Ford GT and F430 Compared (Long, with Photos)

I apologize for the length of this post. If you don’t like to read, just scroll to the end look at the pictures

The following comparison is based entirely on my subjective opinion. I own both of the cars in question, and I have no agenda regarding the deification of one over the other. I am, first and foremost, a car guy, and a partisan for a particular marque, never. I should also point out that I am not a mechanical engineer, a professional race driver, or an automotive journalist. I am posting this comparison on both Ferrarichat.com and Fordgtforum.com, the members of which I respect and admire. I will attempt to honor both august bodies by being as honest as I know how to be regarding the two cars.

Important Data:

Ford GT: 2006. I lowered the car about an inch, added a light-weight exhaust, and a larger Whipple supercharger. I will NOT be comparing acceleration between the two cars because the GT is no longer stock. Any discussion of comparative engine performance will, accordingly, be framed by my experience BEFORE I added the Whipple upgrade. (By the way, the Whipple modification is incredible. It is fully capable of warping the time/space continuum. The other day, I stood on the loud pedal and ended up in next week.) This is the second GT I have owned. I sold the first to get a Lamborghini. I missed it so much that I sold the Gallardo and bought another GT. I find it interesting --and telling-- that several of my GT brethren have left the fold, only to come back later.

Ferrari F430 Coupe. 2007, F1 Transmission. Lots of cool carbon fiber bits inside. Everything else is covered in buttery soft tan leather. Standard brakes. Daytona seats. I had to sell organs to get it from the dealer. No modifications, although I would dearly love to lower the front end about two inches. It looks goofy way up in the air like that. Although a long time Ferrari fan, this is my first experience as an F car owner. I have driven several other modern Ferraris owned by a generous friend. I have taken the F430 to the track for some very tame lapping, taken at about 7/10ths.

Note: Because the Transmissions are of different types, I will not compare them. However, as a die-hard 6 Speed Guy, I will tell you that I am thrilled with the F1and can say without hesitation that it is the perfect choice for the F430. It is dyn-o-mite on the track and in the twisties, and is an important element in making the F430 such a unique car. I heartily recommend it.

Category 1. Exterior Appearance.

Any question of beauty is rife with subjectivity. You may therefore feel free to completely reject my observations. To my eye, the GT looks meaner and more purposeful that the F430. Its stance is low, wide and athletic, and represents a fundamental difference between the two cars that I will reference throughout this review; the GT looks like a race car, a weapon for mano a mano combat on the track. The way that it hunkers down over its massive rear meats, the way that the rear fenders swell to contain those steam roller tires just looks so cool. It sits so that you know by looking at it that a tiny move of the steering wheel will translate into a corresponding slot-car change in direction. It telegraphs its abilities just sitting there, brooding in the driveway. The roof height of the GT measures much lower than the F430, and it looks it.

The F430 is a beauty, and appears better in person than in photos. The F430 is not the prettiest modern Ferrari (that honor has to go to the 355 or maybe the Stradale) but it is a very composed design. It, like most Ferraris, looks best in motion. When I see it in my driveway, I say “man, that car is pretty“. But when I see an F430 on the road, surrounded by taller vehicles, it is truly inspiring. The F430 has certain angles that favor it (full side view, rear 3/4) and some that make it look homely (front 3/4 where you can see how high the nose is). If one were to lower the car right down onto its tires (like they do in the pretty hardbound Ferrari brochures) it would look much better. I love to watch my reflection as I pass glass buildings in the Ferrari. I wish I looked as good as the car. FWIW, the new Scuderia appears to have improved upon the looks of the F430 significantly. I am presently growing more organs so that I can sell them for the Scuderia. I’m also sending cookies to the dealer and occasionally sleeping at the dealership door overnight in a tent to demonstrate my sincerity.

It’s strange; in my mind, the F430 looks a lot better to me when it is not in the presence of the GT.

Advantage: GT, but a close call, and only in my eyes.

Category 2. Interior .

It is not even close. The Ferrari interior is beautifully crafted and of impeccable design and quality. It smells like the inside of a Ferragamo shoe store. The dinner-plate sized tach in the center of the dash tells you where your priorities should be. The Daytona seats are perfect. The side bolsters are deep, but very comfortable. They provide excellent lateral support, even on the track. You could probably build a hundred Corvette seats for what it costs to build one Daytona seat, and it’s worth every Penney. The 430 feels like it has a lot more interior space than the GT, especially head room.

The GT interior, is -- ahem -- stark. I’m not crazy about the huge expanse of silver plastic that covers the “ship in a bottle” fuel tank and which sits between the two seats as the center console. The way the shift lever exits the console is strange and looks like an afterthought. It’s that race car thing again. The door panels look barren, and the first thing that happens when you shut the door of your new GT is the aluminum trim panel falls into your lap. It’s easy to fix in about two minutes with a stronger version of the double sided tape that Ford used. On the plus side, the seats are superb, and the quality of the leather and assembly of the seats is the equal of the Ferrari. The smell is fantastic and very distinctive of the GT. It just smells like $$$$$. Yes, that IS strange for a Ford. The dash is well laid out and very reminiscent of the GT40 racer from the sixties. The gauges are logical, easy to read and the glowing back light looks great at night. Once you fix the aluminum trim panel, the interior is rattle free and very pleasant. My wife says the passenger seat on the GT “digs into her back.” I bought her a bottle of Advil. Think race car.

Advantage: F430, clearly.


Category 3. Outward Visibility

The F430 reminds me of my beloved NSX. Nothing interferes with your view of the road ahead, and you feel like you are sitting on the nose on road missile. It instills absolute confidence and allows you to put the car exactly where you want it in a corner. Simply superb.

The driver sits much lower in the GT, and you fell more “buried” in the cockpit. The size of the infamous “A” pillar, while large, is not a problem for me. (I understand that they beefed it up to enhance torsional rigidity because of the doors cutting into the roof). Once I removed the wipers (they really do interfere with your vision) I was much happier with the outward view. Remember the GT feeling like a race car? Well, you feel it particularly clearly when you take the wheel and look out of the windshield. It feels great, but doesn’t quite give you the ability to locate the two front corners of the car the way the F430 does.

Advantage: F430, clearly


Category 4. Fit and Finish.

The exterior quality of both cars is about equal. Certainly, the GT is boxier and has more joints and lines because of its engineering, but the body gaps on both cars are uniform and very acceptable. I will note that the quality in this area is much improved in my ‘06 GT compared to the ‘05. The paint quality on the GT is slightly better than the F430. In fact, the paint finish on my GT is the best of any car I have owned. Its finish was virtually flawless from the factory, with no visible orange peel. The F430 finish is also superb, but there are minor sanding flaws and some very faint body waiver that I don’t see on the GT. As stated above, the interior finish of the F430 is superior to the GT. I am compulsive about these things. I should note that paint finish varies from car to car of the same make. I have seen some Gts that had lower quality paint finishes, and I have read some of my Ferrari brethren comment on finding paint flaws in their F430s. The fit and finish of the interior has to go to the Ferrari.

Advantage: Draw


Category 5. High Speed Stability:

The GT is a 200+ mph car and it feels like it. Words cannot describe how easy it is to go FELONY fast in the GT, and not even notice except for the wind noise and the blurry landscape. If you doubt me, check out YouTube. It is truly a land rocket, and unlike any other car I have owned. The Lamborghini Gallardo, with its German DNA, is stable at speed. The GT, however, is in an entirely different class. A class of one, or maybe two, if you count the Bugatti Veyron.

The F430 does not inspire the same level of confidence at nosebleed speeds. It feels light on its feet and vibrant, which is a good thing when cornering but no so good a thing at felony speed. I certainly do not imply that the F430 gets light, wanders or becomes dangerous at higher velocities; I’m saying that it telegraphs its speed more directly to the driver. That means that 140 mph in the Ferrari feels like 200 mph in the GT. (Presuming, of course, that one were insane enough to violate the laws of the great state of Arizona by attempting such reckless speeds , which I do not advocate)

Advantage: GT, clearly. It’s that race car thing again.


Category 6. Cornering.

The F430 is a revelation. Remember the NSX I mentioned earlier? It is the benchmark against which I measure other cars in the handling department. The F430 is the new NSX. I am amazed at how precise it is and how willingly it does what I ask it to. I, of course, have never driven a car with the E-diff system until the 430. Amazing. It is difficult to describe how the rear diff can make the front of the car track like a hog on rails, but it does. Simply superb.

The GT is not blessed (or cursed, depending on your point of view) with the driver aids of the F430. It, however, is also a magnificent canyon car and a great deal of fun to drive. It’s all about the driver and his skill, or lack thereof. The steering is light and communicative, but just a bit less than the F430. It understeers when pressed on the track, as most street cars do. However, for spirited driving in the twisties, the GT is almost the perfect weapon. It’s just not quite as perfect as the F430.

BTW, I should add here that one of the most surprising things about the GT for people who get their first drive in one is the incredible torsional/structural rigidity of the car. I think they see that huge rear clam shell and think that the chassis is just going to sort of flop around beneath it. Nope. It is race car rigid and the whole car feels like it was billeted out of the same slab of steel. It feels significantly more rigid than the Ferrari. The Ford engineers are world class.

Advantage: F430, but both cars will make you cheer. I’ll betcha the GT is faster around a race track, but for me, the F430 just feels so right. That’s what driver aids will do for you. If you want to pretend your are a race car driver, however, it’s the GT.

Category 7. Engine.

This is truly like trying to compare apples and oranges. The GT is a torque monster, huge, honking, gushing fire hose volumes of torque from way down deep. The F430, on the other hand, starts to find its voice and breath after it zings well PAST the GT’s redline. It’s like my kids; they are just warming up when I am ready for bed. We ‘mericans like torque. It just feels like effortless power --like you got power you aint even used yet. Nudge the loud pedal and the car surges forward. Maybe that’s why we buy so many of those big One-Ton diesel pickups to go to the mall in. That’s also why your friends LOVE to drive the GT; it just feels fast.

In the F car, you kind of have to wring its neck before it will show you what its got, but when it does, hold on. From about 4000 to 8500, throttle response in the lower gears is EXPLOSIVE. And the sound, for crying out loud, makes the hairs stand up on your neck. Also known to give a guy a woody. Bottom line: both cars accelerate with authority, they just do it so differently. This is the classic difference between European sports cars and American sports cars.

Advantage: Draw, depends on what you like.
Bonus point for Sound: Ferrari, and its not even close. Aint no car in the world sounds like a Ferrari.

Category 8. “Yea, yea, but which car is Fastest?”

Define fast. If it is acceleration and top speed, its got to be the GT. Remember, race car. Put a Whipple on it and just make sure your life insurance is paid up.

Advantage: GT. Clearly. Especially if you live at the drag strip or on the Salt Flats.

Category 9: Gawk Factor.

This if for all the guys who want everyone to look at them. The GT probably wins in this category, just because it is so low and wicked and most of ‘em have those huge stripes running down their length. The Ferrari, while beautiful, is just not as starkly unique as the GT.

True story: the shortly after I bought the it, I was stuck in traffic while driving the F430 just outside of Provo on 1-15. I’m sitting next to a shiny new Buick. We both have our windows down. A lovely older lady in the Buick gets my attention and says: “Is that the new Mustang?”. Traffic was starting to move so I smiled, and not wanting to be rude but also not wanting to announce that it was Ferrari, I said yes. She says “I saw that little horse on the back and I just knew it was a Mustang. They sure are pretty.” Now, if I was a twenty something trust baby that had just finished giving the dealer $250,000 so that I could profile around in my new Ferrari, that would have been a downer. Better get a Lamborghini next time. The real, joke, however: I can’t tell you how many times I have been asked if the GT is “that new Ferrari”.

Advantage: GT, if attracting attention is considered an advantage.

Category 10. Sense of Occasion.

You know, this is the feeling you get when you go out to the garage to start the car and go for a drive. Compare how you feel getting into the Camry with how you feel getting into the Ferrari. BIG difference.
The Ferrari is totally unique in every regard; the way it smells, the way it looks, the way it sounds, the way the F1 transmission works. It’s a complete package, and its exotic in a way that other cars are not, not even the GT. This is part of what makes the Ferrari a Ferrari. Either you get it or you don’t .

The GT is also unique, especially out in traffic. However, it is similar in some vague ways to other American sports cars, including the engine note and power delivery.

Advantage: Ferrari. There is no other car like it.

Category 11. History.

I’ve read some of my Ferrari brethren say ,when speaking about the GT, that at the end of the day, “it is still just a Ford”. I have a philosophical problem with this statement. I would respectfully remind the author of this pronouncement that it was “just a Ford” which soundly trounced the world-wide competition at Lemans from 1966 to 1969. I would also note that the shiny blue oval may be distinctly visible when the “just a Ford” GT blows past your Enzo at 212 mph. Us Ferrari fans love history, including Ferrari’s treasured racing lore from days gone by. We also loved it this year when Kimi and the team were vindicated on both fronts by winning the manufacturer’s and driver’s championships in F1. However, to dismiss a great car like the GT because it is “just a Ford” ignores a vast amount of racing history and displays the most crass sort of badge snobbery. Such rhetoric is far below the standard of a gentlemen and a true car guy.

Advantage: Not Important


SPECIAL AWARD: Car most likely to kill you. GT

The GT does not have electronic nannies to watch over its pilot. When you mash the go pedal, you better aim first. Take a look some time and note how many GT cars have been destroyed. You know those famous photos of the Enzos busted in half? Think GT as well. You gotta respect this car, and say nice things to it, or it will bite you, and hard.

SPECIAL AWARD, PART II: Rarity. GT

After all the crashes, there are maybe 3500 Gts left in the World. They aint building any more. Ferrari builds more F430s than that in one year.

SPECIAL AWARD PART III: Depreciation or lack thereof. Draw.

Contrary to predictions, the GT did not become worth “$100,000 after the first year”. They still sell regularly for original MSRP and sometimes well above. The prices for really nice cars seem to be creeping upward. The Ferrari, of course sells for way over MSRP, and starts slowly going down from there. However, I’ll bet that in ten years, a low mileage GT will sell for more than a low mileage F430.

Conclusion

So, the final question: If you could have just one, which would it be? The answer would depend upon your personality and whether you wanted a race car for the street (GT), or a street car that also shines on the track (F430).

Certainly, the cars have the potential to attract a completely different crowd. I cannot picture some of my GT buds buying a Ferrari, just because of the prima dona/garage queen factor wrongfully associated with the F car. On the other hand, there are some Ferrari guys (you know, the guys who wear all their red Ferrari clothes when they take their car out, as if they needed to announce more loudly that THEY are driving a Ferrari) who would never buy the GT because it is “just a Ford”.

If you look beyond the labels, however, both cars are stellar performers and worthy of comparison. They are, in my opinion, natural rivals and competitors.

Thanks for reading. I would be deeply grateful if the owners of both cars would add their thoughts, and I welcome the critiques of my less than perfect review.

 

The GT feels quite small and responsive once you get familiar with the outward view. Doesn't feel heavy.

I sold the '05 because I thought the Lambo would be a cooler car. I was wrong. (But I still have a soft spot for the Gallardo)

I have driven the Z06, and with the exception of the torque, the GT is night and day different. I wish you were closer so I could give you access to the GT