6 February 2025

Yup, sorry to break it to you, but the Ferrari F355 turned 30 years old in 2024. Now that may give you a hit of ‘I feel old’, but it’s a perfect excuse to take a look at one if Ferrari’s undoubted gems.

Built in Italy, inspired by Japan

Ferrari had a cracking Eighties, thriving in an era with plenty of cash and developments such as turbocharging and carbon fibre hitting the road. The likes of the 308 and Testarossa were special in themselves, and then consider the iconic F40 and it was clear that Ferrari, despite its famous Rosso Corsa, was in a purple patch.

The Nineties started with a lot more difficulty. One of histories many financial crashes, as well as a potential case of resting on its laurels, saw the Maranello firm lose its way a little. And that was before the arrival of Honda’s NSX to mix things up. The NSX, with famous development input from Ayrton Senna – he had a say in both the chassis and suspension set-up – proved that a sports car could both be fast and usable day to day. Visibility, drivability before and up to the limit, and ride were all practical, yet still exciting in the right circumstances. Ferrari had faced many challengers in the past, but Honda was one of the biggest yet.

As such, Ferrari boss Luca di Montezemolo decided to hit back. Unfortunately, there was not the time or resources to develop a new car from scratch, so concessions had to be made. Fortunately, everything that needed to be improved was.

Developed and refined

As a base, Ferrari carried over various parts from the F355’s predecessor, the somewhat underwhelming (comparatively speaking) 348. The F355 uses the same mid-engine V8 two-seater layout, as well as the same proportions as the 348. Its engine also started out as the same unit, but Ferrari breathed a little magic on it, turning it from a decent effort into one of the Italian firm’s best engines ever.

The 3.4-litre unit was modified to 3.5-litres, saw F1-derived titanium conrods, lightweight forged alloy pistons, a dry sump, and flat-plane crank installed. The head changed too, now featuring five-valves per cylinder, all of which saw power jump from 300hp to 380hp. Not only did this tick over the magic 100hp/litre figure, but it was delivered in gloriously high-revving form, with the red line coming in at 8,500rpm.

Combine this with a reduced weight – sitting at 1,350kg (dry) – and the F355 could complete the 0-62mph sprint in just 4.7 seconds. It brought supercar performance of the day to sportscar levels for the first time, and the outright pace was only part of the story.

Usable performance

The F355 might have had supercar performance, but the crucial string to its bow was how accessible that performance was. The chassis was brilliantly balanced, the gear change not a traditional weighty supercar heft, and the comfort levels were more than acceptable for daily use.

Later on, a semi-automatic gearbox would be available, further opening up access to drivers, with lightning-quick gear changes that are now almost standard on modern sports cars. At the time however, it was another F1-derived item, and it was the first such system found on a road-going Ferrari. Though that open-gate six-speed manual is still a sought-after transmission.

Throw in its compact proportions, subtle and elegant styling, electronically adjustable dampers and power steering and, while we’re not going to claim that the F355 is a practical family car, it was certainly practical enough to ‘daily’.

Yet it came at a sweet spot in the automotive timeline for “drivers’ cars”. Modern Ferraris are regarded as some of the finest driver’s machines around, using electronic aids to help enhance the experience, rather than detract from it. But the reason a simple Lotus Elise or Caterham Seven are so popular is because a driver has to drive it. No interference and low weight give plenty of feedback. There may be faster cars on the road, but there can be few more fun. And when the F355 was made, this level of simple electronic aids made driving a sports car in town bearable with, but kept the driver as the key component in hooking the car through a series of B-road corners. An analogue hero if you will, in a world of digital cars.

 

Available as either coupe, convertible, or targa, the F355 has long since reached the bottom of its value curve, and has been climbing for some time now, with classic status in a decade only going to enhance its desirability. So if you have the funds and desire to jump into ownership, now is the cheapest its going to be to do so. And of course, Footman James can sort out the insurance of this sparkling jewel in Ferrari’s somewhat impressive oeuvre.