Ferrari F355

Ferrari
Ferrari F355 GTS with a red central part of the roof
F355
Production period:	1994-1999
Class :	Sports car
Body versions :	Coupé , convertible
Engines:	Otto engine : 3.5 liters (280 kW)
Length:	4250 mm
Width:	1900 mm
Height:	1170 mm
Wheelbase :	2450 mm
Empty weight :	1350 kg
Previous model	Ferrari 348
successor	Ferrari 360

F355 GTS cockpit

Engine of the F355 Spider

Ferrari F355 GTS

F355 Spider

The Ferrari F355 was presented to the public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1994. It was the successor to the Ferrari 348 and was built until the Ferrari 360 Modena was released in 1999. In terms of driving behavior, performance and processing quality, it represented a major step forward compared to the 348 GTB / GTS. The difference to the successor Ferrari 360 Modena, however, is small in technical terms; therefore, for example, the performance of the two generations is similar.

Klaus Westrup, editor-in-chief of the automobile magazine " auto motor und sport ", praised the F355 for the very high performance with the direct power output of the engine, the maneuverability of the sports car and the very good seating position. On the other hand, the limited space, the poor slow driving comfort, the sometimes loud engine noise and the relatively uncomfortable entry were criticized.

Development / history

The F355 was not a simple update of the previous 348, but a largely new car. With numerous innovations and his driving performance, he brought the Ferrari brand into the modern age, so to speak. Brakes, clutch, chassis and engine were considered to be well-balanced and the dimensions were sufficient for tall drivers.

Compared to its predecessor 348, the F355 not only offered a noticeable leap in technology in the form of, for example, five-valve technology, electronically adjustable chassis and later the optionally available F1 transmission, but also the high performance and a balanced level of performance made the mid-engine two-seater from the "entry-level Ferrari" an attractive sports car. One of the consequences of this was that the sales figures for the F355 increased, as the “small” Ferrari was now as high-quality as the large twelve-cylinder models.

Technical specifications

	Ferrari F355 (M2.7)	Ferrari F355 (M5.2)
construction time	1994-1996	1996-1999
Engine type	Eight-cylinder V-mid-engine 90 °
Displacement (cm³)	3495
Valves	5 valves per cylinder
Engine control	Bosch Motronic 2.7	Bosch Motronic 5.2
Power (PS) in min -1	280 (381) at 8250 (factory specification)	280 (381) at 8250 (factory specification)
Torque Nm at min -1	363/6000 (factory information)
Technical differences 2.7 / 5.2	2 × engine control unit Bosch 2.7 / 2 air mass meter (direct) / exhaust manifold	1 × engine control unit Bosch 5.2 / 1 air mass meter (with Y-piece) / exhaust manifold
transmission	6-speed manual transmission	6-speed manual transmission / 6-speed sequential "F1 transmission"
drive	Rear wheel drive
Acceleration 0-100 km / h (factory specification)	4.7 s
Top speed (factory specification km / h)	295
Dry weight (factory specification kg)	1350
Tank capacity (liter)	80

body

Two-seat mid - engine - coupé or convertible (F355 Spider ), steel chassis, aluminum body, length × width × height (mm) 4250 × 1900 × 1170, wheelbase 2450 mm, tank volume 82 liters, empty weight 1350 kg (measured value with a full tank 1444 kg), power-to-weight ratio 4.8 kg / kW, c _w value 0.33

engine

Water-cooled 90-degree eight-cylinder V-engine , four overhead camshafts , five valves per cylinder (3 intake valves / 2 exhaust valves), bucket tappets with hydraulic valve clearance compensation, bore × stroke (mm) 85.0 × 77.0, displacement 3495 cm³, Output 280 kW (381 PS) at 8250 / min, maximum torque 363 Nm at 6000 / min, liter output 80.1 kW / l, maximum speed 8500 / min

Power transmission

Rear-wheel drive, mechanical, manual six-speed gearbox, the sequential six-speed gearbox (F1 shift) was optionally available from July 1997. Differential lock 40%, ratios: I. 3.07, II. 2.16, III. 1.61, IV. 1.27, V. 1.03, VI. 0.84, final drive ratio 3.75: 1

From the spring of 1998, the F355 could be ordered as the first series vehicle in the world with a steering wheel rocker switch for an additional charge.

landing gear

Independent suspension all around, front coil springs , shock absorbers , double wishbones and stabilizer ; rear coil springs, shock absorbers, double wishbones and stabilizer; Brakes: disc brakes internally ventilated all around, diameter front / rear (mm) 305/300, ABS, wheels: 225/40 ZR 18 front and 265/40 ZR 18 rear on 7.5 and 10 × 18 inch magnesium rims

The chassis is equipped with Bilstein shock absorbers and has automatic hydraulic level compensation. With a switch in the center console from the driver's seat, it can be switched electrically from a rather soft “Comfort” level to the harder “Sport” damping. The comfort level is up to most driving situations, as sensors for vertical acceleration and driving speed electronically readjust the shock absorber characteristics with increasing speed.

The chassis of the F355 is relatively hard, which means that the setup is tailored to the sporty use of the vehicle. In a sport auto super test, the chassis set-up resulted in a clearly positive verdict: “The Ferrari is quiet on the road. It does not allow any noticeable body roll in curves, nor does it reveal restless tumbling on second-order lanes. Even at top speed, the Ferrari does not show the slightest bad behavior, for example in the form of uneven straight-line stability. ” This conclusion can be attributed all the more to the tuning of the chassis, as the F355, despite its covered underbody and other aerodynamic aids, already 42 kg at 200 km / h Lift produced on the rear axle. For his performance in the slalom disciplines, as well as performances at the Hockenheimring and the Nürburgring Nordschleife , the vehicle was praised: "excellent stability, very high maximum lateral acceleration, a direct response to steering input, exemplary neutrality." That conclusion is the statement contrary: " On a wet road, the jagged reactions around the vertical axis require a quick hand [...] Drifting in an F355 should at best be professionals on closed-off routes. "

Performance

• 0–100 km / h: 5.0 s (measured value ams)
• 0–200 km / h: 16.5 s (measured value ams)
• Top speed: 288 km / h (measured value)
• Braking distance from 100 km / h (warm): 37.5 m (10.7 m / s²)
• NEDC consumption: 17.1 l / 100 km (measured value ams)
• Slalom 36 m: 118 km / h (measured value ams)
• Max. Lateral acceleration: 1.3 g
• Lap time Nürburgring Nordschleife: 8:13 min
• Lap time Kleiner Hockenheimring: 1:15: 3 min

The powerful V8 engine and the driving characteristics enabled the testers of the F355 on the racetrack and when accelerating to achieve times that are not far from its successor, the Ferrari 360 , but well below those of its predecessor, the Ferrari 348 .

The acceleration up to 200 km / h is almost the same as the 360 , as is the lap time in Hockenheim. One of the reasons for this is that the F355 is around 20 kg lighter than its successor. However, the empty weights are factory specifications and may vary depending on the equipment. With the optional lightweight sports seats, the test vehicle at the time weighed around 1440 kg.

Production numbers

Total F355 produced: 11,273

• of which with manual 6-speed gearbox: 8,649, which are divided as follows:
• F355 Berlinetta: 3,938
• F355 GTS: 2,048
• F355 Spider: 2,663

With F1 circuit: 2,624 (separate models, different names)

• 355 F1 Berlinetta: 1,044
• 355 GTS F1: 529
• 355 Spider F1: 1,051, 104 of them as special model 355 Spider F1 Fiorano , (100 USA versions) presented in Geneva in 1999 alongside the 360 ​​Modena

Motorsport versions (not included in the above 11.273 total production with road approval)

• F355 Challenge: 72
• F355 Competizione: only a few copies known, 1995–1996
• about 100 F355 Berlinettas with road approval were converted to F355 Challenge . The factory delivered a package of parts for this.

• Price (1995): approx. 220,000 DM
• Price 355 F1 (from 1998): approx. 250,000 DM

Individual evidence

1. ↑ sport auto 6/1997
2. ↑ http://media.caranddriver.com/files/acura-nsx-t-vs-dodge- Genealogie-ferrari-355-lotus-esprit-s4s-porsche-911- turbo.pdf

Web links

Commons : Ferrari F355  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files