Top speed for a 348 Spider?

I have gotten mixed numbers for the Spider as to top end MPH. I have read multiple stats that say top end is 154mph to 171mph. Can someone shed some light on the speed thing for me???? Thanks.

 

This are EU specs:

The 1995 spider has the 320hp engine. They did here 275 km/h (171,8mph).
The late 1993 348 GTB/S has the same improved engine and was quoted for 280 (175mph). Guess the extra few mph was due to the better aerodynamics.

The "older" engine was 300 hp here and quoted for 275 km/h.

In the real life ?
I have a GTB and it does just over 280 (175mph) on the speedo.

 

I have it 300KPH in my 348 spider with the roof down. Got over took by a bike though. The speedo might be out but I did have had it recalibrated because I run with 18" wheels on it.

 

I thought there was no re-calibration required for 18" wheels if upgrading from 17"?

 

I know 145 is too slow for a '94 Spider. I've hit 145 on a short burst and still had plenty of pedal left.

 

I remember the reviews and am almost positive in these two figures (I love the 348's and the 348 Spider is the best looking convertible ever made in my opinion).

348 - 171mph
348 Spider - 167

 

Disagree with top speeds. I have had the car on the rolling road showing 183 MPH. Well mine is chipped to around 370 BHP depending on the weather. Its as quick as a standard 355...

 

370HP with a chip? I am not the most mechanically inclined guy when it comes to cars, but how do you go from lets say 312-320hp to 370 just by changing a chip? Please explain. I would like to get more HP out of my Spider. Is there a down side to changing the factory chip, engine wear etc. Thanks

 

Sounds like you have more hp than stock first of all, and second if your car says 183mph, it's really close to 167 - 171 actual mph at that speed. Almost all cars have optimistic speedometers. If your car says your going 65, your really doing 61-63. The faster you go, the more error there is.

 

Road & Track's test of the 348 Spider in June 1993 estimates the top speed at 157mph @ 7700rpm in 5th.

Car & Driver's test of the 348 Spider in December 1993 lists a top speed of 154mph @ 7500rpm in 5th.

Apparently the explanation for the decrease in top speed (from the earlier 171mph on the tb/ts) has to do with a ratio change in the transfer gear from the engine to the gearbox, from 1.09:1 to 1.22:1, and a ratio change in 5th gear on the Spider, from 0.86 to 0.84.

 

This is right out of the USA Version 1994 348 Spider Owner's manual...

Curb Weight, Empty: 3252 lbs

0-60...5.3 seconds

Standing 1/4 mile...13.25 seconds

Maximum Speed...171 MPH

(See attached)
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Of course, this is just what the factory says...they also show in the manual that the '94's had the black lower body (spoilers and rockers).



Mike

 

Huh, now that I look closer, they also show that the 94 model has the earlier headrests as well. They CAN'T BE RIGHT!!!

Based on my latest findings, the top speed on the 348 Spider must be around 75 MPH!!!
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Do you have those reviews handy? I would love to read them if you could post them as a pdf or something.

 

154~157 mph sounds pretty close. If I recall correctly my 348 spider is pulling around 3k rpm's at about 60~65 mph, give or take, in 5th gear.

 

Joshua: Send me a PM with your email address and I'll try to scan and send those items this evening, OK?

 

It is still unclear to me what the true MPH is. If redline is 7500 and the MPH is 154 how can it go any faster unless they were testing a 348 Spider that had a different gear ratio then what is in most Spiders. Could they have been using a Euro 348? Is it possible that Ferrari made different ratios for both sides of the pond? I know I have had my Spider up to 145mph with the top up and had lots more to go.

 

You can't cheat the numbers. Car & Driver's report says the car tested did 20.6 mph/1000rpm in 5th gear, with a 0.84 ratio on 5th gear, a 3.56 final drive ratio, a 1.22 transfer gear ratio, and 17 inch tires.

So at 7500rpm in 5th, it would do 154.5mph.
At 7700rpm in 5th, it would be doing 158.6mph
In order to reach 171mph in 5th, it would have to be turning 8300rpm, and since the horsepower peak is at 7200rpm, I don't think the engine has enough power to pull 8300.

In order to change those numbers, you would have to change one of the variables (gear ratios, rpm's, rolling diameter of tires, peak horsepower).

 

Point noted. If this is all fact and it sounds like it is then the speedos on the 348 read way too hi!

 

Yeah, that must be!!! LOL, Mine indicates 10 mph when it's off and parked in the garage!!!

Darned Italians!!

On a serious note, I have noticed that I can squeeze a little extra OOOMPF out of my car if I make my own sound effects!! You guys should try it some time. Just give it your best F1 impression and I'm sure you'll find that you're able to squeeze some serious performance - even out of a Barbi Ferrari!!!

 

My Ken Ferrari does 171mph.

 

Sorry, But must disagree with you. My car has been put on a rolling road and the speedo caliberated by a computer connected to car ECU's and gearbox were the speed sensor is located.

 

My car was purchased in from Germany with mods done by Dimex Automotive in Germany.

I purchased my 348 spider with car tuned and chipped already. It was done buy dimex, their website is www.dimex-automotive.com

To gain about 40+ BHP they did the following.

1. Decatted Tubi exhaust system.
2. Dimex Chip for both ECU's - Two stage tuning.
3. K&N Air Filter
4. Power boost fuel Regulators
6. Optimized the air meters - Tuning
5. Previous owner had the valve seats reground and highly polished according to the information he gave me.

Dimex have a brochure on their website showing the power upgrades they do and what is required.

I have the brochure as a word document.
Send my your e-mail address to attach. Unable to attach this way.

These are my 348 Spider performance fiqures that was recorded on the rolling road by Dimex.

F348 Performance Data
0-100 km/h - 4.7 sec / 0-60 mph - 4.6 sec
Top speed is 295 Km/h / 183 mph
Max Rpm Limit - 8200 rpm
Max Power Output – 269 Kw / 365 bhp (PS) at 7,800 rpm
Max Torque – 375Nm / 278 lbs/ft at 5,200 rpm

Kindest Regards,
Justin Kenyon

 

The car gets the most BHP when its a damp moist winters morning etc. The denser the air the better.

On average the car is about 360 BHP (+ or - 5 bhp)



The requested Brochure.
View attachment F348 DIMEX Export.doc

 

I just checked the numbers according to what I found in my owner's manual:

5th Gear .84 ratio
Differential: 3.56
They also quote a great statistic of 3.644 engine revs in 5th gear for every 1 final drive wheel rev.

The manual states a 1980mm (6.496 ft) circumference, however, I calculated more like 2077.5mm using the following calculation

17" wheel with 255/45 rear tires gives a circumfrence of 1980mm or 6.496 ft.
(Check it for your self, get section height by multiplying width x aspect and double - diameter has two side wall heights, then add this to your wheel diameter and you will now have total diameter.)

So... 255 (width) x .45 (aspect ratio) = 114.75mm (double then add to wheel diameter to get total diameter of wheel and tire)

229.5 mm (2 x section height) + 431.8 (17" wheel x 25.4 = 431.8mm)= 661.3 mm overall diameter for the rear wheel.

circumference is 2 x pi (3.1415) x 330.65mm (radius or 661.3 / 2) = 2077.5 mm (6.8ft) circumfrence, not 1980mm (6.5ft).

Now if you use the figures in the manual here is what you get:

With a max engine speed of (7700 rpms x 6.496ft distance per wheel revolution) divided by 3.644 engine revs per wheel rev, divide that by 5280 (how many feet are in a mile), then multiply that times 60 (how many minutes are in an hour) and you get...drum roll please...156 MPH


Now if you use the adjusted diameter figures using the actual wheel sizes you get this:

max engine speed of 7700 rpms x 6.8ft distance per wheel revolution, divide that by 3.644 engine revs per wheel rev, divide that by 5280 (how many feet are in a mile), then multiply that times 60 (how many minutes are in an hour) and you get....drum roll please... 163.3mph. Still using these adjusted figures, in order to achieve 171 mph, all other factors staying the same(wheel diameter and engine revs per wheel rev), you would need to squeeze out 8064 rpm.

"Uhh, it was my understanding that there would be no math involved!!"

Anyone want to go out and measure the circumference of their rear tire?