
Peak power: 8500 rpm (Ferrari)/6200 rpm (Vette)

Although, this is obviously not as good as comparing dyno graphs, the Ferrari can clearly hold on to its torque for much longer than the Vette (3250 rpm vs. 1400 rpm) . It also doesn't peak at a very different rpm than the Vette, so its low-end torque probably won't be bad at all. All that technology in the Ferrari does replace displacement.

As far as I've heard, the Z06 gets a 3.42 rear axle with a 2.97 first gear. The Ferrari has a 4.30 rear with a 3.29 first gear. They both have essentially the same diameter tires

342*4.3*3.29=4800 ft-lb
475*3.42*2.97=4800 ft-lb

And the Ferrari's lower gearing means that its engine will reach 5200 rpm long before the Vette's reaches 4800 rpm. I don't think that the (probably) slightly better torque curve in the Vette off-idle is going to make a difference.

In any case, I'd take either of them .

MSD

I think I liked the 360 better. The look of the 430 reminds me too much of a Porsche and not enough of a Ferrari. I'm not saying I don't like it, but it doesn't look as nice as I expected.

Scorps

But Ferrari's V8 and GM's V8 are totally different.


They got the same number of pistons but some how Ferrari can get more HP and Torque out of theres.

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cinnles

I like it except for the tail lights. If they sat back into the recesses a bit more it'd look better.

But who am I to question ferrari stylists?