2008 Ferrari F430 Coupe Review
29 Mar, 2008
30 Comments 
2008 Ferrari F430 Coupe Review
THE ‘F’ WORD - THE FERRARI F430 COUPE
There are cars, there are other cars, there are yet more cars and then there are Ferraris.
Model tested: 2008 Ferrari F430 Coupe
Blistering acceleration, unbelievable dynamics, the incredible rowdy noise
Having to give it back
CarAdvice rating: 
RRP: $441,850
- Words by: Bob Hume Photos by: Chris Huston
All motoring journalists remember driving their first Ferrari and I was a relatively late starter as it happens; it was a red 360 Modena with manual shift and I was 36 years old. I’d spent three and a half decades dreaming of them, a gigantic bedroom poster of a Testarossa bore witness to much of my angst-ridden teenage years, throughout my adult life I digested the design and specification of each new car and I gawped like an idiot when I actually saw one.
I somehow knew I was going to drive one at some point in my life and it was all leading up to the moment when I was handed the keys. A smiling man handed me the bright red key and asked me to be careful. Trying to act like this sort of thing happened to me every day I immediately dropped the key, flopped awkwardly into the cockpit, then stalled the car twice.
When I returned from my first solo drive in a Ferrari I was exhilarated - I’d made fantasy into fact. I’d experienced the heart-stopping acceleration, the barrage of beautiful noise and witnessed the envious gazes of hatch-back driving mortals.
Now, don’t think for one second that I haven’t spotted the obvious ‘first time’ parallels here; I’ve deliberately created them to set the scene. I don’t just write about cars for a living and no one in my profession becomes a motoring journalist by accident; I’m an enthusiast and the defining moment of my career was always going to be something which involved an impractical, noisy, frightening car with a yellow ‘Prancing Horse’ badge on it and in my dreams it was always red.
About a year later, the Ferrari Press office sent me an F430 Coupe – it was better than the 360, I was allowed to take it home and puzzlingly, it was blue. I knew about the press car loan two months beforehand and had it marked in my diary as ‘Saint Enzo’s Day’.
Location: Home / Ferrari, Behind the Wheel / ...
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March 29th, 2008 at 6:30 pm
Beautiful car, difference between Ferrari and Lamborghini, Ferraris don’t age! And this design is a testament to that fact.
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March 29th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
Yes beautiful car, but why hasn’t anyone done a comparo with the Scuderia against the Superleggera or, well, now the LP560?
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March 29th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
and this is relavneat why? seems to me you guys just want to drive a fearri.Still brilliant car and they dont age eirter.anyway some day [gets back into commodore omega and drives to suburban area eats steak nad shripm on the barbie then goes and wathes football]Lol JKing im ENgilish cross australina cross french cross belguim
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March 29th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
one thing though why blue red is the only colour a fereari should be maybe yellow
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March 29th, 2008 at 9:23 pm
Awesome and stunning car, brilliant review! Well done!
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March 29th, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Great write up, great car.
Alas, as a Italiano i rather take the girl, Beatrice, than the Ferrari…
Thats just me though!
Cheers
F-0
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March 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am
No ferrari has inpsired me as much as the Ford Cobra, Mustang, or the delightful GT40, Alborz have you driven a 200m/h plus GT lately, remember Le Mans GT40 kicked Ferrai to the kerb and still does, even looks heaps better, GT 4 me, the Ferrari is ugly as sin….
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March 30th, 2008 at 12:12 am
^^ ahh don’t be silly f-o she is’nt that great anyway. I’d take the ferrari in a heartbeat, atleast you can have your way with it any time you please
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March 30th, 2008 at 12:20 am
Everyone has thier opinion, I would take the a new GT40 in a heartbeat….
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March 30th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I wouldn’t go as far as to say “Ugly as Sin”, however the jury has alway been split on this car. Don’t forget that conceptually, the F430 is a race-bred inspiration and there was always going to be aesthetic challenges. There is a ‘function over form’ bias.
I think it looks incredible considering the aerodynamic constraints placed on Pininfarina as a designer, were dealt with pretty well. It’s relatively easy to make a prettier car do 200MPH but it’s all about the delivery.
Thanks for all your comments - keep ‘em coming.
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March 30th, 2008 at 1:51 am
Hi Bob - where are you in the UK mate. I don;t recognise the scenery.
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March 30th, 2008 at 6:59 am
The shoot was Ben Crom Reservoir Dam in the Mourne Mountains, County Down, Northern Ireland.
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March 30th, 2008 at 7:39 am
I can testify that it is a very quick car - I was one of those passengers uttering other-worldy noises, while being pinned to the passenger seat! Looks great, sounds awesome and goes like stink!
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March 30th, 2008 at 10:08 am
O….why is this relevant? who really cares!?
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March 30th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Not a fan of that colour scheme (blue with yellow callipers?) but otherwise fantastic!
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March 30th, 2008 at 4:02 pm
Whilst I am no Ferrari fan (Sorry Bob!)I don’t think the car is an ugly car. Certainly, from some angles it looks like Mr Miyagi with a smile on his face, but overall it’s undisputedly Italian.
I don’t think you can compare a Ferrari with, say a Mustang or Cobra (Not that I am saying Yank cars are rubbish), they are just very different in every aspect; especially in their appeal.
You wouldn’t see many toothless rednecks driving Ferraris, I would imagine……..
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March 30th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
good read
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March 30th, 2008 at 6:14 pm
I have seen toothless rednecks driving Ferrari’s in Toorak, no different to commodore or jap import bogans burning rubber at the lights…
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March 30th, 2008 at 7:01 pm
Would there be many toothless rednecks in Toorak, AC?
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March 30th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
CERTAINLY BOY LARD, JUST LOOK AROUND YOU….
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March 31st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Toothless Rednecks in Ferraris?
“Git them chickens outa the Superamericee Joleen, we done hittin’ the town and gittin’ us a beer!”
“Yeeehar!”
etc..
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March 31st, 2008 at 9:35 am
lol, BOB Hume
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March 31st, 2008 at 11:48 am
That’s Billy-Bob!
Respec’ AC
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March 31st, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Brother who married his sister said…………
“”Sssshes shooort”n”sssstocky but shesssss stronooooooog”"
Love that episode of Clarksons!
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March 31st, 2008 at 4:48 pm
F-O
With that car you can have 100 beatrices waiting for you lol!.
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April 1st, 2008 at 12:11 am
Hey Billy-Bob, I’s gone got me a “B Class” round back if yee wanna store yer birds in it.
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April 1st, 2008 at 5:13 am
Ma chickens got taste y’all!
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April 2nd, 2008 at 8:07 am
But could it take a White Pug 106 on two wheels round the Horse Shoe Bend?
Good site, well done mate!!!
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September 29th, 2008 at 4:35 am
A beautiful Italian isn’t she
but sorry i’d have any modern jap/italian sportbike over her. Forget power/weight, think cost/performance. Reality=bike
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October 1st, 2008 at 2:22 am
blue doesn’t suit ferrari. I don’t care how old i become, i am going to buy a ferrari one day !!!
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