Ferrari 355

#digbysdiscoveries 🚗

Not a discovery this one, more of an expansion of my knowledge of one of my favourite Ferrari’s…

The F355 was an instant favourite when I first came across it as one of the ‘sports cars’ in the 1995 James Bond 🤵🏼‍♂️film GoldenEye. Shortly after which a model version arrived on my bedroom shelf, courtesy of my father.

At 12 years old I was only really interested in cars for their looks; with little understanding of the engineering ⚙️ prowess or pedigree. I knew a little of the history to the main marques, although there was less content available than there is today.

Over the years, it has retained its place as my favourite Ferrari. I have had the fortune of seeing them up close and personal, never changing my opinion.

However, it is only recently that I spent a bit of time learning more about the F355 and realised there was quite a lot I didn’t know! 🤷🏼‍♂️

I didn’t appreciate that the F355 was the last of a mid-range engine design that traces back to the 1965 Dino 206 GT, let alone that it was the first to include a shift in design focus to incorporate different features, such as drivability in different environments, such as low-speed city traffic. It also become the most produced Ferrari at the time, with 11,273 units being made.

I knew that there was only 2 variations; the F355 and the F355 Spider. I was of course wrong, there is also:

1. Berlinetta - a key feature was the introduction of the F1 style paddle gear change system, amongst other technical specifications!

2. GTS - offering a removable ‘targa style’ roof.

3. Challenge - made specifically for the Ferrari Challenge race series, with supposedly only 108 being produced.

4. Limited Edition Fiorano - based on the Spider with various enhancements for the 1999 year with only 104 produced and referred to as “Serie Fiorano”.

So for what was for me, just a good looking ‘sports car’ that could manage 0-60mph in 4.5secs and a top speed of 170mph - there is also a lot of technical and engineering differences between models and for the true car/Ferrari fans, a whole host of firsts, lasts and launches across the model range!

Main source: #Wikipedia and #Ferrari