SCUDERIA (scoo-da- rear) means 'the team' in Italian, and Ferrari has chosen to christen its latest offering the 430 Scuderia ? in honour of its successful Formula One team.

The car embodies Ferrari?s F1 expertise, starting with the shedding of 100kg. Its 4.3-litre V8 gets 20 more horses to arrive at 510bhp or 118.4bhp per litre.

The increment is not just at the peak, but spread throughout the rev range. Ferrari did this by improving the intake and exhaust systems, allowing the car to breathe freer than before.

Then, with an ultra-sophisticated ion detection system, each of the eight cylinders is monitored to ensure there is perfect combustion with each piston stroke.

The result? An engine that is so eager and responsive, it completely overshadows the original.

Next, the transmission which is dubbed F-1 Superfast II. It shifts in an incredible 60 milliseconds (versus 100 milliseconds for the Ferrari 599 GTBs and 30 milliseconds for Kimi Raikkonen?s red car).

There is barely a pause in the power delivery as you rifle through the gears. Not only that, the new gearbox is also smoother.

But the biggest difference in the Scuderia are its electronic aids: a traction control system called F-1 Trac and an electronically controlled rear differential called E-Diff. The latter can channel all the engine?s horses to the rear wheels for powering out of corners.

With Launch Control, the 430 Scuderia will propel to 100kmh in 3.6 seconds. It will hit 200kmh in 11.6 seconds, before peaking at 320kmh. The garden variety F430 clocks 0-100kmh in 4 seconds and hits a top speed of 315kmh.

At this point, the car?s aerodynamics provides more than 310kg of downforce (some 30kg more than the F430).

And to make sure it has enough stopping power at this velocity, Ferrari has fitted the car with some of the biggest carbon-ceramic brakes in the business.

In the capable hands of Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi, the Scuderia completes a lap of the 3km pretzel-shaped Fiorano track in a minute and 25 seconds. That equals the illustrious 660bhp Ferrari Enzo?s timing.

Talk about David slaying Goliath.

On the open road too, the car proves to be truly awesome. It is so explosively powerful and expressively accurate that there is really not much you can add to it.

Except for what Michael Schumacher suggested ? a ?soft? suspension setting independent of all the race or sport modes.

This last tweak has given the 430 Scuderia the suppleness to attack demanding mountain roads with a fluidity that no other Ferrari has been able to attain before.

If you?ve just made a killing on the stock or property market, you might want to reward yourself with one.

FERRARI 430 SCUDERIA
Price: $980,000 with COE (est)
Engine: 4,308cc 32-valve V8
Transmission: Six-speed semi-automatic
Power: 510bhp at 8,500rpm
Torque: 470Nm at 5,250rpm
0-100kmh: 3.6 seconds
Top speed: 320kmh
Fuel consumption: 15.7 litres/100km (city-highway)
Agent: Hong Seh Motors