A friend of mine took couple of pictures, this one was the best.
F430 Spider F1
I had an incredible trip to Modena last weekend with my friends, and between drinking coffee and eating we also visited the Pagani factory and Maranello. There are couple of Ferrari rental companies near Galleria Ferrari museum. Their noble business idea is to take away all the money from tourists.
I was a tourist, so I thought why not? I had to do it now, or when I visit Maranello next time, because in Finland getting to drive a Ferrari is not so easy. 100 euros for 20 minutes is of course way overpriced, but then again it's only couple of laps around the ring with fuel expenses included.
I could choose between nice dark grey coupe and red Spider with chromed tasteless wheels. I choose the bling wheel one hoping to hear the engine better in topless car.
The first few meters in the car park were a surprise. Steering was as in any other car, as were the brakes. The often criticized F1 gearbox worked well except slow uphill creeping. It really felt a car I could use everyday. Sadly the interior was a bit too ordinary. Some switches were a bit plasticky, but the the whole design was not as special as it should be. Maybe it felt like that because of the missing gear lever, because I love how the Ferrari manual shift looks like. I'm sure the F1 system is a joy to use on a race track and on fast B-road blasts, but because the whole car is so easy to drive on normal roads, it could benefit from a smallish challenge of manual gearshift.
And then there's the engine. I actually tested how it pulls from 1200rpm in sixth gear, and while acceleration was not rapid, it didn't hesitate at all. Then there's the noise when the flaps in the exhaust system open. Company had a stupid rule not to use more than 4000rpms in first two gears (I was actually going to break the rule, but I waited too long to find a good place, which I never did), but I to gave it a try in third, and while I didn't reach the redline, it revved to around 7000 rpm or so. At that point it really flied, but of course the best parts come only after 8000 or so. The change in the noise when the flaps open was a bit too strong for my taste maybe, but I loved the way engine sounded in any kind of situation. There was always something special to hear.
Of course in 20 minutes I can't say anything about the handling. It felt really flat in corners and not a single bit intimidating, so maybe it really is a car you could enjoy driving even on normal open roads.
So was it worth the 100 euros? No. But do I regret? Hell no. Twenty minutes in a Ferrari is just a small glimpse of the car, but a very positive one. If I had the money I'm not sure I would buy one though. As a driving tool it's probably incredible, and thanks to all that technology everybody can enjoy driving it quickly. It also really felt like a car I could enjoy every day in the summer. This might sound a bit stupid, but how long would it feel special, if you drove it every day? It's interior and exterior (I've never been a fan of the F430's looks) are not any more special than any 911 and the F1 gear change is soulless, so all that Ferrari experience comes from the engine and how it feels to drive. But if you use it every day, would it feel special after a year? I'd certainly like to find out, but to be honest, if I had enough money to buy F430 (or may 458 Italia), I'd seriously consider something a bit older, like the F355 with manual gear change (and the saved money I'd use for other daily driver). F355 would probably be totally rubbish compared to F430, but then if I only drove the car during weekends, the specialness would last much longer, and at least the exterior would be as pretty as it can be. It's actually exactly the point Clarkson said after Ferrari 599 test when he drove old 275.
The F430 is a great, great car with an engine full of awesomeness, but it also felt a bit like a Ferrari made for young IT millionaires. There's nothing wrong with that, that's how you selll supercars today. Software geniuses have replaced Steve McQueen. It's just that I want to learn to drive the car, and not a car that learns how I drive. But so are all the cars today, and I'm still stunned how Ferrari has managed to built so user friendly supercar.