Ferrari Car

The Ferrari 360 is a mid-engine two-seat sports car produced between 1999 and 2005. The 360 replaced the Ferrari F355 and was itself replaced by the fairly similar Ferrari F430. For the 360, Ferrari partnered with Alcoa to produce an entirely new all-aluminum space-frame chassis that was 40% stiffer than the Ferrari 355, yet 28% lighter despite a 10% increase in overall dimensions. Along with the new frame was a new Pininfarina body styling that broke ranks with the last decade's sharp angles and flip-up headlights, replacing them with a rounded appearance that harkened to the 1960s. The new V8 engine, common to all versions, was only slightly larger and more powerful than the 355's at 3.6 litres and 300 kW (400 bhp) of power, but the lighter frame and added stiffness improved performance; the 0 to 100 km/h acceleration performance improved from 4.6 to 4.4 seconds (not as trivial as it might seem), and in the Challenge versions it was as low as 4.0 s. An engine replacement resulted in the current V8 road model, the F430 (internally referred to as the evoluzione or evo) which came out in 2004.

There are quite a few version of the Ferrari 360. First we will look at the cars, which were produced for city roads :

1. Ferrari 360 Modena, a fixed roof two-door luxury sports coupe, available with a 6-speed manual or F1 electrohydraulic shift;
2. Ferrari 360 Spider, a convertible variant of the Modena;
3. Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale, an F1 electrohydraulic shift 360 Challenge inspired variant of a 360 Modena.


And, here are those, which were made for racing :

4. Ferrari 360 Challenge, a 360 F1 electrohydraulic shift stripped out circuit racing variant of the 360 Modena.
5. Ferrari 360 GT, a GT racing variant of the 360 challenge race cars, more extreme than a Challenge.
6. Ferrari 360 GT-C, based on the 360 GT with 360 CS parts to compete in the N-GT class.
7. Ferrari 360 Barchetta, a one-off wedding present from Ferrari to Ferrari's president.


The first model of the 360 to ship was the 360 Modena, named after the town of Modena, the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari. Its six-speed gearbox is available as a manual or F1 electrohydraulic shift. The car went into production in 1999 and remained in production until 2005 when it was replaced by the F430. The Modena was followed by the 360 Spider, Ferrari's 20th road-going convertible. Other than weight, the Spider's specifications match those of the Modena almost exactly.

The 360 Challenge Stradale (or 360 CS) was a later addition to the road line. It was essentially a lightened version of the Modena, dropping 110 kilograms. Changes included larger 19" BBS wheels, the use of carbon fiber for the frames of the seats and mirrors, titanium springs which were also 20% stiffer, and carbon ceramic brake disks. A variety of option allowed for further weight reductions, including replacing the leather interior with fabric, removal of the power windows and mirrors, and leaving off the stereo. Lexan side windows were available in Europe only. It was officially introduced in March of 2003 at the Geneva International Motor Show and went into production shortly thereafter. The 360 CS can be compared to Porsche's GT3 RS model in design approach and many magazines have placed them head to head in road tests. Jeremy Clarkson compared the two and chose the 360 CS to be his favorite.

The 360 Spider is Ferrari's twentieth roadgoing convertible. The model was regarded a classic even when launched in 2000. Designer Pininfarinas lines are by many regarded as timelessly beautiful and yet sportingly aggressive.

The engineers worked hard from the start of the 360 project to lay the foundation for a Spider with exceptional torsional and flexional rigidity. They had to strengthen the sills, stiffen the front of the floorpan and redesign the windscreen frame. The rear bulkhead had to be stiffened to cut out engine noise from the cabin. The convertible's necessary dynamic rigidity is provided by additional side reinforcements and a cross brace in front of the engine. Passenger safety is ensured by a strengthened windscreen frame and roll bars.

The 360 Spider displays a curvilinear waistline. The fairings imply the start of a roof, and stable roll bars are embedded in these elevations. Due to use of light aluminium constructions throughout, the Spider weighs in with only 60 kg (130 lbs) more than the coupé.

With its hood up, the Ferrari 360 Spider looks extremely aggressive. Lowering the hood totally transforms the look. Seen from the side, the 360 Spider resembles a sports racer, a sensation underlined by the length of the rear engine bay, the twin roll bars, the rear fairings and the steep windscreen.

As with the Modena version, its 3.6 litre V8 with 400 bhp is on display under a glass hood. The engine - confined in space by the convertible's top's storage area - acquires additional air supply through especially large side grills. The intake manifolds, with the classical Ferrari covers, cuddle up to each other between the air supply conduits in the Spider engine compartment, as opposed to lying apart as with the Mondena.

Despite the car's mid-mounted V8 engine Ferrari's engineers found a way of creating a hood that automatically folds away inside the engine bay, thus ensuring purity of line. The top canopy of crease free material comes in black, blue, grey and beige. The striptease from a closed top to an open-air convertible is a two-stage folding-action that has been dubbed "a stunning 20 second mechanical symphony". After a short to and fro, the entire top disappears into a closed storage area between the seating and the engine.

The interior of the Spider is identical to the coupé.

The Challenge Stradale is the hard-core, race-focused version of the Modena. With a modified 3.6-litre V8 motor from the Modena, the Challenge Stradale accelerates from 0 to 100km/h (62mph) in just 4.2 seconds.

In total, the CS is 110 kg (243 lbs) lighter than the ordinary Modena. 94 kilos (207 lbs) was taken off on the aluminium bodywork and by stripping the interior. The engine and transmission was slimmed down 11 kg (24 lbs).

The common difference between a Challenge Stradale and the base Modena is by the larger 19" BBS wheels on the CS, and carbon-fibre side mirrors. Other noticeable differences include an updated front bumper, lower ride height, and a black mesh grille at the rear end of the car, with the unique Challenge Stradale badge.

The car also has unique bucket seats which are noticeable from the outside.

The 360 was well-received but some people found the new Pininfarina styling as too radical compared to the F355 it replaced.

Handling was described by some journalists as tricky on the limit, similar to its predecessor (the 355) while conflictingly others such as the well known Tiff Needell (from BBC's Top Gear, now Fifth Gear) loved the handling. In Tiff's review of the car for BBC's first review on Top Gear he was gushing about how well the car handled at the limit and how progressive the car behaved after driving the car on the track.

Much later on in the new format series of BBC's Top Gear TV program, the F360 was lambasted on various occasions, mostly for its propensity to spin when at the limit of traction. James May quipped jokingly, "Actually, this is why it's called the F360, this model. You drive along, come to a corner, and you go 'FFFFFFF' as you do a 360!".

Without a doubt, this car has something to show and still, after Ferrari stopped producing this wonderful peace of art, it is very popular.