Spa Ferrari Days 2006 - FXX question

[Mikey_s]

Hi all,

last weekend I went to the Spa Ferrari days - a great day out for anyone (not just us who like red cars!!) and only 15 Euros for a whole day of great track action. However, I was a bit puzzled...

During the weekend there was a series of 430 Challenge races and there were some FXX demo races. However, when i checked the lap times for the two series' there was precious little difference between the FXX (800Hp) and the 430 Challenge (a paltry 430Hp!!) - both were lapping (leader times) at approx 2'35" give or take a couple of seconds... In fact I lost a bet with my daughter because we had a small wager on the likely lap time of the FXX before the race and I figured they would be about 15" quicker than the 430.. I lost

Reading the blurb on the Ferrari site the FXX should knock spots off the 430 Challenge (especially for the 1.5 Million Euro price tag).

Anyone care to offer some excuse for the relatively poor peformance of the FXX?

(obviously if I'd been driving the lap times would have been lower, but...! )

[vis]

Anyone care to offer some excuse for the relatively poor peformance of the FXX?

Too expensive car to risk it in every corner![/quote]

[Mikey_s]

but I was just inside La Source Hairpin and later closer to Eau Rouge and they sounded fairly committed in both areas (although I must say that nobody took Eau Rouge anywhere close to flat out!).

On the basis that you must be reasonably wealthy to buy an FXX and that they are only homologated for racing (can't use them on the road) - you might think they'd push them fairly hard... (let me have a go... I'll see what it can do!) pleeeaaasee

[Mikey_s]

There was a brave guy kitted out in a Renault Tee shirt, cap and Rucksack at Spa... he really rather stood out in the crowd... it's quite a noticeable colour when most people have scarlet on them somewhere!!

Was it you Tomba?

[manchild]

If it was him than don't be surprised if he is unable to respond due to injuries

[wowf1]

Well it won't explain everything, but the road-going 430 is a 4.3litre V8, with approx 480bhp. The 430 Challenge probably has 500bhp+ (ie. the '430' refers to the capacity, not the horsepower)

The 430 is almost certainly lighter, but not enough to bring it on par with an FXX. I would assume the FXX has more downforce too, so no clue there.

I suspect that the 430 race was an actual race, with people actually gunning it. The FXX demo was probably a gentlemenly tour round.

[Mikey_s]

Wowf1 - you are correct, it was a typo on my part (or brain fade) in fact I had already checked on the Ferrari website, evidently just forget between reading the number (490CV - I took this to be HP) and typing it into the question. I think you are probably right about the 430 being lighter, but the FXX blurb states that they have 40% more d/f than "ever achieved before"

having said that the following text appears on the Ferrari website about the FXX "The FXX package also includes participation in a series of track events to be organised by Ferrari on various international-level circuits over the next two years..."

Perhaps you're also right that the FXXwas more of a demo, but I can say they are ***king loud and certainly out of La Source they were pressing the 'go'pedal pretty hard... but i did see brake lights going into Eau Rouge and nobody (yes NOBODY!!) seemed to be really hammering it up the hill.

P.S. it was my first time at Spa... and Eau Rouge does look like fun to drive. Some of the Historic races were absolutely brilliant, for a bunch of old codgers in beautiful old cars they do some fantastic racing... and respectable lap times too considering the value of some of the older cars.

[walter]

I feel bad for stereotyping but I want to say that the drivers of the FXX are multi-millionaires that want the baddest ferrari, and in turn dont mind touring and "showing off" their babies around. F430 drivers are probably the same drivers(some) that were in the 360 challenge, the same that were in the 355 challenge, these drivers are primarily racing enthusiasts that have learned the tracks by heart, have decent skill, and dont care as much if they make contact with another car. So thats my explaination.

FXX: Curb weight: 2,700 lb's
HP: 789 @ 8500 rpm

F430 challenge: wt: 2695 lb's
hp: 490 @ 8500 rpm


another hypothesis is that the FXX was not revving all the way up to 8500 rpm.

or another: FXX is an overpriced piece of crap

[Mikey_s]

MC, most of us Ferrari fans are nice people, However, I did suggest to him that perhaps he had come on the wrong day!!

Walter - gotta agree about the cost (and your hypothesis about the track times), but I'd still like to have a go in one - coz it did look like quite a fast piece of crap (even if it wasn't too different in speed to a 430 Challenge).

Anyhow, I still think the 360 is the prettiest car ever built - bar none . And although generally speaking my feeling is that a Ferrari should be red, the 360 spider looks heartbreakingly gorgeous in pale metallic blue with that glass engine cover.... I want one!!

[flynfrog]

i think i speak for all of us when i say post some pictures of it please

[Mikey_s]

FlynFrog, will do when i get home (they're not on my work pc), but go gently on me, I'm not much of a photographer!

[NickT]

Yes please, lots of pics.

I had another thought about the differences between these cars - TYRES

Were they both on slicks? If so were they both on the same make of slick? I remember reading an article about F430 vs the F360 Competiion. The 360 lapped a couple of seconds a lap faster than the 430. The authors' were very puzzled and one of them was talking to a Ferrari test driver, who said the yeah the 430 should be faster, its a better car, but the 360 runs Pirelli tyres and the 430 runs Bridgestone

[Mikey_s]

well I know that the FXX's were on slicks and I believe that the 430's were on slicks too (well there were lots of slicks on tyre racks in the paddock!)

[NickT]

TopGear found the same thing

Ferrari 360 CS 1.22.3 - Pirelli

Ferrari F430 F1 1:22.9 - Bridgestone

Although the F430 times did not appear on the official web site I had to looking and found them here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Gear

[Mikey_s]

Sorry to be dim, but I hAve not posted an image from my hard drive before - could someone pm me to let me know how to upload pics onto the thread??