31 Brand Spankin’ New Images: Ferrari 430 Scuderia

One of the last Ferraris that doesn't look like a warmed over version of the Mk4 Toyota Supra...

LOL!!!!!

hahaha

roflburger!

just noticed the rims look like the ones found on the IS. nice.

Love...

There is a possibility not many will come to the US as any orders after September will not be taken. Ferrari asked for an airbag exemption until Sept. 2008, which means the F430 will not be sold in a America after the exemption expires and the F430 replacement is not due until late 2009 or early 2010.

That begs the question, is the 430 Scuderia worth its price considering the F430 successor is right around the corner? With the GT California focused on pure comfort while the F430 successor will likely be even more hardcore than the current standard car, the need for a Scuderia-like special in the future diminishes.

I really love the Scuderia but its platform is aging. Remember, it is based off the 360 Modena, which its chassis was designed from the late 1990s. Chances are the new car will be all new and even more radical; featuring much of the technology of the Scuderia from the start.

No matter how hardcore they are--and how great they are to drive--Ferrari will always find a way to improve upon these cars. How dare you question that!

The F430's platform is not aging by most standards... the 360's platform was already so good. Why is there any need to radically change it? The F430 is the most satisfying sports car on Earth if you can live with its $100K mark-up.

When is the "GT Califorina" coming out? Within two years? Where will it be positioned in the lineup?

I ask because we (I and several Ferrari owners) discuss the prospects of the upcoming replacement, which will likely be a brand spanking new platform. We thought the Challenge Stradale was fast but the F430 took it to a whole new level and the 430 Scuderia goes even further. It is likely the new car will bring the best of the Scuderia and better it altogether.

People can opt to pay for the new hyper Ferrari now or wait several years for the F430 replacement. Chances are in North America only a handful with come here. Why even order the F430 before September 2008 when the delivery of the car might just coincide with the release of the replacement?

There is one good thing about the replacement, it might allow the price of F430 and 430 Scuderia drop, especially in markets other than ours. I say this because if only a couple dozen come here, it's rarity might not allow for huge depreciation, which even if people who cannot order the Scuderia now but plan on purchasing it when prices are expected to drop because of the F430 replacement might not be seeing huge discounts. All in all, might as well get the brand new car.

The F430 platform is not aging by most standards? By the end of its model run, the chassis design will be over ten years old. Because of this Ferrari must, what you call, radically change it. Ferrari is probably close to the limit with what they can do with the platform. The differences from the 360 and F430 is night and day. One was a great car while the other takes it to a whole new level with electronic goodies such as F1-Trac traction control, E-Diff (complimented with Manettino), and as far an adaptive suspension. What more can Ferrari do to it? Think about how competitive this market is. Ferrari depends on this market to maintain and even see profits. Will Ferrari want to sell a car that will be marginally faster than the current car are suprise the world with a vehicle that is out of this world?

These types of platform transitions are paramount. Imagine if Porsche never designed the 996 the way they did. Would the '997' be as good as it is if the 996 was not a radical departure from the formula? You know Porsche is at the limit with the soon to be 10 year old design. This is why PASM exists. This is why the slated '998' is expected to be a huge leap; similar in the way the 996 was to the 993.

If sports car manufacturers stuck with what was good and made it marginally better, much of our sports car landscape would look a lot different. Ferrari could have used the F40 platform for the F50 and so on with the Enzo. Porsche could have used the 956 platform and used it in the Carrera GT. Neither did that and went radical with their resources. Radical is good.

That's not what I'm saying... I root for change. As long as it's better than the last-gen, by all means, Ferrari should develop (and are developing) a new platform. Nobody should use the same one for decades. But I was just defending the F430 platform- it's quite amazing. I hope to one day own a Ferrari, and the F430 is the most desirable at the moment.

The reason I ask about the GT California is... will it be less-expensive than the F430? Will it seat four people in comfort, hence its name? When will it be released? I'm guessing it will have a huge waiting list, so if it's not much over $100K (911 Turbo-priced), it may be beneficial to get on it now.

The F430 is an awesome car but I think its showing signs of being old as I mentioned before. Given what Ferrari is doing now and what they promised for the future cars, we haven't seen anything yet and will probably be blown away with the successor.

The pricing for the Cali GT is unknown. Some are saying it won't be more expensive than the 911 Turbo. Others are saying it will reach DB9 pricing but the majority firmly believe it will be the affordable 2+2 of the range. N'ring regulars who have seen and heard the prototype are saying the engine sounds very much different than the 612 and 599 GTB, as it is more akin to a V8. This video provides further proof that it is a V8 powerplant: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgZpgndQlgM

As for the release of the car, much of us believe around the same time as the F430 replacement, if not a little earlier. But that is our guess.

Cali GT: Inbetween 150 to $200k
F430 replacement: right at around $200k