Ferarri F360

Ferrari 360 Modena, the new car was quite a departure from the styling that had evolved from the 308 all the way through to the F355. The ferrari 360 saw a whole new approach to chassis and body design compared to The F355 was a departure in engine design.To safe weight, the Modena’s chassis consisted mostly of aluminium, replacing the steel used in its predecessors. The end result was a construction 40% more rigid and 28% lighter, despite a 10% increase in the overall dimensions. The lightweight chassis is suspended independently all-round by adjustable double wishbones. Fitted in the chassis was a slightly larger version of the F355′s V8.Even more striking than the new chassis, was the Modena’s new exterior design who was made in Pininfarina’s wind tunnel, the Ferrari 360 extensively uses ground effects aerodynamics.

Air is fed to the radiators through two intakes, leaving the centre section of the nose free to feed air to the underbody tunnels. This setup removes the need for the traditional grille, giving the Modena a very unconventional look. Another major styling change was the inclusion of clear headlights, replacing the pop-up headlights.The F360 was available as the 360 Modena coupe and 360 Spider convertible, which meant the targa model was no longer included. Soon after the launch of the road car, a Challenge model was introduced to compete in the Ferrari Challenge Championship. At the end of the production run a stripped version, the ‘Challenge Stradale’, was launched. It featured a more powerful engine, new body kit and carbon fibre disc brakes, which significantly improved braking to the extent that it can challenge the ‘Challenge’ car on the track.The new V8 engine, common to all versions, was only slightly larger and more powerful than the 355′s at 3.6 litres and 300 kW (400 bhp) of power, but the lighter frame and added stiffness improved performance; the 0 to 100 km/h acceleration performance improved from 4.6 to 4.4 seconds.Production of the 360 ceased in 2004/2005, when it was replaced by the F430, which combines a new engine with the ‘old’ aluminium chassis.
The first model of the 360 to ship was the Ferrari 360 Modena ,followed by :360 Spider, Challenge Stradale, Challenge Stradale, 360 GT, 360 GT-C and finally the seventh version, 360 Barchetta, was a one-off wedding present from Ferrari to Ferrari president.