Picked up my first Ferrari, an F430

I fell in love with the F430 when it debuted when I was in college. I knew I had to have one at some point. I've been a huge car enthusiast and went through several cars over the years. I was finally in a position to buy an F430, so I sold my GTR a few months ago to find my dream car.

It took only 2 months, but I purchased a car last week. It's a 2007 F430 F1 with 13k miles on the clock. I bought the car from an authorized dealer and it has had a lot of service done recently, and comes with a 1 year warranty. The paint is in stunning shape and the interior is in excellent shape as well. The car has only a few minor imperfections that I can see. Some of my friends who have seen it can't believe it's a 2007 based on the condition.

I'm super excited to own this car and experience Ferrari ownership for the first time. It's only been 5 days but I can't get the grin off my face when I'm driving around. And that SOUND...is...just...incredible! I can't stop downshifting just because. I had a chance to take some pictures the other day after Cars and Coffee and wanted to share. I'm in the DC area. Thanks for reading!
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Thanks everyone, appreciate your comments!

I'm by no means an expert, I just read up a bunch on the forum and even using Google. I felt pretty confident in my search after reading about the common issues, etc. Just do your homework and be sure to check all the common things: clutch, exhaust manifolds, F1 pump, tires, brakes, and any service history you can get your hands on. The other thing I found in my search and from talking to owners, several mentioned to me that I should buy a car that has been driven some and used. Good luck.

 

Thanks! Photography is a big hobby of mine

I had just turned the car on when I took this pic. I must have captured it in the picture as all of those lights flash at start-up, but I'm certain the light isn't on right now when I'm driving (or idling for that matter).

I've had several high hp cars (some RWD) that had more power/torque than this car. But to your point, I'm not familiar with this car yet either and agree with your assessment of driving in normal/sport until I see how this car behaves. I was going between the modes to see the difference in shifts.

 

thank you!

yup, seems that way