2005 Ford GT vs. 2005 Ferrari F430 - Acceleration - Exotic Coupes Comparison

Airplanes And Video Games
By: Chris Walton

It's no coincidence we're at a regional airstrip for straight-line testing of these two cars--either one could take flight at the end of a quarter mile at speeds in excess of 120 mph. In the 360 Modena and all prior models with a Ferrari F1 manual transmission, launch strategy involved turning off the traction control, selecting first gear, taking both feet off the pedals, whacking the throttle, and waiting for the clutch to drop at some random rpm. From that point--until it was time to grab second gear--getting a good number was an exercise in pedaling the throttle to allow wheelspin, but not too much to achieve a 0-to-30-mph time below 2.0 seconds. With the introduction of a selectable-rpm launch control in the F430 F1, the result is greater predictability and repeatability. As before, the driver turns off CST traction control, but now selects launch control and keeps his left foot on the brake while raising the revs with his right foot. Releasing the brake rapidly engages the clutch and off you go. Because the airstrip was grippy on one end and slippery on the other, effective launch-rpm needed to vary from 3200 to 3600 rpm. As with previous Ferraris, chirping the rear tires without spinning excessively is the key to a good run. With the F430 set in this launch mode, 8500-rpm upshifts occur with a casual tap of the right paddle, but are well executed every time. Our Race Pak GPS data logger indicated textbook-perfect upshifts that don't allow the engine to overrev between gear changes--meaning, the car won't produce those black stripes when the clutch reengages after the next higher gear is selected. Ferrari's claim of 15-millisecond shifts is optimistic. Our best shifts ranged between 21 and 29 milliseconds and occurred at the following speeds: first to second at 47 mph; second to third at 72 mph; third to fourth at 96 mph; fourth to fifth at 122 mph; and sixth gear was never needed.

The most noticeable difference between pulling the trigger on the new F430 and the 360 Modena or Challenge Stradale (besides 722cc greater displacement and 58 additional horsepower) is that the all-new flat-plane crank V-8 also features variable intake- and exhaust-valve timing. The new engine is more tractable and doesn't require big revs to make torque or power as it did before. A full 80 percent of the engine's torque is now available at 3500 rpm--right at the launch's sweet spot. The throttle's previous toggle-switch character has been replaced with a more variable and predictable pedal.

The Ferrari's LC button stands for "Launch Control"--it's computerized on the F430 and organic on the Ford GT.

If it sounds like there's a lot to think about while launching the Ferrari, running the supercharged Ford GT down the quarter mile is comparatively easy. With 12.4-inch-wide rear tires, the GT has so much available grip that a launch nearly the same as the Ferrari's 3500 rpm was needed. With first gear engaged and the clutch pedal on the floor, 3200 to 3500 rpm was all that was necessary to nail a 1.7-second 0-to-30-mph time--that's quick. It's all first gear from there until after 60 mph when the tach reaches its 6500-rpm redline. We were told that, if we snatched second gear at 62 mph and heard the supercharger belt chirp, we got the shift speed right. We heard that chirp (and left scratch marks) three times in the quarter mile with shift speed ranging from 16 to 29 milliseconds. The balance of the shifts occurred at the following speeds: second to third at 93 mph; third to fourth at 126 mph; and we never needed fifth. We've tested the GT twice before and, while this test yielded a slightly quicker 0-to-60-mph time of 3.6 seconds (previously 3.7), this car's quarter-mile time and, more telling, terminal speed were off. The previous best was recorded for our October 2004 "Top Speed" story at 11.2 seconds at 131.2 mph. This time out, our U.K.-based GT with over 12,000 journalist-miles on the clock clicked off consistent quarter-mile blasts of 11.7 seconds at 126.2 mph.

But the story doesn't end there. After we shared our data with Ferrari and Ford personnel (who were largely pleased), the factory Ferrari driver hinted that his car might be able to "make a better result" with a little-known launch technique. Insisting that this technique is for qualified drivers (and they blessed me with that status) and is not publicized by Ferrari, il piloto showed me the "not-recommended" protocol. Just like getting the cheat code for a video game, it involves a series of button pushes and shift-paddle manipulations that wouldn't occur by accident in normal driving. When it's set up, the car is in first gear with the clutch engaged and spinning. Holding the car in place with the brakes, the driver shoots the revs up to 4000 rpm and releases the brake pedal. Rather than spinning the tires, the clutch spins down from 4000 rpm until it locks up at the top of first gear for a launch that'd be about as smooth and quick as those you see on a Formula 1 grid. At 1.3 seconds to 30 mph, the "secret" Ferrari chops two to three tenths from every measured speed and finishes the quarter mile only one tenth of a second and 3.4 mph behind the GT. In our spec chart, we ran the "normal" and "secret" launch acceleration numbers in parentheses. For shift speeds and relative acceleration rates, see the above graph for the best recorded runs of these two cars.