Tested: 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 Finally Gives Up Its Numbers

We test it (again), and it's really fast (again). View PhotosKen Hanna|Car and DriverFrom the November 1999 issue of Car and Driver. Although the vast majority of prancing-horse fans appreciated our exclusive first test of the Ferrari 360 Modena published in our July 1999 issue, some of you rightfully pointed out that a few statistics were missing, such as skidpad performance, sound level, and top speed. Those who actually read editor Csere's story also were made aware that our testing—done under time restraints in Italy on the Fiorano track's front straight, with equipment Csere lugged across the Atlantic, on a surface that was on the verge of dampness from an impending shower—was not conducted under ideal conditions. So, in the interest of science, we made time in our hectic schedule to order up a Modena and have it delivered to our Hogback Road headquarters for our typical thorough thrashing. The things we do for you readers! You can thank us later. Needless to say, the Modena did not sit still much, being handed off, almost while still rolling, from one staffer to another during its week here. This is a gorgeous automobile from any angle, arguably as sensuous as any other modern-era Ferrari. See all results for used 2000 Ferrari 360 for sale near 200000 Its looks were sullied only by the big yellow stick-on Ferrari logo on the front fenders—it's the sort of needless reminder that makes sense only on Fieros turned into fake Ferraris. Also, we wonder how long it would take youthful knife-equipped admirers to liberate it from the Modena. Thanks, but no thanks. A car like this gives us enough to worry about. On the road, the Modena is surprisingly civilized, almost Buick quiet until you dial in the rpm. Anything more than 4000, and the Buick similarities disappear with a sobering, fabric-ripping scream that builds right up to, and past, 8000 rpm, at which point it's almost deafening. It sounds wonderful from inside the car, but from the outside, it's oddly raspy, almost flatulent. "Geez," said one observer, "sounds kinda like my RX-7 with the muffler off." Yes, well. It isn't as sweet a song as that of the F355 it replaces, but it is compelling as hell. The paddle shifters for the automatically shifted six-speed manual are located at the 9 and 3 o'clock positions behind the steering wheel. Of course, you can press a big button on the center console and allow the transmission to shift automatically, but we did that only in bumper-to-bumper traffic. We suspect you'd do the same. To engage reverse, you lift up on a dainty little T-handle in the center console and move it to the rear. Cute. See all results for used 2000 Ferrari 360 for sale near 200000 The rest of the cockpit is built to a level of comfort the F355 did not match, but the pricier Maranello does. In execution, as well as exterior styling (dictated by the wind tunnel as much as aesthetics), the 360 shares more with the Maranello than the model it replaces. Ingress and egress are easy, the seats are comfy even for long hauls, the switches are properly placed, and the gauges are easy to read, with the exception of the digital gas gauge, which is tucked away beneath the speedometer. With our test car averaging 14 mpg, we'd like a more precise, easier-to-read analog gauge. Although few will buy this car for its cargo-carrying ability, there is adequate room for a weekend's worth of luggage, including an area behind the seats big enough for a couple of soft duffels. As for the performance, it mirrored closely that of the car we tested in July. This Modena was slightly slower—almost certainly owing to the fact that its 40-valve V-8 had only covered 300 miles when we tested it—and rain prevented a retest after we had logged a few hundred more miles. This 395-hp Modena went from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, 0.1 second slower than the performance of the 360 we tested in Italy, but that is still 0.4 second quicker than the heavier 375-bp F355 F1 we tested in September 1998. This car was a hair slower in the quarter-mile, too—13.0 seconds at 112 mph, 0.1 second and 1 mph slower than the July tester. This car stopped better, though—159 feet from 70 mph, compared with 173 feet. It circled the skidpad at 0.96 g (we weren't able to test on the skidpad in July); the F355 F1 tested in September 1998 managed 0.97 g. That F355 wore Pirelli P Zero Direzionale radials (225/40ZR-18 up front, 265/40ZR-18 at the rear). This Modena had Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Fiorano radials (215/45ZR-18 up front, 275/40ZR-18 out back). The Modena we tested in Italy wore Pirellis, another possible explanation for the tiny differences in performance. Top speed on both cars was a redline-limited 173 mph, reached quite easily. At triple-digit speeds, the Modena feels a little light in the front end, but stable. Handling is razor-sharp, with turn-in telepathically precise. You have to push the 360 right up to its limits to experience any front-end washout; past its limits

Tested: 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena F1 Finally Gives Up Its Numbers

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