1999 Ferrari 355 F1 Spider Major Service Work Done! on 2040-cars

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What I learned after 5,600 miles in a Ferrari F355 Spider

I'm paraphrasing, but Autoblog reader Paul Dyer asked me one day, "Want to drive my 1998 Ferrari F355 Spider from San Jose, California, to me in Newfoundland?" I'm also paraphrasing and leaving out some colorful but unpublishable language, but essentially I said, "Yes." That's how I ended up on a two-week, 5,600-mile road trip, getting an extensive and intimate look at one of the most spectacular cars of our generation. Here's what I discovered. To paraphrase, you don't even know how badly you want an F355. The F355 Spider is the last beautiful Ferrari. Subsequent stallions are modern and dramatic, the F355 is eternally gorgeous, like Brunelleschi's doors and sunsets in Viareggio. The Iliad would still make sense if you said the Greeks took to ship after a Trojan keyed Menelaus' F355. You cannot say the same about the 348, or even the 458 (though we do love it so). This car began the era in which mid-engined Ferraris sell out for years in advance. That said, F355 upkeep is the equivalent of giving your bank account a flesh-eating disease. This car's most recent engine-out service was $28,000: $12,000 in labor, $16,000 in parts. Dropping the Propulsore Completo is recommended every three years for routine service and runs $7,000 or more if no other work is required. Gooey valve guides, melting exhaust manifolds, and cranky seat sensors are among the fickle components that will guarantee the bill will exceed that amount. A single bolt is $45. One F355 owner, asked if he'd recommend the model, replied without hesitation "Absolutely not." But the F355 began a whole new game for The Prancing Horse. One of Luca de Montezemolo's first marks on the company as president, the F355 was intended to rectify the sins of the 348 and deal with the Acura NSX. The F355's design resulted from 1,800 wind tunnel hours. It introduced Ferrari's five-valve V8 engine – at 107.3-horsepower-per-liter, the highest specific output of any naturally aspirated car at the time. It had an 8,500-rpm redline. The engine was so important that Ferrari changed its naming convention to highlight it. The F355 introduced a six-speed manual transmission to the V8 range. It introduced the paddle-shifted sequential gearboxes to consumers, previously the purview of top-tier race cars. This Spider was the brand's first semi-automatic droptop. This car began the era in which mid-engined Ferraris sell out for years in advance. Some of the trademark features take getting used to.

Ferrari Classiche returned this 275 GTB Competizione to million-dollar form

When this 275 GTB Competizione rolled into the hands of Ferrari Classiche, it was all out of sorts. Like so many of its brethren, it wore a red overcoat, but Giallo Fly yellow was its original color. The air intakes were mismatching lengths, the front suspension had an extra shock, certain areas of the bodywork were reshaped, and several other parts had been swapped throughout its adventurous life. With time and meticulous attention to detail, however, Classiche brought the GTB/C back up to Ferrari factory standards. Ferrari does not give an exact year of when it reattained chassis No. 09027, only saying it happened a few years after the car was sold at a 2004 Bonham's auction in Monte Carlo. Before that, it lived quite the tumultuous life. It left the factory on June 14, 1966, and four days later, it placed second in its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Pierre Noblet and Claude Dubois drove the No. 57 car for the Francorchamps team and finished 10th overall. According to Ferrari, the racing team made numerous on-the-fly adjustments, including cooling aero and fog lights, to make it properly race-ready. It later won the Mont Ventoux hillclimb, but was damaged during the Marathon de la Route race at the Nurburgring. The car returned to Maranello, and Carrozzeria Scaglietti, who originally built the car, fixed it up before it was sold to amateur racer Patrick McNally in 1967. McNally, after changing the car to silver, wrecked at the 1,000 km of Montlhery. Again, it was fixed, this time by Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. in the UK, and was painted red. Ferrari says the car bounced from owner to owner before it was sold at Monte Carlo. In addition to the previously mentioned issues, the Ferrari faced unoriginal parts that included the oil recovery tank, front brake discs, petrol tank, exhaust system, wheels, tires, steering wheel, and much of the interior. For some reason, the identification plaque had even been changed, but the important original pieces were there: the chassis and the engine. Today, the car is back to tip-top shape and more valuable than ever. Back in 2015, a Barrett-Jackson auction saw a 1966 Ferrari GTB Competizione sell for $9.4 million. We have a feeling Ferrari will keep this one, though. See full photos in The Official Ferrari Magazine. News Source: The Official Ferrari Magazine Auto News Ferrari Automotive History Coupe Performance Classics

The limited-run Ferrari J50 is the coolest 488 Spider you can't buy

Ferrari is really good at celebrating things. In recognition of 50 years of selling cars in Japan, the company is building a few one-off versions of the 488 Spider, called the J50. That's our kind of anniversary present. Just 10 of these cars will be built, and each will be customized to the taste of its owner. The J50 gets a 681-horsepower version of the 488's 3.9-liter twin-turbo V8 and of course wraps it all in different bodywork. The interior gets some custom attention as well, with different trim but most of the normal parts from the 488 Spider. It's not shown here, but there's a two-piece carbon-fiber targa roof that stows behind the seats and is supported by the matte carbon roll hoops. Design highlights include a polycarbonate bubble over the engine, a channel that wraps the front end and the sides, a chopped windshield and side glass, and a fantastic looking rear diffuser. The front end reminds us of some old GM aero concepts, but in the best way possible. If you want one, you're probably already too late. Ferrari likely offered these to its best Japanese customers before the car was even unveiled. You have 50 years to save up for the next one; better luck next time. Related Video: Featured Gallery Ferrari J50 Ferrari Convertible Luxury Performance Supercars ferrari 488 spider