2003 Ferrari 360 F1 Spider

Description

Introduced in 1999, Ferrari’s 360 Modena was an all-new design replacing the popular F355 and the latest in the long-running series of mid-engined V8 models that continues to the present day with the latest F8 Tributo series.  Built around a completely new all-aluminium chassis and Pininfarina styling that marked a break with tradition (doing away with pop-up headlamps and a traditional grille), the 360 was significantly lighter and more powerful than its predecessors, elevating the ‘junior’ Ferrari to genuine supercar performance levels.  The 3.6-litre Tipo F131 V8 employed a flat plane crank and titanium connecting rods to develop a power output of 395 horsepower and for the first time was offered with the optional ‘F1’ single-clutch electrohydraulic-actuated gearshift, although a traditional six-speed gated manual was still available.  A year after the 360 Modena went into production Ferrari unveiled a Spider variant at the Geneva Salon in 2000, with a reinforced chassis and safety roll bars integrated into the bodywork.  Weighing just 60 kgs more than the coupe, the 360 Spider’s engine was displayed under a glass cover and the soft-top was electrically operated.  With a top speed of 295 km/h and zero to 100 dispatched in just 4.5 seconds, the 360 is still an impressively quick – not to mention incredibly rewarding - car to drive today.  Commercially successful, the 360 Spider almost outsold the Modena (7,565 were made compared with 8,800 coupes) and even fewer of these were in right-hand drive configuration – the vast majority of which went to the UK, making the car offered here a rare beast indeed.