Ferrari F355

Ferrari F355 at a glance

The F355 sits in the line of Ferrari's mid-engined V8 cars between the 348 and the 360 Modena, which was followed by the Ferrari F430. All models are listed in the Ferrari catalogue.

Development: a heavily revised 348

The F355 was not an all-new car. Wikipedia describes it as a heavily revised 348, with the main aims of much better performance and easier driving at low speeds, for example in city traffic.

The steel monocoque with a tubular steel rear subframe was carried over in principle, but nearly everything around it changed: the engine, the suspension, the gear linkage and the aerodynamics. To make the gearbox easier to use from cold, a heat exchanger warmed the gearbox oil with engine coolant, and a rod-operated linkage replaced the cables of the 348 for a more precise shift.

The name also broke with Ferrari's habit at the time. Instead of combining capacity and the number of cylinders, "355" stands for 3.5 litres and five valves per cylinder — a way to highlight the most important technical change.

Design and aerodynamics

The body was designed at Pininfarina by Maurizio Corbi. It kept the proportions of the 348 but looked cleaner and more rounded, with a lower nose, side intakes in front of the rear wheels and a short tail. The car spent more than 1,300 hours in the wind tunnel. The result was a small lip on the upper part of the tail and an underbody fairing that creates downforce at speed, so the F355 needed no large rear wing.

Inside, the seats were trimmed in Connolly leather and mounted slightly off-centre, so the driver sat a little closer to the middle of the car. Power steering was standard; a manual steering rack was available to special order. The suspension used unequal-length wishbones front and rear, coil springs and gas dampers with electronic control, with a choice of "Comfort" and "Sport" settings. The F355 ran on 18-inch Pirelli tyres, 225/40 at the front and 265/40 at the rear.

Engine: five valves per cylinder

The F129 V8 grew from the 3,405 cc of the 348 to 3,495 cc, mainly through a stroke lengthened by 2 mm to 77 mm. The new cylinder head had five valves per cylinder to improve the flow of air into the engine. Forged titanium connecting rods allowed high revs, and dry-sump lubrication kept the engine low in the chassis. The engine was developed under Paolo Martinelli.

The specific output of about 80 kW per litre was very high for a naturally aspirated road engine of the time. The F355's high-revving V8 and its sound are among the main reasons why the car has such a strong reputation today.

The F1 gearbox

At launch the only gearbox was a six-speed manual with Ferrari's traditional open metal gate. In 1997 Ferrari introduced the F355 F1. It kept the same six-speed gearbox but added electro-hydraulic actuation of the clutch and the gear change, controlled by paddles behind the steering wheel. Wikipedia describes it as the first road car with this kind of Formula 1-style gearbox management. Ferrari had first used the system in Formula 1 in 1989, when it won on its debut at the Brazilian Grand Prix.

The benefits were faster gear changes and the ability to keep both hands on the wheel. The F1 version was a minority choice on the F355 — 1,042 Berlinettas, 1,053 Spiders and 529 GTS had it — but it set the direction for every later Ferrari.

Berlinetta, GTS and Spider

The GTS has a removable roof panel that is stored behind the seats; otherwise it is identical to the Berlinetta. The Spider has a fabric roof with electric operation — the first powered soft top on a Ferrari — and was the second most popular body style.

In March 1999 Ferrari launched the Spider "Serie Fiorano", a limited edition planned at 100 cars, of which 104 were built. It had suspension derived from the competition cars with a wider track, stiffer springs and a thicker anti-roll bar, a quicker steering rack, drilled brake discs and optional carbon fibre trim. Most of these cars went to the United States. In the last production year, European buyers could also order a Fiorano handling pack with similar parts; fewer than 2 per cent of cars had it.

F355 Challenge

From 1995 the F355 was the car of the Ferrari Challenge one-make racing series. Dealers converted standard Berlinettas with a factory kit that included a roll cage, racing seats and safety belts, a fire extinguisher, a rear wing, 14-inch Brembo brakes from the F40, 18-inch Speedline magnesium wheels, Pirelli slicks, stiffer springs and solid bushes. The engine, gearbox and dampers were sealed. Over time the factory supplied more parts each year, and the 1998 evolution cars were delivered almost complete. Wikipedia counts 108 F355 Challenge cars, all with manual gearboxes.

Road tests and ownership notes

Independent tests broadly confirmed Ferrari's figures. Car and Driver measured a top speed of 288 km/h, limited by the rev limiter, a standing quarter-mile in 13.0 seconds at 177 km/h, a stop from 113 km/h in 48 metres and 0.98 g of lateral grip on the skidpad — very high values for a road car of the mid-1990s.

Owners and buyers today should know about one safety action. In November 2009 Ferrari recalled about 2,400 F355 and F355 F1 cars from the 1995–1999 model years in the United States, because incorrectly placed screw clamps could damage the fuel-supply pipes and allow fuel to leak into the engine bay. Ferrari learned of the problem after a lawsuit over a fire that had injured a driver. Any car without proof of this work should be checked.

Legacy

The F355 improved on the 348 in performance and everyday drivability and became the most-produced Ferrari of its time, until the 360 and the F430 overtook it. It was the last Ferrari V8 with a steel body structure; its successor, the 360 Modena of 1999, moved to aluminium. Its F1 gearbox became standard practice in the industry. The story of the company is told in our history of Ferrari.

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