Roger, ground control. Location: R46. Situation: You're looking down on the vast Ceres valley on perfectly clear day. Far below, a few sheep flock about and scattered dwellings dwindle into expanses green countryside. The wind tears through your hair as the altitude climbs. You'd be forgiven for thinking you were flying, rather than flying along in a Ferrari F430. This is the Superman of luxury sports cars, after all; equal parts style and status, the grace of a bird, the power of plane. It's a sublime way to slide through the panoramic farmlands, conquering kilometres and bending time. The sleek beast sticks to the road like a hand to a thigh, its precision engineering perfected by Ferrari’s F1 Racing Division. As the road ribbons out behind you, you'll wonder how people ever passed the pass on foot and in wagons. Or why.

Buttons, switches and other naughty bits

When an athlete or a dancer reveals a perfectly sculpted muscle, it's hard to stifle an appreciative sigh. When an F430 flashes by in its solid curves, it's compulsory.  When a beautiful woman takes her top off, it's recommended to look away politely even if it takes immense self control; when the Spider's automatic hood opens up, it's impossible not to stare. Flip the right switch and you can handle any lover; flip the Manettino switch, and you can handle any terrain – the Low grip is good for when its wet, and if you want to speed things up a little, the Race switch engages faster gear shifts. Finding your way around new territory was never this sexy.

So much more than just a one night stand

This slinky playmate is not difficult to drive, either. High performance it may be, but the sporty steed impressed Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson with its ease of handling. " Even the most butter-fingered, incapable driver could drive the F430 around their test track only one second slower than the most skilled test driver.” 

Slip into the two-seater paddle shift transmission with someone special or sexy (or both), and let the purring  4,3lt V8 engine increase your power by 360KW and show you around town in a flash of sleek red status. 

Despite being easy, the Spider doesn't reveal all its pleasures in one go. To truly appreciate its grace, beauty and appeal, it helps to spend a bit of quality time together. And the best thing about it? It's red. Of course.

See for yourself at Status Luxury Vehicles.