In this post we are talking about Ferrari F430 Spider 2005

Ferrari F430 Spider 2005

Ferrari’s range of V8-engined sports cars will be joined by the new F430 Spider when it is unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show (3-13 March 2005). Ferrari’s new drop-top includes a number of important technical features which give hints of the car’s F1 pedigree, starting with the innovative electronic differential (E-diff) – first developed by the racing division for the Scuderia’s all-conquering F1 cars – which improves traction and roadholding under all conditions. The Spider also features the steering wheel-mounted rotary switch, known to the Scuderia’s drivers as the ‘manettino’, which allows the car’s set-up to be adjusted easily and quickly. Formula 1 is again the inspiration for the development of the company’s road cars. Designed by Pininfarina, the F430 Spider’s sinuous lines, in fact, were fine-tuned using state-of-the-art computer aerodynamics simulation programmes usually employed exclusively by the F1 team. Read more: Ferrari F430 Spider 2005

In this post we are talking about Ferrari 575M Superamerica 2005

Ferrari 575M Superamerica 2005

Ferrari 575M Superamerica combines Ferrari 12-cylinder berlinetta performance with a highly original, innovative take on the convertible concept. The Ferrari 575M Superamerica is the first production car to adopt an innovative rotating roof movement in combination with electrochromic technology developed exclusively for glass surfaces of these dimensions, with Saint Gobain. The Fioravanti-patented rotating roof concept allows the Ferrari 575M Superamerica driver to electrically drop the top in 10 seconds flat, making it the world’s fastest convertible berlinetta (320 km/h top speed). Derived from the Ferrari 575M Maranello, the Superamerica is available with either an F1-style or manual gearbox. Its big 12-cylinder engine has been boosted to deliver 540 hp too. The new car can also be fitted with the GTC Handling package which offers Ferrari’s very latest high-tech features including carbon ceramic brakes. The Ferrari 575M Superamerica’s unusual electric roof has been dubbed Revocromico to highlight the unique combination of its rearward rotation movement and electrochromic technology. It has a carbon-fibre structure and the boot capacity remains unchanged whether the roof is open or closed too. The glass rear window also acts as a highly effective wind deflector when the roof is open. Read more: Ferrari 575M Superamerica 2005

Monte Carlo - You don’t argue with the classics. In the case of Ferraris, the front-engine V-12 cars have a purity of form and an aristocratic bloodline that puts a bedrock foundation of substance beneath their undeniable style. After a long absence from the lineup, the 550 Maranello reintroduced that classic Ferrari layout and, as it happened, ushered in a new golden age for the storied Italian marque. Now the old man in the Ferrari stable, the 575–ne 550–Maranello for its final model year has spun off a special variant, the Superamerica. Aside from resurrecting a name from a previous Ferrari glory era, the Superamerica is most notable for its one-of-a-kind rotating glass roof.

What at first might seem to be the gimmicky gilding of an aged lily turns out to be just the right flourish for a car that has aged like a good malt whisky. The point may be infinitely arguable, but we’d assert that the 575 Maranello is the most enjoyable current Ferrari, more relaxed than the F430 yet more svelte than the 612 Scaglietti. The Superamerica’s flashy top, as well as its other, lesser modifications, makes it even more of a pleasure-mobile than the standard 575.

We drove the Superamerica in Monaco, which, like most locales in which Ferraris gather in number, is a place where seeing and being seen are major pastimes. In the Superamerica, the fun starts after just seven seconds, which is the time it takes the electrochromatic, laminated-glass roof to fling itself back onto the deck lid (after a quick yank of the parking brake and a release of the handle on the windshield header). Not only is the fancy flip top fast-acting, but its integrated rear window, which pivots around but remains in place, acts as a wind blocker, protecting your artfully mussed hair from the ignominy of natural mussing. Because the open top lies on top of the carbon-fiber deck lid (without interfering with its operation), trunk space is undiminished. When the top is up and it’s shade rather than sun that you seek, a dial on the console turns the glass from pale green to dark blue, thereby blocking 99.5 percent of the heat and much of the light. The car also does this automatically when shut off, to keep the interior from baking. Read more: Ferrari 575M Superamerica 2005