Test driving an F430

Do not be shy...try to drive it as long as possible, check for any suspicious noise, and try to drive it from completely cold. Check as well all the details (air conditioning, any fault signal on the dashboard, lights...). Try to push the car as well, not especially driving quick but at least 5/6k rpm when the engine is hot. Again: do not fell shy to ask anything or to double check anything.
Anyway I would recommend to drive 2/3 different 430 if you can, just to have a feeling of the car before your by yours, this will help.
Good luck.

 

You don't lift when you shift. Just keep the accelerator in the same position. Run it up above 3k on the tach before you shift and 4k is better.

 

Just have fun and see if it puts a smile on your face!

 

one very important thing

be careful with shifts

as a porsche owner when i was making test i was pushing shifts so fast and car was understanding it not like porsche. IN porsche You push push nothing happens for some time

dealer can warn hey this is not computer game

also try to accelerate it makes you feel good. Also look how other people staring at you , if you dont like that feel dont buy

 

Good man......disregard what anyone tells you. These are hand built cars, they all drive a little different. I say if you LOVE it buy it, if not dont.

 

1) Keep the car in Sport mode (the little switch on the steering wheel). This level of traction control will keep your insurance company from getting involved in your test drive.

2) Now that you're in Sport mode, drive the hell out of it.

3) Shift up with your foot on the gas
4) Shift down with your foot on the gas

The others already gave valuable advice about listening for noises and checking to make sure everything is in working order. You only get one chance to negotiate your deal.

Once you find the car you want to buy, have a Ferrari-Authorized shop do a Pre-Purchase Inspection (PPI) to make sure everything is mechanically sound. Even the seemingly smallest issues can cost big-bucks to fix. Again, things found on the PPI need to either be fixed or reduce the price so you can have it fixed later.

Once you buy the car you find... post some pictures!

Good luck and don't get pulled over by the police on your test drive... like I did :-(

Frank

 

LOL, priceless

 

Awsome statement!

 

Don't manually shift from 2nd to 1st. Let the F1 put itself into 1st gear as it comes to a stop (like at a red light).

You can downshift at any speed where the computer thinks it can fit the gear within the 8500 rpm redline. No need to blip the throttle on a downshift, the F1 will do that for you.

When you first start the car up, you might notice that the reverse gear feels like it is slipping a little bit. This is common. The F1 needs to build up pressure to be positive in its actions, especially at idling rpm. Just give it a little gas and the car will reverse nicely.

Initially your shifts from 1st to 2nd will seem harsh. This is a matter of getting the feel of the upshift. Try it around 4000 rpm while you keep your foot on the gas.

It takes 3 or 4 drives for the F1 shifting to become second nature. Once it does, you'll be amazed how smoothly you can upshift and downshift (in all driving situations).

You won't typically be able to rev the engine very high on a test drive around town. The best bet is getting around 7000 rpm or so on the 1st to 2nd shift. Realize you'll need to be on a 55 mph road to even give this a try and you'll likely be rapidly accelerating around 65 mph when that shift point comes up. Warning - the traffic that looks far down the road in front of you will suddenly appear up close in your view through the windshield.

When I first got my F430, I tried using the Auto mode of the F1 in dense traffic stop-and-go situations. You'll soon give up on this and manually paddle-shift up & down at all times.

Enjoy and have some fun.

Here is a pic of my wife driving our car (hopefully you won't have as much jewelry to slow you down - LOL):
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