The Ferrari F430 first went for sale in 2004 having debuted at the Paris Motor Show earlier that year. It became the ‘entry-level’ Ferrari replacing the 360 Modena as the V8 mid-engined car in Ferrari’s range. Boasting a completely new engine, chassis and gearbox from the 360, stylistically the F430 was actually fairly similar despite some sharper edges and tail lights strongly influenced from the Ferrari Enzo. The 4.3L V8 engine was derived from a Ferrari/Maserati design and is also one of the last Ferrari’s ever to feature a manual gearstick though the semi-auto F1 transmission is preferred by most.

At the time of launch the F430 boasted technology never before used in road cars specially developed from Formula 1. This included E-Diff, an electronically controlled differential which gave the car massive amounts of traction. The F430 was also the first Ferrari to use the now well-established ‘Manettino’ control switch found on the steering wheel in order to give the driver a selection of different driving settings.
The F430 has been praised for its incredible handling, superb brakes and spot on driving position. It is seen as a much more forgiving car to drive than it’s predecessor but losing none of the character and visual drama that Ferrari’s are famed for.

In addition to the soft-top Spider version, Ferrari also released a hardcore variant named the 430 Scuderia which is lighter and more powerful. A car that feels at home on both the road and the track the 430 Scuderia is fast becoming a cult-car amongst enthusiasts and seen as a true red blooded Ferrari which will remain hugely desirable in the years to come. A limited edition convertible variant named the 16M Scuderia in celebration of Ferrari winning it’s 16th F1 constructors championship in 2008 followed soon after.