Nowadays, Ferrari doesn’t offer cars fitted with manual gearboxes, as in the past few years the vast majority of its customers opted for the automated or dual-clutch versions. Not that long ago, though, they did, with the chrome gate and stick shift being one of its staples, and this feature now makes those vehicles sell for a hefty premium in the used car market.
The F430 is one of the exotics made in Maranello that was available with a six-speed manual transmission, alongside the electrohydraulic semi-auto.
Even by today’s standards, the F430 is very fast: naught to 60mph (96km/h) comes up in just 3.7 seconds, and top speed stands at in excess of 196mph (315km/h), courtesy of the 443 HP output of its 4.3-liter naturally aspirated V8.
So this supercar has all the right things to make an enthusiast yearn for it: a mid-mounted N/A V8, rear wheel drive and a manual gearbox. It has also aged quite well in the 8 years since Ferrari dropped it from their lineup and replaced it with the 458 Italia, but how does the world look like from the cockpit of such a wonderful machine?
YouTuber Marchettino had the chance to take one out for a spin, in the rain, and even if it wasn’t pushed to the limit on a twisty road, it still proves why these models appreciate with each passing day.
Oh, and don’t worry about the Italian spoken in this review, as it does have English subtitles, so sit back and relax while checking out the 13-minute video below.