Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it gave the Ferrari F430 a second life

There are cars that sometimes only get the appreciation they deserve years later, with hindsight, that’s probably the case with the Ferrari F430.

The F430, perhaps along with the 360 Modena and 458 Italia, was a bit of a transitional car.

In a way, it created a thread that connects analog Ferraris with modern-day ones.

This one, in mint condition, is currently available from SBX Cars.

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Interestingly, the F430 also belongs to an era where cars were actually driven.

This being a supercar, you wouldn’t drive every day and for every journey, but cars like the F430 did see some tarmac from time to time.

These days that doesn’t really happen anymore.

How the Ferrari F430 came to be

Some people would probably put the 360 Modena and the F430 (and possibly the 458) in the same conversation.

The 360 Modena replaced the 355, and it was a huge step forward for the brand

The F430, by contrast, didn’t revolutionize anything, it simply improved on the 360 Modena.

Just like the 360, the engine is longitudinally mounted, located in the mid-rear section of the car, right in front of the rear axle, but behind the seats.

Ferrari did this because they believed this was the best place to put the engine to maximize weight distribution.

It’s a 4.3-liter V8, obviously with no electric aid, producing 490 horsepower.

Power is sent to the rear wheels via an F1 six-speed automated manual, and 0-60 mph is dealt with in just 3.9 seconds.

The top speed is 193 mph – or 311 km/h.

A driver’s car that’s actually been driven

Like most Ferrari F430 available in the market, the car you see here, an F430 F1 Spider, is in mint condition.

But it isn’t one of those cars that was bought and parked in a garage and forgotten about.

It’s done 12,113 miles (19,490+ km) from new, which means the owner actually enjoyed it.

The way it should be.

The go-to color option for a Ferrari F430

Let’s start by debunking a rumor – it is not true that first-time Ferrari buyers must pick a red car.

Ferrari allows customers to pick any color they want for their first Ferrari, as long as it’s a factory color option or a Ferrari-approved color option.

Obviously, a lot of people go for Rosso Corsa, Ferrari’s iconic red hue, or yellow, but the car you see here comes with one of the best colorways available.

It’s finished in Grigio Silverstone over a Rosso leather interior with contrasting black stitching, and it looks great.

Ferrari F430 availability

The car you see here is currently available from SBX Cars, located in Bridgeport, CT, and the auction ends on July 3rd