355 Does anyone know how many F355 came with the "Fiorano Package"

The uprated sway bars and steering racks were developed the same time for both FHP and challenge cars. Pre-98 challenge cars still had standard racks and bars.


FHP Ecu is most likely FHP specific due to the vast differences in damper/spring specs of the challenge car.

Rear forks are early 348 forks. Rear springs are early 512TR springs.

Bespoke parts would be … front springs, Bilstein Ecu, sway bar bushings (rubber), and possibly the Pagid yellow brake pads. Perhaps an argument could be made for the drilled rotors as well since it was only available as an option after FHP was first introduced in 98.

 

As far as I know the fiorano ECU runs the standard cars' sport mode for normal and the challenge settings for sport mode. There is a discernible difference between these modes

 

Wow. Thanks all. So far so great....as in great information here! The more information the better. I still need to see how the "forks" differ. Maybe I'll pull up 348 forks to see?

 

The pic earlier in the thread is of the 348 forks, the 355 forks move the bolt hole up by using curved 'forks' instead of straight ones. It's a minor geometry change most likely to get the camber curve in the correct space with the lower static ride height. Interestingly, the challenge cars used the straight ones, not sure why Ferrari felt the need on the road cars.

 

I think you meant to say the challenge car uses the curved one identical to the standard 355.


@MAD828 installed the 348/FHP lower rear forks and instantly noticed the car was significantly more planted.

 

Yep, got them backwards. All it will really do is change the camber curve by changing the arcs of top/bottom control arms relative to each other slightly. You'd have to have an extremely finely tuned butt to feel that, it'd usually be more of a measured via sector time/g-meter thing vs. a feel thing.

If you bolt them on without getting the rear re-aligned, you're not getting the actual feel of the change, you're getting a slight camber change that you might be able to feel right away. It should increase static negative camber a bit if you don't re-align the car as the lower control arm will be changed in both angle and position slightly.

 

Are you trying to find out if the black GTS on BaT is FHP? If so, it was, but all the key parts were stripped. FHP forks are still there though.



A have a Japanese magazine from late 90’s/early 2000’s that briefly describes the different driving characteristics of the standard car, fhp car, and challenge car. I just need to look for the page and snap a pic. Will need to use a photo translator to translate though.

 

That Japanese article would be very interesting reading!

No, that car on BAT doesn't appeal to me. I want to be able to confirm when an owner tells me their car has the FHP as well as see whether cars offered for sale may have it without the owner even knowing.

I suspect in the future having the FHP and Carbon seats may be a bit like the Dino with Chairs and Flares in terms of additional value.

 

And stupid old me sold my FHP manual Berlinetta with carbon seats and fender shields recently.

Ken tried his hardest to get me to keep it. I'll regret it one day (already do, but it funded an arguably rarer Ferrari) but I had to let go of either the FHP car or my Blu Le Mans on Tan Carbon seat/manual car...and I just couldn't part with the blue one.

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Ken is also right that most FHP cars are equipped with the F1 transmission. The type of buyer that wanted the FHP option also wanted the "cutting edge" F1 transmission as well.

I think manual FHP cars, maybe somewhere around 20 of them in existence? At the most, maybe 40-50 assuming some are stuffed away in collections that will probably never see the light of day.

The ultimate 355 in my opinion, is the car that I sold above. FHP, Berlinetta, Manual, Carbon Seats, Fender shields...perfection. If only it was blue on tan

 

FHP Carbon Seats and Roll Bar but F1 and RHD

This is from My Ferrari. A registered owner should be able to produce this. Not to say that the parts are still on the car though.
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Was the roll bar in the F355 ever legal in N. America? I've never seen one on a US car.

 

Technically, no.

 

What premium does a FHP car have over a non-FHP equipped car? I think the U.S. market is largely uneducated about the features and benefits, but maybe that will change in time. I'm curious as to whether a novice driver would notice any differences in handling as well.

 

I read on another forum where a 355 owner got one with the FHP and said it made a big difference. Said his FHP F355 was as much fun as his newer GT3 Porsche

 

The difference in handling is immediately noticeable. The ECU alone makes a noticeable change. With it all together you could sit blind folded in one and have some one else drive it and you’d notice the difference between a stock one and an FHP.

 

I've driven a 991.2 GT3 and a GT2 RS on the track and I think the owner was excited (like we all are) when we buy a new car. GT Porsches are in another league than a mid-90's Ferrari.

Thanks Elliott. Does it improve shift times on an F1? There didn't seem to be much of a difference in Sport Mode on my previous 355. Maybe they need to be driven harder to feel the difference.

 

There is difference on an F1 shift with an FHP. The suspension ECU controls damper only, there was no change to the shifting ECU.

 

I'm sure it's a big difference, any spring change will be immediately noticeable, but stiffer isn't always better, depends on what you want. Value wise I'd say 10% premium.

 

The market is information based. The less info it has, the less appreciation it has. That changes over time as more accurate info comes into play, market understands that information, and then accesses how to value it. This applies to any spec on the 355 whether it be color or an option.


The market used to scoff at someone selling a pair of carbon seats for $6k only 5-7 years ago. Once the market realizes “oh ****, this is actually really hard to find and if I want it, I’m gonna have to pay up” reality kicks in. The last pair of carbon seats a seller was asking $20k. In the next hour, it sold for $30k. This was a $3500 option when it was new.


Rarity doesn’t imply higher valuation. F1 cars prove that (less F1 cars vs manual). Rarity and high desire will most likely lead to higher premiums in the future.


At the moment, the most desired feature of all 355 features is a manual transmission, particularly in a GTB/S. A fully loaded F1 car is not going to get the same premium compared to a manual car with the same features. If one is gonna buy an F1 car, get a fully loaded one as you will be getting the most bang for your buck.


Most people in the U.S will never get an opportunity to drive an FHP GTS/B, let alone a manual FHP 355. What’s that worth to you to experience or own is up to you to decide. The problem isn’t so how much how much you’re willing to pay (if you only want a manual 355) … it’s if such a car will ever present itself for you to buy.


My opinion is FHP fixes the cons most people experience driving a 355, which is too soft of a suspension and steering response. It’s designed to help the 355 drive more beautifully than it already does on the road.

If you want a more track focused setup, then you’ll need to go more hardcore with either a challenge suspension setup or after-market, but as most understand, a track setup for the road could get old quick. Personally, I’d prefer to separate the two. Been there, done that. I put high value on the time it takes to develop a very sporty suspension setup that us livable on the roads. It’s an art form.

It’s like finding the perfect exhaust setup for a road-going 355, which sounds as sporty as it can be, but not obnoxious. Who gives a rat’s ass what kind of exhaust is on a track car as long as it’s light and performs.

 

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When someone orders a brand new 355 in the 90’s, they don’t really have a clue how rare the spec they are ordering is. They just know how expensive it is and can make some assumptions from there, but they can never be certain. So when they turn around and sell a car in 2005 or 2010, not much thought goes into how “rare” their spec is. They simply calculate a reasonable depreciation for usage and take what they can get and move forward.


How rare a certain spec/feature/option only becomes more apparent as a decade or two goes by and someone like me cares enough to track it/try to figure it all out/ and present it as objectively as possible. The market can then care to absorb that information or not an access how it wants to value it.

At this stage, the market is not fully informed. There is still confusion that perhaps needs clearing up. I’m not confused though. I’m pretty confident in my guestimates. Any further information than what I’ve already presented is surely welcomed. I’ve always been about information accuracy.

 

Ken, what was the price of the FHP when new? Can you please post a window sticker with the options if you have one from Europe or Japan? Thanks

 

Not sure if there were window stickers in those regions, but there are valid reports the option was roughly $4-5k (depending on how you want to decide exchange rates at the time). They were a little higher than sport seats.


Just ordering red calipers and drilled rotors in the U.S was already roughly $2k.

 

My 355 has FHP with Carbon Seats and Yes you are right it is an 98 European Model with F1