Autoblog

Click for more 430 Scuderia Spider renderings in hi res

Lies. Damn lies and speculation. Rumor would be another way to put it, as word of a potential convertible version of the 430 Scuderia spreads across cyberspace. Tentatively referred to as the 430 Scuderia Spider, the roadster would naturally be based on the lightweight, Enzo-rivaling 430 Scuderia supercar, but with the roof chopped off.

Various reports have given conflicting information about what kind of roof mechanism would be fitted to the Spideria, including a retractable hard-top similar to that found on the new California, a manual cloth roof to keep weight down, or the same automatic fabric top from the conventional F430 Spider. Or maybe no roof at all, who knows. The wide range of speculation leads us to chalk this up to pure rumor. The removal of structural rigidity and the addition of weight would seem antithetical to the Scuderia's entire raison d'etre. However the prevailing reports suggest that the Spider will also get the California's new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, be produced in a limited series of 300 and be unveiled on November 5 at the Ferrari Challenge weekend in Mugello... the same event where Ferrari unveiled the FXX Evoluzione last year. Jon Sibal, the skilled supercar illustrator we've come to know and trust, has presented a few renderings of what the 430 Scuderia Spider could look like, which in our eye looks right on the money and you can see for yourself in the gallery below.

[Source: JonSibal.com]

It goes without saying that this isn't an officially-sanctioned Ferrari F430 cell phone. This is called the "F1 Phone," coming at you in bright-red injection-molded plastic direct from non-Ferrari manufacturing China. Like the Italian exotic, the F1 Phone offers a lot of performance with its dual-band support, a 2.2-inch touch-sensitive LCD display, music player, video player, memory expansion slot, USB connectivity, flashlight, and a slew of other electronic goodies (including three pre-installed games, though not a single one involving driving). Unlike the Italian exotic, this one sports a price tag of just $190, allowing you to save the other $185,000 for your text messaging bill. In case you were wondering, that bulls-eye smack in the middle of the windshield is the built-in 1.3 megapixel camera - you won't find one of those on any showroom Scuderia!

[Source: Techpin via Engadget Mobile]

Ferrari's new F430 Scuderia is already being touted as one of the greatest road-going Ferraris of all time, and for good reason. Based on the current F430, the donor car undergoes a raft of changes including a substantial weight loss program and some power mods. The Scuderia also features a new traction control system that combines the E-Diff electronic differential and the F1-Trac traction and stability control in a single integrated system.

CAR Online has now compiled a collection of media materials containing almost everything you'd want to know about the latest Ferrari supercar. You will be able to read an initial drive report (the first as far as we know), check out a couple of videos of the car going around a track and then finish it off with a comprehensive video road test. There's also a chance to win some paraphernalia including a Ferrari Lego racer, a Scuderia press kit and more.

After you've had your fill of the Scuderia, there's also a detailed report on the future entry-level Dino model as well as a F430 successor. After all that you'll definitely be seeing red.

You'll find a video review of the new F430 Scuderia after the jump.

[Source: Car Magazine]

Ferrari's getting in on the environmental game. Well, relatively speaking. The next supercar from the home of the prancing horse will be lighter and use a lower-displacement engine, but still have at least 500 HP. Thoughts are that such a car would derive its powerplant from the one mooted for the Millechili concept shown earlier this year. Though the car shown was nothing more than cardboard, the powerplant spoken of was a twin-turbocharged, direct-injection, 550-hp, 3.0-liter V-8.

The other big news is more information on Ferrari's No-It's-Not-A-Dino. Instead, what will be revealed early next year is a 2+2 V8 with a 4.3L V8 mounted up front. Other changes to the rest of Ferrari's line have taken a back seat due to the marque's growing popularity. The 599 hardtop convertible has been put on hold in light of the coupe's 18-month waiting list. The 612 will remain unchanged until its replaced in 2010.

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

click above image for more high-res shots of the Ferrari F430 Scuderia

It's not a good sign when there is a massive throng pushing into the display hall and an announcement from inside the hall is asking people to step back away from the stage. But when the booth happens to have a Prancing Horse above it and none other than 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher is standing front and center, it's understandable that there might be some interest in seeing what he has to show. Jean Todt was even on the outside looking in...for a short time. He was here like the rest of us, of course, to see Schumacher unveil Ferrari's latest track model for the street, the F430 Scuderia. We already know all of the pertinent details about the car, but seeing one in person was what this event was all about. And it didn't hurt that MS was here for the photo op. We actually lucked out and he walked right up to us at the side of the stage after his introduction. He looked incredibly well-rested and relaxed, unlike the car which looks like it wants to jump out of its skin.

Follow the jump for the rest of the story and make sure you check out the galleries as well.

UPDATE: Much better quality high-res pics added to gallery

Click image to view high-res gallery

Unfortunately for Noah or Frank, Ferrari has gone and revealed the new F430 Scuderia when neither are around, so it's up to me to convey how fantabulous this new Prancing Horse is to you. We've been following for some time what we thought would be called the new F430 Challenge Stradale, but Ferrari has instead decided to name it the F430 Scuderia. Regardless of what it's called, this new F430 joins the coupe and spyder, yet takes a decidedly harder, more track-oriented edge than its siblings. The car weighs around 100kg (220 lbs.) less than the standard F430 coupe, and its version of Ferrari's 4.3L V8 produces 510 horsepower instead of 483. That gives the Scuderia a frighteningly low power-to-weight ratio of 1 horsepower for every 5.4 lbs.

The new F430 Scuderia also promises to carry a lot of trickle-down F1 technology as well, including lightning-quick 60 millisecond shifts and an integrated traction and stability control system. In order to accentuate the car's F1 connection, none other than famed F1 driver Michael Schumacher will officially unveil the car in Frankfurt this September. Until then, we have a gallery of high-res shots for you to flip through below and Ferrari's press release after the jump.

[Source: Ferrari via Ultimatecarpage.com]