I think I'm in love... The Lamborghini Gallardo Sp

[BMWDave]

Let's see what people who have driven the car have to say:

Fifth Gear:
"Pretty fantastic in almost every way. The steering has genuine feel, a rare commodity these days, and it generates massive levels of grip, while all the time demonstrating top-drawer agility. It never ever feels like an edgy mid-engined car."

4car:
"Outside the rarefied world of Enzos, Carrera GTs and McLaren F1s, the F430 is the closest most people will get to the feel of a GT racing car (although there's always the Noble M400 at around half the cost). The blare-turning-to-scream of the engine, the muffled pops and bangs on the overrun, the speed and mechanical accuracy of the steering, the rise and fall of the engine note as you pile on all the power at the exit of a bumpy bend, the speed of the gearshifts, all can transport you right into the middle of an epic Targa Florio if you are so minded. Yet there's nothing difficult about driving an F430, except perhaps when you're trying to manoeuvre it backwards into a tight space because the view aft isn't too good."

Autocar:
"A little later, up in the hills above Maranello, the F430 gradually begins to reveal more of its dynamic repertoire ? and it?s a pretty mind-boggling experience all in all. Its steering is so light yet so incisive I found it impossible not to get carried away through the corner where we took these photos. Its suspension was also beautifully ? and I do mean beautifully ? composed over every surface it was asked to deal with. And the brakes: well, the brakes are just incredible. As we discovered somewhat dramatically, they have huge feel, great progression before the anti-lock intervenes and massive power under the full-panic stop that was required when we encountered a battered old Lancia Thema in the middle of the road with its door open, just round a blind corner, its female owner up in the field above picking flowers."

Pistonheads:
"Despite the challenging bumpy roads and sometimes off-cambered corners of our hilly Tuscany test route, the F430 was never wrong-footed. In situations where we know the F360 could be skittish, the F430 remained secure and balanced.

The steering and chassis relationship of all Ferraris is a very direct one. But where the F360 can feel nervous and edgy at times, the F430?s steering/chassis relationship is much more linear and gives you confidence. You quickly feel at one with this car, and although you can and indeed should never relax completely in such an involving machine, its user friendliness soon puts you at ease."

Motor Trend:
"The F430 reacts quicker to steering commands, with a light yet direct connection to the front wheels. The new car handles more neutrally than the Modena did, at least up to the limits, where mild understeer checks in. Even with the manettino in the midlevel Sport mode, the robo-diff and traction control allow a smile-provoking dose of oversteer before they reel things in. Switch to Race mode, and you get another helping, along with more aggressive damping. Select to CST Off, and lurid slides and smoking tires are as close as your right foot. The engine's beefier torque curve helps, too. Body roll? Forget it. Dive or squat? None of that, either."

And those were all from the first page of Google's results for "Ferrari F430 Road Test"

Youre completely missing the point.  I'm not saying it isnt a fantastic car to drive, and all that.  But how much better would it be if it didnt have computers and all this technological gadgets.  And the legacy of Ferrari was to produce a car that would respond to everything the driver did, and not produce any interferences.  The F430, while being amazing to drive, has many interferences.  On a 612, which is a Sports Tourer, those interferences are to be tolerated far more, but the pure sports car of the Ferrari lineup shouldnt have computer aids.  The computers and F1 transmission are a result of the North American clientale that buys the car, and Ferrari is catering to them.  It is great from a business aspect, but if this cycle continues, they will slowly, slowly, water down the car.

[TBR]

Additionally, you don't go straight from a luxury sports car to a race car for the street, there is some inbetween room and that is where the F430 and pretty much every production Ferrari of the past resides.

Notice I didnt say sports tourer, or GT car.  A 911 is a luxury sports car.  A Ferrari F430 is a luxury sports car.  It has heated seats, leather interior, etc.  A GT3 is already starting to border on the middle ground.  And full out racers are ones like the F40, and Elise, cars that dont have carpets, or other weight adding materials.

You keep repeating that wires weigh nothing.  But the wires are causing something to move.  Wires dont soften or harden the suspension by themselves-there is a whole system in place, and the wires only transmit the signals from the driver to th system.  Take away that whole system, and the car gets lighter.

I have always been under the impression that the 360/F430 are much closer to the GT3 in sportiness than the regular Carrera/Carrera S.

Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit. Additionally, the F1 gearbox is a feature that a true modern race car for the road would have, as most kinds of race cars have similar systems.

[SJ_GTI]

If these companies did what you're proposing they would all be out of business.

[BMWDave]

Additionally, you don't go straight from a luxury sports car to a race car for the street, there is some inbetween room and that is where the F430 and pretty much every production Ferrari of the past resides.

Notice I didnt say sports tourer, or GT car.  A 911 is a luxury sports car.  A Ferrari F430 is a luxury sports car.  It has heated seats, leather interior, etc.  A GT3 is already starting to border on the middle ground.  And full out racers are ones like the F40, and Elise, cars that dont have carpets, or other weight adding materials.

You keep repeating that wires weigh nothing.  But the wires are causing something to move.  Wires dont soften or harden the suspension by themselves-there is a whole system in place, and the wires only transmit the signals from the driver to th system.  Take away that whole system, and the car gets lighter.

I have always been under the impression that the 360/F430 are much closer to the GT3 in sportiness than the regular Carrera/Carrera S.

Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit. Additionally, the F1 gearbox is a feature that a true modern race car for the road would have, as most kinds of race cars have similar systems.

"Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit."

I know what you said, I've heard you say it around four times already.  I could also keep repeating myself.  I've told my side of the argument, and you refuse to answer it.  I rest my case.      

[BMWDave]

If these companies did what you're proposing they would all be out of business.

I'm not proposing anything.  Indeed, I have already stated that keeping the electronics, F1 tranny, and what not, will help the car sell in much greater numbers to its North American clientale.  But the argument is about the spirit and legacy of Ferrari, and how they are slowly deviating from that.

[TBR]

Additionally, you don't go straight from a luxury sports car to a race car for the street, there is some inbetween room and that is where the F430 and pretty much every production Ferrari of the past resides.

Notice I didnt say sports tourer, or GT car.  A 911 is a luxury sports car.  A Ferrari F430 is a luxury sports car.  It has heated seats, leather interior, etc.  A GT3 is already starting to border on the middle ground.  And full out racers are ones like the F40, and Elise, cars that dont have carpets, or other weight adding materials.

You keep repeating that wires weigh nothing.  But the wires are causing something to move.  Wires dont soften or harden the suspension by themselves-there is a whole system in place, and the wires only transmit the signals from the driver to th system.  Take away that whole system, and the car gets lighter.

I have always been under the impression that the 360/F430 are much closer to the GT3 in sportiness than the regular Carrera/Carrera S.

Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit. Additionally, the F1 gearbox is a feature that a true modern race car for the road would have, as most kinds of race cars have similar systems.

"Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit."

I know what you said, I've heard you say it around four times already.  I could also keep repeating myself.  I've told my side of the argument, and you refuse to answer it.  I rest my case.

What argument? The F430 actually weighs less than the 360 and  they both use the same basic construction techniques! So you can't say there was considerable weight savings there that compensated for a lot of additional weight due to the new suspension system and e-diff. Even so, you continue to insist that they did add considerable weight without any basis for such a conclusion.

[BMWDave]

Additionally, you don't go straight from a luxury sports car to a race car for the street, there is some inbetween room and that is where the F430 and pretty much every production Ferrari of the past resides.

Notice I didnt say sports tourer, or GT car.  A 911 is a luxury sports car.  A Ferrari F430 is a luxury sports car.  It has heated seats, leather interior, etc.  A GT3 is already starting to border on the middle ground.  And full out racers are ones like the F40, and Elise, cars that dont have carpets, or other weight adding materials.

You keep repeating that wires weigh nothing.  But the wires are causing something to move.  Wires dont soften or harden the suspension by themselves-there is a whole system in place, and the wires only transmit the signals from the driver to th system.  Take away that whole system, and the car gets lighter.

I have always been under the impression that the 360/F430 are much closer to the GT3 in sportiness than the regular Carrera/Carrera S.

Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit. Additionally, the F1 gearbox is a feature that a true modern race car for the road would have, as most kinds of race cars have similar systems.

"Additionally, I still say that the electronics don't add much weight and they can all be turned off, so I don't think the car loses anything by having them but gains quite a bit."

I know what you said, I've heard you say it around four times already.  I could also keep repeating myself.  I've told my side of the argument, and you refuse to answer it.  I rest my case.

What argument? The F430 actually weighs less than the 360 and since they both use the same basic construction techniques you can't say there was considerable weight savings there that compensated for a lot of additional weight due to the new suspension system and e-diff, though you continue to insist that they did add considerable weight without any basis for such a conclusion.

Once again, its not adding weight relative to the 360.  Its the fact that there are computers and systems on board that have no place in a pure sports car.    

[TBR]

Why? Because they weren't used in the '60s? Perhaps that is because they didn't exist! Would you prefer that no advancement be made? As long as the computers can be turned off and when turned off they don't take away from the driving experience (aka: by adding weight, and I believe I have already made it pretty clear that any difference neglegible) they do not make the F430 less of a pure sports car.

[BMWDave]

Why? Because they weren't used in the '60s? Perhaps that is because they didn't exist! Would you prefer that no advancement be made? As long as the computers can be turned off and when turned off they don't take away from the driving experience (aka: by adding weight, and I believe I have already made it pretty clear that any difference neglegible) they do not make the F430 less of a pure sports car.

You havent made that clear really.  Complex systems add weight.  Youre making it seem as if the only think adding weight are some wires.  

[TBR]

The F430 weighs 50 pounds less than the less stiff and less powerful 360 despite the same type of construction. That tells anyone with common sense that the new electronic systems can't possibly weigh enough to make much of a difference.

[TBR]

This is what the e-diff system consists of:
*  a high-pressure hydraulic system, shared with the F1 gearbox (if present);
* a control system consisting of valve, sensors and electronic control unit;
* a mechanical unit housed in the left side of the gearbox.

So obviously it adds some weight. However, it is also optional.

I am looking for a more information regarding the suspension system, but I believe is essentially the same as Maserati's skyhook system which just adjusts the dampening in the shocks, so it probably doesn't add much weight.