I think it depends what you’re looking for in a particular car. For me the appeal of street driven challenge cars like the 348/355 is the visceral experience of it all. The drama. The noise. The harshness. The absurdity of driving a race car on the road is the appeal for me. I wasn’t fortunate enough to live in the 50s and 60s where this experience was more commonplace with cars such as TRs, SWBs and the like running around. Now everything is so dulled down with adjustable blah blah nanny blah blah stuff it takes cars like a challenge version to feel completely engaged to me. I’ve got several cars and plenty ride better or are much faster, but for me the raucous challenge cars are the purest most authentic Ferrari experience you can get this side of $500k and I love them for it.
I bought my 1995 F355 Challenge ten years ago. For the first two years, I drove it to local tracks like Pocono Raceway and NJMP Lightning. It was summertime driving with no air conditioning, windows open, 2200 lb/in F and 900 lb/in R Challenge springs, and a Challenge exhaust. It wasn't comfortable driving on local roads but highway driving was just fine... Image Unavailable, Please Login Getting stuck in traffic was no fun... Image Unavailable, Please Login These days I have my car trailered to the track and arrive more refreshed... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
While a race-setup 355 Challenge is not a street 355, it works just fine on public backroads and at the track. It even drives ok on dirt…and when raining.
Yeah the long rides can get to be too much but buzzing 1/2 hour or 45 min away for lunch or a cars and coffee is great on the right roads. Separately, I spoke go Jim at Pocono a couple weeks ago and plan to use them for track support this summer up in the NE so I’m sure we’ll get some track time together which should be fun.
Right, Claudio. Proper rain tires, look for dull tarmac and follow the rain line. The F355 Challenge does very well in the rain...
Joe, My limit was 1 1/2 hours at which point I had to get out of the car and gather my wits...and get gas! Jim and his team are the best at track support. Here they are tending to dirty alternator cable contacts to get me back out on the track... Image Unavailable, Please Login I'm looking forward to seeing you at the track. Barry
I’d imagine any Ferrari guy would be just as bewildered seeing this randomly out in the wild as they would seeing an F40. You must get a ton of folks staring . Image Unavailable, Please Login
Out of the 3,500+ GTB owners, not a single one selling during the Scottsdale, AZ auctions RM Gooding BJ RS
Like this? Hard to tell if is this year or 2021. https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Events/Event/Details/1995-FERRARI-F-355-BERLINETTA-18003
Last month while moving into our new home, the driveway was full of moving people that I had to park mine in the woods. I got out and thought this might be a cool pic. Image Unavailable, Please Login
I wouldn’t know for certain. But assuming the car converted to challenge spec and everything else seems to be there, I dont see why it wouldn’t have the roll bars or why one would remove them. I can understand why the owner would remove the roll cage and put back the original seats. For more comfortability. Removing the roll bars wouldn’t improve comfortability.
Lookie here! 1997 GTB Grigio / Red FHP car (was it an option in 97?) Factory roll bar 85,000km 84,500 EUR = 96,000 USD https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/ferrari-f355-3-5i-v8-40v-gasoline-silver-c588ccac-b216-4323-b57c-091ea0c21a6a
