Ferrari F430

“The F430 is sensational; the blend of drivability, excitement, immediacy, and purity is unmatched. It sings to you and embodies everything we love about Italian cars.”
- Automobile Magazine

Twist the key and the F430’s 4.3L mid-engine V-8 erupts with staccato bursts of baritone that shatter the silence. Plant your right foot and the engine’s soundtrack is instantly transformed into a feverish banshee-wail that brutally assails the senses. Paired with a Formula One–derived paddle-shift automated manual transmission that cracks off gear shifts in mere milliseconds, the F430 will rocket to 60 mph in less than four seconds and on to a time-warp top speed of 196 mph. When it comes time to stop, its massive brakes will have you wondering if a drag-chute has been deployed. The F430 also features an innovative, steering-wheel-mounted, Formula One–derived “manettino” switch that offers five different settings that alter shift speed, throttle response, adaptive damping, differential settings, and levels of traction and stability control so the F430’s performance and handling can be instantly tailored to your every whim.

Ferrari introduced its first car in 1947 – the Type 125S – a racing sports car with a 1.5L front-engine V-12 producing 100 horsepower. During the 1960’s, Ferrari’s front-engine, V-12 road cars became legendary for their dazzling performance and breathtaking good looks. Models such as the 275 GTB/GTS, 250 GT Spyder California and 365 GTB4/GTS4 Daytona forever established the Ferrari mystique of unbridled passion, stunning speed and timeless beauty.

In the late 1960’s Ferrari created its first mid-engine V-8 sports car, the lovely “Dino” 206/246. It was replaced in 1975 by the 308 GTB/GTS. With its aggressive stance and voluptuous shape, the 308 was the very epitome of Ferrari. This striking car was made famous by the 1980’s television show, Magnum P.I., and, aided by the inspired marketing tag lines “What can be conceived can be created” and “Only those who dare…truly live”, became the object of desire for an entire generation. The 308 was succeeded by several mid-engine V-8 models culminating with the F430 which debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 2004.

Ferrari’s are built in a sprawling complex outside the small town of Maranello in northern Italy. The factory, which comprises 45 buildings and a 2 mile test track, is part high-tech garage…part art studio where raw metal is transformed into raw power using a curious combination of modern, highly automated production techniques in concert with old-world hand-craftsmanship. For example, the aluminum space frame chassis of a Ferrari is robotically assembled, but its engine – the heart of any Ferrari – is completely built and finished by hand. And while robots do all of the priming and painting at Maranello, humans hand-craft all Ferrari interiors using needle and thread.

The brilliant F430 represents the zenith of Ferrari’s mid-engine V-8 sports car lineage and is considered by many to be the very best sports cars in the world today. It offers a driving experience like none other…quintessentially pure and direct. The F430 goes, stops, handles and sounds like a race car and its Pininfarina-styled aluminum bodywork looks stunning from every angle.

Quite simply, this extraordinary car will take your breath away…