HERO WORSHIP

Two days, 1,000 miles and a lot of petrol in Ferrari’s stunning F430 is every boy’s dream come true and more than a few grown-up’s fantasy. Paddy Comyn was handed the keys of a Ferrari for the weekend

For most of us, the closest we will ever get to a Ferrari is at a motorshow, or if we rent one for a few days, but when the call came through from Ferrari UK to tell me that their F430 was coming to Ireland for its September vacation, then I was more than happy to show the car a little bit of the countryside. Our improved economy over the last five years has seen a number of things happen. There is better employment, more money around, we are more stressed out, crankier and generally less pleasant to each other than ever before. But there are also more supercars on Irish roads than ever before. While it was once in a blue moon that you would see a Lamborghini, Aston Martin, Bentley or Ferrari on Irish roads, driven only by the super rich – property developers and entrepreneurs alike are stepping up the automotive social ladder in droves, with a supercar high on their wish list. You only have to stand in the showroom of Charles Hurst Specialist Cars in Belfast, Ireland’s official Ferrari outlet to see the number of sold stickers on €200,000+ cars, many of which are headed south of the border.

V POWER

For the Ferrari virgins among you, the F430 replaced the achingly beautiful 360 Modena a couple of years back as the ‘entry-point’ into the Ferrari range. Powered by a 4.3-litre V8 putting out almost 500 bhp, the F430 is aimed squarely at those to whom driving is a way of life. Everything is geared towards performance and agility. It just so happens that it is clolthed in the most exquisite Pinifarina-designed bodywork.

FIRED UP

Very little prepares you for the first few moment behind the wheel of a Ferrari. While I am not new to the brand, each time you get into a car bearing the prancing horse there is a nervous anticipation, followed by a satisfying spurt of adrenalin as you fire up the start button. We picked up the car from Ferrari headquarters in Slough, England. Somewhat surprisingly, the F430 that rolls out from the garage is blue, but this takes little from the car’s stunning lines. If anything, it is a much more subtle and beautiful colour than the tradition “rosso”.

A few things struck me after bringing the car back to Ireland. Firstly, I have driven hundreds of cars, but I have never seen a reaction to a car like the one this one provokes. As I queued up for the ferry in Holyhead a coach party of 13-year old girls arrived up and were convinced I was either a footballer or a pop star. Such adoration was fun, but would have been more welcome 17-years ago. Everyone wants to talk about the car, many want photos, even more want to hear the engine roar. If you want a quiet life then be assured, this is not the car for you.

Our weekend driving it in Ireland revealed a stunning machine, that requires the right roads (we tried the ring of Kerry and it was a mistake), plenty of petrol money (€400 in a couple of days) and angelic self-retraint. As well as bringing good reaction from people it also turns idiot-prone drivers into professional fools. Children egg on their fathers in 1.4 Renault Scenics to pass you and nearly wipe themselves out in the process.

FORMULA 1

The gearbox is an F1-style paddle shift which is super-fast once you get the technique right, but is cumbersome in automatic mode and reversing, which requires selecting a button on the centre console, is tricky too, not least because of the poor rear visibility.

When you do step on the gas pedal – the noise is like a Formula 1 car exploding behind your head. Driving through Dublin’s Port Tunnel with the windows down in the F430 is something I would recommend to anyone to do before they die.

EXIHILARITING

As a car for everyday transport, then the F430 is not ideal. The boot space (up front) is not bad but limited enough. You are terrified of parking the car anywhere and you just know that the more miles you put on the car, the harder it will be to sell.

But if you are after a real sense of occasion when it comes to motoring then your €270,000-or-so will get you (after a 20-month wait) one of the most exihilariting, fascinating and downright erotic car’s in the world.

Published in the October 2007 Issue of Irish Entrepreneur