CAR’s sister magazine biking bible MCN has done a twin test we think you’ll be interested in: they’ve pitted a Ferrari 430 Scuderia coupé against the fastest road bike money can buy, the £40k Ducati Desmosedici RR.
A lucky reader owns one of each and he teamed up with MCN to see which was fastest around Spain’s Almeria circuit. The full video is at the bottom of this page
At-a-glance spec: Ferrari vs Ducati
| |
Ferrari |
Ducati |
| Power |
503bhp |
203bhp |
| Weight |
1350kg |
171kg |
| Power-to-weight |
373bhp per tonne |
1187bhp per tonne |
| Price |
£171,489 |
£58,008 |
The full results are published in the new issue of MCN, out on Wednesday 11 November.
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1119137831http://www.brightcove.com/channel.jsp?channel=711881422
Ferrari 430 Scuderia, £171,489
This is as good as supercars get. Like the Porsche GT3 RS and Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, the Ferrari 430 Scuderia is a stripped-out, hotted-up, lightweight trackday special. Named after the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team, the 430 Scuderia is powered by a 4308cc V8 engine and makes a claimed 503bhp at 8500rpm and 347lb ft at 5250rpm.
Ferrari says it will do 198mph and 0-62mph in 3.6 seconds. The Scud comes with standard ceramic brakes, stability and traction control, and a sequential six-speed paddle-shift gearbox, which blips automatically on downchanges.
Built between February ‘08 and September ’09 the 430 Scuderia is every bit as special as the Ducati. It has more power, more torque, but even though this steel and aluminium beast weighs just 1350kg – light for a car – it’s way heavier than the bike, and its power-to weight ratio suffers dramatically as you might expect.
Ducati Desmosedici RR, £58,008
Desmosedici RRs are pretty special to begin with but this one, number 0913 of 1500 is even more spectacular. Like the Ferrari, it’s packed with grand prix technology (it’s almost a GP bike with lights) and makes 203bhp at the rear wheel, thanks to the loud GP-style Corse exhaust, so it’s the most powerful Des road bike we’ve ridden.
Substantially tweaked by its owner, it has lightweight 16.5-inch JHP Marchesini magnesium wheels so we could run it with pukka Pirelli Superbike racing slicks. With its carbonfibre bodywork finished in lurid Marlboro red, it’s the spitting image of Casey Stoner’s special-liveried 2007 Valencia MotoGP bike.
The Ducati’s power-to-weight ratio (and we’re being generous because the car’s power figure is at the crank and the bike at the rear wheel) makes the Ferrari look like a barge.
On top of the £42,621 list price, a generous £15,387.09 of goodies has been fitted:
• Ducati Performance carbon race nose cone including carbon ram air intake: £1018
• Ducati Performance GP style Corse exhaust including bodywork: £5450
• Ducati Performance Carbon Hugger: £297
• QB carbon side fairings & bellypan: £1287
• QB carbon seat unit: £684
• JHP Marchesini 16.5-inch wheels: £3435
• Smaller diameter brake discs to fit wheels: £495
• Pirelli 16.5’ Slick tyres: £242
• HM Quickshifter: £499
• Bike Paints paintwork: £977
• Labour: £1000 (est)