2006 Ferrari F430 Spyder
Comments
The F430 is much better than the 360 in many ways. It is far smoother and faster. Its design is more aggressive and modern, although one could argue that the 360 had more artistic lines. They are both beautiful, but different. The interior is covered with the finest leather you will see in any car with beautiful stitchings. Its instrumentation is functional and elegant. The HiFi version is terrific with clean sound and base. Its handling, speed, agility, and feel are second to none. It is one of the most beautiful cars ever created with its presence noticed on any road with admirers everywhere.
If there ever was a sports car intended to star in a driving enthusiast’s exotic dreams, it would be the 2006 Ferrari F430. An almost all-new evolution of the 360 Modena, the mid-engine F430 is built on a stiffer aluminum space frame chassis with a tight 102.4-inch wheelbase and wrapped in a muscular body shaped by the aerodynamic experiences of Formula One.
From the aggressive shark-nose front, complete with enlarged air intakes and center spoiler, to the high-set rear fender scoops and massive rear diffuser, this is clearly a car designed to work with the air rather than against it.
And its sole motivation is a beautiful 4.3-liter dual-overhead-cam all-aluminum dry-sump V8 engine. With variable intake and cam timing, it delivers 483 seamless horsepower, 22% more prancing horses than the 360, and 343 pound-feet of torque.
A new twin-plate clutch bridges to either a 6-speed manual, or as in our car, the latest version of Ferrari’s 6-speed sequential shift gearbox with its F1-style paddle shifters.
New software has cut shift times, and almost totally eliminated the harshness that Ferrari fans have long excused as “character.”
Also new is a steering wheel mounted switch that selects five preset maps, including Snow and Race, that control everything from shock settings, engine response, traction and stability control, to the electronic limited-slip differential.
Punch the gas pedal, and the 430 rockets to 60 in only 3.5 seconds, and through the quarter mile in 11.7 seconds at 120 miles per hour. Power hits hard from less than 3,000 rpm, and pulls like a space shuttle booster all the way to the 8,500 rpm redline. Full throttle shifts are sharp and firm, while downshifts are silky smooth with a perfect blip of the throttle.
But that’s only part of the F430 experience. The prancing horse has always excelled in the corners, and the F430 is well equipped with its computer augmented A-arm suspension. Turn into any corner, and the variable-rate power rack-and-pinion steering responds with go-kart quickness.
The front end feels a bit nervous until the tires warm up, but then the combination of hot rubber and aerodynamic down-force glues it to the track. Chassis balance is near perfect, with just a touch of understeer at mid-corner. Sharp throttle inputs will cause the back end to break loose, but recovery is only a gentle flick of the wheel away.
Like all Ferraris, the 430 is a car that demands finesse and total concentration, but rewards the effort with stunning corner speeds, and when it has to shed that speed clamps down on the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which scrub off velocity with impressive power and feel.
This car has been well maintained and serviced, all well documented.
Vehicle History
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No Accident or Damage Reported
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3+ Owners
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Service History
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Personal Use
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