MOTORTREND - Road Tests

By Matt Stone

Photography by Matt Stone, Roberto Carrer

It’s too bad that car noises don’t translate well to print. But the most committed among us know what “Wum-wum-wum-whhoooooooooom-pahhh or “wwaaaaaAAAAhhhhhhHHHH!” sounds like. Or what it means to talk about a car while using your hands to illustrate the curve of the road you just smoked through, or what steering inputs it takes to negotiate a particular corner. If all this makes sense to you, then you’ll feel the emotional heat that boils out of Ferrari’s new 430 Scuderia.

Enzo Ferrari managed Alfa Romeo’s racing team in the 1930s; the operation’s name was Scuderia Ferrari. That a modern-day production model has been honored with such a legendary name tells us what this amped-up, trimmed-out, faster/lighter/louder F430 variant is all about. Recall the Challenge Stradale version of the 360 Modena? The philosophy that spawned the Scuderia is similar: a limited-edition car fundamentally and structurally the same as the standard version, but cranked up to at least 11. More like 12, really, because every area of performance tuneability has been addressed.

Weight is down about 220 pounds, courtesy of a stripped-down interior-the floors and sills are uncovered, powder-coated aluminum-and increased use of lightweight materials. The anti-roll bars are hollow. The Scuderia employs carbon fiber for the rear wing, mirrors, seats, tunnel, door panels, bulkhead, and air-filter boxes. Sound-deadening materials have been removed. Accessory brackets were remachined for reduced weight. The wheels are lighter. Heck, the lug nuts are titanium. Most body panels remain the same, but the front and rear fascias are redesigned, as are the rocker panels. Screens now cover the front air intakes, and they look much better for it. The previous quad-tipped exhaust system has been replaced by a booming twin-pipe system that also weighs less.

There’s no increase in the 4.3-liter V-8’s displacement, but the revised intake and exhaust systems inhale and exhale more efficiently than the F430’s. Compression ratio increases from 11.3 to 11.9:1. The ignition coils are new, and the engine-management system has been improved to allow more aggressive timing and fuel curves without detonation. These mods, plus myriad others, equate to a horsepower bump from 483 SAE net to 503, and more low- to midrange torque as well.

It’s the F1 autoclutch manual gearbox, now dubbed F1-SuperFast2, that’s perhaps the Scuderia’s most impressive improvement. An F430’s F1 robotic gearshift times are about 150 milliseconds. The 599 GTB Fiorano’s later-gen system shifts quicker-just 100 milliseconds. The Scuderia gets it done in as little as 60 ms, or up to 2.5 times quicker than the F430 (a Ferrari F1 machine, by the way, takes just 30 to 40 ms). The SuperFast2 finally delivers on the race-carlike shifting experience Ferrari and others have promised for more than a decade would come with autoclutch manual transmissions.

One of the F430’s most significant technologies is its manettino, a multi-position switch on the steering wheel that coordinates the efforts of the drive-by-wire throttle, traction and stability controls, electronically managed differential, transmission shift programming, and damping, depending on the driver’s aggression levels and road conditions. This system has been reworked for Scuderia duty. The F430’s Ice setting has been removed, and in its place is a CT Off mode that turns off the traction control but leaves the stability system in operation. This allows some wheelspin while still managing oversteer. The other settings are Low Roadholding, Sport, Race, and CST Off, which deactivates all electronic aids except ABS. In short, the integration of these systems allows the one-button choice of maximum safety and comfort or the ability to pitch her sideways and drive her like a sprint car. And nearly anything in between.

Thumb the red Engine Start button, and the Scuderia’s twin Howitzer-size pipes bark in a deep, rich voice. Much attention was given to the engine’s intake and exhaust sounds at various rpm levels-not only the levels, but the quality. This one’s so good, it should be available via podcast. It’s louder than an F430 by a little at light throttle openings and by a lot at WOT. Power feels about the same at low rpm, but between 3000 and about 6000 revs, the torque delivery is so much meatier than before. Upper-end power is never a Ferrari’s problem, but this one feels positively manic at its 8500-rpm horsepower peak. Ferrari says 0-to-60 mph in about 3.5 seconds. We’re believers.

Pull the right paddle, and the old F1’s “clutch-hesitate-shift-hesitate-declutch” action is replaced with “Bang!” It (finally) approximates the rifle-bolt action of VW/Audi/Bugatti’s DSG systems. Stay below 4000 rpm and 60-percent throttle openings, and the trans shifts gently. Go beyond those thresholds, and you get the full commando gearchanges. As much as we’re committed stick-and-clutch guys, none but FIA-licensed piloti can shift faster or better than the F1-SuperFast2 can. Which is why it’s the only transmission offered on the 430 Scuderia.

The Scuderia’s lighter weight means quicker reflexes than the already excellent F430. But the biggest difference comes in front-end grip. Bend the wheel, and the car responds exactly as you planned, then sticks true through the corner. The old 360 Modena understeers a lot, the F430 a little, but the Scuderia is dead neutral. We enjoy the manettino’s Race mode, which allows you to provoke some oversteer and wheelspin, but the Sport mode is best for everyday, non-track driving. In Sport, the traction control proves to be the ultimate right foot: Plant the throttle, and the integrated throttle and e-Diff feed in the power as fast as the tires and pavement can take it. Just as in an F1 car.

There’s a bit of ride penalty courtesy of the edgier suspension tuning, but if you want cush and quiet, rent a limo. It’s too bad the transmission defaults to its automatic setting every time you restart the car. But that’s the U.S. government’s fault. Because under our emissions rules, it’s easier and cheaper to certify an automatic trans-equipped powertrain than one with a stick. And the auto setting lets an autoclutch manual gearbox qualify as an automatic.

Inside, the metal floors are a bit stark and slippery when wet; some owners may ask Ferrari’s customization program to stitch them up some carpeting. Other gripes? We’ll get back to you on that.

Ferrari will bring 350 to 400 Scuderias here for 2008. The model won’t be around for long, either-two to perhaps three years max. So get in line and order up. Not doing so would be to miss one of the most capable, attractive, technologically advanced, and downright thrilling sports cars of our time.

source: MotorTrend

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 5:27 am and is filed under Auto, Luxury. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.