While perhaps not as pretty as the two cars that preceded it or as technologically ground-breaking as its successor, the F430 remains a brilliant example of the mid-engined V8 Ferrari. The car received a seal of approval from Michael Schumacher himself, with the then still-dominant F1 star having provided significant input after stints on circuit at Fiorano. Ferrari’s seven-time-champ reportedly beat the 360 Modena’s lap by three seconds when in the 490hp F430, yet, as the marque's entry-level model, the 4.3-litre car cost just £117,500. 2004 suddenly feels like a very long time ago…
The F430 was essentially a heavy evolution of the 360, but Ferrari claimed that 70 per cent of the car was new, including the important bits: engine, gearbox, diff and chassis. The motor was new because Ferrari couldn’t reliably extract more power from the old 3.6, so in went a 4,308cc replacement. It was related to the engine used by sister brand Maserati in its Coupe, but turned up and flat-plane-cranked to offer one hundred more horses and a higher rev limit. Peak power came at 8,600rpm.
Flat-out, Ferrari’s F430 could sprint from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds and continue right on to 196mph, so it was ruddy fast. But the F430’s biggest gains came from the chassis tech on board, with cutting-edge electronic Skyhook dampers, lighter wishbones, an E-diff and carbon-ceramic brakes, which even in ’04 were a nine grand optional extra. Thanks to the 458 and its trick electronic systems, that 430 tech now looks comparably modest, yet even today the beautiful balance and athleticism of an F430 still feels extremely special. Even the F1 auto gearbox is considered decent – although the six-speed manual is still the way to go…
The biggest issues for the F430 are almost all related to build quality. Demonstrators handed to journalists had dash buttons that stuck and random warning lights that flickered on and off. So you can just imagine the sort of wear related problems that crop up on used cars these days. Of the costliest issues, cracked manifolds seem to be the most common, and an important one to fix because exhaust damage has been known to break up bits of the pre-cat and send them back into the engine. We daren’t think about the bill in the aftermath.
Today’s Spotted was built in 2005, meaning it’s an early enough build to check whether it’s had a new manifold. It’s listed as a 2017 car because that’s when it was imported to Britain from the Middle East, meaning – yes – this is a left-hooker. It’s also got 75,000 miles on the clock, which equates to an average of 5,000 per year of its life, but has recently undergone a major service in the UK, so it doesn’t stand out as being a great financial risk - for now at least.
Thanks to the placement of its steering wheel and those miles, it’s up for £49,995, making it the cheapest 430 on PH by nine grand (the cheapest RHD car is £18k more) and, to be frank, a heck of a lot of car for the money. With this many miles on the odometer you might even argue that any potential issues would have already reared their ugly heads, so future bills will be wear and tear related more than anything. It’s a sub-£50k Ferrari F430. What could go wrong?
SPECIFICATION - FERRARI F430 F1
Engine: 4,308cc V8
Transmission: 6-speed semi-automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 490@8,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 343@5,250rpm
MPG: 15.4
CO2: 420g/km
Recorded mileage: 75,000
Year registered: 2005
Price new: 117,500
Price now: £49,995
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