1996 Ferrari F355 Spider

Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest Ferraris of the modern era, the F355 was launched in 1994 and was a quantum leap over the previous V8 models in every area. The F355 looked fabulous, losing the controversial side strakes of the 348 and was a far more harmonious, balanced overall design. The 3.5-litre V8 had five valves per cylinder and developed 380bhp at an ear-splitting 8250rpm to deliver performance that put the car firmly in the big league - 0-100km/h was dispatched in 4.7 seconds and the top speed was approaching 300km/h. The handling was improved by locating the new six-speed gearbox longitudinally behind the engine and fitting a flat undertray (with venturis at the rear) while the interior was also one of Ferrari's best, beautifully detailed and finished. A popular option was the F1 paddle-shift gearbox and the F355 came in three different body styles - coupe (berlinetta), targa (GTS) and spider. There were just 2,663 spiders built, with electronically controlled folding top that stowed neatly away under a canvas hood and giving little away in terms of outright performance and handling to its fixed-head stablemate. As the English Car magazine wrote , the F355 is "...the work of a marque that knows it makes the best sports cars in the world, but still shocks the rest with the depth of its brilliance."