Driver Review
Almost perfect. That's my short summary of this car. I'd been looking forward to this one most of all - after driving my 355, then the 360, I'd been very interested to discover what the last few years of development at Ferrari had resulted in. I wasn't disappointed - the 430 Spider is an immensely joyous car to drive. From the moment you climb into the beautifully-stitched leather interior, through pressing the big red "Start" button on the steering wheel and hearing that finely-tuned V8 engine erupt, to feeling the immense power as you drive away, this is a memorable experience. Everything feels right - the seating position isn't too low for vertically-challenged men such as me (I'm glad I share my height with a great number of Italians), the carbon-fibre steering wheel feels great and gives you good feedback of what is going on down below, and the almighty noise behind your head and the glimpses of the external bodywork in that unmistakable red never let you forget what you are driving.
As you pull away and click up through the gears smoothly using the carbon-fibre paddles, the deep rumble turns into a metallic snarl a little reminiscent of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, but altogether more intoxicating. I've always preferred manual gearboxes, but this is the first sequential paddle-shift I've found enjoyable - a lot of Formula One-honed technology makes the gearshifts very quick and (mostly) smooth. Despite the awe-inspiring power from that engine, you feel safe on the road because the car feels very sure-footed.
So awe-inspiring, so far, so safe. The one thing that I found a little surprising though was that this car didn't feel as much of a racing car as my 355 - as if it was a little bit too "grown up" to be a another mid-life-crisis go-kart (the 355 is definitely one of those). But, I'd not yet tried the innocuous-looking button on the steering wheel which switches the suspension setup - we were advised to leave this in its normal position, but as a driver of the altogether more tail-happy 355, I couldn't resist switching to "sports". And all of a sudden there was the excitement often experienced in the 355 - immediately I knew this car now commanded I new level of respect, but in return I could feel it giving back far more. If your heart needs a serious work-out, a 430 in sports mode and some twisty country roads certainly gives you that.
Now I said this car was "almost perfect". In my mind, the fitted sports exhaust was just too noisy at low revs, masking any sweetness with a brutal rumble. The 355 is the choirboy; the 430 is the whole church organ! You don't hear this car sing - it can only shout. And whilst I really enjoyed the more upright seating position, it didn't have the racing-car feel of the significantly-lower 355 - likewise the feedback near the edge of traction wasn't quite as immediate as with the 355 -presumably because there are some very clever electronics between you and the wheels. And - maybe its more a question of coupe versus convertible - but I do still prefer the lines of the side view of the 355 - to me it's more of a classic shape.
However, the extra power ,the sophisticated traction system, the exquisite interior, the superior look of the headlights and the whole front area, and the feel of the steering wheel easily make up for these deficiencies. Choosing between these two amazing cars is actually very difficult - the cockpit of the 430 is just a great place to be and is probably the perfect cruising sports car - but I do believe the 355 makes you feel more of a racing-driver and probably still is the greater head-turner. Just.
Paul Williams
DRIVER RATINGS: Exterior: 9/10 Interior: 10/10 Cool Factor: 10/10 Driveability: 9/10 Fear Factor: 5/10 TOTAL: 33 (Fear Factor Scores are subtracted)
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Passenger Review
Let me just piece my stomach back together before writing! This car was simply brilliant. Lovely exterior shape and comfy leather interior came together in a fantastic blend of style and speed. We shot along the road listening to the raspy soundtrack produced by the sports exhaust which had been fitted. This noise was a lot different to the 355 which was a downside but still, any supercar soundtrack is awesome! Riding along in this car your body is pushed back into the seat and butterflies appear in your gut. I was completely awestruck in this car and went quiet for a very long time! The interior finish was absolutely top class. Leather seats made the style part and the carbon fibre dashboard and steering wheel made up the racer part. The car does shout a lot and it blips on the down change producing a short bark before the V8 kicks back in to scream along the road. This car then is crazily good and one of Ferrari’s best ever cars.
Ryan Williams
PASSENGER RATINGS: Exterior: 10/10 Interior: 10/10 Cool Factor: 10/10 Passenger Experience: 9/10 Fear Factor: 4/10 TOTAL: 35 (Fear Factor Scores are subtracted)
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