2:51pm Friday 25th September 2009
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IT IS HARD to imagine that you could add much more excitement to a car that can already achieve 196mph and blast to 62mph from rest in four seconds flat, but that hasn't stopped Ferrari having a go.
The Scuderia is even more stunning than the standard F430, with unique alloy wheels, large amounts of carbonfibre and extra menace in the aerodynamic aids. It's not for show either: having the exhaust pipes poking straight through the rear panel allows the diffuser beneath it to be more effective.
The Scuderia is peppered with race-car details like this that really get the juices flowing.
It's like that on the inside too. Where the standard car is tasteful and sporty, the Scuderia goes for pure performance car function. There's no carpet, lots of exposed aluminium and carbonfibre, the seats are lightweight bucket-types that aren't for the wide of bottom - it saves 100kg over the standard car as much by removing compromise as weight.
You need to throw another couple of items into the mix too. Like an extra 20 horsepower, taking the total to 503bhp, the fact that Michael Schumacher contributed to the development of the car, and that the Scuderia is as fast around Ferrari's own Fiorano test track as the 650bhp, 220mph Enzo.
That's not hard to believe once you slide behind the wheel. In the first 50 yards the taughtness and athleticism is remarkable: the standard car is hardly a wobbly blancmange, yet it takes just a few minutes in the Scuderia to realise how much sharper and more focused it is. You notice it in the way it picks up more bumps, more feedback from the road and transmits it to your hands and backside. Yes, it can be a little uncomfortable when the going gets rough, but if you've come this far it won't matter one jot. You can also thank Herr Schumacher as well, as thanks to his input there's a button you can punch to soften the suspension to keep it all together on bumpier roads.
Like the F430, the Scuderia has the F1-inspired automated manual transmission, but here it has been honed further still with electronic trickery of fiendish complexity - all you need to know is that when you select the right mode on the manettino switch the Scuderia will shift gears in 60ms, faster than any other Ferrari. What that does is keep the engine on the boil, the excitement up and the acceleration more vivid than ever. It's not difficult to use either, once you've explored all the systems and what they mean. A little acclimatisation brings the realisation that all the gadgets and gizmos are there to help you get the most out of it.
And the true soul of the car is the magnificent engine. It may only be modestly more powerful than a regular F430, but combine that with the reduction in weight, the improved engine breathing and the freer exhaust system, and what you have is an engine that truly feels off the leash. Even from start up it feels like you can hear every little part of the engine doing its thing, like it's an animate creature.
Flick the right paddle and the tinniest squeeze of throttle elicits a response, the engine note changing with every increased revolution. Any thoughts of this being a peaky race-engine are instantly dismissed as there's ample torque from the start and acceleration is effortless, becoming more urgent as the revs rise until you pass 6,000rpm and it turns eye-wideningly rabid. The combination of noise and sheer g-force interspersed with gearchanges performed in the blink of an eye is utterly devastating - you and your lucky passenger will either be screaming in terror or whooping with delight.
Reach the bends at high speed as you inevitably will, and the standard carbon-ceramic brakes that seemed unusual at first are suddenly shedding speed with little discernable effort, providing enormous reassurance next time you are back on the throttle. That reassurance is through the bends too, as the Scuderia is not nearly as intimidating as a car of this price and performance should be.
It communicates so clearly and comprehensively that you know how much grip you have, what the wheels are doing, and the quick-fire paddleshift and super-strong brakes mean you can concentrate on exploiting the grip. On your average British road you'll be thankful for that softer suspension mode, but only because it makes life easier, not because it is in any way tiring. Sure, dull motorway journeys aren't its forte, but consigning this car to roads classified with an M would be a cruel act.
And this is the final act for the F430, before its eventual replacement (still over a year away) eventually arrives. But the Scuderia is a celebration of that, more pure than ever and the ultimate incarnation of an already hugely impressive machine. Think of it this way: driving an ordinary performance car is like listening to a world-class orchestra on a CD. The regular F430 is like being in the audience of a live performance, but the Scuderia is like conducting the orchestra yourself.
FACTS AT A GLANCE Ferrari F430 Scuderia, £171,494
Engine: 4.3-litre petrol unit developing 503bhp and 346lb.ft of torque.
Transmission: Six-speed automated manual gearbox driving the rear wheels
Performance: Top speed 198mph, 0-62mph 3.6 seconds
Economy: 15.7mpg combined
Emissions: 360g/km
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