Ferrari F430 Spider

Italian sports cars don’t get much more authentic than the Ferrari F430 Spider. It’s a genuine marriage of racing technology and sexy design, of pure adrenaline and uncompromised luxury. Few cars deliver so much on their first impressions.

The F430 is a thoroughly modern interpretation of the classic mid-engine sports car formula Ferrari made popular in the 1970s: Two seats with a V8 engine in the middle, wrapped in gorgeously sculpted coachwork. And it’s even better when the top comes off as a Spider.

The engine, in this case, is a 4.3-liter that’s good for 483 horsepower. Positioned just behind the cockpit, the mid-ship placement endows the F430 with a supremely balanced and agile chassis. It also happens to bring the engine right up to you ears, where you can enjoy its deep rumbling heartbeat at idle or its seductive scream at full tilt.

The F430 Spider is as fast as it looks and sounds, capable of launching to 60 mph in under four seconds on its way to a top speed just shy of 190 mph. Shifting is a snap thanks to a Formula1-derived six-speed gearbox; you just work the shifter and it handles the clutches, or throw it in full automatic mode and let it do all the work. An electronic differential lock ensures maximum traction, stability control keeps you heading where you point it, and carbon ceramic brakes are in place to make all that speed disappear when the time comes.

On the inside, the F430 Spider resembles a leather-lined race car cockpit. Formula1 hasn’t only inspired the shifter, it’s also dictated the design of the steering wheel, where the switch used to adjust vehicle dynamics settings is the very same “manettino” used by the racers, and the top section of the wheel features shift lights that pop as you approach redline.

Going topless is the best way to enjoy the F430 Spider, and that takes just 20 seconds and the push of a single button. In the time it takes to explain why Ferrari spells it “Spider” while Lamborghini prefers “Spyder,” the soft top will have made itself disappear into the gorgeous aluminum bodywork.

There’s no such thing as a bad day at the wheel of the F430 Spider. To make sure your is as perfect as it can be, ours is equipped with the following features:

Six-speed F1 gearbox
Automatic folding convertible top
Navigation system and iPod integration

from Gotham Dream Cars