See Markus' garage gallery for more photos.

F1 engineering for the road

I never was a huge Ferrari-enthusiast, but everything I read about the F430 made me want one more and more. From the glorious reviews in Evo Magazine to Clarkson's mad ravings in Top Gear, this was a car I wanted to experience for myself.

I hear your first Ferrari should be red, so there was only one choice of color: Rosso Corsa.

While I'm normally a stick shift advocate, the F1 transmission is definitely the way to go with this car. It's only downside is a bit lazy pickup when reversing with a cold clutch, but everything else is pure bliss! The shifts are nice and fast, and the gearbox gives absolute control to the driver.

It's not an everyday proposition, but can still handle everything (with the exception of steep or narrow parking garages) at it, from relaxed driving in the city to top speeds on the autobahn.

The noise it makes is epic. The (stock) silencers are bypassed at around 3500 rpm and the run up to 8500 rpm gets a smile on your face every time. The neighbors haven't complained yet!