Driver Review
I was looking forward to driving the 360, since my only previous experience of driving a Ferrari has been one F355 F1 on-track at Goodwood, and my own manual-gearbox one - which, as you can tell from the review of it, I love!
The 360 is quite different - it was quite pleasing to drive - but satisfying in a way I didn't expect: it showed me that I prefer my own 355! The 360 had a sports exhaust, which gives it a deeper rumble than the standard 355 howl (not that you could call it "standard" in any way really!), but it meant the 360 was always shouting "look at me" even if you wanted to be a little more subtle.
The driving position in the 360 is a little higher than the 355, which makes it easier for short people to see what's going on (my wife refused to drive the 355 without a periscope), and the leather trim has classy stitching detail which has become common in the newer Ferraris. The stock steering wheel is much better than the 355 one which had a monstrous bulge for the airbag in the centre - the one thing I replaced on the 355 - so the 360 feels good sitting in the driving seat. From the outside, this is a smooth car - the fixed headlamps are an improvement on the 80s-styled 355 flip-up lights, but in my opinion it doesn't have the classic lines of the 355 coupe - although that could be said of most convertibles versus their coupe siblings. In my opinion the 360 has a slightly feminine look compared to the more masculine 355 - particularly in grey … not a bad thing though!
There's a lot of power available, delivered smoothly and noisily, but the sound that echoes back at you from surrounding buildings just isn't quite as unearthly as from the 355 - maybe the aftermarket exhaust is actually masking the true engine sound - it does feel a bit like the noise you'd get from any big-engined muscle car with a fat exhaust strapped on the back. And again, the sequential gearbox just doesn't feel quite as positive or as controllable as the manual box and clutch in the 355. Call me old-fashioned if you like.
Treating my son to a birthday ride round London with the roof down was fun though - with the lid off you can chat to other road users at traffic lights - we got some great comments. The biggest complaint was that it wasn't red - only on one occasion was I able to explain that actually my car is red!
When we got this car out on to the open road, with the roof down and a clear blue sky, this car was pretty exhilarating though - the windscreen deflects the breeze well, so you can enjoy the open air with 400 horsepower pushing you along. Handling felt pretty positive - this was the first Ferrari model to have traction control - although there wasn't quite the "connection" with the chassis and road you feel in the 355. The next day I took the car out at night around some country roads, and discovered it is actually fairly frighteningly quick.
So, in conclusion, the 360 is a very fine car, and on a pleasant day a great way to travel. But the 355, being more of a grown-up go-kart, satisfies the inner child more deeply and is more the car little boys' dreams are made of!
Paul Williams
DRIVER RATINGS:
Exterior: 7/10
Interior: 8/10
Cool Factor: 8/10
Driveability: 6/10
Fear Factor: 5/10
TOTAL: 24 (Fear Factor Scores are subtracted)
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