November 22, 2004. Copyright 2004, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Ferrari 430: A stunning beauty with (electronic) brains
By Neil Winton

LONDON, November 22, Graphic News:  The only time that most of us ever get to think about owning a Ferrari is when someone asks the question ÒWhat car would you buy if you won the lottery?Ó

So the fact that Ferrari has redesigned its ÒcheapestÓ car -- the £103,275 (147,000 euros) F360 Modena has become the £117,000 (167,000 euros) F430 -- is not much practical use to most of us. I must admit that my knee-jerk reaction to that lottery question has always been Òa Ferrari, of courseÓ, even though I donÕt actually ever buy any lottery tickets.

But after seeing the new F430, IÕm hot-footing it off to my local lottery ticket store. This car is not only beautiful to behold; it is also an engineering achievement of the highest class.

The F430, which was unveiled at the Paris Car Show in October, has a new 4.3-litre V8 engine, sited just behind the driver. It is much more powerful, producing 490bhp compared with the 360Õs 3.6-litre V8Õs 400bhp. The new car is a bit longer, by 35 millimetres, and ever so slightly wider than the F360. The styling has really only been tweaked -- the two front air intakes are slightly bigger and the middle one is a little more prominent. Ferrari says the bonnet, doors and roof remain from the previous model. The car is about 60 kilograms heavier than the old one, which has an improved aluminium space-frame chassis to meet tougher safety standards. The shark-nosed design was inspired by the famous 1961 Formula 1 Ferrari in which American Phil Hill won the world championship.

The slightly sleeker body results from FerrariÕs wind-tunnel rather than any artistic inspiration, because it produces significantly more ÒdownforceÓ. This means that at maximum speed of 196mph (315km/h), the car produces 80 kilograms of downward pressure which helps to keep it safely planted on all four wheels -- before the driver is carted off in chains by the local speed cops.

The F430 has an ÒElectronic DifferentialÓ to make it perform safely and increase traction, and respond to competition from the Lamborghini Gallardo, which has four-wheel drive. Ferrari reckons that its technology can almost match the traction of 4-wheel drive, without the weight penalty of about 80 kilograms. The Electronic Differential, which was originally developed for Formula 1 but banned because it made the cars too easy to handle, rations power to the drive wheels depending on which one is producing the most grip, and also interacts with the suspension, gearshift and traction control to maximise efficiency and safety. The system shuts off power when it senses a skid is imminent. The degree of assistance is decided by the so-called ÒmanettinoÓ switch located on the steering wheel, which has a choice of settings -- Sport, Race, Ice, Wet, and a fifth which switches it off, allowing the driver to take full control.

If you own an F430, select the fifth option and crash it, youÕll need to win the lottery again if the insurance company finds out.
/ENDS