430S Experience at Mont Tremblant (long)

My 430 Scuderia Experience at the Ferrari Driving Experience:

I just returned from the opening 2008 session of the FDE at Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. All I can say is that it was one of the best times I’ve ever had. Ferrari really put on a first class event and I can’t thank everyone enough for a wonderful time. All of the other participants were super nice people, and the instructors were top notch drivers and really cool guys. Philip and Nick had quite the sense of humor and really kept us laughing while in class. Well, I just want to submit my experience and opinions of the Scuderia, mainly because I was so much more impressed with the car than I thought I would be. In a word or two…I was blown away!

Let me start by saying that I love my 430. To me it has it all: Great street manners and really fun and capable on the track. And I still love it!

THE TRACK:

We were told that we would be spoiled by driving on this track, and they were right. I haven’t driven on any of the famous tracks around the U.S. like Laguna, Road America, etc. This track was amazing. I’ve seen various in-car videos of the track, but that doesn’t even come close to what it is really like. The elevation change is incredible. The high-speed blind turn 2 over the crest is a pretty amazing experience. Several instructors told me it’s their favorite in North America, one even said world-wide. Michael Schumacher has come over to practice and play and compares it on a technical level to the Nurburgring.

We drove the more technical North Loop the first day and part of the second day, and the South Loop on the second day (higher speed, more sweeping turns) before combining into the full track on the second day afternoon. It was a total blast.

SCUDERIA:

At the outset I thought that the Scuderia would be just a lighter, stiffer, slightly more powerful iteration of the 430. It was much more than that. The vehicle dynamics were very different, in my amateur opinion. See below.

All laps were driven in Sport setting, so we couldn’t feel the full potential of the new E-diff. CST was definitely less intrusive than Sport mode on the 430.

EXTERIOR/INTERIOR:

The Scuderia is, of course, beautiful, but at the same time definitely looks purpose-built. It has a much more aggressive stance than the 430. It has the appearance of a predatory animal awaiting the kill. Side by side the 430 looked much more feminine. The view from behind is the most “racy”. The interior looks great. Carbon fiber everywhere. Very cool. The seats are very firm and the bolster support is excellent. They really hold you in place with lateral g’s. Very impressive.

SUSPENSION, POWER, AND FEEL:

The Scuderia had a much more hardwired steering feel. I felt much more connected to the car and road, and the feedback from the car was amplified. It was more responsive to driver input and felt much more planted than the 430. High speed stability was very impressive, and I thought the standard 430 was impressive. You could feel the increased downforce through Turn 6 and 7. Turn 2 is a relatively high speed blind cresting corner with a big drop-off and a couple of times I came through there and got a little timid and probably lifted off throttle slightly. The rear felt a little light cresting the hill, but when I applied LIGHT throttle the rear planted back down quickly and was very predictable. Very impressive.

Turn-in was quicker and the car seemed to rotate easier than the 430. No noticeable front-end dive under braking like on the 430, and little to no body roll. During our slalom exercises you could really see this on the cars when we were watching from inside the car behind.

The car felt very stable and predictable during weight transfer. The Scuderia has incredible acceleration and maintenance of mechanical grip when under throttle coming past the apex to track out, especially noticeable on the 180 degree Turn 8. Perhaps this is due to the E-Diff, albeit it’s supposed to be only 20% active in Sport mode, compared to something like 60% in Race. Coming down the back straight there was a chicane of cones to slow us down before Turn 10 and the Scuderia was awesome through there with only a quick right, left, right flick of the wheel and then hard on the power. This part was really fun in the Scuderia. The 430 felt softer and slightly less responsive through here, but also very impressive.

As far as the 20 hp increase over the 430, there’s not a significant difference in seat of the pants feel. There is some noticeably more low-end grunt coming out of corners though.

GEARBOX:

All I can say is WOW! Unbelievably fast. Super, duper fast. It’s almost inconceivable that a street car can shift this fast. It’s, for the most part, instantaneous. The shift is over before you’ve finished pulling the paddle. And it shifts hard, but it’s not jarring. It has a really solid feeling gear engagement. You can really feel the force in your lower back. The 60 ms gear change is timed from the time power to the wheels is off to back on, not just the time of the gears mechanically shifting. Clutch take up from a stop is noticeably quicker than in the 430. It just grabs faster and more strongly. The gearbox is probably my favorite part of the Scuderia.

BRAKES:

Of course, the CCB’s are brilliant, as on the 430. I didn’t notice a huge difference here, except visually. They are obviously bigger on the Scuderia. There may have been slightly increased braking force. No fade at all. For those interested in rotor life, I asked several instructors. They last at least a full season of the driving experience, and they are used very hard. They don’t know what happens between seasons because they get new cars every year. They didn’t know about pad life, but don’t remember them having to be changed either.

THE SOUND:

In essence, from the bowels of hell. Awesome to say the least. A sinister, proper race car sound. Similar in tone to the 430, but louder and more raucous and unveiled. Spine tingling loud pops occurred when short shifting under full or near full throttle, like the ones you sometimes hear in the 430, but much louder. Very cool. Hearing 2 Scuderias nose to tail accelerating down the front straight was a hair raising sound. Totally addictive. Me likey.

SUMMARY:

Well, if you couldn’t already tell I really really enjoyed driving this car. I think being able to put quite a few track laps on this car gave me a deep sense of what it is about. It’s about the track, pure and simple. The instructors say that Mont Tremblant is a special track because it was designed first and foremost for the drivers and cars, not for spectators. The Scuderia fits in perfectly in this setting. You really feel like you are in a dedicated track car, not necessarily a race car, but probably close. All of the instructors I talked to were extremely impressed with its track manners and couldn’t stop raving about it.

I don’t want to take away from the 430 at all. I really find no weaknesses with it. And it’s hard to compare the 2 because they are each purpose-built. The 430 is very capable and impressive on the track. I’ve tracked mine several times before this event, and I’m very happy with it, but do I want a Scuderia? Yes! It wouldn’t be as practical or comfortable on the street, but I could live with that. It’s just such an exhilarating rush of an experience. I felt like I was 12 years old again. All of the senses are elevated when driving it. It is a true track weapon that can be driven on the street. In essence, the Scuderia is a car that is too much fun to be legal.

 

Sorry, no pics yet. I haven't even finished unpacking yet. I'll post some soon, I promise. The cars are totally stock with no out of factory adjustments except for slightly HIGHER tire pressures than says on the stickers. Pirelli Corsas. Felt great.

 

Good to hear from you Carlos. I enjoyed your review as well. I am impressed that you had the energy to post your thoughts while still up there. Those were 2 tiring days. I didn't mean to write a more detailed piece. I was writing down my thoughts on the plane ride home and they just kept coming to me. I didn't think I'd want one as badly either.

Not sure if I can get one from my dealer either. I may just continue to enjoy immensely my 430 and wait a couple of years....no, I don't think I can wait that long! I'll let you know what they tell me.