 |
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
mph Top Ten Spins of the Year: Number 2
Numero Dos compadres. Only one more car remains on our illustrious list of must drives from 2005. Of course the full list can be found in theDec/Jan issue on stands now.
#2 Ferrari F430
Even the most obnoxious, snot-nosed, prep-school-ruined,
small-tackled snobs around our office have to acknowledge that no car on the
market can compare with the performance deal that is the stupid-good
Corvette Z06. You'll pay about $130 for each of the Vette's horses. In this
newest Ferrari, the F430, you're going to have to pony up more than $350 per
hp. Therefore, the Z06 is...oh hell, forget it. We're embarrassed that we even
tried to quantify desire, passion, lust. What about the mystique, man? What
about the heritage? What would the graybeards at Road & Track think of that
kind of heresy? Phil Hill would have a stroke.
Have we mentioned yet in this story that the Ferrari F430 is exactly as
spectacular to drive as you'd dreamed? Well, it is. And then some. The late and
lovely 360 Modena lives on underneath the F430's sharply creased body panels.
While that body isn't what you might call pretty, the F430's visual sharpness at
least truthfully telegraphs the car's character. This car handles beautifully with
little of that old-school mid-engine-car spookiness at the limit. And Ferrari's
careful nipping and tucking in the wind tunnel resulted in a car that cleaves
efficiently through air and remains completely rock-solid stable at well over
150 mph—without a garish rear wing. Ferrari has outfitted the F430 with every
electronic trick in its book (traction/stability control, adjustable shocks,
electronically controlled locking differential) and somehow managed to make
the car feel like, well, like a car instead of, say, a modern Mercedes.
The new 4.3-liter V-8 (with conventional four-valve heads in place of the
Modena's five-valve units) not only makes almost 100 more horsepower than
the outgoing motor but also makes the F430 far easier to drive than its
predecessor. There's big, steamin' heaps of torque all over the place. And
while it performs the ear-ripping high-rev trill familiar from the Modena, it
also kicks out a deep, bowel-rumbling tune lower on the tachometer.
Still, it's clearly not worth the $170,000, unless of course you have $170,000
to blow on a car, in which case it is worth much, much more.
#3 BMW M5
#4 Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG
#5 Porsche Cayman S
#6 Lexus IS350
#7 Mazda MX-5
#8. Honda Civic Si
#9. Range Rover Sport
#10. Dodge Ram SRT-10 Quad-Cab
Subscribe to MPH Magazine
Join a discussion about this story
|
|
|
|
|
Ethanol Hunt Day 4
Dave: April 4, 2006
It took a few days for me to run through 20 gallons of regular gas in the Tahoe...
__________________
These Kids Today
Dave: March 31, 2006
While I'm driving around looking for ethanol I'm listening to the new disc by Atreyu...
__________________
Ethanol Hunt Day 1
Dave: March 30, 2006
I'm still trying to run through the current tank of unleaded gas in the Tahoe before refilling with E85...
__________________
Three Glorious Holes
Andrew Wendler: March 28, 2006
By now, regular readers are familiar with the most beloved car in the mph fleet, our Subaru Justy...
__________________
The Great Ethanol Hunt Begins
Dave: March 28, 2006
The latest buzz in alternative fuels to hit the mainstream is Ethanol. This magical blend...
|
|
|
|
|