When the time came to replace the Ferrari F355 the new arrival faced some pretty high expectations. The F355 had established itself as one of the best driver’s cars to come out of Modena and the bar had been set very high indeed.
And when the very pretty 360 arrived it went and raised the bar even higher still.
Ferrari had partnered with Alcoa to produce an entirely new all aluminium space-frame chassis that was 40% stiffer than the F355 which had utilized steel. The design was 28% lighter despite a 10% increase in overall dimensions.
The 3.6 litre V8 engine in the new car had been redesigned using a flat plane crankshaft, titanium connecting rods to generate 400 bhp. Despite what looks like on paper modest power gains the reality was that the power to weight ratio was significantly improved on over the F355 which was due to the combination of both a lighter car and more power. The 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) acceleration performance improved from 4.6 to 4.3 seconds.
However if you like a bit of Tabasco sauce on your chilli burgers then the CS (Challenge Stradale) is the car for you.
In essence the Challenge Stradale is a low production track day focused car based on the 360 Modena. It was inspired by the 360 MC (Modena Challenge) racing car so the focus was primarily on improving its track lapping performance by concentrating on handling, braking and weight reduction characteristics.
Ferrari engineers designed the car from the outset with a goal of 20% track day use in mind and 80% road use. With only a small 20 bhp improvement in engine power from the Modena (and boasting an improved power-to-weight ratio) the Challenge Stradale accelerates from 0 to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.0 seconds (three tenths faster than a Modena) but bald figures do not paint the full picture.
For the enthusiastic driver the differences are truly staggering – genuine systematic improvements were achieved to the setup and feel of the whole car. Throttle response from the digital throttle was ratcheted up and feedback through the steering wheel was enhanced. The responsiveness of the controls, the balance of the chassis, the braking performance and the driver feedback all contribute greatly to the overall driving experience and lead the Challenge Stradale to claim an impressive 3.5 seconds improvement per lap of its Fiorano circuit compared to the Modena (the target was 2.5 seconds).
So how was the weight-saving achieved?
Well the 360 Challenge Stradale is up to 110 kg lighter than the standard Modena if all the lightweight options are specified such as deleted radio, plexiglass door window and Alcantara fabric (instead of the leather option). As much as 94 kg was taken off on the car by lightening the bumpers, stripping the interior of its sound deadening and carbon mirrors and making the optional Modena carbon seats standard.
Resin Transfer Moulding was utilized for the bumpers and skirts, a carry over from the Challenge cars which resulted in lighter bumpers than on the Modena. The engine and transmission weight was slimmed down 11 kg through the use of a smaller, lighter weight sports stainless steel exhaust back box and valved exit pipes.
The Challenge Stradale also acquired Brembo carbon ceramic brakes as standard which shaved 16 kg off the curb weight and improved handling by reducing un-sprung weight and completely eliminating brake fade.
This is one of the best cars ever made by Ferrari. Enough said.
The 360 CS is also a very rare car. ‘Official’ Ferrari stats say that in total 1200 were built but only 115 right hand drive examples were ever made and we have been asked to find a buyer for one of them by one of our clients who is the current owner of this particular car:-
Finished in Rosso Scuderia plus Blu Scuro (very dark blue) leather seats with special red stitching this 2004 right hand drive 360 CS has recorded only 8600 miles from new which is reflected in the car’s exemplary condition.
The specification includes the following:-
* F1 Gearbox
* Carbon Fibre Backed Racing Seats
* Carbon Mirrors
* Yellow Rev Counter
* Carbon Fibre Door Cards
* Ferrari Becker Radio System
* 6 CD Changer
* Blu Scuro Leather Headlining
* 4 Point Red Ferrari Harnesses
* Blu Scuro Road Legal Roll Bar
* Leather Steering Wheel with Red Centre Line
* Blu Scuro Leather Upper Dashboard
* Black Carpets
* Carbon Centre Console
* 19” Ferrari BBS Alloys
* Red Brake Calipers
* Tricolore Stripe (not painted)
* Battery Charger
The car also comes with the full compliment of Ferrari driver’s handbooks, car cover, toolkit, Ferrari service history file and a sheaf of receipts.
£Price on Application
If you would like to find out more about this very special 360 Challenge Stradale give The Car Spy a call on 01892 506970 or email sales@thecarspy.net
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