2005 Ferrari F430 Preview

When Ferrari designed the 4.2-liter V8 motor for Maserati, after purchasing the Italian sports firm, I was certain sure it

Ferrari has honed its rev-happy V8 engine to 4.3 liters, featuring explosive performance capabilities. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

would find a home in a prancing horse badged car. As it turns out, a variation of the 4.2 now powers this very car. Enlarged to 4,308 cc, the engine received several internal upgrades, which include a larger 81 mm stroke, which should allow the motor to rev higher and harder. The original oversquare bore of 92 mm has remained the same. Like the F360, a flat-plane crankshaft has been incorporated, which differs from a regular crank as it fires two cylinders at the same time and provides the added bonus of creating that delicious metallic Ferrari scream.

With such revisions in place, the motor develops 490 horsepower peaking at a lofty 8,500 rpm, while torque measures in at 343 lb-ft available at 5,250 rpm. Compared to outgoing 360, the gain in power is a staggering 100 horses! Next to its direct competitor the Lamborghini Gallardo, the new Ferrari loses out on the power race, but with a specific horsepower per liter

The F430's steering wheel is the closest link to Michael Schumacher's F1 wheel than anything previous. It features five predetermined settings to tune the car commensurate with the road ahead and driving preferences. (Photo: Ferrari North America)

rating of 113.95 and a power to weight ratio of 2.96 hp/kg, this prancing horse is bound to win on the open road. Ferrari suggests that the F430 takes under four seconds to reach 100 km/h, before topping out at 315 km/h (196 mph).

In the press release, Ferrari claimed that the F430 is more than 70 percent new, and features more technology derived directly from its championship-winning F1 racing cars than in any other mass produced car. With the amount of money spent every year on Schumacher and Co., it's only natural that some of the equipment that helps the scarlet team lap international courses faster and more reliably than the any competitor be applied to production vehicles.