This week I was invited to attend the launch of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia at EuroMarque, the official Ferrari dealer for Queensland.

I was standing in for well- known motoring journalist Ewan Kennedy, who was unable to attend the launch due to pressures of other launches.

I am not a motoring journalist, but a mere practicing barrister at law based on the Gold Coast.

Ewan is a friend and thought that it may be appropriate I attend the launch on his behalf because of a brief romance I once had with a 355 Spider in the mid-90s, which apparently makes me aptly qualified!

At the launch I quickly realised that the Ferrari experience is not dissimilar to the kind of romance that Grace Kelly and Cary Grant would portray – grace, affluence and pure style.

As Ferrari public relations manager Edward Rowe explained to me, the process of purchasing a Ferrari starts with the courtship, the idea of actually considering making her your own, and finally the realisation of the commitment.

From the time you first order the 430 Scuderia to actually having sole possession will take approximately two years.

The cost of this vehicle is $580,000 (which I am told includes approximately 37.5 per cent Australian tax and an additional 10 per cent GST).

This price will increase when one selects a few extras, such as a radio(!), lighter wheel nuts, lighter bumper panels and door skins.

You can expect to spend about another $80,000 I am told on a few extras – well who’s counting?

Seriously, if you are playing in this field then money is not the primary focus.

Currently there are 70 F430 Scuderia on order within Australia – Ferrari did request that the dealers slow down with the sales – really!

Michael Schumacher unveil-ed the 430 Scuderia at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show.

He had contributed to the 430 Scuderia developments at different stages which has further strengthened the link between this new model and Ferrari’s Formula One single-seaters.

This new extremely high performance two seater is brimming with F1 derived technology and is an excellent compromise be-tween extreme performance and driving pleasure.

The 430 Scuderia is a high performance Berlinetta by Ferrari which has a V8 mid-engine. This new model has some extraordinary characteristics, which make it stand out amongst the other Ferrari models.

It is the strongest and purest road-going Ferrari in the terms of uncompromising sportiness, being lightweight with an appearance and sound of astounding impact.

Ferrari’s masterpiece is 100kg lighter than the standard F430 and increases engine output to 375kW, 503hp, at 8500rpm.

The weight to power ratio is thus reduced from 2.96kg/hp to just 2.45kg/hp.

In addition to weight saving measures, the Scuderia sequential manual transmission gains improved Superfast software for 60-millisecond shift times.

A new traction control system combines the F1-Trac traction and stability control with the E-Diff electronic differential. The Ferrari 430 Scuderia does the 0-100 km/h sprint in less than 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 319 km/h.

A truly remarkable superior luxury sports motor car and a great privilege to attend the launch of the 430 Scuderia.