Those of you that have had other sportscars - how does your F430 compare?

I have a history of Porsche and BMW M ownership, prior getting a 430. For me, the Ferrari is just so much more raw, visceral and exhilarating. I'm actually on my 2nd 430 after making the mistake of selling my first one. I was considering a McLaren, R8, 911, Gallardo, even stretching for a 458 but wound up right back in a 430. It just speaks to me. If I feel the need for a neck-snapping launch, I'll just grab my wife's Tesla.

 

I traded an SL55 and a BMW M2 CS for a 430 Scud

Obviously massively inferior cars to the Scud with respect to beauty and specialness .... but, to be fair to both of them, the SL55 makes one of the greatest sounds of any car and the M2 CS was unbelievably capable - probably the best "all around" car I've owned, hilariously fast but refined and practical too.

 

I was thinking of this exact topic while on my last summer blast around England last weekend. (I have an 05 gated 430 Spider). I have owned a number of other sports/supercars including 6 other Ferraris, and have extensively driven pretty much every production supercar made in the last 20 years due to my job in the media.

For me, the 430 is really special. It is at an exact peak point. Everyone has their own idea on when "peak sportscar" happened, I know some big collectors who think any standard Ferrari made after 1975 is dull. But for me and the 430:

- crackling, multitonal, seething engine that changes from a gurgle and gasp to a yodel then a scream then a wail, power building up all the time, with a - snappy throttle response that is nonetheless not too hyper, but far crisper than any turbo car can ever be
- Almost comical opening and shutting of exhaust valves
- Damned fast at the top end
- perfectly weighted steering, not hyper and too light like 458 onwards, not slow like older Ferraris
- brilliant turn in and feel, fantastic mid corner balance, excellent composure (unlike older cars) combined with real seat of the pants feel even at low speeds (unlike newer cars)
- a feeling of excitement even at totally legal road speeds, unlike almost every production Ferrari made since. 812 excepted. Roma is also full on but feels much more artificial.
- no flaws in the handling, no weird lack of feel off centre (lambo)
- great seats and a very nicely designed interior
- very nice looks and that clear engine cover in the Spider which was lost 458 onwards

Yes it's loud, the switches go sticky, there's no sat nav to speak of, 458 is faster and more refined (but less fun), 360 arguably looks nicer and engine is purer (but no e diff and less power and less classy interior) ..

I was in a 720s last week, and a 296 earlier this summer. Both much better cars. But 430 is more fun, and more suited for my needs for a weekend blast but still able to cover long distances comfortably enough. Astons have very different handling characteristics, less pure. 992 GT3 is a brilliant car and handles wonderfully, 991.2 GT3 RS is brilliant, but the 430 has a joy that no Porsche has.

I have always thought the 430 is a real sweet spot, loved the Scud when it came out. If they had made a manual 458 I would be seriously tempted though. 458 is more grown up, which is both good and bad.

Finally, my 430 is way more fun than my F512M was, and more exciting than my gated 575 although the 575 has qualities the 430 will never have. They make a good combo!

 

I think a person looking at Ferrari will never cross-shop with a Lamborghini.. just my opinion. And Porsche? A very refined Beetle. We had them in Europe since world war 2.

... Aston what ? You mean James Bond franchise car? nah.

 

LOTUS: My first experience with any sporty car was a 2005 Lotus Elise, purchased new. The car weighed less than 2000 lbs, so the raw handling was incredible (take turns at 2-3x posted speeds--grip for days), but the engine was underpowered (improved with an aftermarket supercharger). The AC didn't work well and was miserable in the summer. Loved the thumbs up I got from onlookers, but tired of having to explain what it was and who made it. Had to drive super defensively since it was small and low to the ground (always make sure you see the person's eyes in the rearview mirror when behind them at a stop light to avoid repeat horror stories of getting hit when they throw it in reverse and run over you). Avoid parallel parking since the front and rear clamshells are made of fiberglass and crack easily. Sold it for a new '14 Lotus Evora S 6-speed MT, which really was a great car. The hydraulic steering and suspension set up by Lotus was very, very good. The supercharged V-6 engine (with a 3rd cat delete) sounded much better than the Toyota-sourced lump sounds in their vehicles. The AC worked! The back seats (2+2) were unusable after the kids passed 2nd grade. Sold that for a barely used '17 Evora 400 6-speed MT (better power, better interior, same great handling). The front rotors warped 3 separate times (expensive floating disks, never tracked it, never abused them), and I just got tired of dealing with it. Sold the Evora 400 in prep for my F430 purchase (see below). Recently bought a 2006 Lotus Elise (discounted price because it suffered from a rat infestation and still smells like dead rodents occasionally) for track use. I don't remember my prior Elise riding so harshly, so I think the Track pack suspension makes it pretty uncomfortable on drives over typical California pothole-filled roads. Build quality is typical for that model, but this one has more rattles than I'm used to (Likely from the disassembly of the dash when the rat nest was cleaned out). The AC works a lot better than the 2005, though it kicks up a bit of deadmouse smell when it's on.

BMW: Back in 2006, I got a 2002 BMW E46 M3 6MT--purchased used, out of warranty. Luxurious napa leather, an "M" engine that was quite powerful, and four seats. Raspy exhaust. Check engine light would not stop coming on for various reasons, and spent $10k over a couple of years replacing all the warn-out bits (suspension, cooling, etc) that the prior owner passed on to me. Sold it for my 2011 1-series M coupe. Love this car, and have put 38K miles since new. The Turbo engine pulls strong but then craps out at 5500rpm. Have made all the mods I needed to make the car as perfect for me as I can. I'll never sell it. Steering is hydraulic, so it's one of the last BMWs with that type of steering feedback.

PORSCHE: 2021 Porsche 718 Spyder 6 speed manual--built and spec'd by me. Very special because of that, but the 8k RPM redline 4L normally aspirated inline six is a hoot to drive. Mods include a valve controller for the exhaust, and over-axle pipes (sounds great). I'll likely never sell it, because it's one of the last ICE engines in the boxter chassis. However, if I had to choose the handling characteristics between that and the Lotus, I'd choose the Lotus, because the Porsche has electric steering. Also, I'm not really a convertible guy, but I like the fact that it's an option.

FERRARI: Just purchased a 2007 F430 F1 on BAT with 26k miles. My first Ferrari. I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but I'm definitely smitten. I'd never driven a Ferrari before my buddy let me drive his 360 Modena gated manual. Lovely. I rented a 488 GTB in Las Vegas for 5 laps on their track (among a few other cars), and was really impressed. I've always been a manual transmission guy, but I decided a gated F430 was out of my price range, and I wanted to let my wife drive it (she can't drive MT). I know the F1 transmission is not the fastest flappy paddle system out there, but I think it's plenty for me. The interior is fantastic (except sticky buttons, which I'm currently attacking with rubbing alcohol). The prior owner installed Fabspeed headers, and oh. my. It's a glorious sound. The speed with which the car accelerates while it's screaming past 8k RPM....I'm still not used to it, and I'll be honest, it's a little scary. I like that. The steering feel is great! All the positives/negatives that Themaven mentioned: I agree 100%. And, the AC works!

 

Ive owned mainly "sportscars" or sport sedans in the 12 years i got my license now, and from everything ive ever owned, this is by far the best car by a mile! most viceral experience, best noise, rawest experience. It only costs alot more, but for me o so worth it as i get more fun out of this car following the drivinglaws, than i did in most of those cars breaking every other law i could break.....
Lineup of previous cars that i can think of at this moment in order from the moment i was 18:
E46 M3 Competition
Maserati 4200 Spider
Mada MX5 NA (worst car ive had by far!)
Supra MKIV TT
Mitsubishi EVO8 RS
Nissan 370Z
E46 M3 HPF stage 3
E46 M3
E92 M3
350Z
Im sure im forgetting others, but you get the picture

 

You bought an E46 M3 three times ?? I mean I owned it, I liked it, but it's not THAT great...

 

Took me about 30 seconds of looking at a Gallardo to know it wasn't for me. As my wife put it, "this car has Youtube ********* written all over it".

 

Well that needs some explaining,

1) The E46 M3 Competition was my car back in Kuwait when i was 18 and there for my international internship, had to sell it as the usual issue happened (conrods failure, at 45K km!! very unsuspected). And due to our situation back than, couldnt store it in Kuwait as it was in the way for my parents, and back home in Holland we had no garage yet, and could not find an engine locally to replace the grenaded one with.

2) The HPF stage 3, was a 997hp car on high boost with race fuel from VP racing, ive always wanted a 1000HP car (hence why i had a supra, plan was to build that to a 1000hp, but when stock 2jz GTE exploded on the way to the Nurburgring, i was done with that car) and this car came for sale in Athens for a very very cheap price, i jumped in the plane (with my 85+yr old grandpa who came along) to pick it up and drive it back to Holland from Greece. Kept it a year, had some fun with it (but not as much as suspected, my E92 M3 i had alot more fun with as you could actually use the power), that car had on low boost (812hp pump fuel) still wheelspin at 250+ kph with a racetraction control build in the car.... that was a deadly accident waiting to happen as the roads are tooo crowded in Holland for such cars, its already hard to stretch the F430's legs in traffic....

3) Was a extra that i could get good, and sold very quickly to a friend of mine again who i knew wanted a red E46 M3, so i bought that to sell to him as they are hard to find in any color other than grey or black in europe....

For me back than, it was the best looking performance car for that price, that could also be driven daily, that has always attracted me to BMW M3's in general, and agreed its now starting to get old, also looks wise for me, but maybe thats because i had multiple and now have moven on from that model

I always liked lambo's (still do) but i wouldnt buy one quickly anymore, for that exact reason, every youtuber buys a lambo, i do not wanna be associated with that (which alot of people would do as i fit the age bracked perfectly).

But lets be clear, Ferrari was always a bigger wanna have than a Lambo ever will be for me.

 

I really appreciate your views on lotus. I love my manual cayman gts as a daily driver, it’s pretty much perfect. I am tempted to switch to a lotus emira when they finally materialize in the US just to try something new, but don’t how smart it will be to use it as a daily driver.

My f430, on the other hand, is not perfect, has had a few recent high dollar repair bills, but not a car I have ever considered replacing, nothing else with same rawness, emotion and thrill for the money imho

 

Ha! Like many of us, I have had Porsches and Ferraris together for years..thinking of a Lambo Huracan RWD, and also an Aston. Lots of people like me around.

 

The sound of the V10 5.0L even firing Gallardo is unique but the car overall does get extra attention (good/bad depending). The V8 F430 is a great driving car with lighter steering feel and hugely improved low/mid w Trev's touch (also I 6 speed converted it). The 911 Turbo cabriolet is the easiest to drive around since higher ride height and keeps its own once the tuned bi-turbos kick in at higher RPM. No one even notices a 911TT here in CA.

I did not realize how much "work" the F430 would be but the ease of access to swap older plastic/worn parts has been great. The part pricing is on par with Lambo but lately have enjoyed the Gallardo more despite the heavy-car feel.

I think ultimately it depends on the engine/drivetrain/body style choice. Ferrari interior fell apart despite being the lowest mileage. So just budget funds to shore it up.

 

2006 F430 Spider, 2015 McLaren 650S Spider, 1990 Straman 300ZX TT convertible. The only common between them is the open top capability. However, they have different characters
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Ok here are some of my comparison to my most recent sports cars. I’ll start with saying the F430 is my favorite so far the panache alone puts it on top but really it has it all in 1 for me.
2002 NSX great car in all ways but with it there was always the but it’s not a Ferrari
2004 supercharged Z06 great track car and brutal hit acceleration wise much like the 430 but way more low ended torque of course.
1990 911 Targa super fun and amazing build quality with a pretty cool sound and that amazing g50 trans.
2003 SL55 my daily. Torque galore super smooth and rides amazing and truly handles amazingly for such a heavy car plus the top goes down.
2021 Supra really amazing in every way and very cool looking but like most modern cars you’re along for the ride not part of the ride.
2020 Alfa 4C truly a mini Ferrari handles amazing super rare and very fun as many say and very true it’s a road legal go cart that goes like hell but the buy is it’s not a Ferrari.
2005 Viper absolutely gorgeous and brutal power but even with Corsa exhaust still sounded like a UPS truck on steroids and crack at the same time. Great car for the open roads horrible for a florida the heat in it is truly oppressive even with the top down on a 79 degree day.
1989 Turbo Trans Am I actually had this the longest of any car I’ve ever owned and loved everything about it. When that huge turbo hits it truly was unreal considering it was faster than just about everything that existed in 1989 plus t tops
I’ll stop there and here are some picture of them all.


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Going in order:
2009 Aston Martin DBS Coupe 6 Speed
2005 F430 Coupe F1 CCB
2021 Lamborghini Huracan EVO RWD Spyder
2023 Ferrari 812 GTS

On order:
2024 Emira 6 Speed
2024 Bentley Continental GT

The F430 is the most feelsome and analog to drive of all four, gives the most racecar vibes. Most organic exhaust note. Crazy that the car is almost 20 years old now, still such a looker in my eyes. The steeply raked windscreen and wide haunches/air intakes gives it a very well sorted look in my opinion, not a bad angle. Recent maintenance (few years) includes ball-joints, engine mounts, brake service, throw-out bearing (+ clutch for good measure). I've replaced all the incandescent lights with cool white LED's for a more modern touch, all stickies done. Mods include full body paint correction, ppf, ceramic coating, Scud Inc relay, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres on Scuderia alignment specs. This thing looks and drives as good (if not better!) then the day it left the factory. Has a permanent place in the stable
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Thats a very cool and diverse garage you got going, my biggest question in this is: does teh 812 GTS live up to the hype of a V12 convertable Ferrari?

 

For the money they cost to buy now, there is nothing better. Simple

They are just more expensive to run and own, for example they eat suspension components, and no doubt it will break down at some point! Ferrari Tax gets boring, and build quality is suspect against German alternatives.

I've had most cars of this price level, all the 911 Turbo's etc etc and its just such an event to drive and own, still makes hairs stand on end, and Just opening the garage adds drama to your day!

 

Thank-you for the kind words sir!

The hype is real. The F140 in it's current 6.5L form is a masterpiece, and being able to enjoy it with the top down heightens the experience. Shorter gearing over the Superfast allows you to enjoy more of the engine at lower speeds, and softer suspension makes it perhaps more suited for road use. Quiet and comfortable for long journeys but agile and responsive on the back roads. Stunning looks doesn't hurt either!

 

I put my 430 up for sale. I'm having second thoughts. It's a beautiful car, great to drive. With fab speed headers and tips, and a Tubi muffler, the sound is sensational. Turns heads everywhere. This is my wife's car and she drives it to the store, shopping, beauty parlor and she loves it.

 

Why are you selling your wife's car if she loves it? Happy wife = happy life.

 

Good day Mark. I know. We have 52 years of marriage to prove it. Since 2020 and Covid, she has been putting about 500 miles / year on it. It was her idea. As I said, we might keep it. The ad is here on F-Chat classifieds under consignment to Glenn Butler at A I Int'l.

 

Oh, yes, that isn't a lot of use. I can appreciate the feeling as my usage is similar since we had our first child this year. It's a hard thing to let go of!

 

and we have four cars including another Ferrari....high class problem! Cheers!

 

I have an 05 F430 which currently occupies the garage with a Raptor, Ariel Atom 3RS, a 348 Spyder, a 1959 MGA Twincam, a Porsche GT2, a 914 and a Tesla Model Y.

Until recently there was also a McLaren 650S and a supercharged Lamborghini Huracan Evo RWD … so a person saying there’s no cross-over for someone who owns a Ferrari is likely more a brand-attached logo lover versus someone who is an automotive enthusiast who sees beauty and value across brands.

I love my 430 and won’t ever sell it. It’s beautiful…even if I’ve butchered it. Even stock I loved it and now it’s very, very, very far from stock but it stirs my soul when I see it and I simply love the way it sounds and drives.

That said, a 950 HP supercharged V10 Bull, an 800 HP twin turbo Porsche or an underwhelming 100HP so MGA each have their place in my heart also.

In review this sure reads like a humblebrag, but I think I’m qualified in answering the OP’s question. Love my 430, not passionately interested in owning more modern Ferraris as I think this one is my favorite.



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