Aesthetics of a 355 vs. 360

Let me just add that the efficiency of HP/torque delivery to the rear wheels are much greater with 360, so typically you would see as much as 40 HP more with the 360. Also max torque for 360 happens much earlier in the RPM range than in F355 and is again more than 30 lb.ft more. Also when the variable intake rail change to deliver more HP and Torque the delay in reaction is well pronounced in F355 and almost transparent in 360 around 5500 RPM. These are some of the specifics that I have noticed can make the car lazier than 360.

 

I'm still in love w/ my 355 Spider and I agree that it has the classic Ferrari lines in it. However, it is starting to look a little aged only because of the pop-up headlights. I love the rest of the car's styling, particularly the side vents on the doors. My favorite part of the 360 Spider is the raised bevels behind each seat that frame the roll bars. I foresee a 360 Spider in my garage once they take the big depreciation hit in a couple of years due to the 430's emergence.

 

Exactly.
the rear end of F355 is just beautiful. low and wide. the side profile is great too, love the door vents. just the front is dated, with the 90's pop-up headlight.
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my 2 cents:

to me, F355 drives alot more like a real sports car, u sit very low, for crying out loud i need to supporting my arm on the door step to get out. the sound is amazing. the cockpit in simple. basicly u feel like you are operating a serious piece of driving machine.
however, one reason that made me looking into 360(i eventually went for the CS), is that i feel the F355 is not holding up under aggressive driving condition. in all honesty, it is a 10 yrs old car(i have a '95), some components might not be up to today's standard of a sports car. the steering feels light at high speed, the brakes does not give me confidence at high speed.

thus, i think 355 drives more like a sports car, but 360 has better performance and gives more confidence when u push it.

 

1) there is no question that 355 is better bang for the buck. u can 95% of performance with 70% of price. although keep in mind, performance is not just 0-60 and 1/4m. i have a '95(they call it the faster yr), i have tubi and decat, i am pretty sure i can run with a 360 easily. but suspension, handling, braking, i am no where near a 360.

2) i dont think the mods add that much power. a chip for 25hp? then ferrari should have used that chip from the factory.

3) cant compared modded to stock. what if the 360 gets a tubi and remappin as well

 

agree, i think the rear end of 355 look particular neat esp with the challenge grille !!!

 

Absolutely !!!! you can read my mind

 

That is a great analysis, I never looked at it this way, and believe me I've given this a lot of thought.

Although I go back and forth, I'd have to give it to the 360, just for all the brilliant details that you don't see right away. For example the rising accent line that starts as the top of the front bumper and wraps around the car all the way back to the tail, amazing.

 

Well, for starters, your weights are off. The 360 is roughly 200 lbs lighter than the 355. From the 360 sales brochure: "The exclusive use of aluminum has enabled Ferrari engineers to reduce the 360 Modena's weight by 100kg compared to the F355...". I don't have the figures in front of me, but I would guess the 355 Spider would be closer to 3400 lbs. And in every road test I've ever seen, the F1 gearbox is virtually identical to the 6-spd in acceleration times. The real advantage is in consistency, not outright acceleration.

Gary

 

Shawsan,

I have to make a couple of points:
1. I have driven both F355 and 360 Modena and there is no comparison in ride quality, handling and pure exhilaration. 360 feels like a thoroughbred just wants to GO no matter what gear.
2. Both spiders are gorgeous but I would not rig them for sustained high speed maneuvering. I have driven a 2001 spider and even though there is a lot of rave about its chassis being rigid I still find it too uncomfortable push it around the bends compare to the coupe.

Also, no one is putting F355 down (10 year old technology), you can rig F355 to be more powerful than F430 but when it comes to using the power on the road as WoodEar explains it is much easier to handle a F355 than a 360.

 

YES! The challenge grille, in my opinion, is the best look on all...

 

I've got a coupe, not a Spider, perhaps someone else will chime in. I agree there is a lot of confusion over the terms dry weight, curb weight, etc, but when Ferrari says the 360 is 100kg lighter than the 355, I assume they are comparing apples and apples, and the figure probably applies to the Spider as well as the coupe.

Gary

 

360 is all aluminum, sounds about right.

 

Forget what Ferrari literature states, it's pure bull****. The 360 coupe and 355 coupe weigh virtually the same, The 360 spider weighs more than a 355 Spider mainly due to the top mechanism. The earlier models weigh less than the later models in both cases.

 

My '96 Spider weighs in @ 3174 lb according to the manual.....

 

This a particularly interesting thread for me since I am in the throes of deciding between the 355 spider or the 360 coupe. I personally love the lines of the 355 spider and think it's cleaner than that of the 360 spider (the hoops just don't work for me). On the other hand, I still remember the first time I saw the 360 coupe in the flesh- a bright red piece of moving art in a sea of yellow cabs in SOHO NY. I was convinced that this was the best looking Ferrari post the Dino.

Nevertheless, I love top down driving and started a mini search for a 355 spider about a year ago and have learned an enormous amount from this site. Unfortuntately, I'm nervous making a move on a 355 spider as my first Ferrari given the well established issues and the painful fixes to get the car really right (e.g. exhaust manifolds replaced by those from QV/ London). The 360 so far appears to be more reliable, arguably better performing, and more "current" given its clear presence in the 430. Prices are also dropping within striking range (9 iron-ish) of late model, good example 355 spiders. So I'm leaning 360 coupe.

Thoughts?