Thread: L4P ARTICLE™ The Perfect Exotic

Story Dustin A. Woods | Photos Joost Demunyck
Modified Luxury & Exotics

The Perfect Exotic
Ferrari F430 Scuderia

With less weight and more power than an F430, the Scuderia is civil on the road and can run lap times with an Enzo Ferrari doesn’t have any Scuderia press cars. So how is it, you might be wondering, am I ripping around Sonoma in this lightweight and more powerful version of the iconic F430?.

Let me tell you.

Just a few weeks ago my cell phone rang. On the other end of the line it was Knick Jimenez, a faithful MLE reader who is also a very big fan of Italian cars. Jimenez and I met several years ago at Concorso Italiano and he was calling to inform me that he would shortly be taking deliver of a stealthy Scuderia… and he wanted to know if MLE had any interest in the car.

“Absolutely,” I said.

Conveniently for me, I was in Santa Barbara when I got the call and Jimenez was in Sonoma for the F430 Challenge Series. The following morning I made the trip north, well outside the legal limits of the law, and Jimenez, bless his soul, handed me the keys. Jimenez isn’t much of a believer in brake-in periods, or resale value, and in just three days he had already managed to put a scrape on the bumper and rack up 500 miles on the odometer – some of them on the Infineon Raceway track.

An appropriate way to begin my review of the Scuderia would be tell you all about the sexy new aerodynamics of the Scuderia. On the other hand, maybe it would be best if you just looked at the pictures. Like I said, Jimenez handed me the keys…

FERRARI’S FASTEST SHIFTS YET

According to the statistics, Ferrari claims the Scuderia can do anything the F430 can do, only better. And it wasn’t long after I heard the bark of the engine and put my right foot down that I was in complete agreement.

In fact, the overall performance of the Scuderia is so impressive it has achieved a time of one minute, 25 seconds on the Fiorano test track – the exact same time as the Ferrari Enzo.

Behind the wheel it’s obvious that it’s faster, brakes harder, corners with more finesse and control and yes, even changes gears quicker than an F430. Oh, the gear changes! Equipped with an updated version of Ferrari’s F1-Superfast gearbox – the Superfast2 – the Scuderia changes gears in just 60 milliseconds – compared to 100 ms for the 599 and 150 ms for the F430. This is the fastest reacting gearbox in any Ferrari - or any road going car in the world for that matter - and while it sounds somewhat unbelievable, it really is possible to tell the difference between the 430’s shift times and the Scuderia’s. Ripping up through the gears, the Scuderia screams past 6000 rpm, alerting you that a shift is imminent. There may be 2500 rpm left to go, but in the blink of an eye you’re at 8500 and the steering wheel mounted shift lights have all lit up – signaling it’s time to make your move. Second gear and third gear fly by almost as quickly and already I’m stretching what can be done on the Sonoma roads – especially ones filled with wine connoisseurs after a long day of tastings.

While braking for a corner and flicking the left paddle to drop gears I am surprised. The rev match on the downshift seems much more tame than on the stock 430. One wonders if Ferrari engineered a little extra throttle on the 430 for show purposes, or perhaps the new Superfast2 gearbox is just that much more efficient. I have to say it’s a little disappointing, especially as you’d expect this more purposeful F-car to sound a little more purposeful too.

MORE THAN 500 HP

Sweeping out of a nicely banked corner it is really starting to sink in that the Scuderia vastly outpaces its sibling. While we can partly thank the gearbox, it doesn’t hurt that the Scuderia is powered by a massaged version of the same 4.3-liter engine that produces an extra 20 hp and four ft-lbs of torque thanks to reworked intake and exhaust systems as well as a boost in compression from 11.3:1 to 11.88:1. The new total of 510 hp comes on at 8500 rpm and 347 ft-lbs of torque are available at 5250.

The added horsepower is, however, a somewhat trivial reason for the Scuderia’s added gusto. One even wonders if it’s just a PR move so Ferrari can boast that their new car puts out over 500 hp. The real difference in performance comes as a result of a reduction in weight. In total 220 lbs of weight have been shaved off the car for a curb weight of just under 3,000 lbs.

This, I can tell you, made a big difference in not only the acceleration (with a 0-62 mph run achieved in just 3.6 seconds compared to the four second stat for the stock F430) but in the braking and especially the handling.

STRIPPED DOWN

Some of the weight reduction is thanks to the 19-inch magnesium wheels and the carbon ceramic brakes, which, by the way, feature ridiculously large 15.6-inch rotors in the front. In the engine bay, carbon fiber replaces much of the plastic including the bay liners and the air boxes. The signature crinkle-red-painted plenums are also absent and have been replaced by carbon fiber units – a particularly striking detail on this car which is now completely absent of red. To further reduce weight, particularly on the heavier backside of the mid-engine exotic, the engine cover is made of Plexiglas.

The weight reduction effort is most noticeable, however, in the cockpit, where there is neither carpeting nor floor mats. Amazingly, however, it all still feels very luxurious and sporty, thanks to a plentiful amount of Alcantara.

Jimenez took full advantage of Ferrari’s personalization program, opting to go with Alcantara on the sides of the seats (with well-matched neon yellow stitching) and what Ferrari calls “technical fabric” for the inserts. It certainly provides as much grip as Alcantara and it also breathes much better.

THE INTICINGLY ILLEGAL DRIVE

Inside the Scuderia it is such a race-like environment that it’s easy to forget you’re on public roads. The driving position makes it feel like you are seated ahead of the front wheels and because of the massive power, screaming V8 and perfect handling, you may find yourself explaining your forgetfulness to the police.

As this is a road test, I’m not pushing the car to its limits. Regardless, there isn’t even a hint of understeer, and the car reacts to quickly to the steering inputs and just darts wherever I point it.

As with all modern Ferraris, the Scuderia is equipped with a Manettino, however, there are some important differences to point out. There is no “Ice” or cold weather setting on the car. Instead it has been replaced with a CT or, “traction control off” setting, which allows for some tire shredding fun while still retaining the safety of stability control. Both systems can be shut off simultaneously by flipping the little red toggle to the “CST-off” setting.

Don’t be fooled, however. You don’t need to turn the traction control off to get performance out of the Scuderia. It is equipped with E-DIFF2, an electronic differential that works with Ferrari’s F1-TRAC traction control system, allowing you to put down 40 percent more power out of the corners.

Another unique attribute is that Ferrari has allowed drivers to adjust the shock settings independently of the Manettino settings.

You don’t have to wind the car up to enjoy it either, as the airbox design produces an incredible note with throttle input at even low rpm. But wind it up to that 6000-rpm sweet spot and prepare for sound that will leave you with no doubt why this car was named after the Ferrari racing team.

STYLE TO SPARE

As for the aesthetics of the Scuderia, there is no denying it is vastly more aggressive than the stock 430 – especially the shark-like nose. Out back, the new diffuser immediately conveys the designed-for-the-racetrack message. An optional carbon fiber version of this intricate diffuser is offered but Ferrari told Jimenez that equipping his car with it would delay his delivery date – something he was not prepared to do.

The entire body redesign, including slightly lower side skirts, increases the Scuderia’s downforce while retaining the same coefficient of drag as the stock 430.

Jimenez chose to emphasize the purposeful nature of his Scuderia by going with a subtle paint color, Grigio Medio. In the shade this non-metallic paint looks almost flat, but under the sun it has a pearl yellow shine.

Overall, the Scuderia is far edgier than the stock 430, which really helps to convey the message that this is no longer a sleek, sexy and sensuous exotic but a raw, mean and aggressive supercar.

THE VERDICT

In many ways, the Scuderia is barely a road car, with no floor mats and a Plexiglas engine cover. And yet, with a stereo, power windows, a surprisingly smooth suspension and an engine that can operate with incredibly civility, it honestly feels like it would make a better daily driver than most cars that were designed for commuting. That, however, would be sacrilegious – like making Albert Einstein recite his multiplication tables, or forcing Tiger Woods to play mini-put.

As the Scuderia does practically everything the stock 430 does but better, and as the stock 430 is just about the best car money can buy, it’s not much of a stretch to conclude that this light-weight Ferrari might just be the perfect exotic. It’s not the best performance value on the road – a Porsche would be a far-wiser economic decision – but there is something (actually, a lot of somethings) that the Scuderia provides that can’t be found elsewhere.

During my all-too-brief stint behind the wheel, I drove the Scuderia, perhaps, a little too respectively. Considering the sticker price, the fact that it was just three days old and that the car’s owner was sitting next to me, I think I should be forgiven. However, for those who plan on putting their name on the Scuderia list (something I highly recommend), I suggest doing so on one condition; that you take a lesson from Jimenez to drive it often, and drive it hard.


PLUS
Lighter weight makes for improved performance in every area
Styling that speaks to the car’s character
Surprisingly civilized

MINUS
Rev-matches not as ostentatious as on F430
Wider rear tires wouldn’t hurt
The waiting list to get one

SPECIFICATIONS & DETAILS
FERRARI F430 SCUDERIA

ENGINE
Ferrari 4.3-liter V-8

DRIVETRAIN
Mid-engine rear-wheel drive, six-speed F1-Superfast2 transmission

WHEELS, TIRES AND BRAKES
(f) 19” magnesium wheels with 235/35/19 Pirelli PZero Corsa tires; 15.6” carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers; (r) 19” magnesium wheels with 285/35/19 Pirelli PZero Corsa tires; 13.7” carbon ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers

SUSPENSION
(f/r) aluminum wishbones with titanium coil springs, anti-roll bars and electronic shock absorbers

INTERIOR
No carpeting or floor mats, Alcantara dash and headliner, Alcantara and technical fabric seats

ADDITIONAL
E-DIFF2 electronic differential with F1-Trac traction control system

NUMBERS
Horsepower: 510 hp at 8500 rpm
Torque: 347 ft-lbs at 5250 rpm
Zero-62 mph: 3.6 sec.
Zero-124 ph: 11.6 sec.
Top Speed: 198 mph
Length: 177.6”
Width: 75.7”
Height: 47.2”
Weight: 2,975 lbs.
Weight distribution: 43/57
MSRP: TBA

Story Dustin A. Woods | Photos Joost Demunyck
Modified Luxury & Exotics

Wow, yet another fantastic article.

Alex...

Awesome article. Thanks for sharing.

That is probably my favorite car!

Insane article, great write up!

I love these threads! L4P FTW!

Great Article!! And fantastic pictures!! Love MTK's scud!

Great article!!!

great article and nice pics.

Amazing article. It makes me want to go out and buy one.

MTK's scud is like no other. Possibly my favorite color on the car