Ferrari 360

Ferrari 360 at a glance

The 360 sits in the line of Ferrari's V8 mid-engined cars between the F355 and the Ferrari F430, which in turn led to the Ferrari 458 Italia. All models are listed in the Ferrari catalogue.

Development and the aluminium chassis

By the late 1990s the F355 was a success, but its steel-based chassis limited how much weight Ferrari could save in a larger, better-equipped successor. For the new car Ferrari worked with the aluminium producer Alcoa on an all-aluminium spaceframe. According to Wikipedia, the new frame was 40 per cent stiffer and 28 per cent lighter than the frame of the earlier car, even though the overall dimensions grew by about 10 per cent. Ferrari said the complete car was 60 kg lighter.

The extra size went into space for the occupants. The wheelbase was 2,600 mm and the body 4,477 mm long and 1,922 mm wide, making the 360 roomier and easier to live with than its predecessor. The weight distribution was 42 per cent front, 58 per cent rear.

The 360 Modena was launched in 1999, named after the city of Modena. It was produced alongside the Spider until the F430 replaced both.

Design by Pininfarina

The body was designed by Pininfarina under design director Lorenzo Ramaciotti. Clay models were made in 1996 and 1997, the exterior was approved in late 1997 and the design was frozen for production the following year. Wikipedia describes it as the first Ferrari fully developed with computer-aided surfacing.

The 360 broke with Ferrari tradition at the front. Instead of a single egg-crate grille it has two separate intakes at the corners, feeding low-mounted radiators. Under the car, a flat floor with twin rear diffusers generates downforce, so no rear spoiler was needed. The headlamps had clear covers - a first for a Ferrari V8 berlinetta - and the engine sits under a curved glass cover, so the V8 is on display. Large elliptical scoops behind the doors feed air to the engine.

Inside, Pininfarina and Ferrari's Centro Stile designed a cabin focused on the driver, with exposed aluminium and leather trim.

Engine and gearbox

The F131 V8 has a displacement of 3,586 cc (bore 85 mm, stroke 79 mm), a 90-degree angle between the banks and a flat-plane crankshaft. Each cylinder has five valves. Titanium connecting rods, a compression ratio of 11.2:1 and Bosch Motronic 7.3 injection help the engine rev to 8,650 rpm.

Car magazine measured 0–100 km/h in 4.98 seconds in November 1999, slower than Ferrari's claim. Other tests recorded a top speed of 282 km/h, limited by the rev limiter.

Two gearboxes were available: a six-speed manual with the traditional open gate and the six-speed "F1" electro-hydraulic automated manual made by Graziano, operated with paddles behind the steering wheel. The F1 gearbox took most of the sales: only 469 Modena coupés and 670 Spiders were built with the manual.

The Ferrari 360 Spider

The open version was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2000. It was Ferrari's 20th road-going convertible. To keep the body stiff without a roof, Ferrari reinforced the sills, the floor and the windscreen frame, added a cross brace in front of the engine and stiffened the rear bulkhead to reduce noise in the cabin. The Spider weighs about 60 kg more than the coupé. Its fabric roof is electrically operated and was offered in black, blue, grey or beige.

The Spider kept the full 294 kW (400 PS) engine and was nearly as fast as the coupé. It sold well: 7,565 were built, almost as many as the Modena.

Challenge Stradale

The Challenge Stradale was Ferrari's road version of its one-make racing car. Ferrari said it was designed for about 20 per cent track use and 80 per cent road use. The engine was raised to 313 kW (425 PS). Carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes, taken from the Enzo, were standard and saved 16 kg. Lightweight BBS wheels, Lexan windows and other parts reduced the weight by up to 110 kg compared with the Modena; the kerb weight was 1,430 kg and the dry weight 1,180 kg.

Ferrari quoted 0–100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and a lap of its Fiorano test track 3.5 seconds faster than the Modena. 1,288 were built. It is now one of the most sought-after Ferrari V8s of its period.

Racing versions

The 360 Challenge had a stripped interior with a carbon racing seat, roll cage and fire suppression system. Ferrari quoted 0–100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and a limited top speed of 298 km/h.

One unusual car deserves a mention: the 360 Barchetta, a one-off based on the Spider. Gianni Agnelli commissioned it in 2000 as a wedding present for Ferrari's president Luca Cordero di Montezemolo. It has no roof or roll bars and a small visor instead of a windscreen.

Legacy

The 360 moved Ferrari's V8 cars to aluminium construction, and Ferrari's later mid-engined V8 cars kept aluminium as the main material. It was larger and more comfortable than the F355 without being heavier, and its F1 gearbox made paddle shifting the normal choice for Ferrari buyers. The F430 that replaced it in 2004–2005 kept the basic concept and added a new 4.3-litre engine. The wider story of the company is told in our history of Ferrari.

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