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| Some say a true Ferrari has 12 cylinders, but the 360 is simply too good to discount. (Photo: Ferrari North America) |
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| Smaller, and more lithe than its big brother, the 550 Maranello, the 360 Modena was livelier, and although the 550 was more the GT car, the 360 was still very livable. (Photo: Ferrari North America) |
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| The 360 is a sublime handler, but not at the expense of comfort; in normal mode the suspension is firm, but not overly so. (Photo: Ferrari North America) |
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| Yes, the stereo wasn't very good, but those quad exhaust tips supplied more gorgeous tunes than any radio station; and in stereo too! (Photo: Ferrari North America) |
A Ferrari For The Masses
When it comes to sports cars, there is no name that is uttered with more reverence and respect than Ferrari. Consid ered by most to be the pinnacle of motoring excellence, the various works that have left the quiet town of Maranello have routinely left the world stunned. From Ferrari's first road-going car, the 1947 125 S, to the immortal 250 GTO and the modern day Enzo, each and every generation of Ferrari has been faster, more precise, and better engineered than the one before it.
So, when the much lovedentry levelF355 bowed in 1998, the motoring world held its collective breath as Ferrari unveiled its replacement; the 360 Modena. In similar style to its predecessor and all V8 Ferraris since the immortal 308, the 360 put the driver in front of a midship-mounted V8 measuring 3.6L (hence the 360 designation) and producing 395 to 400 horsepower. While not the awe-inspiring figure produced by its larger V12-powered brother, the 550 Maranello, the little 360's real strength lay not in its brawn but rather in its poise.
If the Maranello was a boxer (not in engine configuration, mind you), the Modena was a ballerina. With the engine mounted in the middle, the 360 was granted better balance than the front-engined 550, and being the first Ferrari constructed entirely of aluminum, the 360 was both equally and lightly balanced on its four tires. The aluminum chassis was the stiffest of any car in the world at the time, and it quickly and deservedly earned a reputation for being almost telepathic in its handling.
Responding to the merest twitch of the steering wheel to round corners perfectly, the 360 provided the driver with perfect linear control of the power being meted out to the back tires and steering so communicative it may as well have had a megaphone. It made anyone look like a hero, with a dead-flat cornering attitude and a friendly, predictable nature that was an instant hit with those owners who made weekly visits to the track.
At less spirited speeds the 360 was equally impressive, with the computer controlled suspension flicked into normal mode a nd automatically dialing down the damping to a much more reasonable level for increased comfort. Filling the huge shoes of the civil F355 posed no problem for the 360, which boasted even more interior room than the outgoing model. With plenty of room for two and even storage for a pair of bags behind the seats, the 360's driving position is perfect, and with such un-supercar-like amenities as power windows, locks and even air conditioning, the leather-swathed 360 cockpit is almost luxurious. However, it isn't without faults.
While the F355's notoriously wide sills are gone, the low-slung 360 still requires some muscle to ge t into, and the seats' large side bolters do as good a job of keeping you out of the seat as they do at keeping you in. As a result, the leather on the bolsters is usually first to wear due to repeated body checks as owners swing themselves in and out. Likewise, the pedal box is slightly offset (aren't all Italian cars' though?) and those looking for true practicality will bemoan the stereo's poor reception and unintelligible controls as well as the car's lack of cup holders; but seriously, this is a Ferrari: you should have both hands on the wheel and be reveling in every exhaust pulse that rolls out of the quad pipes, not fiddling for the local Top 40 station.
