The 7 Speed Gearbox

The Ferrari California offered a number of firsts upon its debut in 2008. A retractible hardtop. A front-engine V8. A dual-clutch 7-speed transmission, for those seamless gear changes. And as a result of this transmission it presents at least one last: The last Ferrari to offer a manual gearbox. It's a natural classic, all good looks and serious performance, and it's got a foot in the present and the past.

The California is a "2+," a two-door with what we'll all agree to call two ass-holders in what we'll all agree to call the "backseat." Which puts it in the class of "grand tourer," a fine distinction for a car that really does look like it just wants to get on the road and stay there. Oh, and you're of course invited to come along.

With 2+ Seating, Hmm

Its link to the past is right there in the name -- the California is so named for the 250 GTs that awed a 20th-century world in the late '50s. You'll remember the most famous dignitary of the 250 series as the car in the 1986 John Hughes classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." That was a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT Spyder California, one of few than a hundred cars (as noted by Cameron). (The car in the movie was a replica, not an actual 250, because if it had been, Ferrari enthusiasts would have burned down Hollywood had Hughes actually destroyed one of the rare beauties.)

So the new series, which could just as easily have been called the "Utah" or the "Connecticut," adopts the name of that 50-year-old classic and lays in all the new gadgetry of this, the modern era. Performance is turn-of-the-century, too: zero to 60 in a shade under four seconds, a top speed of 193 mph, and due to long hours in a wind tunnel, the most aerodynamic car Ferrari's ever built.

It's Not Just Nice

But in the canon of Ferrari's aggressively powerful cars, the California has already gotten a bit of a rep for being nice. It's lovely, but not shockingly so. Very fast but in a controlled way. And while the front end brings to mind, say, a dignified Aston-Martin, the rear gets a lot of grief for being a bit too big.

But Ferrari was serious when it decided to build a car that could perform but could also fit a small child (say, the child of your mistress) in the back seat. A little something for everyone, it seems. Everyone who has $230,000 and a wish to take your best normal-sized friend and your best small friends for an exhilarating trip.

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Ferrari F430 0-60 in 4 Seconds

On a pretty regular basis, Ferrari makes its new Best Car Ever. Right now there's maybe some debate over which one this is, but one of the candidates is the F430. It's been around since 2004 since it can be properly called "venerable," even if the coming of the 458 Italia has in some ways outshone the 430.

Rest assured it is the Best Car Ever. It followed the 360, considered still by many the Best Car Ever too. Really it's all in what you want. The F430 is a beautiful machine, almost friendly-looking in a way that the 458 Italia really isn't. The F430 carries a lot of DNA from previous Best Car Evers. The tail lights and vents, the racing profile of its low front-end. The V8! The fact that it comes in a variety of flavors, convertible and coupe, fast and faster. Best and bester.

Ferrari F430 Race or Sport

It's a matter of taste and choice, which you won't necessarily get with some of Ferraris more exotic exotics. Your basic F430 will run 0-60 in four seconds and reach top speeds of 193 mph or more. "More" if your F430 of choice is the Scuderia, which is lighter and faster and meant to run against the really super supercars. At some point, as you see, adjectives start becoming meaningless.

Suffice to say the F430 takes care of a lot of the thinking for you, so you can sit back and drive. From steering to brakes to engine and handling, you've got choices, but once they're made ("race" or "sport?"), leave it to the car. If you choose the Spider convertible, bear in mind that because there's no roof, the frame is reinforced with strengthening bars and so on, and all the weight scotches its handling a touch. Still, it's nearly as fast as the hardtop.

Ferrari F430 Spider or Hardtop

The engine sits behind the driver, under glass. It's a refined way to drive, a loud vibrating ham of a motor that roars behind your head and can be seen to vibrate as you take it up to speed. All these wonderful qualities can be broadly defined as "familiar." From the 360 to the F430 and on to the really excellent 458, you're always talking about the Best Car ever.

There's always something new under the sun. It's always fast, often red, and sometimes has no top. Its name changes, and it improves, but it's always the Best. It's evolution we're talking about here, and to ask which is the best of the Best Ferrari is to ask which animal is the best. You sort of have to pick the one you like, because it's here now. But always moving.

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Posted under Cars

The Ferrari F430 is a sports car produced by the Italian automaker Ferrari from 2004 to 2009, as a successor to the 360. Like so many Ferraris before it, the Ferrari F430 that debuted in 2004 was tested on the track and perfected for the street. The Ferrari F430 Spider is the convertible version based on the coup. Every inch of this car was inspired by the engineering research carried out at Ferrari's F1 Racing Division. The F430 features a restyled body and a 4.3L V8 petrol engine derived from a shared Ferrari/Maserati design.

Designed by Pininfarina, the F430 Spider's shape is the result of prolonged testing and features a pronounced rear lip spoiler that is built-in into the end of the motor cover, new larger rear air intakes that emphasize the car's muscular stance, plus a new rear valance that includes a diffuser of competition derivation. The aggressive yet clean styling further accents the already curvaceous lines in the Ferrari F430, while some of the more wild parts of the aero kit lend a race car-like experience to the car. Airflow around the Ferrari F430 Spider is thoroughly channelled via superior aerodynamics on both the upper and lower surfaces.

The F430 can even be modified through a big list of options, such as competition wheels, race-oriented ceramic brakes, racing seats, carbon-fiber interior trim, fitted luggage, and special paint and leather colors. The F430 Spider boasts a compact, completely automatic electric hood that enables the engine to be viewed in all its glory at all times and which, once lowered, takes up comparatively little space, despite the uncompromising central-rear engine layout.

Ferrari F430 technical specifications

The design in the aluminium chassis had to incorporate two things: adequate downforce to maintain the Ferrari F430 stuck on the road at the kinds of speeds generated through the rear-mounted engine, and enough air to prevent the engine from overheating. The cutting-edge aluminium technology from the chassis also permits substantial structural stiffness with excellent driver and passenger protection with minimal weight.

The wheel-mounted "manettino switch," which controls the car's vehicle dynamics, also came directly from the Prancing Horse's F1 cars and was first seen in a road-going car on the wheel of the Ferrari F430. Here are the five settings a driver can select using the F1-derived "manettino switch," from lots of assistance to nearly none:

* ICE: maximum stability and traction control for slippery situations; paddle shifters deactivated
* LOW GRIP: excellent for poor road surfaces and rain; paddle shifters can be utilized
* SPORT: the standard setting, with maximum performance, handling, and stability at speed
* RACE: for track use only; minimizes gear shift intervals; minimum traction control
* CST: traction control is off; only ABS and electronic brake distribution are active.

Ferrari F430 Engine

The Ferrari F430 Spider is powered by Ferrari's new 490hp at 8500 RPM and 465 Nm of torque at 5250 RPM. 4,308 cc 90 V8 that is capable of pushing the car to a top speed of over 193 mph and covering the 62 mph sprint in just 4 seconds.
The Ferrari F430 always delights, having a sublime handling, perfect mid-corner power plus a roar that echoes in your mind throughout your years.

Ferrari F430 Transmission

The F430 Spider boasts the latest cast aluminium transmission casing that houses the gearbox in unit with the electronic differential and bevel type final drive, as well as the engine oil tank. The F430 Spider is available with either the classic Ferrari open-gate manual gearbox or with the F1 paddle shift that Ferrari has continuously developed and refined over recent years for its road-going berlinettas.

Courtesy of input from the engineers of Ferrari's Gestione Sportiva racing devision, changing gear now takes just 150 milliseconds, as measured by the "gap" in acceleration during the change. The gearbox can also be used in fully automatic mode.

Renting a Ferrari?

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson has commented on the F430's handling being absolutely brilliant, a marked improvement over the 360; he claimed that the Ferrari holds the road so well that "even the most butter-fingered, incapable driver could drive the F430 around their test track only one second slower than the most skilled test driver." The Ferrari, especially in Singapore, is a strong brand that speaks for itself. Driving a Ferrari in Singapore is no longer a distant dream as the Ferrari F430 rental is made available in Singapore and is bound to set the hearts of fast car lovers racing. The Ferrari F430 Spider is ideal for weddings, birthday gifts or even test drives before making that final purchase decision.

Keen on Ferrari rental in Singapore and exotic sports cars rental? visit Luxe Car Rental. Cars for special events, weddings, parties, weekends or other leisurely pursuits. Experience the thrill today!

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