What the 355 has that others don't:

Thanks. The front end body panels are Carbon...much lighter than most challenge cars.

 

For the most part, yes I think Ferrari did a fantastic job with the aesthetics of the 355 and don't think there's anything that can be done to make it look any better.

 

For better or for worse, in the spider version, the 355 was the first Ferrari to have power retractable top.

It is also the last Ferrari to have a leather boot to cover the top when it is retracted as opposed to the hard boots with mechanical features of later models.

 

Personally, I like the stock 355 steering wheel. It is understated elegance.
Even though the F50 wheel is cool, I prefer the stock one.

 

GerryD, your car looks awesome. I even like the black wheels on that car.
I think it suits the Challenge, especially with the wing on as well.

I wouldn't put them on a standard 355 road car, though.

 

My road car is the same colour and also has the wing with satin black challenge wheels as well as challenge grill. They are almost identical. But yes the wing being black makes it blend more. I wouldn't mind getting the carbon seats for my road car as well but very very hard to find and crazy prices as well.

 

Don't know if this is true - is the 355 the first Ferrari to reach 8500 redline?

 

I believe it is, courtesy of the all new cinquevalvole engine, also a first.

Cheers,

Nuno.

 

The engine was designed to go as high as 10,000rpm. Mine tops out at 9,000.

 

To quote Ferrari and their parts department, "The faster, the better". ;>)

 

But Guido, isn't it not advisable to exceed 8500rpm and enter the redline zone?

Cheers,

Nuno.

 

Mine has the rev limiter at 9200rpm. I've hit it too many times. Odviously rapping past 8500 is against factory advice but there has to be some safety factor built into their number. I'll let you know if I find the real limit and she blows sky high.

 

How do you rev past 8500 if that's what the limiter is set to? Did you modify the ecu?

 

Eric has read my mind.

Having bought my 355 not one month ago and clocked only 100km with it, I thought if you use the F1 on "Auto", the rev limiter would engange the next gear at 8500rpm and that you could only "bypass" that and enter the redline if you use the paddles behind the wheel. Wonder what that will do to the engine in the long run, though.

I'm aware there's an improved ECU, the Fiorano if I'm not mistaken. Don't know if that pushes the rev limiter to engane beyond 8500rpm.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

That was seriously funny

 

Yes the ecus were retuned by the previous owner. I knew the redline was 8500 but did not know were the rev limiter was on a stock tune. They actually cut out at 8500? Mine goes straight to 9200 before it starts cutting it out.

 

No, they cut out at 8750rpm on a stock car. I've hit mine more than a few times

 

Mine was modified via the chips. Its a 2.7 and easy to do. Ive done other stuff too including the timing, Tubi headers, sans cats and bypass. All of these things are built into the new chip set. Ive gone head to head with a few 360s and I always pull away. We figure its turning over 410hp. The newer chip set gives you power in different areas and eliminates the bogging at take off and the midrange lack of power. Before doing all of this, I would bounce off the limiter quite often but in the last 5 years....only once and that was on purpose to see where it was. The car is now a whole different animal as the tuners in Italy put it and believe me I can feel it.
In the first 5 years I had the car, it didn't take long to feel a need for more power and it even started to piss me off at times but in the last 5 years since the upgrades, I feel I'm driving the perfect car with just the right amount of power whenever I need it. Its like two different different cars. Thats what makes the 2.7s in high demand in the last couple of years. Many upgrades cannot be done on the 5.2s in the same way.

All in all the 355 is an amazing machine and so much fun to drive no matter what year you have. The 360 and 430 do nothing for me. But the 458.......

 

Nice car Gerry. I usually don't like black wheels, but they look nice on your car.

Did you ever check acceleration times on the care with the updates?

 

No, Ive never put it on a dyne either. To me its much faster and more responsive than before. Oh and I forgot to mention that I also installed the gold connector kit.

 

Not to be disagreeable, but yes, these upgrades can all be done on the 5.2, IF you get someone to reprogram the ECU (which Fabspeed found someone to do mine). I do not get check engine lights, slow down ecu lights, there is no air pump, no catalytic converters, no secondary exhaust valve madness, etc. It just plain works.

I have headers, a twin inlet/twin outlet muffler on one branch of the exhaust, electronically controlled manual bypass valves that I can leave wide open, an aerospace logic EGT unit which feeds the ECU the right voltages for "slow down" based on my programmed settings, and the reprogrammed fuel/ignition map that was supplied by Fabspeed which appears well behaved but untested on the dyno. The car is certainly faster than stock.

Finally, I agree... The 360/430 do little for me, but the 458... oh ya... I want!

 

Was it the last car to have the hand brake lever next to the driver's sill?

 

The new 458 spider also incorporates the flying buttress design style, it's also a targa top even though it's not called GTS anymore.

Was the F355 the last v8 ferrari with IRTBs? I think it might have been and for the same reason is also one of the best sounding ferraries.

 

+5.2

 

Pretty sure it's the only v8 with itb's (other than the 288gto/f40).