2005 Ford GT vs. 2005 Ferrari F430

It's hard to imagine a Ferrari feeling its best in south Michigan--the endless straight roads, slapping concrete surfaces, and potholes the size of a Kenworth; the speed limits, the traffic, the stoplights. It's definitely not Ferrari country. That's why we've brought the Italian's Detroit rival, the Ford GT, to the heart of Ferrari territory, up in the mountain back roads above Maranello, the very twisting routes where Ferrari tests Ferraris.

And the Ford is loving it. It grabs these hillsides by the throat, dispensing its 550 horsepower onto the pavement with an urge that stuns. It rockets out of the hairpins, second gear throwing us back into the seat, widening our eyes. That one cog will blast to 90 mph when there's the chance, and when we reach the top of the hills it gets it, the bright red GT flashing along ridgetop roads like a low-flying jet.

Today we're moving in formation. Shadowing the GT's every move is Ferrari's latest V-8 coupe, the F430. Two red flashes, vivid as slashes in your retina. The Ford impossibly low and wide, an organically primal shape, that flat rear deck offsetting the swollen rear fenders in a shape so hormonally suggestive it ought to be banned from daytime TV. How can any car make a Ferrari look so narrow, pinched, and tall? That's not to say there's no interest in the Ferrari shape: The way it handles air in/out ducting is beautifully worked, and the scarcity and narrowness of its cutlines make it seem a higher-quality piece than the Ford.

Both use rear glass to make display cases for their engines. At 4.3 liters versus 5.4, the Ferrari is down on capacity on the GT and down by a supercharger, too. Crucially, the F430 is also down on weight. And, as we're finding through these enchantingly challenging roads, the local opens up a gap on the visitor. We swap between the cars, and the Ferrari pulls out in front, steadily making distance--at least until the road goes straight, when the Ford winches the Ferrari back in. This is a fascinating contest; a series of drives that will sear their way into our memories.