2009 Ferrari 430 Scuderia

To increase performance of the regular F430, Ferrari started by adding lightness-about 220 lbs. of lightness.
'Minimalist' would be the word to describe the cockpit of the Ferrari. Minimalist to the point of there being no carpets and the lightest possible door trims. But the real weight savings are far more technical. Hollow anti-roll bars, titanium springs and wheel nuts, lighter shock-absorbers, and a lighter steering box. Carbon fiber is widely used here and there, along with lightweight materials for various parts of the external trim. In pursuit of lightness, Ferrari has not gone as far as eliminating the radio or satellite navigation.
With the horsepower-per-liter output raised, you'll discover that the 4.3-liter Scuderia develops 510 horsepower and this car is just weighing 2,827 pounds.
At the same time, a higher compression ratio delivers an increase in torque, and a greater flexibility. Some 80% of the rated peak torque of 470 Nm (Newton meters) occurs from just 3,000 rpm, which makes the Ferrari much more easier to control than you might imagine of a car designed primarily for track use. As a result, the Ferrari will burble along in heavy traffic, without the engine getting lumpy or sounding over-riched.
To some extent, the engine owes its smoothness to Formula 1 technology, and provides yet another example of how Ferrari's racing experience has been allowed to trickle down to its production cars. As with the company's F1 engines, each cylinder of the 430 Scuderia has its own ignition coil. In addition, some clever new software detects the ionization current within each cylinder during combustion. Ionization current is a sort of chemical soup from which suitable sensors can extract specific information about the efficiency of the burn. The Ferrari system uses these measurements to fine-tune the advance feed in order to get the biggest bang from the leanest burn. In effect, the engine is constantly being tuned as you drive along.
You can reach the legal limit from a standstill in about four seconds, but the greatest pleasure is gotten from the stab 'n' go mid-range punch. Under heavy acceleration, the thrust is interrupted by mere milliseconds as the paddle-controlled F1 box changes gear in an instant. New 'parallelization' technology means that as gear changes occur, a number of things happen almost simultaneously; torque is reduced, the clutch is disengaged, cogs are swapped, the clutch is released, and torque re-applied. All those things happen in about 60 milliseconds. There is a very good reason why Ferrari calls its new transmission F1-Superfast2.
Integrated with the gearshift is something called E-Diff. On a twisting road or circuit, the engine torque migrates from one side of the driven axle to the other as the throttle opening, steering angle, suspension loadings, and relative wheel speeds change according to the car's motion and velocity (as distinct from speed). In short, the wheel with the most grip gets the most torque. But, unlike most systems, which wait for a wheel to lose grip before reacting, the E-Diff uses an array of sensors to anticipate the onset of traction loss to prevent it happening in the first place.
E-Diff works in conjunction with the car's standard traction and stability controls to enable, in Ferrari's words, "...a less expert driver to take the vehicle to its limits." But for those who think they've got what it takes, there is the racing manettino.
There is then Michael Schumacher, 7-time F1 World Champion, who enters the story. It was he, in conjunction with Ferrari engineers, who helped develop the racing manettino used on the 430 Scuderia. Taking the form of a small rotary switch located near the steering wheel boss, the manettino enables a driver to switch between a number of traction settings: Wet or low-grip, Sport, and Race. In turn, each provides slightly more aggressive engine mapping and a quicker gear-change.
And for experienced drivers there are two more settings. The first switches off just the traction control, and the second, both traction and stability control. From that point, you're on your own, with only the E-Diff for company.
In the setting 'Race', it brings into play another button that enables a softer setting for the telescopic dampers. Using that combination, you get the best of both worlds: optimum performance and a reasonable ride.
The 430 Scuderia is as meticulously engineered as a spacecraft, and as finely tuned as a Formula One car. And thanks to Mr. Schumacher, you can drive it like an expert.

Source: http://www.newcarnet.co.uk