2009 Ferrari F430

• Overall
• Prices
• Performance
• Exterior
• Interior
• Safety
• Reliability

Exterior - What the Auto Press Says

Reviews rave that the Pininfarina-designed F430 is a knock-out. In addition to coupe and Spider (convertible) body styles, the F430 is also available in a high-performance Scuderia trim -- which distinguishes itself with unique sculpting. What's more, the '09 F430 Spider features a fast-operating electric soft top and body-matching tonneau cover.

• "Largely hand-built in Italy like other Ferraris, the F430 features an aerodynamic shape that incorporates contemporary competition technologies -- specifically, a flat underbody and a large rear diffuser, which increases downforce."-- Cars.com
• "[W]e did enjoy the fully automatic power top that folds completely out of sight in about 20 seconds. That's good, because if a $20,000 Miata drives up you'll want to stow that plastic rear window ASAP, before the driver points out how he could have bought 10 Miatas, each with a glass rear window, for what you paid for your 'premium' sports car. But Ferrari claims the plastic window is 'the ideal solution, as it doesn't affect the weight distribution or the handling.'" -- Edmunds
• "[T]he Ferrari F430's engine is a masterpiece, even just to look at -- the 90-degree V-8 sits in plain view under a clear engine cover for all the world to see, its red crackle-finish intake plenums and cam covers screaming, 'I'm a Ferrari, so you'd better take notice!'" -- Road and Track
• "Ferrari-spotters will immediately recognize this model [the 430 Scuderia] by its revised bodywork, but few of the performance changes are visible to the naked eye. If you peer down through the new Lexan engine cover, you'll see that the intake-plenum chambers and air-filter housings are rendered in carbon fiber, part of a diet that cuts 220 pounds from the F430's bulk and drops curb weight to 2975 pounds." -- Automobile Magazine
• "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.  ... 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." -- AutoGuide.com