It's fair to say that until recently Ferraris haven't been celebrated for their excellence in the area of fit and finish, or their electronic sophistication. But it's also fair to say the F430 Spider will make anyone familiar with the breed forget all past sins of omission. Equipped with the latest F1 transmission and the most ingenious electric softtop mechanism we've seen, this successor to the 360 Spider makes its predecessor seem almost crude by comparison.Push a clearly marked center-console button, and the rear cowling lifts, the top wads itself, and then it disappears into an impossibly small slot beneath the twin teardrop fairings behind the seats. Like the action of the Lambo's top mechanism, this engages a squad of hydraulic actuators — seven of them — and takes about 20 seconds. Other examples of attention to detail: There's a small crescent-shaped indentation near the trailing edge of the fuel door that helps quell wind noise, an index of extensive wind tunnel development. And a pair of thumb-shaped depressions at about ten and two o'clock on the steering wheel rim are home for the horn buttons — right where you want 'em.
The multiposition preset dial for the transmission, suspension, and stability-control system is handily located on a steering-wheel spoke, at about 5 o'clock, and there's a large glass cover over the engine bay, so all can admire the red crackle finish on the intake system of the F430's 4.3-liter V-8.
No comments:
Post a Comment