Ferrari 360 Spider

The 360 Spider was Ferrari’s 20th road-going convertible. It was also the best spider ever built at Maranello pre-2000 in terms of its technical content, styling and performance. In fact, this was the most technologically advanced spider in the world at the time of its launch thanks to the exclusive transfer of features derived directly from Ferrari’s experiences on the Formula 1 track. Despite its 400-hp V8 engine’s mid-position (five valves per cylinder), the Ferrari technicians still managed to design a hood that folded away automatically inside the engine bay and guaranteed its superb purity of line. This was further underscored by two fairings in the bodywork to the rear of the seats which evoke memories of Ferrari’s classic sports cars and the roll-bars that guaranteed a safe ride for driver and passenger.

Ferrari 360 Spider

The work done on the chassis focused on delivering maximum static and dynamic rigidity. The sills were reinforced too, the front part of the floor pan was stiffened, and the windshield structure redesigned. The rear bulkhead too was stiffened to dampen engine noise. The 360 Spider’s structural prowess and dynamic response set a whole new chassis-bodywork benchmark for drop-top cars, in fact. The 360 Spider’s lucky occupants were enclosed in a very strong protective crash cage completed by two tubular steel roll bars which were an actually part of the drop-top system. Together with the strengthened windscreen frame, these guaranteed significant protection in case of a roll-over. The 360 Spider had the same suspension as the coupé (double wishbone suspension front and rear) with the same antidive and antisquat geometries. Rolling and pitching were reduced to an absolute minimum and the 360 Spider proved extraordinarily precise entering corners.
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