Ferrari F430

Ferrari F430 at a glance

By our calculation, the coupé carries about 4.2 kg per kW, and its V8 gives about 84 kW per litre.

From the 360 to the F430

The F430 kept the aluminium construction of the Ferrari 360 but changed almost everything that mattered for speed. The engine grew from 3.6 to 4.3 litres and from 294 to 360 kW, an increase of about 22% by our calculation. Frank Stephenson's body at Pininfarina reshaped the nose with two large oval intakes, a nod to the 1961 Ferrari 156 Formula 1 car, and the rear gained a diffuser between four round exhaust tips. The car was unveiled at the Paris motor show in 2004.

The F136 engine replaced the 360's V8, and the same engine family later powered the 458 Italia. Its peak power came at 8,500 rpm, with maximum torque of 465 Nm at 5,250 rpm.

E-Diff and the manettino

Two features made the F430 a technical milestone for Ferrari road cars. The E-Diff was an electronically controlled limited-slip differential that varied its locking effect according to grip and driving style. The manettino, a rotary switch on the steering wheel, appeared here for the first time on a Ferrari road car. Its five settings link the stability control, traction control, E-Diff, suspension and F1 gearbox:

The old 1cars review reported F1 gear changes of 150 milliseconds in the standard car. Carbon-ceramic brakes developed with Brembo were available.

F430 Spider

The F430 Spider was unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2005. Ferrari counted it as its 21st road-going convertible. The open car weighs 1,569 kg, 52 kg more than the coupé. Top speed is 5 km/h lower than the coupé's.

430 Scuderia and Scuderia Spider 16M

Michael Schumacher unveiled the 430 Scuderia at the Frankfurt motor show in 2007. The engine produced 375 kW (510 PS) and 471 Nm, the car weighed 100 kg less than the standard coupé, and the F1 gearbox software cut shift times to 60 milliseconds. Ferrari quoted a power-to-weight ratio of 2.5 kg per hp, 0–60 mph in 3.1 seconds and 319 km/h.

The Scuderia Spider 16M was revealed at Mugello in 2008 to celebrate Ferrari's 16th Formula 1 constructors' title. All 499 cars were sold before production began. It reached 0–60 mph in 3.4 seconds and 315 km/h.

By our calculation, the Scuderia's 1,429 kg and 375 kW give about 3.8 kg per kW, roughly 10% better than the standard coupé.

Racing record

The F430 was designed with racing in mind from the start. The F430 Challenge, shown in January 2005, ran in Ferrari's one-make series. The F430 GTC for the GT2 class, built from 2006, used a 4.0-litre version of the V8 with 327 kW (445 PS) and won the GT2 class at Le Mans in 2008 and 2009, at Sebring in 2007, 2009 and 2010 and at the Spa 24 Hours in 2006, 2008 and 2009. It also took class championships in the American Le Mans Series and the FIA GT Championship. JMB Racing developed an F430 GT3 in 2006 with 410 kW, followed by a 430 GT3 Scuderia for 2009.

Buying an F430

An F430 is now an approachable classic supercar, but repairs are priced at Ferrari level. Points to check:

• F1 gearbox clutch: wear can be read out by a dealer; a manual car avoids the issue and is rarer.
• Service history: a full record of annual services, including the F1 gearbox hydraulics.
• Brakes: carbon-ceramic discs, where fitted, are expensive to replace, so measure their wear.
• Body: the aluminium panels are expensive to repair after accidents.
• Originality: limited versions such as the 16M lose value with non-original parts.

The Ferrari F430 vs Lamborghini Gallardo comparison sets it against its direct rival, and the Lamborghini Gallardo page tells the Italian rival's story. You can check performance figures against other cars with the power-to-weight calculator.

The F430 in the V8 line

The F430 was replaced by the 458 Italia, unveiled on 28 July 2009, which in turn gave way to the turbocharged Ferrari 488. Every other Ferrari road car has an entry in our Ferrari catalogue.