Ferrari 360

AUTOITALO

The Ferrari 360 is a two-seater, mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car manufactured by Italian automotive manufacturer Ferrari from 1999 to 2005. It succeeded the Ferrari F355 and was replaced by the Ferrari F430 in 2005.

Ferrari partnered with Alcoa to produce an entirely new all aluminum space-frame chassis that was 40% stiffer than the F355 which had utilized steel. The design was 28% lighter despite a 10% increase in overall dimensions. Along with a lightweight frame the new Pininfarina body styling deviated from traditions of the previous decade's sharp angles and flip-up headlights. The new V8 engine, utilizes a 3.6 litre capacity, flat plane crankshaft, titanium connecting rods and generates 395 hp (400 PS; 295 kW). Despite what on paper, looked like modest gains, in reality, the power-to-weight ratio was significantly improved on over the F355, due to the combination of both reduction in weight and more power. According to Ferrari, weight was reduced by 60 kg (130 lb) and the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) acceleration time improved from 4.7 to 4.5 seconds. Chris Harris reported that the 360 Modena press car was "ludicrously quick" and sounded more like a racing car than a street car, but the other cars were different. While performance claims for the 360 were equal to or higher than the previous model, when Car and Driver tested a stock 360 it proved heavier and slower than its predecessor's claimed performance from five years before.

The first model to be rolled out was the 360 Modena followed later by the 360 Spider and finally as a special edition, the Challenge Stradale, which was the highest-performance road-legal version of the 360 produced by the factory, featuring carbon ceramic brakes (from the Enzo), track tuned suspension, aerodynamic gains, weight reduction, power improvements and revised gearbox software among its track-focused brief. There were 8,800 Modenas and 7,565 Spiders produced worldwide. There were 4,199 built for the US market—1,810 Modenas (coupes) and 2,389 Spiders (convertibles). Of those numbers there were only 469 Modenas and 670 Spiders that were produced with a gated 6-speed manual transmission as opposed to the automated F1 single clutch transmission.[8]

In addition to this were the low-volume factory race cars and a one-off Barchetta variant. The race cars were all derived from the 360 Modena and for the first time produced as a separate model in their own right (compared to being a retrofit kit in previous incarnations). While the barchetta was based on the Spider variant. The first race car was the 360 Modena Challenge, used in a one-make series; the factory-built racing cars were prepared by official tuner, Michelotto, who also did the 360 N-GT. The N-GT was a 360 Challenge car evolved even further to compete more seriously in the FIA N-GT racing classes alongside other marques such as Porsche.