The Ferrari F430 Spider Sports Car

                                                    Ferrari F430 Spider             Image

                                             from Classic to Modern

THE CAR

     The Ferrari F430 sports car was launched in 2004 at the Paris Motor Show, whilst its stable mate, the F430 Spider, a two seater convertible version of the Berlinetta, was introduced in March 2005 at the Geneva Motor Show.

     Like the 355 Spider, the soft top was electrically actuated, and automatically folded away into a space in front of the engine compartment, which was displayed beneath a glass cover.

     The two-stage operation was very quick, in the order of some 20 seconds and, even when folded down, did not in any way obscure the view of the engine.

     Like its predecessors, the F430 Series, including the Spider, was designed by Pininfarina.

     It was fitted with much larger air intakes at the rear to ensure maximum cooling of the new engine, due to the proximity of the folded down top.

     There were two air intakes at the front of the car which fed into a spoiler, positioned underneath the front bumper, which acted to channel air beneath the car.

     This helped to increase the ground effect, which was further improved by the presence of a large diffuser fitted to the rear, coupled with the fact that the underside of the car was completely flat.

     A new added feature was called the E-Diff and was, in fact, a limited slip differential that was computer activated to provide maximum grip when cornering, and so preventing wheel spin.

     A further addition was the Manettino switch, situated on the steering wheel, which allowed the driver to select a computer controlled function, according to road conditions, such as traction control via E-Diff, suspension, gear change speed, and throttle response.

     Ceramic composite disc brakes, with superior anti-fade characteristics, were available as an option, and the F1-style paddle shift gearbox was also offered.

     The F430 Spider shared the same interior as that of the Berlinetta.

                                                   Ferrari F430 Spider             Image

THE ENGINE

     The F430 Spider was powered by the new 4.3 litre, V8 engine, with four valves per cylinder, unlike the five cylinder layout in the 360 Series.

     This larger engine developed 483 bhp at 8500 rpm (the redline), and 344 ft/lbs of torque at 5250 rpm.

     Compare with the coupe, this enabled the Spider to produce a top speed of 193 mph (3 mph slower), and a 0-60 mph time of 4.1 secs (2 secs longer).

Technical Data430
Spider
360
Spider
355
Spider
Production 2005-2009 1999-2005 1995-1999
Engine, cc 4308 3586 3496
Cylinders, bhp 8, 483 8, 395 8, 380
Torque ft/lbs 344 275 268
Top Speed mph 193 180 183
0:60 mph, secs 4.1 4.4 4.6
0:100 mph, secs 9.3 9.8 11.5
Standing 1/4 Mile, secs 12.5 12.6 13.3

                                                   Ferrari F430 Spider             Image

                                                Full Screen                                                                                                                                Full Screen

COMPETITION

     Competitors of the Ferrari F430 Spider sports car included the following: Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, and Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster. Ferrari performance:

                                      Ferrari       Lamborghini  Porsche Turbo  Lamborghini
Technical Data            430 Spider  Gallardo Spider  Cabriolet          Diablo VT
Production                  2005-2009          2006             2007                 1998
Engine, cc                        4308               4960             3601                 5991
Cylinders, bhp                8, 483            10, 513          6, 473              12, 523
Torque ft/lbs                   344                  376               458                   430
Top Speed mph                193                  195               192                   206
0-60 mph, secs                4.1                   4.1                3.6                    3.8
0-100 mph, secs              9.3                   9.1                8.1                      -Standing 1/4 Mile, sec   12.5                12.1             11.5                 12.3

SPORTS CARS FOR SALE

     Originally priced at $200,000, a Ferrari F430 Spider in good condition would fetch around $100,000, whilst an example in excellent condition could command anything up to $150,000.

     Another of the classic cars from Ferrari.


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                                            see All My Reviews


› Ferrari F430 Spider Sports Car



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