by Jean-Claude Etter, photography Jacques Dayer
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fter 200 kilometers of french B-roads, I am almost in a
state of sensory overload, my nerves are buzzing as if I had just smoked my
first cigarette after weeks of nicotin deprivation. Substitute here whatever addiction afflicts you and you will get the picture. The Scuderia experience is
intense, raw, pure, and open roads have barely allowed us to scratch the surface
of its potential. If the essence of sports cars is the perfect mix between
performance and exhilaration, then Ferrari is at the top of its game with its
latest creation: the 430 Scuderia.
Our journey begins in Genevain the showroom of Modena Cars, Geneva’s Ferrari official dealership. The car, dressed in matte black, looks more like high tech weaponry than automotive gear, like a stealth fighter jet parked in a luxury outlet or a semi-automatic casually displayed in a jewelry store. Compared to its sibling, the F430, the Scuderia is a bold demonstration of Ferrari’s philosophy where form follows function. From the entirely redesigned front bumper to the protruding engine lid and revised diffuser, a lot of modifications were made to the aerodynamic package to improve air flow above and underneath the car, resulting in an increase of 30 kg of downforce at 310 km/h (192 mph). Might not sound like much, but this represents an increase of more than 10% on the F430.
If motorsports is a religion in Maranello, the interior of the 430 Scuderia is a temple devoted to the cult of speed, with a superb combination of red-stitched suede and carbon fiber bucket seats covered with a mix of suede and high-tech textile called “3D”, optimized for breathing and grip. Down in the foot well, your eyes meet the laquered aluminum of the spaceframe; the carbon fiber pack, visible on another car, includes beautiful carbon fiber door sills, an alternative worth consideration. Ferrari’s Carrozzeria Scaglietti programme offers endless personalization possibilities to your taste (and check book), but the standard configuration is really pleasing to the eye and touch.
The bucket seats with adjustable back rest, available in different sizes to match your size, provide excellent support for my rather thin body frame, with precious lateral support to cope with the mighty grip of the car, and good lumbar support for longer trips to race tracks. Strapped with a 4 point harness, the driving position is excellent, your thumbs falling nicely on the carbon fiber, leather and suede wrapped steering wheel. The carbon fiber paddle shifters are at your finger tips, the blinker and windshield wipers are a bit too distant. In the center, on the left, the starter button, and on the right, the manettino and its five settings.
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