- Free-revving 3.5-litre V8 engine sound great
- Excellent dynamics
- Seductive Pininfarina styling
- Confounding levers and buttons for selecting drive modes
- For manual models, throttle pedal has initial resistance, making it difficult to drive smoothly
- High maintenance costs
Review: Ferrari F355 (1995-99)
Overview
Released in February 1995, the Ferrari F355 range initially consisted of the Berlinetta (coupe) and GTS (targa) sports cars, with the Spider (convertible) following in October 1995. Manufactured in Maranello, Italy, the rear-wheel drive F355 was powered by a 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine that was initially mated to a conventional six-speed manual transmission. From 1997, however, the F355 was available with an electrohydraulically-controlled manual transmission which omitted the clutch pedal and was controlled via Formula One-style steering wheel gearshift paddles.
The 3.5-litre V8 petrol engine had double overhead camshafts, five valves per cylinder, forged aluminium alloy pistons, titanium alloy connecting rods, dry sump lubrication and a compression ratio of 11.0:1. The F355 could accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and had a top speed of 295 km/h.
Compared to the Ferrari 348 , the F355 was 20 mm longer (at 4250 mm) and 6 mm wider (1900 mm), but height (1170 mm) and wheelbase length (2451 mm) were unchanged. The F355 had independent suspension front and rear with unequal length wishbones, coil springs over gas-filled telescopic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars; the F355 was also fitted with a multi-plate limited slip rear differential.
| Variant | Body | Engine | Trans. | Peak power | Peak torque |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlinetta | Coupe | 3.5-litre petrol V8 | 6sp man. | 280 kW at 8250 rpm | 363 Nm at 6000 rpm |
| GTS | Targa | ||||
| Spider | Convertible |
Safety equipment
Standard safety equipment for the Ferrari F355 included dual front airbags and ABS.
Features
Standard features for the Ferrari F355 included 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/40 front and 265/40 ZR18 Pirelli tyres, an eight speaker sound system, air conditioning, contoured sports seats, leather trim, cruise control, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, power windows, power mirrors and an adjustable steering wheel.
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