Ferrari F430 Coupe and Spider

The Ferrari F430 continues the theme established by the 360 – that of the ‘no excuses’ Ferrari that works in everyday conditions without physically or financially punishing the owner.

The 430 is aluminium bodied, but fitted with the 4.3-litre V8 engine producing 483bhp. They handle exceptionally well. It’s like sitting in a big go-kart, with the traditional F1 inspired mid-engined layout. With accurate steering and exceptional brakes, the F430 also has a surprisingly civilised ride on all but very bumpy roads.

The F1 transmission is worth focusing on. It’s not like the full autos some buyers are used to and demands a lot of concentration. It has, however, virtually usurped the manual model in terms of sales splits.

In terms of road status, the Ferrari is a substantial upgrade, even from a Porsche. Mind you, as I tell car buyers, it’s not really a daily driver, certainly not for London traffic. Sure, be in no doubt – it can be but it just demands a lot more concentration from drivers.

No other car offers the sense of occasion a Ferrari does. And no other car sounds quite like a Ferrari F430. The noise it makes is a massive part of the appeal.

Red remains the color of choice for sports Ferraris. More recently, black has proven popular too, while metallic mid-grey is also very nice.

The Spider convertible version is only marginally slower and, other than a predictable small amount of scuttle shake and a slightly softer chassis, is virtually the same drive. The hood takes about 20 seconds to go down and it is fully automatic.

There’s a distinct market split between Ferrari Coupes and Spiders. The Spider is more for the extrovert, and tends to be bought by buyers coming to Ferrari for the first time. The Modena Coupe is, I reckon, the one with the purer lines and is the more classical looker. We at Clive Sutton offer a wide range of new and used Ferrari cars for sale. We deal across the UK and can look after your Ferrari car buying or selling requirements wherever you are located.