360 Ferrari 360 - A Modern Build (Forged Carbon)

Sup y’all.

Figured I should document my 360 Modena project here too!

After almost going insane with possibilities, I’ve finally decided to modify the sh*t out of my 360 to create a one of a kind project.
Giant sacrilege ahead, you have been warned.

I know this is going to be controversial, but I’m comforted by the fact that there’s enough purist keeping the car stock as it should be & that my misbehaviour will be dampened somewhat.

This build is mostly aesthetics rather than the CS-styled performance builds we’ve seen the legends did.
I’ll mean I’ll still be doing a bit of software tuning stuff, but here in Singapore, we’re mostly breaking laws just breathing into the damn engine bay.

After toying with Photoshop for weeks, putting up Instagram polls, digging up the internet for previous attempts, I’ve been cautiously changing stuff bits by bits…

The idea:
The Ferrari 360 is some of the most beautiful & elegant models since 250 GTO & I’m not about to break that balance, but I do want to bring the latest and great Ferrari design language into it, without the restrictions of period-correctness…

With forged carbon recently innovated by Lamborgini (not sure if that’s a bad word around here. ), I’ve decided to explore the rawness of that material into this build, while incorporating the design language of the F430 Scuderia, 488 Pista into the build.

Front Bumper:
Drafted a slightly longer front nose, combined with larger vents and carbon blades. This will either be manufactured & custom made in highest quality Forged Carbon or Fibreglass, will test & weight them to decide on final combinations.

Side Skirt:
For now, we will use the CS skirts as a base but with custom intake carbon vents. This should be rather final unless we can come up with an even purer design.

Mirrors:
I’m exploring GT3 mirror from the 488 race car, that will be redone in forged carbon. It might look a tad funky, but initial rendering shows good results. See below.

Rims:
Depending on the contacts I’ll be working with, it might or might not be possible to custom make a set of SP2 Monza styled rims to fit the 360. Will discard idea if the quality is not up to the highest of standards.

Rear “flat” wings:
These would be heavily based on the tongue/tail as seen on the 488 Pista. 1 piece replacement & 2 piece attachment, done in carbon for weight concerns.

Lights:
The hardest decision of all. I appreciate what Pininfarina did with the seamless look, but I wake up day after day deliberating on leaving the colour-matched headlights alone or getting them done in black (or maybe even chrome).
It was frustrating, I'm not kidding, my wife was getting tired of me showing her photoshopped Ferrari 360s. What made matters worse was the attempted results shown online were not very promising. In the end I went ahead and painted them a matte Dark Chrome while airbrushing my signal lights orange (F430 inspired) & that ended my agony.

Rear bumper:
Have no concrete ideas drafts of the rear bumpers as of now but most initial drafts are modelled after the F430 Scuderia... With extra attention paid to getting more heat out...

(Stay tuned while I figure out how to upload photos without losing all of what I typed.)

 

Here are the drafted WIP renders, these will eventually be coloured!
(One with deleted headlamps, which I'm contemplating on doing & sending to SEMA for that slant nose look.)
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That's correct, forged carbon has even been used for even the suspension control arms for the Sesto Elemento. It would do what traditional carbon fibre couldn't, that is to provide strength in all direction instead of twisting, due to the advanced "all directional" molding instead of cabin fiber sheet laying.

Parts that traditionally would have been only possible in aluminium and titanium (complex geometries and subject to combined loadings) are now possible to be made in this lightweight ultra material.

As far as I know, it's also a marketing gimmick for lower manufacturing cost. It should be more of "mold injection" carbon than "forged" carbon.
But since it's an improvement as a new material, lighter & stronger, cutting cost is a plus. (although no one likes to know that their supercars is using "cheaper" material... but by no means this project is going to be "cheap", I am intending to cover back the damage with eventually selling my design too, doing similarly styled body kits for in this new exciting material.)

Plus I'm mostly mystiqued & motivated by the pure aesthetics of Forged Carbon. Surely it'll brings some edginess into my build!
(I am mildly surprised & glad that you guys are taking my project well! I thought I would spend more time on the "why".)

I'm working hard on the rear, it's not as nearly easy as the front, the 360's rear has always been one of the iconic Ferrari looks alongside the 355...
I did consider new rear LEDs: the new F8 styled lights, if I'm not wrong, they are the exact same if not similar to the 812.

 

Here's a first look at the manufactured parts that I've started putting into the interior & some other rough draft/sketch we have been doing.
Note the new style steering wheel! It's something that I ultimately want to do (in Forged Carbon of course!) although I'm facing restrictions from the lack of VIN for the newer car. (If any Portofino, 812 drivers can help out would be great!)
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Some pictures of my painted front lights, done as tastefully as possible. Along with the amber signals. I do miss the red colour matching, but generally glad I took action to modify them.

(It's wearing a generic CS front and sides for now, as I took out the stock parts for measurements!)

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Ah moderator! Do you have any idea how I could change my username?

Yes, I turned up the contrast of the photo a fair bit. They were really blurry & couldn't capture the looks of the forged carbon. These photos aren't accurate without my DSLR, but it's the best my silly phone could do for now.

Yes, they are a bit darker mix in person! Most exterior parts aren't final, I'm evolving and changing about things till I "nailed it". I agree on the sleeker black carbon and marble looks, but I kinda avoid looking too close to the next project, and over time, came to have likened the FC material more and more, as "strange" as it may look.

(Due to lack of similar Forged Carbon projects, I've decided to post mine! Otherwise I rather just lurk around in forums usually!)

 

You are right! Indeed bringing a modern twist to the classic is a genuine challenge. But ultimately, I do hope I'll be able to pull it off!

Same here, I appreciated the look of carbon fiber, but I find that carbon fiber may further date an interior even more so than the original classic look.

Of course, for forged carbon to work, there's major reworking to be done to the interior using new parts from the newer cars. But I'll keep interior progress a surprise for now!

I'm trying to make very subtle yet modernised lines to the 360, no canards, protruding sideskirts & the likes.
Pretty confident I'd make it work. (at least for myself)

Drop me a PM if you ever come by Singapore again! Could show you around. (although with COVID19, no one is going anywhere for now.)

Shortened quote for ease of read.

 

Yes, done wrong and it definitely will cheapen the car... Not worth exchanging "elegant classic" to "interesting". Have already kept your advice in considerations!

 

A closer look at the front bumper.
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Thank you! I don't come from design school, but was previously at world level in figurine customisation (at one point - top 10). So I'm 80% sure I'm not going completely out of the books. Yes, you have no idea the time I spent visualising the lights with no real examples on the net. Thank you for the kind remarks!

I do wish to explore transplanting Porsche's Dynamic LED system from the 718 Cayman (~$8000 part) in the future... But that's looking to be challenging & I'll leave that for a stage 2 budget.

I agree on painting most stuff body colours, but I'll leave just a tad of Forged Carbon exposed, for the edgy look! (see pictures above!)

I am very excited for this project!
Recently found a partner who can help me in the manufacturing & measuring process.

 

Some random bad photoshop of SP2 Monza rims for visualisation!
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