A revelation upon its release, the Ferrari F355 was the last of the hand built offerings from Maranello and pushed the manufacturer even further away from its roots as it embraced and offered a far more technologically advanced product. Still fast today, the Ferrari F355 is the very definition of the term icon.
Having had its nose put out of joint with the left-field release of the truly sublime Honda NSX, and even more focused racecar-like NSX-R, Ferrari was already aware that the poorly received 348 was no winner, and desperately it needed to turn the tables and prove that they were still in the game. That answer came in the form of the beautifully penned F355, a vehicle that put the high-performance motoring world back into order as its parent company once again reigned supreme.
Achingly wonderful to look at, the F355 was an incredible driver's machine, sharp and agile with a level of finesse that had been lost throughout its 80s products, Ferrari had created a machine that would stamp a lasting mark on the motoring world. Even today, an F355 is a car not to be trifled with at the lights when happened upon, and here are 9 reasons why the Ferrari F355 was awesome.
9 One Of The Best Cars Ever Made
Ever since its inception, the Ferrari F355 has been recognized and hailed as one of the finest cars ever made. Offering up superb looks, incredible performance, and fantastic handling, it is still regarded as a benchmark product.
With the arrival of the single-clutch automated F1 gearbox, Ferrari once again redefined the rules of the game, reflecting upon technology what it had learned in Formula 1 racing and anticipating what the buying public would all be calling out for.
8 Sharp And Agile
Beneath its jaw-dropping looks, the recipe stayed mostly the same, with an all-steel monocoque body and tubular steel rear subframe now being complemented by newly designed two-stage electronic dampers to sharpen handling.
Ensuring that the nimble chassis didn't go to waste, Ferrari made sure that as much attention was spent on refining the bodywork aerodynamics, with a rear spoiler being neatly built into the flowing lines to enhance downforce levels.
7 Achingly Beautiful In All Guises
Initially offered as a hardtop Berlinetta, of which 4,871 examples were built during its run, Ferrari went on to offer both a dedicated Spider drop-top and Targa style GTS with a removal hardtop section offering the best of both worlds.
Every version of the car seemed to draw a passer-by's eye to a newly discovered design flourish that had gone unseen on previous inspections of each model, underlining the timeless beauty that the F355 had been blessed with.
6 A Fantastic Power Plant
Newly developed for the F355, the 3.5-liter V8 came fitted with a five-valve per cylinder head, giving the Italian a rather unique voice under full open throttle while also allowing for the unit to scream to an upper rev limit of 8500rpm.
Finely balanced, the engine put out 375 hp along with 268 lb-ft of torque, this gave the F355 unique bragging rights in that it produced more horsepower per liter at the time than any other naturally aspirated unit in production, the Maclaren F1 included.
5 Beautifully Trimmed Interior
Cleanly executed in its styling delivery, the interior of the F355 has aged wonderfully, with no flamboyant touches being present to cheapen the appearance or feel. While rather basic, it is all the better for it as everything serves a simple purpose.
Unashamedly boxy, the center console is littered with all of the switchgear while the instrument binnacle throws back only what the driver needs to concentrate on as deeply bolstered leather seats provide a reassuringly comfortable hug.
4 Perfect Blend of Ideas
The last Ferrari to feature the signature flying buttress, the F355 is a sleek, handsome creation intersected with deep cavernous intakes that direct cold air to where it is needed most as form and function marry together perfectly.
Rocking a fashion staple for the period, the pop-up headlights, though dating the vehicle considerably, are a significant indicator of the tastes of the time and do the car no favors aerodynamically when deployed in their upright position.
3 Still A Contender
A quick look at the figures proves that the F355 is still capable of delivering more than enough shove to beat its modern contenders into submission, dishing up a 0-60 mph sprint time of 4.7 seconds allows it to pick a fight and not get embarrassed.
Keeping the throttle pinned into the deep, luxurious carpet will see the F355 flex its aging muscles further and turn in an impressive 0-100 mph time of 10.2 seconds, leaving many a modern sports car in a wake of exhaust fumes.
2 The F355 Challenge
Offered as a one-stop race-ready product for those who fancied a run in the Ferrari Challenge race series, the F355 Challenge came packed with race-specific modifications at an additional cost of $30,0000 to willing punters.
With only a rumored 108 cars having been converted, the race-bred and track-only intended Challenge version of the F355 came fitted with the same engine as the road car, but benefited from many lightweight parts and a competition exhaust.
1 It Shouldn't Break The Bank
In the grand scheme of things, as classic Ferraris go, the F355 is something of a bargain. Prices have been on something of a rollercoaster ride over the past 15 years, an average example could sell anywhere from $70,000 upwards.
Considered to be fairly mechanically robust, the F355 is still a Ferrari and won't be as cheap to run or maintain as some non-Italian supercars, with rust being the main issue for buyers to be wary of, thanks to the car's steel construction.