The Ferrari 360 Modena: A close look at the performance, technical data, features, rival comparison, history and used prices of this classic sports car.
From classic to modern:
CAR
The 360 Modena sports car was introduced by Ferrari in 1999 and was named after the city in which the company’s founder was born.
With an introductory price of $140,000, the 360 replaced the successful Series 355 and consisted of the two-seater Modena Berlinetta coupe, the Spider convertible, and the Challenge variant.
Unlike the 355, which was equipped with a steel chassis, the 360 featured a new, slightly larger aluminum spaceframe chassis that benefited from the fact that it was up to 40% stronger, yet it weighed about 100 kg, or 25%, lighter.
With styling once again in the hands of Pininfarina, there was a move towards smoother lines and included the removal of the pop-up headlights, the disappearance of which was noted on the 355.
The 360’s cabin was much more spacious than the 355 Series due to the larger dimensions of the aluminum chassis, and the interior was fitted with leather upholstery.
Optional extras included carbon fiber seats and a racing exhaust system.
In terms of fuel consumption, it posted 13 mpg in the city and 19 mph on the highway.
The body panels were made of aluminum and used 13-inch ventilated disc brakes vacuum assisted all the way around and linked to ABS, plus four-wheel independent suspension with coil springs.
Air from the front ducts flowed under the undertray to the two rear diffusers, and this produced a gradually increasing downforce as the car accelerated. In this way, the grip on the road was radically improved.
Dry sump lubrication was retained, as was a five-bearing crankshaft, ASR traction control, and a limited-slip differential.
The shock absorbers had their own electronic control unit to manage vertical or horizontal movement in the car.
When production ended in 2005, a total of 8,800 examples of the Ferrari Modena sports car had been built.
THE MOTOR
Each of the 360 Series sports cars shared the same larger 3.6-liter, DOHC, mid-engine, rear-wheel drive, five-valve-per-cylinder V8 unit that, like the 355, used lightweight internals such as connecting rods. titanium. .
It was equipped with a flat-plane crankshaft to avoid uneven firing and timing problems experienced when using a cross-plane drive.
It developed 395bhp at 8500rpm redline and 275ft/lbs of torque at 4750rpm, most of which was available around 3000rpm.
The compression ratio remained at 11:1, it continued to use electronic fuel ignition, and it was equipped with the latest Bosch ME 7.3 engine management system.
Linked to a fully synchromesh six-speed manual gearbox or the optional F1-style gearshift unit, it produced a top speed of 189mph and a 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds.
The optional system had two paddles behind the wheel, so the right paddle shifted up one gear, while the left shifted down, with each gear change taking just 150 milliseconds.
With no clutch pedal, the electronic control unit in the gearbox managed the gear changes when they matched the engine revs.
COMPETENCE
Typical competition for the Ferrari 360 Modena sports car included the following: Porsche 996 GT2, Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, and TVR Tuscan S. Ferrari Performance:
SPORTS CARS FOR SALE
On the second-hand market, a Ferrari 360 Modena, in good condition, would fetch around $60,000, while a pristine copy would fetch around $100,000.
One of the classic Ferrari cars.
This marks the end of my Ferrari 360 Modena sports car review.