GT5 Transcripts/Ferrari F430 '06

When one utters the phrase "entry-level cars," it's usually meant to describe an inexpensive automobile whose sole purpose is to get people from Point A to Point B. But when you're talking about Ferrari, all conventional definitions go out the proverbial window.
Replacing Ferrari's "entry-level" 360 Modena in 2004 was the F430. The car's styling was mesmerizing, with flowing lines influenced by the company's legendary Formula 1 racers and Le Mans prototypes of the 1960s.
Mounted amidships was a sweet-sounding V8 powerplant. Unlike the 360 Modena's engine, which evolved from that of the 1973 Ferrari 308 GT4, the F430's 4.3-liter naturally aspirated unit was completely new. Output was impressive, as it was rated at 483 HP at 8,500 rpm, eclipsing the output of the legendary F40's 2.9-litre turbocharged V8. It came mated to a high-tech new twin-clutch transmission that allowed the driver to manually select gears via paddles on the steering wheel.
The F430's chassis was a heavily reworked version of the 360 Modena's that featured a frame composed of extruded and forged aluminum. Part of the structure was altered to meet new, more stringent collision safety standards, and the floor board was made of an exceptionally strong aluminum alloy used in aerospace called extra super duralumin. With available carbon-ceramic brake rotors and a top speed of , the Ferrari F430, whose base price was about $180,000, was perhaps the most desirable "entry-level" car in the world.
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