Yet the F430 would eat the Bentley alive in the turns/twisties. So perhaps the better question is on what SPECIFICALLY he wants to do with the car to make it 'better'. Better is a relative term per se. Better at handling, better at straight speed, better in all aspects as best can be yet keeping the basic chassis/geometry and outer appearance... and to what degree and what one is willing to sacrifice to achieve it.

Hate to belabor the point guys (sorry).

 

Try to read this line.

I read that as the OP wanting to beat his F430 in a straight line. I think he knows it wont be able to in the twisties.

 

You may want to reread the original post where the specific question was straightline speed. Doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out a 5000lb car isnt going to do well in the turns...

 

You are right of course. Give the man a cigar

 

http://www.mtm-online.de/en/highlights/details?id=29

A couple more turbos might do the trick.

 

If you can afford it, do what I'm doing: Keep your Bentley and buy a 430. They are falling in cost and very low-mileage cars can be found for a lot less money than in recent years when premiums of $100K or more were common. I've got a deposit on a 458 Coupe for delivery next summer, and plan on keeping my 2010 GTC Speed in ghost white pearl over linen/beluga.

 

What kind of prices are you seeing on F430? I've been looking and, compared to earlier this year, the prices have gone way UP!

 

4000lbs? Try 5500+...that is one seriously heavy car!

 

Try FerrrariChat ads section. Dealers always think they have something special so avoid them as a general rule. Ferrari 360s can be had for $70k easily. If you are patient and can wait for the next downturn in the economy coming in November/December then i predict is Feb you'll see some nice deals again. Just remember that, especially with a Ferrari, you MUST remember the TOTAL cost of ownership (servicing, etc).

 

I haven't been watching prices since the beginning of the year so can't comment on that but is it possible you're seeing lots of ads for Scuderias? They all had MSRPs in excess of $300K even w/o the added premium buyers paid when they were first out and scarce, so they are still expensive ($235K and up). It depends on whether it's a Coupe or a Spider you're looking for, the year and the mileage. Also, if you want the F1 or the 6-spd manual. I've only watched the Spiders and 2009 ultra-low-mileage cars with F1 are being offered anywhere from $210K- $240K, and subtract about $10K - $15K if manual transmission. Coupes go for under $200K. Find an '08 with very low miles and you'll save another $20-grand or more.

Spiders will hold their value for awhile since the 458 Spider is a long way off, but as 458 Coupes become plentiful, 430 Coupes will drop precipitously in price, I believe.

 

I am looking for a straight line monster, not a track car.

I could really use some advice regarding tuning. May I ask if an Evoms/GIAC ECU is superior to getting a custom tune at a reputable tuner here in London? After all, no car is the same and weather conditions play an important part as well I would think. A custom tune is half the price based on a full day of work, including rolling road and dyno.

Advice is appreciated guys.

 

... bringing back an old thread. i think just a ecu/tcu flash will get you in the very lo 4.0 sec range
is this correct?

 

Should be close, yes. With a little extra go-go juice should be even more to the tune of about 0.1 or 0.2 seconds lower than normal petrol.

 

Oh you guys just let this thread fall on my lap! ECU tuning and exhaust will probably get you from 650hp to 700hp at the crank. At the wheel(WHP), deduct somewhere from 20 to 25% of the crank HP. On a basic tune and exhaust you can do low 4s easily. If you are brave and don't care to much about your tranny, launch hard and I bet you can go under 4s and be somewhere near what the SS claims to be 0 to 60mph, 3.6 to 3.7? Also the SS is about 200lbs lighter than the GT. Weight is a bad thing for a drag race. Take out your spare tire, get rid of your 22", get some 19 or 20" sports rated monoblocks and some sticky icky tires. Oh, if you really want to go harder. PM me. Weight is everything on this beast, so don't let da ol' lady sit* shotgun. Mine is only 115lbs and I am complaining. Get yourself some comfortable,adjustable, carbon fiber seats. You literally just lost about 75 to 100lbs by removing your seats. The SS seat is a manual operated carbon fiber, adjustable seat, also you have a choice of rear seats delete(lighter option). But you lose that seat massager and all the fine adjustment if you go with CF seats. Leave your gas tank at about 1/8 of a tank(thinking light here). Oh yeah, and take a good poo before you hop in the ride.

 

You had me right up until...