We at Heasmans have dealt with our fair share of exotic vehicles over the years but one that recently graced our workshop was this stunning Ferrari 430 Scuderia. It’s already a treat when a Ferrari rolls in, let alone one of very few 430 Scuderias in Australia.
Targeted at a highly performance conscious market, the Scud was engineered to compete against the likes of the Porsche RS models and the Lamborgini Gallardo Superleggera. F1 legend Michael Schumacher was a key tester of the 430 Scuderia, putting his own touch to the finished product. Light, powerful, comfortable and ergonomic were the key elements in putting the car together.
Improvements over the already amazing 430 base model include an improved semi-auto transmission to allow gear shifts at around the mind-bending 60 millisecond mark. Along with 100kg weight reduction (read: more carbon!), the muscle of the 4.3L V8 was upped to 375kW from 366kW thanks to a higher compression ratio. For the numberphiles, this means an acceleration from a stand-still to 100km/h at the 3.6sec mark and a top speed of 325km/h!
Distinguished by most by the Scuderia badging and those tell-tale stripes, there are small details that will help you really tell it apart from a standard 430. For one, those 19-inch wheels are made from magnesium and the brakes are carbon-ceramic. Carbon fibre lines the bay and airboxes and the engine cover is made from Plexiglass. Spaceship stuff!
The owner of this particular rocket came in for us to assist him with a very particular task. Not for the usual wheel and lowering package many exotic owners come to us for, but for us to actually raise the car! The owner was having difficulties getting in and out of his driveway. As always, the task was not a tall ask of our mechanics and technicians and the owner was soon back on his way to enjoy his very quick red toy.
We’re actually very impressed with the dedication the owner has had to make it easier for himself to drive the car more often. So eager to drive his car in fact, that after we posted a photo of this car to Facebook, he stated that if the photo got to 300 likes he would take a random commenter on a cruise around Sydney in this very special machine! Of course, the likes were naturally reached very quickly as many clamoured for the opportunity to get up close and personal to the Scud.
Take a good look if you see this on the streets of Sydney, because you may blink and miss it!
