2007 Ferrari F430 Scuderia

Ferrari has a long history of competition, stretching back many decades from the era when the Italian automaker dominated almost every series it entered until the present day where it…dominates almost every series it enters. It has been said that the only reason Enzo Ferrari, the company’s founder ever sold street cars was to fund his racing programs, and that isn’t all that far from the truth.

Ferrari created a special racing series in 1993 called the Ferrari Challenge. The Challenge allows owners of late model Ferraris, (at the time 348 Berlinettas) to compete against other owners in a controlled track setting. At first, owners were responsible for making the necessary modifications to their cars in order to make them fully track-worthy, but at the end of the decade Ferrari introduced the 360 Challenge Stradale. The Stradale was a Ferrari Challenge race car that you could buy from the factory and immediately put on the track. It was a stripped down, lighter weight model, and it could also be run on the street if desired. This greatly broadened the field of competitors in the Challenge events by lowering the technical knowledge barrier keeping many drivers from competing.

The 2007 Ferrari F430 Scuderia is the natural evolution of the Challenge car. Scuderia was the original name of Enzo Ferrari’s racing team back in his Alfa Romeo days, and is meant to evoke the same racing team feel. How is the 430 Scuderia different from that already impressive F430? Like the Challenge Stradale, the Scuderia has undergone a serious weight reduction, and is 220 lbs lighter than the standard car. This makes it barely 2750 lbs, a much better weight for throwing it through the corners and accelerating away from the competition. This low mass was achieved by stripping out any amenities that might have been found inside the production car - sound deadening, carpets, radio, air-conditioning – none of which are needed on a race track.

Powering the 430 Scuderia is a 503 horsepower, 4.3 liter V8. 20 more horsepower is on tap in comparison with the standard F430, and combined with the weight savings that is enough to send the Scuderia to 60 miles per hour in less than 3.6 seconds. The Scuderia also benefits from the fruits of Ferrari’s F1 program, as many of the electronic controls from their Formula 1 car have trickled down to find their way into the 430. Most notable of these improvements is the paddle-shifted automatic transmission, which takes only 60 milliseconds to change gears – only 20 milliseconds slower than the F1 car. One the track, these seemingly tiny time savings can mean the difference between first and second place.

Other goodies include Formula 1 derived traction and stability control incorporated into the electronically controlled rear differential. The traction control and stability control can be independently activated from controls on the steering wheel. The 430 Scuderia has a maximum top speed of 198 miles per hour, and can be brought down from those speeds by carbon-ceramic brakes. The front fascia has been re-formed in order to provide larger openings for air intakes, and a new front splitter improves aerodynamics. Further visual tweaks that help set the 430 Scuderia apart from it’s more domesticated brethren are a dual outlet exhaust and a Scuderia badge on the rear deck.

Despite boasting fewer ‘features’, the 430 Scuderia is actually priced about 30 percent higher than the regular F430. What buyers are paying for is the knowledge that they can drive off the street and onto a track without worry about their car flying apart after the first lap.

Engine / Performance

• 4.3L 90 V8, mid-rear engine
• Displacement: 4.308cc
• Maximum Power 503 hp@ 8,500 rpm
• Maximum Torque 347 lb-ft @ 5,250 rpm
• 0-60 mph: less than 3.6s
• Top speed 198 rnph

Chassis / Body

• All aluminurn chassis
• Aluminum body
• Carbon Ceramic front disc brake, 398mm x 36mm, 6 piston aluminum calipers
• Carbon Ceramic rear disc brake, 350mm x 34mm, 4 piston aluminum calipers
• Dimensions; length 177.6 in, width 75.7 in, height 47.2 in curb weight 2,975 lb
• Weight distribution: 43% front,, 57% rear

Electronic / Tires

• Control for Stability and Traction(C5T) with F1Trac integrated with Electronic Differential (E-Diff) • Manettina on steering wheel managing 5 different vehide systems
• Five (double) spoke light alloy wheels, 19” front and rear• Tires: 235/35 front and 285/35 rear

Transmission / Gearbox

• Electronic differential E-diff2 (E-dlff + Fi-Trac) • F1-Superfast2 6-speed electro-hydraulic transmission with paddles mounted on the steering column
• Gear changes in as little as 6Oms

Interior

• Interior in light weight and technical materials: carbon fiber, black technical fabric. Alcantara® and two-layer fabric mesh
• Dashboard upholstered in black Alcantara® with carbon fiber inserts
• Rear bench wall in Alcantara®, pillars in black technical fabric







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May 6, 2008, 8:41 am