Here's one of the new pics... plus the text from owners.ferrari.com The F430 is powered by a new 90° V8 featuring Ferraris traditionally uncompromising design approach with a flat-plane crank (180° between throws). This is an all-new unit that does not share any components with the 360 Modenas engine. The improvement in terms of performance, weight and reduction of overall dimensions is the result of applying Ferraris wealth of F1 experience to its road cars. Despite a 20% increase in engine displacement (from 3,586 cc to 4,308 cc), engine weight has grown minimally by just 4 kg, while performance is considerably improved across the board. Torque increases by 25% (465 Nm at 5,250 rpm, 80% of which is already available at 3,500 rpm) and power by 23% (490 hp at 8,500 rpm). The engine is extremely compact with a cylinder spacing of just 104 mm. Similarly, Ferraris engineers integrated the sump and main bearings in a single casting which, along with a smaller diameter twin-plate clutch and flywheel, has reduced the engine height between the bottom of the oil sump and the crankshaft to just 130 mm (from 145 mm on the 360 Modena power unit). In line with the latest developments in high specific output engines, there are new 4-valve cylinder heads, and the inlet tracts and valve diameters are derived directly from designs used on the F1 engines. Support from the companys Gestione Sportiva racing side was essential in defining performance characteristics. The twin overhead camshafts per cylinder bank feature continuously variable timing on both inlet and exhaust cams, and the valve gear is driven by hydraulic tappets. Actuation of the variable valve timing is guaranteed by a high pressure hydraulic system (20 bar), obtained by using a supplementary pump, an external accumulator and a circuit that works in parallel with the oil circuit for the hydraulic tappets. This ensures that a full timing cycle is completed in 0.1 seconds. Ferrari has dropped the mixed gear/toothed belt distribution system for a chain-driven system, thus reducing the overall length of the engine. Crankshaft, con rods and pistons are also all-new. The dry sump lubrication system comprises a series of external pumps (thus reducing the overall height of the sump) and a circuit that has been optimised by eliminating the oil radiator and introducing a water/oil heat exchanger mounted inside the engine vee. Three scavenge pumps guarantee that excess oil is drawn out of the bottom of the cylinder block under all driving conditions, creating a strong vacuum around the crankshaft and thus reducing power loss through attrition. The intake manifold features straight inlet tracts to the two central plenums which, in turn, have trumpets individually cast at the top of the tracts for each cylinder to ensure optimum air flow to the cylinder heads. A rotating drum - actuated pneumatically by the engine control unit compensates for variations in the effective volume inside the two plenums to optimise the intake resonance characteristics and therefore maximise the torque curve throughout the rev range. The performance targets set were achieved also thanks to unrestricted intake and exhaust ducts for optimum gas flow efficiency and the high compression ratio (11.3:1). The painstaking care taken over optimising internal fluid dynamics and combustion efficiency has ensured a high specific power output despite conforming to the latest Euro 4 and LEV2 emissions standards. Engine management is via two electronic Bosch Motronic ME7 control units with twin motorised throttles, single coils and active anti-knocking control throughout the entire rev range. Image Unavailable, Please Login
4 valves head...mmmhh, why didn't they keep the 5 valves head.... it was imho one of the greatest specificity of f-car V8 since the f-355...
Too many compromises were made to stuff that many valves into a single chamber. One of those was to reduce the amount of water around the valve seats reducing longevity and reliability (a well known problem on 355's). Also since 5 valves were abandoned in F1 motors Ferrari has obviously found that reducing the number of valves can be achieved without sacrificing horsepower.
i read some place that when a motor goes over 4 liters or so, the benefits of a 5 valve head are no longer present... maybe there is just no added breathing ability...
The benefit of 5 valves tends to get lost when the cylinder size, specifically the bore size reaches a certain diameter (I don't know the exact size). This design looks pretty good, but if I had to bet, they are going to have some problems with this in the first year. It's far too complex to have gotten 100% ok at first try. Art
Actually Art's concern is well founded. TR's, 348's, 355's, 456's and 360's, just to mention some of the more recent one's, were all very buggy in their earlier stages in ways that their owners are in some cases still paying for. And don't forget even in the F1 cars the first year of the F1 trans they had with all their attention and defense department like budget several dnf's. My only objection to his comment is that it should probably apply to all modern cars filled with high tech gadgets. They are in many cases great, but many early retail buyers are unknowingly made into long term durability testers. If you want to be the first on the block thats OK, just as long as you know what you are getting into.
Actually 343 pound feet of torque in a V8 that revs to 8500 is quite high. The 360 only had 275, so 343 is a BIG improvement.
having trouble believing that much, most street cars that are NA are hard pressed to break 75lbs/liter...
Yah its not bad im not complaining, But i always here muscle car fans saying ahh thats nothing. With my 5.9L n/a v8 i can push 480ft/lb's which is what the enzo's is at low compression without high rpm's and laugh about flat cranks. They cant appreciate the incredible master peace of a small engine like the Ferrari's makeing so power.
Yeah well those "muscle car" V8s don't rev to 8500!!!! I love muscle cars, but it's jsut different, a flat crank sounds soooo good at high revs, and makes great horsepower!
From earlier 'releases', I thought the 430's engine is based on the Maserati aluminum 4.2 liter aluminum-block powerplant. Changes anticipated from the Maser variant: - Flat plane crank (as per the information above) - New pistons, connecting rods - Slightly stroked to reach 4.3 liters - Belt versus chain drive - Altered intake manifold The Maserati version has good low-end torque, but is relatively high-revving (7600 RPM redline). It's a very good set of compromises, resulting in a useable, but exciting powerband. Changing over to a flat-plane crank for the Ferrari version should free it for even higher revs at the expense of some low-end torque. I'm somewhat surprised that they chose to move to the flat-plane crank. Most reviewers praise the Maser powerplant above the car's other features and styling. Why change a great thing? All they needed to do was alter the intake for appearance and spend the R&D money elsewhere on the 430. ??
Just kind of curious how you think the top end maintenance will be with the new 430 hydralic tappets. If the actuation of the variable valve timing is "guaranteed by a high pressure hydraulic system (20 bar), obtained by using a supplementary pump, an external accumulator and a circuit that works in parallel with the oil circuit for the hydraulic tappets", I wonder how much maintenance will be required and what the proposed service life will be? In F-1, I have seen several times over the course of a weekend throughout the year (escpecially in Williams BMW cars) the cars are in the pits or the garage being re-pressurized as they were losing top end due to a leak down of the system. Granted the 430 engine doesn't rev to 19,000 but as this is a clean sheet design, does anybody have any info or predictions as to the durability of the systems?
The F1 cars use pnumatic valve closure, totally different. (compressed nitrogen instead of valve springs, no joke!) All race cars and all *serious* road cars have a flat pane crank in a V8 motor. Period.
