{"id":7471,"date":"2008-11-10T10:59:33","date_gmt":"2008-11-10T10:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=7471"},"modified":"2024-11-06T03:34:48","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T03:34:48","slug":"ferrari-scuderia-spider","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/ferrari-scuderia-spider\/","title":{"rendered":"2009 – 2010 Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ferrari F430 Spider 16M<\/h2>\n

Year(s):<\/strong> 2009-2010 \/ Engine:<\/strong>\u00a04.3L V8 \/\u00a0Power:<\/strong>\u00a0503 bhp @ 8,500 rpm \/\u00a0Torque:<\/strong>\u00a0347 lb\/ft @ 5,250 rpm \/\u00a0Power to Weight:<\/strong>\u00a0378 bhp\/ton \/\u00a00-60 mph:<\/strong>\u00a03.6 seconds \/\u00a0Top Speed:<\/strong>\u00a0198 mph \/\u00a0Units Built:<\/strong>\u00a0499 \/\u00a0Verdict:<\/strong>\u00a0A genuine hardcore soft-top Ferrari<\/p>\n

This was the last Ferrari F430.<\/strong>\u00a0The limited edition (only 499 we built) Scuderia Spider 16M was built to celebrate Ferrari\u2019s 16 Formula One constructors\u2019 championships and it is based on the Ferrari Scuderia coupe<\/a>.\u00a0The basics are the same as the Scuderia with the 16M getting the higher compression 4.3 liter V8 that is good for an extra 20bhp and 4 lb\/ft torque over the base Spider. Bodykit, aero, suspension, interior and electronics are all fettled like the Scuderia coupe too.\u00a0The 16M weighs in around 3300 pounds, about 200 fewer pounds than an F430 Spider<\/a>, or just over 200 more pounds than a 430 Scuderia.<\/p>\n

Did the changes make a difference? You bet. Ferrari clocked the Scuderia Spider 16M around Fiorano test circuit and said it was faster than any open-top road car it has ever built. It isn\u2019t just track performance though, because the best part about the 16M is the way it combines hardcore performance with daily driver usability. This is an open top car remember so it is a good thing that the suspension is adjustable and in its softest settings is actually quite good at massaging away the hardcore nature of the rest of the package.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the best part of the 16M is that it\u00a0intensifies the Scuderia experience<\/strong>. With the top down the noise is just absurdly good. That flat plank V8 Ferrari engine, all 503hp revving to 8,500 rpm is the best thing you have ever heard, the closest thing to an F1 engine you will ever experience. Today\u2019s turbocharged Ferraris don\u2019t come close to the same intoxicating excitement. It is an astonishing car.<\/p>\n

At the Ferrari Finale in Mugello, a drop-top version<\/a> of the F430 Scuderia became the weekend’s surprise. Called 16M, it now celebrates Ferrari’s continued success as a manufacturer in F1.<\/p>\n

Ferrari says this Spider is their fastest ‘open-top road car’, which probably comes as concerning news to anyone on the waiting list for the new California. Unlike the coupe, the 16M is being limited to 499 examples which will probably be sold very quickly.<\/p>\n

Remarkably, this new car isn’t the first Ferrari to be called 16M. Infact, one of the very first, chassis 0016M was built new as a 166MM Touring Barchetta<\/a>. These 166s were Ferrari’s first real production car and helped Ferrari win the 1949 the Mille Miglia.<\/p>\n

What It\u2019s Like To Drive<\/h2>\n

From the moment the 16M fires up there\u2019s no doubt it\u2019s going to deliver a spectacular aural performance. The sound of the 16M\u2019s 4.3-liter V8 stretching for the red line rips holes in the atmosphere. There is no better sounding engine on the planet.<\/p>\n

It has all the features that differentiate the hardtop Scuderia from the standard F430, including lightweight bumpers and an abundance of carbon fiber panels, many visible, some such as the bulkheads hidden. It also has less sound-deadening and a few novel and exotic weight-saving features including titanium road springs and hollow anti-roll bars.<\/p>\n

The upshot of all these weight-saving efforts is that the 16M weighs a chunky 80kg less than the regular 430 Spider, giving its power-to-weight ratio a useful boost. As does the extra 20bhp that has been coaxed from its V8, while intake resonators amplify the voice of the 16M\u2019s engine in a way that perhaps it doesn\u2019t need. But, you know, why not turn it up to 11?<\/p>\n

Cockpit \ufb01xtures and fittings are the same as in the berlinetta, so it\u2019s a cabin shorn of soft furnishings but featuring a pair of superbly comfortable and supportive seats. Their centre panels are trimmed in a woven \u2019technical\u2019 fabric like that used for training shoes, and their bolsters are finished in Alcantara. The same material appears on the facia, too, contrasting with the generous amounts of glossy carbon fiber that swathe the cabin.<\/p>\n

The 16M has a fabric hood and, despite grey skies promising drizzle, our first job is to stow it. A simple button-press initiates a surprisingly complex, delightfully choreographed process, the fabric folding itself. in half and the double bubble rear deck lifting and reversing to allow the hood to lower itself in the well below. As with the regular F430 Spider, roof-down the 16M is a handsome thing, especially from the rear three-quarters.<\/p>\n

The Scuderia\/ 16M has Ferrari\u2019s gearbox shifts in just 60ms. Of more use to more drivers most of the time, Ferrari also configured its management logic to use throttle demand and engine speed to determine the speed and character of each shift, which made it the most intuitive and finessed of them all. In \u2019auto\u2019 mode, as soon as the clutch is in and you\u2019re rolling along, the \u2019box shuf\ufb02es the cogs smoothly and with as little fuss as a DCT.<\/p>\n

You can drive it calmly for a long time too, it is really quite friendly with the \u2019box choosing high gears and low revs. Squeeze the throttle a bit harder, the tailpipe valves \ufb02ip and the blare of exhaust makes you jump as though an air-horn has blown in your ear. The lightweight, thin-walled exhaust system gives a more resonant, harder-edged note than the standard car, but I\u2019m sure the valve switch is set at lower engine revs than in the hardtop Scud, too.<\/p>\n

Just an ankle-\ufb02ex away there\u2019s a huge amount of energy waiting to be released. The 16M wants to go; it strains at the leash, and, once clear of town, when there\u2019s no chance of frightening children or the elderly, a long push on the throttle summons up a Mr Hyde sensory explosion. A tremendous, evolving, banshee wail envelops you and combines with neck-snapping, relentless acceleration to cause a temporary mental overload. It\u2019s such an incredible noise that you look in the mirror expecting to see all the leaves blown from the trees, fences \ufb02attened, windows shattered.<\/p>\n

Even when you\u2019re ready for it, the \ufb01rst few times you struggle to take it all in. And even when you think you\u2019ve got your head around it, the demonic, runaway sound of the engine as it reaches 8500rpm \u2014 and feels and sounds as though it\u2019s going to go right on accelerating until it explodes -\u2014 never fails to send a shiver up your spine.<\/p>\n

On backroads the suspension is pretty firm but a button on the centre console allows you to summon the \u2019bumpy road\u2019 damper setting. The Scuderia was the first Ferrari that would allow you to dial-up maximum-attack mode for the gearshift, stability and traction controls yet still enjoy a relatively compliant ride. This was at Michael Schumacher\u2019s insistence, apparently, and that wasn\u2019t the only in\ufb02uence he and Marc Gene\u2019, Ferrari\u2019s F1 test driver at the time, had on the dynamics.<\/p>\n

The \ufb01rst thing to say, however, is that it takes only a couple of miles to appreciate that, despite its soft top, the 16M has a solid structural feel and an impressive lack of shake and shimmy. In fact, I\u2019d say it feels more like its coupe\u2019 equivalent than the 488 Spider I drove recently. Add in steering that feels solid but not too hefty nor overly \u2019bright\u2019 as some Ferrari’s of this generation could be, and you have a car that\u2019s responsive and accurate yet calm. The perfect platform for outstanding dynamics, in fact, which is what Schumacher, Gene\u2019 and the engineers created.<\/p>\n

What helped lift the dynamics of the Scuderia way clear of the stock F430 was the addition of the F1-Trac traction and stability system \ufb01rst seen in the front-engined 599. In combination with the regular 430\u2019s clever electronic locking differential, F1-Trac helped optimise drive out of corners, and this was reckoned to allow any decent driver to get within half a second of Gene\u2019s lap time around a track like Fiorano in \u2019Race\u2019 mode.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very rewarding car. Plenty fast enough measures up well dynamically to its coupe sibling. If you\u2019d never driven the coupe\u2019, the soft-top would strike you as a remarkably well-resolved, exceptionally capable and exciting driver\u2019s car; it really doesn\u2019t feel like a car that\u2019s had its roof chopped off. Most of all you\u2019ve got to revel in the schizophrenic nature of the 16M\u2019s character, which shifts from meek and mild to angry and wild with a squeeze of the throttle.<\/p>\n

See Also: Guide to\u00a0V8 Special Series Cars<\/a>, Greatest V8 Ferraris Ever<\/a>, Greatest Convertible Ferrari\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Reviews<\/h2>\n

Motor Trend Review F430 Spider 16M<\/h3>\n

“Depending on how much runoff is available in the corners, a flick of the Manettino switch can dial the amount of allowable oversteer up or down quite reliably from zero slip angle in Normal mode, to Formula-Drift in Race mode. Sport seems ideal for narrow Italian back roads. In between the turns there’s that inimitable flat-plane-crank V-8 wail bouncing off the retaining walls and goading you to charge deeper into each corner, testing the seemingly infinite depth of the carbon-ceramic disks’ braking power. They’re incapable of vibration-inducing warpage and incredibly resistant to fade. In 120 miles of driving over roads of varying quality, no bump or dip ever elicited a shake or shimmy of chassis flex, but the violence of a full-throttle Race-mode upshift sends a shudder through the structure that I don’t recall feeling on the same roads in the coupe. With a bit of brainstorming one can imagine more exciting ways of getting from point A to point B while enjoying the sun and wind-a flying-squirrel suit, a jet pack, a rocket luge-but it’s hard to think of an open four-wheeler that’s this exciting to drive and still offers full weather protection, A\/C and a decent sound system (put your pencils down, Ariel Atom buffs). That’s ample cause for celebration even in a down year.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Car Magazine Review F430 Spider 16M<\/h3>\n

Without a back-to-back comparison it was impossible to tell for sure, but the Spider felt as composed and well balanced as the coup\u00e9 \u2013 user-friendly, but lairy-on-demand too. There\u2019s a little understeer if you push too hard too early in a tight corner, but get the nose tucked in, then feed in the power and the tail will come into play. That lopping the roof off the Scuderia hasn\u2019t ruined the driving experience of this track-honed machine is pretty impressive. But the fact that it\u2019s actually intensified it thanks to the extra noise and the buzz of fresh-air motoring \u2013 with no loss of poise \u2013 is simply astonishing. The Scuderia 16M really is a brilliant car.<\/em><\/p>\n

Car & Driver Review F430 Spider 16M<\/h3>\n

The 16M devoured the switchbacks coursing through the hills surrounding Ferrari\u2019s Maranello factory. The chassis is never unsettled in transition, managing quick shifts in weight effectively, and it seemingly enjoys being pushed to the limit and driven as deep as possible into mountain hairpins. A typical problem with a car so capable never lies in the engineering but in the hands of the driver\u2014driving an exotic near the limit on a country road, especially when you don\u2019t own the vehicle, isn\u2019t the stress reliever a Sunday drive might be.<\/em><\/p>\n

Specs & Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/colgroup>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Engine<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine manufacturer:<\/td>\nFerrari Tipo F136<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Engine type:<\/td>\nspark-ignition 4-stroke<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fuel type:<\/td>\ngasoline (petrol)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fuel system:<\/td>\nindirect injection<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Charge system:<\/td>\nnaturally aspirated<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Valves per cylinder:<\/td>\n4<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Emission control:<\/td>\n3-way catalyst, Lambda-Sensor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cylinders alignment:<\/td>\nV8<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Displacement:<\/td>\n4308 cm3 \/ 262.7 cui<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Power & Torque<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Horsepower net:<\/td>\n375 kW \/ 510 PS \/ 503 hp (ECE)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Torque net:<\/td>\n470 Nm \/ 347 ft-lb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Car power to weight ratio net:<\/td>\n260.4 watt\/kg \/ 118.1 watt\/lb<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Car weight to power ratio net:<\/td>\n3.8 kg\/kW \/ 2.8 kg\/PS \/ 6.3 lbs\/hp<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Basic dimensions<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Length:<\/td>\n4512 mm \/ 177.6 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Width:<\/td>\n1923 mm \/ 75.7 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Height:<\/td>\n1216 mm \/ 47.9 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheelbase:<\/td>\n2600 mm \/ 102.4 in<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Fuel capacity:<\/td>\n95 liter \/ 25.1 U.S. gal \/ 20.9 imp. gal<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Cd estimated by a-c:<\/td>\n0.37<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Weights<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Curb weight (without a driver):<\/td>\n1440 kg \/ 3175 lbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Dry weight:<\/td>\n1340 kg \/ 2954 lbs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Performance<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Top speed:<\/td>\n315 km\/h \/ 196 mph<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
0-60 mph (sec):<\/td>\n3.5 sec<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
0-100 km\/h (sec):<\/td>\n3.7 sec<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Videos<\/h2>\n