15 years ago, the 430 Scud was as good as Ferrari berlinettas got; there's still a lot to love today
By Tony Middlehurst / Sunday, 8 October 2023 / Loading comments
Key considerations
- Available for £150,000 (LHD), or £175,000 (RHD)
- 4.3-litre V8 petrol, naturally aspirated, rear-wheel drive
- Fabulous blend of speed and agility
- Robustly built, too
- Cheaper than a 360CS or 458 Speciale
- Probably undervalued at the moment
How much is enough? For many, the answer to that question is two words and a number: Ferrari 430 Scuderia. Three years into the F430 production run Michael Schumacher unveiled it at the 2007 Frankfurt show as the successor to the brilliant and now legendary 360 Challenge Stradale. The elements that made the 430 Scuderia (no ‘F’) special weren’t so much what it had but what it didn’t have. What it did have was a naturally aspirated 4.3-litre V8, a flat-plane crank development of the engine first seen in Maserati’s 4200 GT, also now featuring the Enzo’s clever valve timing system.
What it didn’t have were turbochargers, all-wheel drive systems and by virtue of all that, excess lard. Like the standard F430, the 430 Scuderia had the E-Diff electronic differential but there were significant differences elsewhere between the two cars, most but not all of them to do with weight reduction. We’ll get into more detail on that stuff in the Engine & Gearbox and Body sections, but at this stage let’s just throw in that the wheels were lightweight alloy, the engine cover Lexan rather than glass, and the brakes carbon ceramics rather than steel. Altogether the Scuderia weighed 100kg less than the standard 430. It had more power to boot, with the result that each of its hp had just 2.5kg to shift instead of nearly 3kg.
A year after the coupe came out, the Spider 16M convertible version was released. 16 referred to the number of F1 constructor’s championships Ferrari had won. In Ferrari land ‘M’ usually means Modificata, so we’re going with that. If you know different please put your answer on a postcard and then throw it away once you’ve seen the price of stamps these days.
Although all but 10kg of the coupe’s 100kg slimdown was put back onto the Spider in the form of chassis stiffening and a compulsory carbon fibre roll hoop, it hardly affected performance, adding just a tenth of a second to the 0-62mph time and knocking only a couple of mph off the 199mph top end. That qualified it as Ferrari’s fastest ever drop-top. Even with the extra weight it was still 80kg lighter than the normal F430 Spider. There again it was also £55k more expensive than the non-Scud F430 convertible.
The 430 Scuderia was expensive generally. At £172,500 before extras it was the best part of £50k dearer than the regular 430. Fifteen years later (October 2023) £175,000 is still the sort of money you’ll need to stump up for a used one. That represents quite a recovery from the slump in prices in the early 2010s, but some might say that these cars are still undervalued. Five years ago prices of $300k were being confidently predicted by American YouTube experts. That’s not happened yet. Part of the reason for that could be the existence of the standard 430, and particularly the manual version whose evocative click-clackitiness has deflected some of the glory away from the Scuderia, which was only offered with the F1 automated manual (single-clutch) transmission.
Less specific factors affecting used Ferrari values are rarity, condition and desirability. We know that either 498 or 499 Spider 16Ms were made, but nobody’s quite sure about the number of Scuderia coupes. Estimates have ranged widely between 1,500 and 3,000. The truth is probably somewhere on the low side of halfway between those numbers. That means the Scuderia is not especially rare, unless you’re restricting your gaze to UK-registered cars where the combined coupe/Spider count has been estimated as not much over 50, an unfeasibly small-sounding number until you notice that left-hand drive Scuderias are quite a bit cheaper than RHD ones. There was an LHD car on PH Classifieds at the time of writing for under £150k. It’s tough to be precise about this. Some cars have been imported into the UK, some exported from here.
The condition of 430 Scuderias can be an issue because they’re very much seen as driver’s cars. As such, they get used, and the mileages of used examples, although low by everyday standards, are on the high side by Ferrari standards. Here’s where the desirability comes in. There is such a wealth of positivity surrounding the Scuderia, and such a widespread view among both owners and hard-nosed journalists who have sat behind the wheel that it is right up there near the top of the list of perfect drivers’ cars. A well-rated British car mag rated the Scuderia as one of the most exciting road cars they’d ever driven, and they were far from alone in lavishing it with such praise. That’s the kind of blarney that lifts a car’s status and – eventually – its prices.
SPECIFICATION | FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA (2008-10)
Engine: 4,308cc V8 32v naturally aspirated petrol
Transmission: 6-speed automated manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@8,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 347@5,250rpm
0-62mph (secs): 3.6
Top speed (mph): 199
Weight (kg): 1,350
MPG (official combined): 16.5
CO2 (g/km): 360
Wheels (in): 19
Tyres: 235/35 (f), 285/35 (r)
On sale: 2015 – 2023
Price new: £172,500
Price now: from £150,000
Note for reference: car weight and power data are hard to pin down with absolute certainty. For consistency, we use the same source for all our guides. We hope the data we use is right more often than it’s wrong. Our advice is to treat it as relative rather than definitive.
ENGINE & GEARBOX
Although it looked the same from the outside the Scuderia’s engine was quite different to the regular F430’s. It had higher compression pistons, improved internal oil flows and better crankcase breathing. Power was up from 490hp to 510hp courtesy of new hand-polished carbon intake components and new exhaust manifolds that did not incorporate the normal F430’s sometimes problematic pre-catalytic converters.
The Scuderia’s redline was set at over 8,600rpm, a gloriously stratospheric figure for a 4.3-litre V8 in 2023, let alone 2007. The torque peak of 347lb ft was only up by 4lb ft on the standard 430 and it didn’t look huge in comparison to the power curve, but when you factored in the weight of the car and the arrival of the torque peak at a relatively low 5,250rpm it was obvious that there was more than enough to do the job. 0-62mph came up in 3.7sec, 0-100 in 7.5sec, but more impressive than any of the numbers was the razor response of the engine and the heavenly din it produced with any sort of revs on.
Very little goes wrong on the engine. It’s a dry sumper so it’s important to check the oil level when the engine is hot, and coolant has been known to leak, but the cam timing was by chain, so no belt-changing (often a ruinously expensive process on previous Ferraris) was required. Chains had to be checked every 70,000km and if they needed changing you’d be looking at a bill approaching £5k.
On standard F430s there have been the occasional cracked exhaust manifolds sending random bits of weld into the drivetrain, which in the worst case could lunch the engine, but we could find no signs of this having been an issue with the Scuderia which (as noted above) had new manifolds.
By the time the 430 Scuderia came out the non-DCT F1 SuperFast2 automated manual transmission had been honed to a high degree of excellence, delivering changes at the same speed as Schumacher’s F1 car of only a couple of years earlier (60 milliseconds against 150 in the standard F430), and doing so with less wear to the clutch. That made the non-availability of a true manual option more tolerable. The bottom two ratios were left as they were but the top four were all shortened slightly to help with the acceleration, which was considerable.
Again the transmission was robust but you do need to see paperwork confirming regular fluid changes. It’s also important to be aware that hydraulic actuators can leak and gearbox mounts can fracture. The clue about leaky actuators will be found in damp undertrays. If the car needs a new one you’re looking at £5k-plus. You can check the clutch wear of a car you’re interested in by interrogating the transmission control unit. They should last for at least 20,000 miles, or more in sympathetic use. A replacement clutch will cost you getting on for £3k. Add a couple of grand to that if the mechanic tells you it also needs a new bearing and flywheel. If the E-diff doesn’t seem to be working properly it might be something as simple as faulty solenoids. Services should be carried out every 6,250 miles or every year, whichever comes first. In Ferraris, the year almost always comes first.
CHASSIS
The 430 Scuderia weight-saving programme was thorough and comprehensive. Few areas were left untouched. The springs and wheel bolts were made of titanium. The anti-roll bars were hollow and the steering rack was lightened.
The ride height was 15mm lower than the F430’s, but any misgivings you might have had about the ride quality were dispelled by the wonders of Skyhook adaptive damping and Ferrari’s ‘magic carpet’ button on the centre console. This gave you the cushiest spring rates irrespective of what you had dialled up on the manettino switch, a nifty thing that had made its debut on the F430 in 2004. On the Scuderia it had five settings. The previous ‘wet’ icon was binned in favour of an ‘icy’ one which was probably your best mode in rainy old Britain. Besides that you had Sport, which could have been the default in warmer/drier countries, Race, CT Off (which disabled traction control while leaving the stability control active) and the madman’s choice of CST Off, which turned off every driver aid.
Thanks to its peerless chassis, plus the beneficial effects of the power-sharing E-Diff (reworked to incorporate the 599 GTB’s F1-trac traction system) and the presence of Michael Schumacher in the F430’s development team, the 430 Scuderia was a dream to drive hard. Cornering force was more or less whatever your body could tolerate, plus quite a bit more on top of that if only your brain would have allowed you to step out of your comfort zone in an attempt to access it. Roll was a thing of the past unless you had the magic carpet bumpy roads button pressed, and even then it was negligible.
The steering wasn’t hyper-quick but that was more than compensated for by the beautifully natural feel at the wheel. Any play in that wheel suggested worn tie-rod ends. These, along with wheel bearings, suspension bushes and balljoints came in for a beating on properly used Scuderias. New wheel bearings are getting on for £1,000 each fitted.
At a whisker under 400mm in diameter, the Scuderia’s standard carbon ceramic brakes were as big as the LaFerrari’s. Again, you (or a Ferrari technician anyway) can establish the level of wear on the discs. They weren’t thick, and the difference between OK and not OK was literally a matter of millimetres, but a millimetre went a long way when the wear rate was so slow. Caliper pistons have been known to seize on cars that haven’t been used much.
The overall Scuderia chassis package took the already wonderfully focused, sharp-edged 430 to a new level of deliciousness. It was not only two seconds a lap quicker around Ferrari’s Fiorano test track than the regular F430, it could also whip an Enzo around there. Even the heavier Spider 16M was half a second quicker than an F430 coupe. For public roads it was hard to think of anything to beat a Scud, not just on quantifiable A-B times but also in terms of the more mystical ‘racecar for the road’ experience it generously put your way.
BODYWORK
The Scuderia’s revamped aero kit generated around 10 per cent more downforce than a normal 430. That was down to its slightly larger boot spoiler and its completely new front and rear bumper assemblies. The front bumper had mini-splitters in the vents ahead of the front wheels, and the rear one was again very different to the standard 430’s, accommodating twin exhaust tailpipes more centrally placed in a new Scuderia mesh panel instead of the F430’s four-pipe arrangement.
These new front and rear extremities, along with the much more pronounced side skirts, were manufactured from a mysterious substance called RTM, a lightweight composite that wasn’t carbon fibre. Of course you could have CF there if you wanted it and didn’t give a fig about the cost uplift. Ferrari did standardise carbon for the door mirrors and for the engine bay panels.
Most of the 430’s body was aluminium so if there’s any corrosion anywhere you’ll want to look into possible accident damage that’s broken the paint and allowed the elements to attack the metal. Technically at least NART striping was optional but you’ll do well to find a used one without it. Backlights could get detached and were not cheap to replace, unless you’re comparing them to fogged-up headlights which were horribly expensive to replace.
INTERIOR
Again it was abundantly clear from the cabin that the Scuderia was built for speed not comfort. Put next to it, the standard F430 seemed positively limo-like. Having said that, there were surprisingly few compromises in comfort. Although there were no carpets covering the aluminium floorpan Ferrari reckoned the Scuderia coupe’s cabin was no noisier in normal use than the regular F430’s, despite its rortier exhaust system with additional intake resonators. The Spider was a different matter. With the top down that was just plain loud. Unlike some other, more loungey open Ferraris, the 16M made no more concessions to your ears than it did to your sense of what was possible in a convertible, and it was all the better for it.
The Scuderia’s carbon fibre seats were exceptionally supportive. They could be ordered in a range of sizes and materials. Most buyers specced a mix of Alcantara and tech fabrics. Leather was rare. The backrests folded to give you access to the luggage space.
Air conditioning was standard but the distinctly average audio setup wasn’t. Four-point racing harnesses and a wrapped rollover hoop appeared on the unusually brief (for Ferrari) options list. So did the carbon fibre steering wheel with shifter lights. The rubbery finish on some of the interior bits could rub off over time and the instrument glasses could haze up like an old non-waterproof watch.
PH VERDICT
The 430 Scuderia is a marvellous thing. Its engine has been described as an Enzo unit with four fewer cylinders. Not only does it make a great noise (especially for a flat-planer), it’s also durable. So is the gearbox, which you shouldn’t dismiss on speed grounds just because it’s not a twin-clutcher. It’s more than fast enough. The chassis is peachy. The whole thing is basically a masterpiece.
And we reckon they’re cheap at £175k for right-hand drive examples. If you set aside the 360 Challenge Stradale (try and find one of them for under £200k) and the 458 Speciale, the last of the naturally aspirated Ferrari V8s (not available for under £325k) the 430 Scuderia’s biggest rival is arguably the non-Scuderia F430. You can pick up higher mileage examples of those for under £70k, and that’s Spiders as well as coupes. That’s less than half what you’ll need for a Scuderia. At these prices they will be autos though. Proper clickety-clack manual F430s are closer to the Scud in terms of driving pleasure, but they’re also a fair bit closer to them on price on account of their rarity. Only one in ten F430s were true manuals. The cheapest stick-shift F430 we found on sale in the UK in October 2023 was a 29,000-mile Spider at £95k.
Is a Scuderia twice as good as an F430? That’s your call, but if we’re talking about unique experiences, well, that’s what the Scuderia represents. If you’ve got the readies for a 430 it would be odd, not to say perverse, not to go for the best one you can find, and for many that would be a 430 Scuderia every time.
Against the prices we’ve just talked about for the CS and Speciale, the £175k UK entry price for a 430 Scuderia looks not so much daunting as interesting. The Scud might be 100hp down on the 458 Speciale but we promise you it won’t be 100 funs down on the driving experience. Here’s one at the aforementioned entry price of £175k, or £5 less than it in fact, a no-nonsense black on black specimen that’s wearing its 19,000 miles well.
If you’re a bit of a skinflint you can save three grand by buying this 28,000-miler. If you’re not and want lower numbers on your dash, £196k buys you this 15,000-mile Giallo Modena coupe. But you might consider this 2010-registered 8,000-miler to be better value at a fiver under £200k.
Wondering where the Scuderia Spiders are? Hiding behind some very expensive skirting boards. This 3,000 mile car is listed at nearly £390k, gumph. Fortunately there’s also this 7,000-mile one at a bargainaceous £360k, yaargh. In November 2022 an ’09 Scuderia Spider sold at auction for £303k. Four years ago (2019) sub-10,000 mile Spiders were £280k. If you’re happy driving on the ‘wrong’ side of the car with a sheet of metal over your head then there are some good savings to be made. Here’s that left-hander we mentioned towards the beginning of this piece, an ’08 with 18,000 miles for under £150k.
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