The Ferrari F430 was a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. It debuted at the 2004 Paris Motor Show. Its replacement, the Ferrari 458 Italia, was unveiled on 28 July 2009 and is expected to go on sale in Spring 2010.
The MSRP for a Ferrari F430 is $168,005 to $227,000 in the United States, £118,500 in the United Kingdom, approximately €175,000 in the European Union and $389,000 for the base model to $450,000 for the Spider F1 in Australia. The body has been redesigned to be more curvaceous and aerodynamic. Although the drag coefficient remains the same, downforce has been greatly enhanced. A great deal of Ferrari heritage is found in the car: at the rear, the Enzo's tail lights and interior vents have been added. The car's name has been 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. The F430 features a 4.3L V8 petrol engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design. This new power plant is a significant departure for the F430 line: the engines of all previous V8 Ferraris 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 (360 kW; 483 hp) at 8500 rpm and 465 N·m (343 lb·ft) of torque at 5250 rpm. The F430 has a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). The brakes on the F430 were designed in close collaboration with Brembo. The result has been a new cast-iron alloy for the discs. The new alloy includes molybdenum which has better heat dissipation performance. Another option Ferrari is providing areCarbon fibre-reinforced Silicon Carbide (C/SiC) ceramic composite discs. Ceramics have much higher resistance to heat and brake fade than metals, the F430's brakes offer not only good performance but also a longer lifespan. Ferrari claims the brakes will not fade even after 300-360 laps at their test track. The F430 includes the E-Diff, a computer-controlled limited slip differential a type of active differential which can vary the distribution of torque based on inputs such as steering angle and lateral acceleration, a world's first. The F430 Spider is the convertible version based on the coupé. The F430 Spider is Ferrari's 21st road going convertible. The Spider is—just like the coupé—quite similar in looks to the Ferrari 360. The F430 Challenge is the racing version of the F430 for the Ferrari Challenge. The engine remains untouched but the vehicle's weight has been reduced and it can reach a top speed of 196 mph (315 km/h). The production model was unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show in January, 2005. Built to replace the 360 GTC in 2006, the GT2 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 GT2s also compete at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. They are the fastest and most developed racing versions of the F430. Source: risicompetizione.com Originally based on the F430 Challenge, the F430 GT3 is a specialized racing car designed for the FIA GT3 European Championship, but also used in other national GT championships. It is mechanically similar to the F430 Challenge, yet has some better developed aerodynamics, including large air exhaust vents in the hood. Serving as the successor to the Challenge Stradale, the 430 Scuderia (scuderia meaning "stable of horses", but also used in the context of motor racing teams, including Ferrari's own) 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 (superleggera meaning super light weight), it is lighter (by 100 kg/220 lb) and more powerful (515 PS (379 kW; 508 hp) 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 gains improved "Superfast", known as "Superfast2", software for faster 60 millisecond shift-times. A new traction control system combines the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia does 0-100 kilometres per hour (62 mph) in 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 198 miles per hour (319 km/h). Ferrari claims that around their test track, Fiorano Circuit, it is faster than a Ferrari Enzo.Overview
Design
Engine
Brakes
Features
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 ESP 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 striking 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.F430 based cars
F430 Spider
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. After a short to and fro the entire top disappears into a closed storage area between the seating and the engine.
The interior of the Spider is identical to that of the coupé.F430 Challenge
F430 GT2
In FIA GT2 championship, in order to render the car performances more uniform, the cars are forced to run with a specific minimal 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 (2,425 lb). Using the 4.3 L engine, the minimum weight of the F430 would increase by 50 kg (110 lb). In this race configuration, the engine produces somewhat less power, but this is compensated by the lower car weight, which yields a better weight/power ratio.
The F430 GT2s won their class championships in the ALMS and FIA GT, as well as scoring a class win at the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring.Ferrari F430 GT2 Specifications
F430 GT3
Having a full 4.3 L engine the car is more powerful than the GT2 counterpart, however the GT3 rules require that the car has a weight/power ratio of about 2.6 kg/hp, hence the car has a minimum weight above 1,200 kg (2,646 lb) in race trim (driver and fuel excluded). Considering the less developed aerodynamics, and about 10% of extra weight, the car is clearly slower than the GT2 version; for example in the 2007 Spa 24h race, in which both models were entered, the GT3 spec vehicle was about 8 seconds slower in its best qualification lap times than the GT2 spec vehicle.430 Scuderia
When tested on Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson said "It appears to have been welded together by apes", referring to the exposed metalwork. However, he also said that it was a knife-edge racer, which is how a Ferrari should be. He was deeply impressed with its performance, and said that it blew away any Lamborghini. When given to the Stig to take round the Top Gear Test Track, it completed the cicuit in an impressive 1 minute 19.7 seconds which is faster than a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren(1.20.9) and a Porsche Carrera GT (1.19.8).
