Ferrari F430 2005

By Benjamin Cyr

For one moment of its life, every auto enthusiast dreams of driving a Ferrari. For 99. 99% of us, this dream will never be realized. For us, the essai-auto.com team, the dream came true on ST-Jean Baptiste day in 2005. Let me give you all the juicy details while hoping your hearts can stand the strain.

After explaining the day’s agenda on the fabulous Mont-Tremblant circuit which consisted basically of slipping into a car and driving as fast as possible on the circuit, I spied the brand new Ferrari 430 and the 612 Scagletti: the Italian experience at its finest.

I drove a lot of sports cars but I was asking myself when this new Ferrari would dazzle me. Many believe, wrongly so, the Ferrari experience to be a myth. Well, for all you sceptics, the new F430 is simply fantastic, out of this world, fabulous....

I won’t waste your time describing the sensuous and ravishing lines of this car; I’ll simply say it takes your breath away. Instead, you can peruse the shots of this magnificent red F430 2005....WoW. Browse at your leisure, it’s worth it.
Before hitting the track, here are a few details you should know: 4.3 litre, 490hp at 8500revs/m (yes, 117hp/per litre without a turbo), type F1 transmission, electronic differential, maximum speed of 320km/h, 0-100m/h in four seconds, 19 inch high performance tires and wheels, ceramic and carbon composite brakes and much more. Maybe the most important to remember on the track is the retail price: $269,258 for our tryout model. Ouch!

Well, here I am in the driver’s seat. I press the starter button on the steering wheel; the behaviour –altering command also sits on the wheel. Therefore, according to conditions, you can adjust the suspension and the stability control system as you wish; great technology.