Ferrari F430 Spider

Launched following the successful rollout of the F430 coupe, the Ferrari's F430 Spider is the highly desirable convertible variant of the exotic sports car.

The F430 range represents Ferrari's entry-level offering, following in the footsteps of the popular Ferrari 360, which was also offered in convertible form. The F430 Spider's powerful V8 provides an impressive 483 hp at 8500 rpm. Peak torque is 343 pound-feet at 5200 rpm, 80 percent of which is available below 3500 rpm.

The Spider's coupe sibling won much praise in the automotive press for its performance, handling, and overall quality. Reaction to the convertible has been similar, with "fun" points going to the Spider, despite its increased weight and decreased rigidity.

Some testers have managed a zero to 60 mph time of just 3.5 seconds, making the F430 Ferrari's third quickest model ever, behind the Enzo/FXX and 599 Fiorano.

This mid-engine supercar goes head-to-head with Lamborghini's Gallardo Spyder, which is more powerful, but generally regarded as slightly less capable on track. The F430 uses a 4.3-liter V8, while the Gallardo uses a 5.0-liter V10.

The F430 is available with either the classic Ferrari open-gate manual gearbox or with the F1 paddle shift that Ferrari has continuously developed and refined over recent years.

Ferrari's F1 gearbox for the F430 has been tuned by engineers on the Gestione Sportiva racing side. It incorporates a new control strategy which improves gear change speed and smoothness under hard use. Changing gear takes just 150 milliseconds.

The F430 includes the E-Diff computer-controlled limited slip differential, large Brembo brakes, Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 EMT tires, and F1-inspired "launch control" technology (Europe only).

2006 Ford GT Overview

The Ford GT is an American supercar built to commemorate Ford's Centennial and their four consecutive Le Mans 24-Hour races in the 1960s. It feels, looks and drives like a car costing much more than it does.

The GT only comes in one model, one engine and one transmission. It's a two-door, two-seat, much-massaged and softened rendition of the purpose-built racecar that won Le Mans. The engine is a high-tech, supercharged, midship-mounted, 5.4-liter V8 making a truly scintillating 550 horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque. It comes with a six-speed manual transaxle. Standard safety equipment includes frontal airbags, antilock brakes, a child seat tether bracket and latch assembly on the passenger seat and a tire inflation kit in lieu of a spare tire.

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Ford Motor Company chose the name GT to evoke memories of Ford's miraculous 1-2-3 victory in the 1966, 24 hours of Le Mans. Limited production of the Ford GT started in the summer of 2004 as a 2005 model. 2006 models are now being produced. The Ford that won at Le Mans was named the GT-40, but that name is now owned by a private individual.

Only 4200 GTs were produced total in the 2005-2006 model run and most dealerships did not get a GT. NO GTs will be produced in 2007 or thereafter. The final Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price is $155,000 - $169,000 depending on options.. With only a few hundred GTs, and many enthusiasts, Ford employees and Ford dealers hoping to get a GT, market conditions and customer demands resulted in substantially higher selling prices, particularly for cars built in the first part of the model year. Dealers offering their GT for sale to the public took bids to determine who will got to purchase "the One."

2009 Smart ForTwo

Production on the 2009 Smart Fortwo started this past September, at the Smartville, eco-friendly plant in Hambach, France. The base cost for the 2009 Smart increased by $400. This signifies a two and a half percent increase on available models.

The 2009 Smart should be at your local smart center in mid-November.

The 2009 Smart has a 1 liter,3_silinder , 71hp aluminum Mitsubishi motor and runs on premium gas The 2009 Smart gets around 33 mpg for city and 41 mpg on the highway and gets some of the highest gas mileage for any car on the world's roads today.

The warranty is 2-year and 24,000 miles and you have the option of procuring a 5 year and 60,000 mile warranty for additional cost.

The Smart features removable plastic panels . So, you can change your cars color for around $1,000 and if you get in an accident, you just change the panel.

The cars are assembled in Hambach, France which is on the border of Germany.

The safety system is the same as on Mercedes-Benz models. This vehicle is sold in 37 countries and over 1,000,000 Smart cars are on roads around the world.

Although reports say the 2009 Smart Car model will be unchanged as far as safety aspects, body appearance and overall performance. While a small number of changes have been reported, the Smart cars characteristics, which have made the Smart so distinctive and popular, will remain the same.

The 2009 Smart Pure starts at $11,000. The Smart Passion starts at $14,000 and the high-end Smart Passion convertible starts at $17,000.

New for 2009 will be the availability of the BRABUS version , a special limited edition version of the standard model, prices for the Brabus start at $20,000.

Unfortunately, for America the MHD (mild hybrid system ) that comes standard on all gas-powered 2009 Smart ForTwos sold in Europe will not be available in the U.S.A.

None the less the changes are very minor and include a new stock color their calling rally red, which will replace last years yellow and an optional color, now called metallic gray, will substitute for the optional red metallic from last year.

It is also reported the Smart Car's fabric interior will be more extreme to match the new exterior rally red color?

Door storage areas (currently built-into the hard case door) will be replaced with netting giving us a more flexible and larger storage area.

A “Loose Gas Cap” indicator light has been added to the dash panel.

At the present time, there is only one new option that is factory-installed for the 2009 U.S. model.

It is a solid roof and is a substitute to the current standard panoramic roof and comes at no additional cost. It is available only on the Smart Passion coupe and the option of a panorama roof on the Smart Pure coupe will no longer be available.

The 2009 Smart's are scheduled to be available in November, however prices of the 2009 models are yet to be confirmed.