Usain Bolt now wears the mantle of Fastest Man Alive having set world records in the 100 and 200 meter sprints at last summer's Olympics in Beijing. Fitting then that he was placed in one of the fastest cars in the world recently to take a stroll around one of the richest places in the world: Monaco. In the principality for the IAAF awards, Bolt was given the keys to drive an F430 along portions of the F1 circuit in the city. You can check out the gallery of high-res photos below while we wait for word on if he set any world speed records in the process.
If you didn't waste enough time already with Ferrari's online configurator don't worry, that's not the only roadster the Prancing Horse people have unveiled recently. And since most of us won't get within spitting distance of any of the 499 examples of the Scuderia Spider 16M which will be rumbling out the gates of Maranello, Ferrari has given us this dizzying turntable simulator of the Spider's interior.
Unfortunately, like the studio shots, Ferrari's fastest roadster yet is bathed in rather unappetizing florescent light. But with all that carbon fiber, Alcantara and exclusivity, that's not enough to make us want one any less. Follow the jump to check out the 3D view, unless you suffer from vertigo, in which case we'd recommend you take your meds and sit down...
Ferrari is either getting strategic or careless. The company usually keeps details about its upcoming models hush-hush until the vehicle is ready to make its debut, but lately Maranello seems to have more leaks than a pasta strainer. The latest is a screen-cap that seems to confirm the speculated 430 Scuderia Spider. Based on the fixed-roof 430 Scuderia, the roadster version has been speculatively rendered and anticipated to debut at the company's upcoming mega-event at Mugello, the same place where they took the wraps off the FXX Evoluzione last year. The additional weight of an open-top version of the lightweight supercar is expected to be offset by the implementation of the company's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. The image above, which seems to confirm the model's imminence, comes from a video of the new Ferrari California that was just unveiled in Maranello and Los Angeles ahead of its debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show. In the background of the video behind a Ferrari spokesman is a studio photograph of the rumored 430 Scuderia drop-top. We'll just have to wait until November 5 when the Ferrari Challenge heads to Mugello to know for sure.
Lies. Damn lies and speculation. Rumor would be another way to put it, as word of a potential convertible version of the 430 Scuderia spreads across cyberspace. Tentatively referred to as the 430 Scuderia Spider, the roadster would naturally be based on the lightweight, Enzo-rivaling 430 Scuderia supercar, but with the roof chopped off. Various reports have given conflicting information about what kind of roof mechanism would be fitted to the Spideria, including a retractable hard-top similar to that found on the new California, a manual cloth roof to keep weight down, or the same automatic fabric top from the conventional F430 Spider. Or maybe no roof at all, who knows. The wide range of speculation leads us to chalk this up to pure rumor. The removal of structural rigidity and the addition of weight would seem antithetical to the Scuderia's entire raison d'etre. However the prevailing reports suggest that the Spider will also get the California's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, be produced in a limited series of 300 and be unveiled on November 5 at the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Mugello... the same event where Ferrari unveiled the FXX Evoluzione last year. Jon Sibal, the skilled supercar illustrator we've come to know and trust, has presented a few renderings of what the 430 Scuderia Spider could look like, which in our eye looks right on the money.
Not that the deal would need to be sweetened, but buying the latest Ferrari supercar comes with perks. For a group of European customers who came to Maranello to take possession of their new 430 Scuderias, that included a hands-on advanced driving course to show them what their new rides could do. And who better to demonstrate the capabilities of the fastest car ever to lap Fiorano than the driver who helped develop it? Follow the jump and you'll find a video of Michael Schumacher glad-handing the millionaires and their new rides around Ferrari's private on-site test track, posting hot laps and drifting around the wet handling course. Prepare to be jealous.
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The automotive web lit up this weekend with speculation over a mysterious Ferrari photographed running development laps around the Fiorano test track.. While some suggest this could be the successor to either the F430 or the Enzo, observers were confused by the complete lack of any apparent effort to disguise the car's bodywork. The latest reports now indicate that the vehicle in question is a one-off rebodied F430 custom made by Italian design house Fioravanti for what must be an incredibly wealthy customer.
The emergence of the purported Fioravanti F430 follows similar creations from Pininfarina, Giugiaro and Zagato (and reportedly soon from Touring) as well as the announcement of Ferrari's program to offer discerning (and financially unlimited) clients with custom models. The criteria call for leaving certain elements – including the crash structures and the running gear – intact, but apart from that it's open season. The Fioravanti take on the F430 includes a mildly re-sculpted front end, a heavily-modified rear section and an extensive remolding of many body panels in lightweight (and costly) carbon fiber. The vehicle looks about ready for delivery, so we hope we might get a chance for an up-close view at the upcoming Paris show in October.
Is it wrong to mess with perfection? We don't know if we would dare to change even a single nut or bolt on the F430 Scuderia if we happened to have one in the garage, but Novitec Rosso seems to have no problem with it. Granted, they have plenty of experience laying their hands on the F430; in addition to their standard version, they've also built RACE, TuNero, and Evoluzione variations. For the Scuderia they've added their twin-supercharger package good for 717 horsepower and a top speed of just over 215 mph. Considering the standard F430 Scuderia can lap Ferrari's Fiorano test track faster than the Enzo, we'd imagine this car would be insanely quick.
This one's a little hard to explain, as it's not often you see a Ferrari F430 with a removable hardtop. As the source surmises, it could be a mule for the next F430, but it looks for all intent and purposes like a standard F430... just with a removable hardtop. On the other hand, Ferrari could actually be developing a hat for the F430 Spider in response to owner requests for it. That's not very likely either, because Ferrari owners know what they're getting, and if they're concerned the sun will singe their balding heads, then they get the coupe version. Finally, this could be a single, rogue Ferrari owner who has spent some money to make his F430 more unique than the next. Being that the car was spotted in Ferrari's hometown of Maranello and it's wearing manufacturer license plates, that scenario's unlikely, as well. We're stumped, but it's pretty clear this car, whatever it is, comes with the full sanction of Ferrari itself. What is the Prancing Horse up to here?
The gang at eGMCarTech was as puzzled as anyone else regarding the oddly spartan Ferrari display at this year's New York Auto Show. As we joked during the show, it looked as if thieves had run off with everything but the car, a black F430 sitting all by its lonesome. The eGM crew contacted Ferrari with a "what gives?" query and got an email in response. Turns out, Ferrari is at as much of a loss as everyone else. You see, Maranello isn't participating in this year's New York show in any official capacity. If we had to guess, some local dealer is probably shelling out big bucks to have one of his cars act as the unofficial Ferrari display. Unfortunately, devoid of signage, tucked between Aston and Bentley and across from Lambo and Porsche, the generally delectable F430 has been reduced to wallflower status. How very un-Ferrari. Visit eGMCarTech to read Ferrari's full response.
Novitec Rosso is good at making fast things even faster. Such has been the case with its twin-supercharged Ferrari F430s, which pretty much go like stink. Now, with the introduction of the Novitec Rosso F430 RACE, it would appear that any remaining deodorant has worn off. What's faster than going like stink? Going like stench? So be it. That's what this striped rocketship does.
The boost is dialed up on the dual blowers, which are also fitted with larger turbine vanes. Further engine, intake and exhaust tuning bump the car's output to 707 horsepower and 525 lb-ft of torque. Zero to sixty takes merely 3.5 seconds, and this stallion doesn't stop running until the speedo touches 216 miles per hour. Naturally, the suspension, brakes, aerodynamics and overall appearance are also given the once-over. After all, this is a super tuner car, and it needs to look and act the part. The customized interior features details like longer shift paddles, and the updated bodywork is set off with darkened lenses and the triple stripes. Bigger wheels and brakes sit at each corner, and an even bigger check is required if you want to take one home -- plan on writing it for a minimum of €193,277. How creative you get with Novitec Rosso's generally limitless set of options will determine just how much higher it'll be.
