Ferrari 360 Spider
Discussion
I thought I d do a post on my latest car, and see if I can keep on top of it as some kind of car diary.
2001 360 Spider, in Rosso with Crema, some very rare carbon racing seats, and importantly for me - with the manual gearbox. It had done 33k miles when I bought it, and had plenty of service history (a whole box of paperwork and a model of the car came with it).
I hadn t specifically been looking for a 360, but only because ones I d tried before with the regular seats had been too tight for the legroom, and I felt I was sitting on the car, rather than in it. Other options had been a McLaren 600lt (couldn t find the right one, and my ownership of my 570s had sadly lived up to some of the horror stories that you hear about the brand), or a Ferrari 355 Spider (even tighter inside than the 360, which meant that going for the F1 was my only option). I d arranged to see a couple of 355s the same week that the advert for my car came up.
As soon as I went to see this car I knew it was the right one for me. It is in fantastic condition for the age, and the seats are incredible - I am actually a good fit behind the wheel now, and they are comfortable but provide great support. I also think the seats look brilliant.
In the month or so that I ve owned it I ve managed to put on a few hundred miles. Being honest, I didn t fall in love with the drive straight away. Collection day involved a lot of traffic, and then a torrential downpour on the motorway. The very old tyres made the car feel nervous. However, a new set of tyres later, and plenty of fun drives out in the car, and I love it! The car feels old - but to me that s a good thing. It is a very different experience to some of my more recent cars (California and 570s), but does remind me in a few ways of my TVR Tuscans. The car has more than enough power to enjoy on the roads, and because it feels more classic, I don t feel the need to drive at ten tenths like I did in the McLaren.
I have just ordered a Capristo exhaust for the car. The standard exhaust makes a great noise above 4k rpm, but it is oddly quiet below that. As this is purely a car to drive for fun, I might as well hear more of that V8! I will try to post some clips when the Capristo is fitted!
2001 360 Spider, in Rosso with Crema, some very rare carbon racing seats, and importantly for me - with the manual gearbox. It had done 33k miles when I bought it, and had plenty of service history (a whole box of paperwork and a model of the car came with it).
I hadn t specifically been looking for a 360, but only because ones I d tried before with the regular seats had been too tight for the legroom, and I felt I was sitting on the car, rather than in it. Other options had been a McLaren 600lt (couldn t find the right one, and my ownership of my 570s had sadly lived up to some of the horror stories that you hear about the brand), or a Ferrari 355 Spider (even tighter inside than the 360, which meant that going for the F1 was my only option). I d arranged to see a couple of 355s the same week that the advert for my car came up.
As soon as I went to see this car I knew it was the right one for me. It is in fantastic condition for the age, and the seats are incredible - I am actually a good fit behind the wheel now, and they are comfortable but provide great support. I also think the seats look brilliant.
In the month or so that I ve owned it I ve managed to put on a few hundred miles. Being honest, I didn t fall in love with the drive straight away. Collection day involved a lot of traffic, and then a torrential downpour on the motorway. The very old tyres made the car feel nervous. However, a new set of tyres later, and plenty of fun drives out in the car, and I love it! The car feels old - but to me that s a good thing. It is a very different experience to some of my more recent cars (California and 570s), but does remind me in a few ways of my TVR Tuscans. The car has more than enough power to enjoy on the roads, and because it feels more classic, I don t feel the need to drive at ten tenths like I did in the McLaren.
I have just ordered a Capristo exhaust for the car. The standard exhaust makes a great noise above 4k rpm, but it is oddly quiet below that. As this is purely a car to drive for fun, I might as well hear more of that V8! I will try to post some clips when the Capristo is fitted!
Edited by ollyh1988 on Wednesday 11th March 15:19
NDA said:
Brings back memories - a good friend of mine had one when they were first launched. I didn't think Ferrari could make a better car - it just seemed 'peak' Ferrari at the time. Very beautiful. Enjoy! 
I think that’s part of the reason I wanted a red and cream one - a friend’s neighbour had one back when they were new, and I remember staring at it across the road whenever I was at his house. It feels crazy to actually have one now! ollyh1988 said:
I really hope so. I nearly went for a Challenge Stradale exhaust but like the fact the Capristo has the valve controller to quieten it down when needed.
I was only saying to a mate at the weekend that now I have had a switchable exhaust I wouldn't go back to one without. Never realised I needed one as I thought I was happy for a constant noise, but the ability to mute it on longer or dull motorway runs is a godsend. Crucially, the car seat fits!
The bucket seats are just wide enough to be a perfect fit for the car seat. I m not sure how many will be interested, but for me I had to make sure the car would be able to take my daughter (petrol head in the making). It is one of the reasons I ruled out the 600lt bucket seats - way too narrow!
The bucket seats are just wide enough to be a perfect fit for the car seat. I m not sure how many will be interested, but for me I had to make sure the car would be able to take my daughter (petrol head in the making). It is one of the reasons I ruled out the 600lt bucket seats - way too narrow!
Edited by ollyh1988 on Wednesday 11th March 17:56
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff