Ferrari 360

The Ferrari 360 is a two-seater sports car built by Ferrari from 1999 to 2005. It succeeded the Ferrari F355 and was replaced by the Ferrari F430. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered coupe.

Ferrari partnered with Alcoa to produce an entirely new all aluminum space-frame chassis that was 40% stiffer than the F355 which had utilized steel. The design was 28% lighter despite a 10% increase in overall dimensions. Along with a lightweight frame the new Pininfarina body styling deviated from traditions of the previous decade's sharp angles and flip-up headlights. The new V8 engine, common to all versions, utilizes a 3.6 litre capacity, flat plane crankshaft, titanium connecting rods and generates 400 bhp. Despite what looks like on paper modest gains in reality the power to weight ratio was significantly improved on over the F355, this was due to the combination of both a lighter car and more power. The 0 to 100 km/h acceleration performance improved from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds.

The first model to be rolled out was the 360 Modena followed later by the 360 Spider and finally as a special edition, the Challenge Stradale: which was the highest performance road-legal version of the 360 produced by the factory, featuring carbon ceramic brakes, track tuned suspension, aerodynamic gains, weight reduction, power improvements and revised gearbox software among its track focused brief.

In addition to this there were the low volume factory race cars, these were all derived from the 360 Modena and for the first time produced as a separate model in their own right. The first up was the 360 Modena Challenge, used in a one make series, the factory built racing cars were prepared by official tuner, Michelotto who also did the 360 N-GT. The N-GT was a 360 Challenge car evolved even further to compete more seriously in the FIA N-GT racing classes alongside other marques such as Porsche.

Finally a single 360 Barchetta was produced as a special wedding present from Ferrari to Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo.

Based on the 360 Modena road car, the 360MC was an extensively reworked, non road legal car intended to compete in Ferrari's one-make racing series called the 'Ferrari Challenge'. It was only available with the F1 gearbox. At the time of launch, Ferrari claimed the 360MC accelerated from 0 to 62 mph in 3.9 seconds and could corner and brake significantly faster than the road car. Brembo racing provided the upgraded Gold colored calipers and larger floating 2-piece discs, while Bosch provided race tuned ABS software. The exhaust system was lightened substantially and was one of the main contributions to the increased hp over stock engine. For the road cars Ferrari used a valve system which made the car more socially acceptable at lower revs.

Unlike the previous Challenge car series, which utilized a F355 road car with a dealer-installed 'challenge upgrade' kit, the 360 MC was a factory built track car, which allowed greater weight reduction efforts. The enhanced driving characteristics and substantial weight reduction meant the car could comfortably outperform its road-going counterpart even though power from the 3.6 engine was claimed to be similar.

The 360MC featured a stripped-down race-car interior with the stereo, electric windows and locks, soundproofing, airbags, air-conditioning, and even the handbrake removed. The seats and restraints were replaced by a single carbon fiber racing seat and FIA approved restraint harnesses, and a roll cage was fitted for safety along with a fire suppression system. The instrument cluster was reworked with a monochrome LCD to display vital engine data. The adaptive suspension of the road car was replaced by adjustable racing dampers, while larger brakes with extra cooling ducts were added.

The Ferrari 360 GT is a race version of the 360 Modena developed by the Ferrari Corse Clienti department in Maranello, in collaboration with Michelotto Automobili to compete in the FIA N-GT class. Team JMB Giesse raced the cars during the 2001 FIA GT Championship season and won the N-GT Cup for Drivers and the N-GT Cup for Teams.

Since 2002 Ferrari sold 360 GTs to customers through their Corse Clienti department.

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