2006 Ferrari F430 Spider
Friday, April 14th, 2006
Driving an open-topped 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider makes your hair feel thicker and your waist feel thinner. You drive faster and age slower. But, more than anything else, driving the al fresco version of the F430 delivers an even fuller dose of the burbling, popping, and wailing 483-horsepower V-8 sitting just aft of your right shoulder–especially at 8500 rpm when driving through a tunnel.
The previous-gen 360 Spider, wonderful though it was, came off a bit less of a driver’s car than the coupe. There was a noticeable reduction in the Spider’s chassis’ structural rigidity level, and its 150-or-so extra pounds knocked the edge off the 360’s forward thrust. That gap has closed to just about zip, as the F430’s chassis was designed from the beginning with the coupe and convertible versions in mind. The F430’s torquier engine can more than handle the small weight increase. A few structural members are added, and the top’s one-touch, fully automatic mechanism is virtually the same as the previous car’s. The only visible difference is that the wind blocker has been changed from the previous mesh fabric to a clear polycarbonate material that improves rearview mirror visibility, though the beveling on its edges creates aberrations. The fully lined, padded top is available in black, beige, navy, and Bordeaux.
The wind and the F430 Spider’s shape get along well. Conversation at 70 mph is still easy at normal voice levels; you’ll speak louder at 100, but it’s still doable. Hair ruffling occurs at speed, but there’s no wind buffeting about the cabin whatsoever. Lowering the windows creates more swirling, but it’s never a problem. The rollover hoops are structurally tied into the chassis, and the top fits into a small cavity. The latter’s only downside is that a plastic window is required to accommodate all the folding.
Ferrari still offers a choice of six-speed manual or F1 auto-clutch transmissions, but about 80 percent of the cars will be F1-equipped. Seven out of every 10 F430s sold here will be Spiders. By the way, this machine has a nice audio system, too. But when you drop the top and fire the motor, you’ll see no reason to bother with it.
With an MSRP of $210,000 USD, this mid-engine, RWD, 2 door, 2 passenger convertable is by no means a conservative purchase. Ferrari is considered by some to be the most exotic supercar manufacturer in the world. I guess you just have to decide for yourself if a 4 second 0-60 and 483 horsepower is worth it to you.
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