The Ferrari F430 is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004
to 2009. A successor to the Ferrari 360, it debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Its
replacement, the Ferrari 458, was unveiled on 28 July 2009.
Overview The MSRP for a Ferrari F430 was $186,925 to
$217,318 in the United States, £119,500 in the United Kingdom, approximately €175,000
in the European Union, and $379,000 for the base model to $450,000 for the Spider F1 in
Australia and New Zealand. Design
The body styling of the F430 was revised from its predecessor, the Ferrari 360, to improve
its aerodynamic efficiency. Although the drag coefficient remained the same, downforce was
greatly enhanced. Despite sharing the same basic Alcoa Aluminium chassis, roof line,
doors and glass, the car looked significantly different from the 360. A great deal of Ferrari
heritage was included in the exterior design. At the rear, the Enzo's tail lights and interior
vents were added. The car's name was etched into the Testarossa-styled driver's side mirror.
The large oval openings in the front bumper are reminiscent of Ferrari racing models from
the 60s, specifically the 156 "sharknose" Formula One car and 250 TR61 Le Mans cars
of Phil Hill. Designed with soft-top-convertible. Engine
The F430 features a 4.3L V8 gas engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design. This
new power plant was a significant departure for Ferrari, as all previous Ferrari V8's
were descendants of the Dino racing program of the 1950s. This fifty-year development
cycle came to an end with the entirely new 4.3L, the architecture of which is expected
to replace the Dino-derived V12 in most other Ferrari cars. The engine's output specifications
are: 490 PS at 8500 rpm and 465 N·m of torque at 5250 rpm, 80% of which is available
below 3500rpm. Despite a 20% increase in displacement, engine weight grew by only 4 kg and engine
dimensions were decreased, for easier packaging. The connecting rods, pistons and crankshaft
were all entirely new, while the four-valve cylinder head, valves and intake trumpets
were copied directly from Formula 1 engines, for ideal volumetric efficiency. The F430
has a top speed of 196 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds, 0.3 seconds
quicker than the old model. Brakes
The brakes on the F430 were designed in close cooperation with Brembo and Bosch, resulting
in a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better
heat dissipation performance. The F430 was also available with the optional Carbon fibre-reinforced
Silicon Carbide ceramic composite brake package. Ferrari claims the carbon ceramic brakes will
not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track.
Features The F430 featured the E-Diff, a computer-controlled
limited slip active differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs
such as steering angle and lateral acceleration. Other notable features include the first application
of Ferrari's manettino steering wheel-mounted control knob. Drivers can select from five
different settings which modify the vehicle's ESC system, "Skyhook" electronic suspension,
transmission behavior, throttle response, and E-Diff. The feature is similar to Land
Rover's "Terrain Response" system. The Ferrari F430 was also released with exclusive
Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tires, which have a V-shaped tread design, run-flat capability,
and OneTRED technology. In the US, the company requested an exemption
from the airbag design requirements, which was eventually granted, allowing the car to
continue to be sold in the US. Variants
F430 Spider
The F430 Spider is the convertible version based on the coupé. The F430 Spider is Ferrari's
21st road going convertible. The Ferrari F430 Spider made its world premiere at the Geneva
motor show. The car was designed by Pininfarina with aerodynamic simulation programs also
used for Formula 1 cars. The roof panel automatically folds away inside a space above the engine
bay. The conversion from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action.
The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé.
F430 Challenge
The F430 Challenge is the track version of the F430, designed for the Ferrari Challenge.
The engine remained untouched but the vehicle's weight was reduced, resulting in a top speed
of 202 mph. The production model was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, 2005.
430 Scuderia
Serving as the successor to the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia was unveiled by
Michael Schumacher at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. Aimed to compete with cars like the
Porsche RS-models and the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, it is lighter and more powerful
at 8500 rpm) than the standard F430. Increased power comes from a revised intake, exhaust,
and an ion-sensing knock-detection system that allows for a higher compression ratio.
Thus the weight-to-power ratio is reduced from 2.96 kg/hp to 2.5 kg/hp. In addition
to the weight saving measures, the Scuderia semi-automatic transmission gained improved
"Superfast", known as "Superfast2", software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A
new traction control system combined the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff
electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia accelerates from 0-100 kilometres per hour
in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 202 miles per hour. Ferrari claims that around their
test track, Fiorano Circuit, it matches the Ferrari Enzo, and the Ferrari F430's successor,
the Ferrari 458. Scuderia Spider 16M
To commemorate Ferrari's 16th victory in the Formula 1 Constructor's World Championship
in 2008, Ferrari unveiled the Scuderia Spider 16M at World Finals in Mugello. It is a convertible
version of the 430 Scuderia. The engine produces 510 PS at 8500 rpm and
470 N·m torque at 5250 rpm. The car has a dry weight of 1,340 kg and a curb weight
of 1,440 kg. It accelerates from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 315 km/h.
499 vehicles were released beginning early 2009.
F430 Spider Bio Fuel A version of the F430 Spider that runs on
ethanol, called the F430 Spider Bio Fuel, was on display at the 2008 Detroit Auto Show.
It contained the same 4.3 litre V8 engine, producing 500 hp, with a 4% increase in torque,
with 5% less carbon dioxide emissions than the standard F430 Spider.
SP1 The F430-based Ferrari SP1, was the first
one-off special produced by the Ferrari Portfolio Program. The body was designed by former Pininfarina
designer Leonardo Fioravanti, at the behest of Junichiro Hiramatsu, a Japanese businessman
who was the former president of the Ferrari Club of Japan and an avid collector; he had
admired Fioravanti's 1998 F100 prototype.
Racing F430 GTC
Built since 2006 by Ferrari Corse Clienti department in collaboration with Michelotto
Automobili, the F430 GTC is a racing car designed to compete in international GT2 class competition,
such as in the American Le Mans Series, Le Mans Series, and FIA GT Championship. F430
GTCs also compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The GTC was the fastest and most developed
racing version of the F430. In FIA GT2 championship, in order to render
the car performances more uniform, the cars are forced to run with a specific minimum
weight and with an engine restrictor that depends on the engine displacement. Hence
the 4.3 L V8 engine in GT2 races is destroked to 4.0 L in order to compete in the 3.8–4.0 L
class, which is allowed to race with a minimum weight of 1,100 kg. Using the 4.3 L engine,
the minimum weight of the F430 would increase by 50 kg. In this race configuration, the
engine produces somewhat less power, but this is compensated by the lower car weight, which
yields a better Power-to-weight ratio. The F430 GTCs won their class championships
in the ALMS and FIA GT, as well as scoring class wins at the 2007, 2009 and 2010 12 Hours
of Sebring, at the 2008 and 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans and at the 2008 and 2009 Petit
Le Mans. F430 GT3
Originally based on the F430 Challenge, the F430 GT3 is a specialized racing car developed
in 2006 by JMB Racing for the FIA GT3 European Championship and other national GT championships
such as British GT and FFSA GT. It is mechanically similar to the F430 Challenge, but has better
developed aerodynamics and more power. The car uses the same 4.3 L V8 engine, tuned
to produce 550 hp, making the GT3 more powerful than its GT2 counterpart. However, due to
the GT3 regulations stating that the car must have a power-to-weight ratio of around 2.6 kg/hp,
the car weighs 1,219 kg in race trim, which is roughly 119 kg more than the GT2 spec
car. Despite the higher power, it is significantly slower than the GT2 version; for example,
in the 2007 Spa 24 Hours endurance race, in which both models were entered, the GT3 spec
vehicles' best qualification time was around 8 seconds slower per lap than that set by
the GT2 spec vehicle. Since 2007 a technical partnership between
Kessel Racing and JMB brought the production of an Evolution Kit.
The F430 GT3 won the drivers title in the 2007 FIA GT3 European Championship season.
430 GT3 Scuderia Developed by Kessel Racing for the 2009 season,
the 430 GT3 Scuderia is the successor of the previous F430 GT3.
Recall In February 2009, Ferrari recalled about 2,000
2005–2007 F430 Spiders in the U.S., due to the risk that heat from the engine could
cause the soft top hydraulic hoses to fracture and leak flammable fluid onto the V8 motor,
resulting in a fire. References
Notes
Bibliography
External links Ferrari F430 Prices
Ferrari website Ferrari F430 on Edmunds.com
Ferrari F430 GT serial number on Endurance-Series Ferrari F430