Ferrari is consider a leader in automotive styling and technology, and its new F430 will not be an exception. A replacement for the 360 Modena. This Ferrari F430 had its debut in a Paris Motor Show.

It continues the “new” Ferrari look that began with the Enzo, and incorporates multiple design elements lifted from its big brother. The F430 also boasts a new 4.3-liter, 490–hp engine, a unit based on the 4.2–liter V8 now found in all Maserati models.

STYLING—The basic look of the 360 Modena, itself an evolution of the F355, has further evolved in the F430, though it is less of a styling leap than the 360 was when introduced for the 2000 model year.

In the front, the F430’s Enzo–esque headlights are near vertical, while the 360’s are horizontal. The F430’s front air intakes are larger and feature a small splitter in the middle, again, like the Enzo. The 360’s small, sculpted “nose” in the center of the bumper has been eliminated for a cleaner look, and the air duct on the trailing edge of the F430 front spoiler is also much larger than the one on the 360.

At the back, the F430’s rear air intakes and lower air intakes continue the Enzo influence, as do the taillights, mounted high on the rear fascia. The F430 has five cutouts on each side of the engine cover, compared to none on the 360 (though there are four on the 360 Challenge Stradale). The rear air diffuser is more prominent on the F430, with vertical canes similar to those found on the Enzo. The rear bumper is much more cleanly integrated into the rear body than on the 360.

HARDWARE—While the F430 has an aluminum spaceframe similar to the 360, its engine is a Maserati–based, 4.3–liter, 90–degree V8. It kicks out 490 hp and 343 lb–ft of torque, an increase of 90 horses and 68 lb–ft over the 360 Modena. This boosts the power–to–weight ratio significantly, even though the F430 grew to 3,197 pounds, from the 360 Modena’s 3,064. Each of the F430’s horses has to move just 6.52 pounds, compared to 7.66 pounds/hp in the Modena, and 6.64 pounds/hp in the Challenge Stradale. Ferrari claims the F430 can reach 62 mph in 4.0 seconds, with a top speed north of 196 mph.

The F430 is the first V8 Ferrari to feature driver aid controls on the steering wheel, as seen previously on the Enzo and 612 Scaglietti. A knob on the right—known to Ferrari F1 drivers as the manettino—controls the car’s dynamic modes (sport, race, etc.). The now de rigeur paddle shifters bang off shifts in as little as 150 milliseconds, transmitting power through Ferrari’s new electronically controlled differential, another technology lifted from its F1 team. Dual–spoke, 19–inch wheels similar to the Enzo’s are fitted, and carbon–ceramic brakes are a reported $20,000 option.

NEW AND OLD TOYS—When the F430 first arrives in the U.S. in late March or April, MSRP will be in the $200,000 range. Of course, like all new toys for rich boys, it will sell for far above window sticker on the immediate secondary market. If you are not near the top of the list with your local Ferrari dealer and want to be the first on your block to own an F430, plan on spending $245,000-$250,000 to put one in your garage.

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The Ferrari’s V12 is mounted rearward enough that the 612 can be considered a front-midengine car and as a result has a 46/54 front/rear weight balance. Ferrari claims that 85 percent of the car’s weight is between the axles.The 612 Scaglietti is equipped with a 5.7-liter V12 that develops 540 horsepower at 7,250 rpm and 434 pound-feet of torque at 5,250 rpm.

The engine’s power is sent to the rear wheels by either a traditional six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed “F1″ transmission. The F1 is a computer-controlled, electrohydraulic manual transmission with an automated clutch. Drivers can choose a fully automatic shifting mode or manually select gears via steering-wheel-mounted paddles. According to Ferrari, the 612 Scaglietti is capable of sprinting from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds and hitting a top speed just shy of 200 mph.

Though the decision to give the 612 a front midship design has led to somewhat awkward proportions and styling, there’s little doubt that Ferrari’s focus on weight reduction and handling balance has been beneficial. Indeed, the 612 is the sharpest-handling coupe among already heady GT-oriented exotics like the Aston Martin Vanquish and Bentley Continental GT. This is arguably the 612’s greatest advantage.

The 2006 Ferrari 612 Scaglietti is a two-door exotic sport coupe that can seat up to four people. Only one trim level is offered. Standard equipment highlights include HID headlights, 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels, 245/45ZR18 front and 285/40ZR19 rear performance tires, an adaptive suspension system, a power-closing trunk, heated exterior mirrors, automatic dual-zone climate control, power front seats and a Bose audio system with a trunk-mounted six-disc CD changer.

Optional features include rear park assist, a radio navigation system, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, heated front seats, a space-saver spare tire kit, run-flat tires and a six-piece fitted leather luggage set. Prospective 612 buyers can also request special exterior paint colors and additional style-oriented changes. National base price 250,509.00.

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Enzo Ferrari initially sold half his company to Fiat in 1968. While ostensibly Fiat owns Ferrari, many would argue the control flows the other way, with Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo serving as chairman of the Fiat Group.

Think buying one Ferrari is expensive? Fiat’s purchase is rumored to cost a staggering $800 million.

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A classic mid-front V12 Ferrari two-seater good for close to 210 mph: What could be more fun? This 575M Maranello replacement looks new in Ferrari styling terms even though the windshield is carryover. This 2006 Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano is something special.

At first glance the GTB’s styling seems to mimic its larger 4-seat brother, the 612 Scgalietti. Both share the same front end design which Pininfarina now sets as the enduring face of Ferrari, but unlike the 612, the 599 has an entirely new roof line and much tidier rear end treatment with two sexy rear buttresses.

Underneath its purposeful skin, the 599 retains the same front engine V12 layout which the 550/575 Maranello line successfully reintroduced, and to make up for its longer chassis, the 599 uses a 6.0-liter engine engineered from the same engine found in the Enzo supercar! With it, the 599 is the most powerful front engine Ferrari!

Like all Ferraris, the 599 comes with a range of options, and for the spirited customers the ‘Racing and Track’ options include CCM (Carbon Ceramic Material) brakes, 20 inch Challenge one-piece rims with run-flat tyres, four-point harnesses and a cockpit roll-bar.

Attached to this engine and sitting in the rear, is a considerably upgraded flappy paddle tranmission that changes gears in just 100ms. And if that isn’t enough, maybe the ‘F1-SuperFast system’ nomenclature is. Unfortunately, Ferrari’s fully electronic E-Differential is absent in the 599.

Everything else is new, coming to us now after four years of a dramatic battle within Ferrari and Pininfarina. The 599 fixes all of the proportion issues of the 612 Scaglietti, mostly by chucking any notion of having two rear seats. The 611 hp maxing at 7600 rpm from the 5999-cc V12 adapted from the Enzo doesn’t hurt, either.

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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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