Ferrari. The very mention of it sets the hearts of adolescent school boys and adult men aflutter. In the automotive world, there is no other marque that stirs the emotions like one of Enzo Ferrari's stallions.
This conduit of emotions stems from the fact that every Ferrari that rolls out of the factory in Modena leaves with the spirit of the Italian craftsman that built it.
When Enzo Ferrari started building these eclectic machines for the road, he did it with only one purpose. To generate enough funds for him to do what he loved most, racing. But rather than churning out random pieces of automotive parts, he devoted the same attention he did to his racing machines into each and every road going Ferrari.
This also meant that he inadvertently transferred much of the racing pedigree (both good and bad) from his racers down to his road going Ferraris to create some of the most exciting automobiles the world has ever seen.
The Italians might seem like a bunch who talk much too loud and dress with just about the same volume. But when it comes to design and engineering, they have few peers.
This conduit of emotions stems from the fact that every Ferrari that rolls out of the factory in Modena leaves with the spirit of the Italian craftsman that built it.
When Enzo Ferrari started building these eclectic machines for the road, he did it with only one purpose. To generate enough funds for him to do what he loved most, racing. But rather than churning out random pieces of automotive parts, he devoted the same attention he did to his racing machines into each and every road going Ferrari.
This also meant that he inadvertently transferred much of the racing pedigree (both good and bad) from his racers down to his road going Ferraris to create some of the most exciting automobiles the world has ever seen.
The Italians might seem like a bunch who talk much too loud and dress with just about the same volume. But when it comes to design and engineering, they have few peers.
 |
When you really look into it, every Ferrari is deserving of that hefty price tag when you consider the amount of coach work that brought it from a bare chassis into the powerful snorting Italian stallion that leaves the factory.
Your money's worth...
The F430 starts out as an aluminium space frame chassis that is devoid of any body panels. After a chemical bath against corrosion, the body panels are fitted before the whole car is sent for paint.
The body panels are negatively charged while the fine mist of paint from the computer controlled robotic arms are positively charged. This gives the body panels an extremely even spread of paint. After this the body is sent for a four hour baking process to cure the paint.
 |
After the paint cures, the body is sent to a brightly lit room for inspection by painters who visually inspect the quality of the paint job. Flaws are marked out and rectified individually. If there're too many imperfections, the entire body is sent to repeat the process again.
While the earlier stages of the production process doesn't see much individual coach work, it is the engine building process that Ferrari's technicians demonstrate their mastery of hand assembling some of the most notable engines. You could call it perfection within imperfection.
Enzo Ferrari always believed that the engine carries the heart and soul of any car. A gorgeous Pininfarina body is not enough to save a car from a bad engine while a less visually attractive body can be uplifted with a well built heart.
The marketing department at Mercedes-Benz might have you believe that every AMG engine is lovingly assembled by dear Ralf at his work station. But the Italian in Ferrari's engine department literally builds the engine from start to finish.
The craftsman first creates the recyclable sand mould he will use to cast the engine block. If after casting he realises the block isn't cast to exacting standards, he will knock down the mould and start again until it is perfect.
After the casting of the block is done, the craftsman goes on to machine what is perhaps the most critical component, the camshaft. Getting the dimensions and contours perfect on this innocuous piece of metal is of utmost importance as the entire performance of the engine hinges on it. The twin camshafts in the F430 will dictate the timing of the firing sequence as well as the stroke of the piston in each cylinder bank.
While the earlier stages of the production process doesn't see much individual coach work, it is the engine building process that Ferrari's technicians demonstrate their mastery of hand assembling some of the most notable engines. You could call it perfection within imperfection.
Enzo Ferrari always believed that the engine carries the heart and soul of any car. A gorgeous Pininfarina body is not enough to save a car from a bad engine while a less visually attractive body can be uplifted with a well built heart.
The marketing department at Mercedes-Benz might have you believe that every AMG engine is lovingly assembled by dear Ralf at his work station. But the Italian in Ferrari's engine department literally builds the engine from start to finish.
The craftsman first creates the recyclable sand mould he will use to cast the engine block. If after casting he realises the block isn't cast to exacting standards, he will knock down the mould and start again until it is perfect.
After the casting of the block is done, the craftsman goes on to machine what is perhaps the most critical component, the camshaft. Getting the dimensions and contours perfect on this innocuous piece of metal is of utmost importance as the entire performance of the engine hinges on it. The twin camshafts in the F430 will dictate the timing of the firing sequence as well as the stroke of the piston in each cylinder bank.
Once the camshaft is finished, the engine builder moves on to inspect the machined valves to again confirm them to exacting standards. Using his skills as a master craftsman, he will machine the valves individually to the required measurements if necessary.
Several weeks later, the orchestra of parts that make up a F430 arrives at the Fiorano test track where the car is taken around by the factory's test driver to ensure the car performs as it should.
From start to finish, the Ferrari has been built with extremely high standards and advanced processes coupled with the skilled hands of some of Italy's best craftsmen and women. The end result is one of the best automotive works of art to ever leave the factory floor.
The Drive
My affluent motoring friends have often related how they never forget the first time they're given the keys to a Ferrari. Sitting in the driver's seat, I had time to fully take in this moment where I'm given the keys to a rather pricey piece of automotive machinery. Patrick, the rather humble, generous and very brave owner of the Rosso Corsa F430 edged me to turn the 4.3-litre V8 over.
I gingerly stuck the key in the ignition and with the trepidation of an adolescent boy on his first sexual adventure, I turned the key. And in an instant, all eight cylinders bursts into life with a bark of fury before it settles into a smooth idle that sounded as if God were catching forty winks in the next room.
Several weeks later, the orchestra of parts that make up a F430 arrives at the Fiorano test track where the car is taken around by the factory's test driver to ensure the car performs as it should.
From start to finish, the Ferrari has been built with extremely high standards and advanced processes coupled with the skilled hands of some of Italy's best craftsmen and women. The end result is one of the best automotive works of art to ever leave the factory floor.
The Drive
My affluent motoring friends have often related how they never forget the first time they're given the keys to a Ferrari. Sitting in the driver's seat, I had time to fully take in this moment where I'm given the keys to a rather pricey piece of automotive machinery. Patrick, the rather humble, generous and very brave owner of the Rosso Corsa F430 edged me to turn the 4.3-litre V8 over.
I gingerly stuck the key in the ignition and with the trepidation of an adolescent boy on his first sexual adventure, I turned the key. And in an instant, all eight cylinders bursts into life with a bark of fury before it settles into a smooth idle that sounded as if God were catching forty winks in the next room.
 |
The cabin reverberates with all the caged fury of 483 ponies inches from the back of my head as I tried to listen intently to Patrick's instructions before we moved out of the parking lot. I pulled back on the right paddle and the beast jerked into motion. At this point I could feel my brain flush with dopamine as my heart rate did its best to match the revs of the V8.
As we pulled out on to the main road, I gave the snorting stallion a tentative and feather light stab on the throttle and it leapt forward with all the surety and fury of a thoroughbred. Despite the needle on the speedometer hovering just about 60kmh, the aural drama within the cabin fools your brain into thinking you're going at probably twice the indicated speed. Step a little harder and the bassy growl evolves into a melodious high pitched scream of a banshee as your revs approach 8500rpm.
For a Ferrari virgin, this first time behind the wheel is both scary and immensely intoxicating as fear piggybacks on your human curiosity into pushing the performance envelope of this great machine.
After perhaps what felt like an eternity behind the wheel (it was actually barely 10 minutes), I started to get attuned to the thoroughbred's temperaments and felt comfortable enough to launch it from the lights to give truth to its 0 to 100kmh time of four seconds. This of course was done with Patrick's gleeful permission.
As we pulled out on to the main road, I gave the snorting stallion a tentative and feather light stab on the throttle and it leapt forward with all the surety and fury of a thoroughbred. Despite the needle on the speedometer hovering just about 60kmh, the aural drama within the cabin fools your brain into thinking you're going at probably twice the indicated speed. Step a little harder and the bassy growl evolves into a melodious high pitched scream of a banshee as your revs approach 8500rpm.
For a Ferrari virgin, this first time behind the wheel is both scary and immensely intoxicating as fear piggybacks on your human curiosity into pushing the performance envelope of this great machine.
After perhaps what felt like an eternity behind the wheel (it was actually barely 10 minutes), I started to get attuned to the thoroughbred's temperaments and felt comfortable enough to launch it from the lights to give truth to its 0 to 100kmh time of four seconds. This of course was done with Patrick's gleeful permission.
As I tried to avert my eyes from the curious stares of pedestrians crossing the lights outside Vivo City, Patrick went about setting the car up in launch mode. With 3 seconds left to green lights, I set the revs to 4000rpm with my foot on the brake.
The moment the lights flicked to green, my foot came off the brake pedal and everything outside became a fluid stream as the Ferrari came screaming outta the lights like a rat on fire.
My body already weak with adrenaline was pushed back further into the seat with so much force that I hardly took a breath in those few seconds. The last time I felt so violated was in a Caparo T1 (effectively a road legal F1 car) piloted by F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen when we took bends at nearly 2.5Gs!
After just 30 minutes of driving, I was all but spent when we got to our destination and I climbed out of the driver's seat weak from the physical abuse.
Nevertheless those 30 minutes will always be cherished as the day I got my Ferrari cherry popped…
Editor's note: I would like to thank Patrick for bravely indulging in my ridiculous request to borrow his much cherished F430 for this article and for providing a beautiful capture of the sonorous V8.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
The moment the lights flicked to green, my foot came off the brake pedal and everything outside became a fluid stream as the Ferrari came screaming outta the lights like a rat on fire.
My body already weak with adrenaline was pushed back further into the seat with so much force that I hardly took a breath in those few seconds. The last time I felt so violated was in a Caparo T1 (effectively a road legal F1 car) piloted by F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen when we took bends at nearly 2.5Gs!
After just 30 minutes of driving, I was all but spent when we got to our destination and I climbed out of the driver's seat weak from the physical abuse.
Nevertheless those 30 minutes will always be cherished as the day I got my Ferrari cherry popped…
Editor's note: I would like to thank Patrick for bravely indulging in my ridiculous request to borrow his much cherished F430 for this article and for providing a beautiful capture of the sonorous V8.
What do you think? Jot down your opinions at the comment box below.
