The Ferrari 355 Sports Car

Each of the three 355 sports cars were powered by a mid-engined, rear wheel drive, 3.5 litre, double overhead cam, V8 unit whose capacity had been increased from 3.4 litres, in the 348 Series, by increasing the bore by 2 mm.

It developed 380 bhp at 8250 rpm, and 268 ft/lbs of torque at 6000 rpm, which produced a top speed of 183 mph, and a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 secs.

However, the main feature of the engine was the addition of a cylinder head that contained five valves, which improved intake efficiency and increased performance.

Furthermore, the compression ratio was raised to 11:1, and some of the engine's internals were constructed of lightweight materials, such as the use of titanium alloy for the con rods, and aluminium alloy pistons.

The two Bosch Motronic engine control units, that managed both fuel injection and the ignition system, were upgraded from the M2.7 series in 1995 to the M5.2 version from 1996 onwards.

Dry sump lubrication was retained.

The Ferrari 355 Berlinetta

This coupe was launched in 1994, and 4,871 Berlinettas were built by 1999, of which 3,829 were fitted with the manual gearbox, and 1,042 used the F1-style transmission.

The Ferrari 355 Spider

The 355 Spyder convertible was introduced in 1995 and featured, for the first time on a Ferrari, a soft top that was electronically activated automatically.

By 1999, 3,717 Spyders had been built, of which 2,664 were fitted with the manual gearbox, and 1,053 used the F1-style transmission.

The Ferrari 355 GTS

This featured a Targa-style hard top roof that could be stored behind the seats, or in the front boot, when not in use.

By 1999, 2,577 units of the GTS were built, of which 2,048 used the manual gearbox, and 529 had the F1-style transmission.

This was the last time that Ferrari produced a Targa-styled GTS variant.

COMPETITION

Examples of competition for the Ferrari 355 sports car included the following: TVR Cerbera, Porsche 993 Turbo, and Lotus Esprit V8. Ferrari performance:

SPORTS CARS FOR SALE

On the second hand market, a typical price range for the Ferrari 355 Series was:

355 Berlinetta in good condition: $80,000 in excellent condition: $140,000 355 Spyder in good condition: $95,000 in excellent condition: $150,000 355 GTS in good condition: $60,000 in excellent condition: $100,000

Further classic cars from Ferrari.

This marks the end of my Review of the Ferrari 355 sports car