1995 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta : The Last Great Analog Ferrari

Man, I learn something every day with these cars, they’re so little information so much wrong information and so much information is just hard to find. I’m glad to have guys like you around to teach. Thanks for the info.
I can’t imagine those old-school servos on top of the shocks are even quick enough for any of that.
I think the 355 was ahead of its time, but still very analog in my opinion. But not as analog as the 348 of course. Such great cars.

 

No, I appreciate accuracy. The former CEO’s name is ‘Montezemolo.’ The majors will still be needed and won’t be any less expensive. They made challenge cars and they were all based on the street legal car. I like your car. It looks great and probably runs great as well.

 

355 is definitely analogue. It may say on paper that the shocks are adjustable, but there is nobody on earth able to tell what mode they're in

 

+1

(except Schumacher, I imagine...and the leprechaun who turns on that little yellow light on the dash)

 

It is not a nanny system designed to keep you out of trouble but intended to optimize grip. If it bothers you it's trivial to disable, but it makes the car better, not worse. There's no intervention, it's similar to fuel injection in that it's trying to optimize performance, not trying to keep you out of trouble.

 

Grip does keep you out of trouble. Of course we are not talking about systems such as variable slideslip control.

Anyway, I think it's fair to say that we all have a different concept of analog. Generally, the older we are, the more cars we have driven without such aids. ABS? What's that? Actually, my new Mazda Miata gave me quite a shock a few days ago when the automatic braking system cut in. I didn't even know it had this feature. I was pulling up behind another vehicle in my local mall, going about 5mph (i.e. already braking), but it didn't like how close I was. The wheels locked up and skidded (for less than a foot), but it was sudden deceleration and the loud sound of tyres scrabbling for traction which gave me this totally unnecessary drama.

 

Foreshore, there was no "drive by wire" throttle on the 355. Luca improved the 348 cable so it would gum up and automatically hold it wide open so you could hear the scream of the new five valve motor. Just one of many, lest we also not forget the "garder belts" on the new power folding spider top to help it collapse while lowering, provided the seat pots allowed top movement. Oh, us 348 guys have a long list of his many non-analog "improvements" over the 348.

 

Yet, it took until this post to admit that there was no F355 Challenge Stradale:

See? You knew it all along.

Otherwise, might as well start claiming that Ferrari really produced a F355 GTO......

 

The355 is 1995. Last of analog v8. But the last analog ferrari is a v12 the 550 maranello 2002 last produced. After that the automatics came as the manuals died and quick death in production.

 

Besides a carb 308?

 

It's funny to watch the argument shift on analog cars.


Seems to stem from the Porsche people.

They want the 997 or 991 to be analog so they talk about the difference between hydraulic steering vs EPAS.

I mean if you want to break it down to that... The. Really none of them are ... And if they have any traction control then they are off the list... And he'll if they have electronic fuel injection they are off the list.


I'm not exactly sure why a 355 would be considered more analog than a 360... Because it has a defeatable traction control? It has drive by wire that no one can tell the difference with? Yet still has fuel injection. It's splitting hairs.

 

A manual 360 is pretty analogue. It's not an on-off switch, more of a sliding scale. My early 911 is definitely more analogue than my 355. Etc.

 

I have to admit - There's a certain appeal to taking the motor out to 3.9 liters and putting four 2bbl downdrafts on top.... in a 355.

 

Wow it took you 24 hours to reply and this is your reply. You’re clever and win thread obtuse championship!

 

Hell yes

 

Euro 355’s have an ABS kill switch. U.S spec 355’s might be able to adapt the ABS kill switch @Qavion?


Some 348’s have ABS?


You want ABS on a road car for safety. Driving without ABS on a track requires a skill set, but tracks have a certain level of predictability.


Driving a car with a manual steering rack doesn’t actually require more skill. It’s a feeling, not a skill set, unlike driving without ABS. Half the time you are fighting the car (if the car is heavy). What you gain in feel, you lose in agility. Have you tried drifting (quick countersteering) in a manual rack? Not ideal for heavy cars imho. Take it from someone who drove 100k miles in a modified Exige and had a manual steering NSX.



The 355 has no traction control. The “active” dampers are trying to optimize grip, but it isn’t modulating power to save you. It’s no different than getting grippier tires to gain an edge.


F355 doesn’t have the best steering standard, but was improved by Ferrari with the Fiorano Handling Package. There’s no way I would choose a manual steering rack in a Ferrari 355 if given the choice today unless the car was sub 2500 lbs.

 

Ya’ll can have the manual rack. Been there, done that. Give me quick hydraulic steering, thank you.

 

Good question. On cars with a cutout switch, there is a module which interfaces with the ABS system and the cutout switch on the pedestal.

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On non-cutout type cars, I don't think there is any wiring to the relay panel area. A jumper wire is put on a plug in the frunk. The jumper enables the ABS. You could remove the jumper and run wiring into the cabin to a module and switch, but it sounds like a hassle.

 

I tried to watch the video but I just have a problem listening to a guy who is younger than I was when these cars were new tell me about how fantastic they are. Heck, he is probably younger that I was when I bought my 308 back in 1985. He sound like he just discovered the New World, or a toddler with a new toy. I admit, I'm a little jaundice eyed these days.

 

OK boomer. I wasn’t even alive in 1985

 

Well, there’s always the ABS fuse .

 

Zygrene doesn’t have a large Youtube following, but he’s reviewed over 450+ cars and also gives them a grade similar to Doug Demuro’s “Doug Score,” but simpler. The guy actually knows what he’s talking about from a technical point of view and I find it interesting to compare cars and how they are setup. He goes into lengthy detail general audiences might find boring, but the information is invaluable.

I found out about the channel because the guy who purchased my Exige gave it to the channel to review. I believe Zygrene is in Norcal. He graded my car exactly how I would grade it. I believe it is still the highest rated non-modern Lotus he’s reviewed.


I knew he knew his stuff when he was able to pick up nuanced behavior of the LSD I installed in the car. Most Lotus’ install a 1.5 way or a 2.0 way LSD. I installed a special 1.8 way LSD that can only be sourced from one place in Japan and exactly the same one installed on the fastest Lotus’ there. My car is the only one with that LSD in the U.S.


The production quality isn’t superb, but I tune it because he actually knows what he’s talking about and his viewpoint is even more valuable as he has more reviews under his belt. John, you should already know… I don’t listen to people who don’t know what they’re talking about.

 

Yep, the sliding scale of "analog" is taken to rediculous extremes now as new technology is constantly forced upon us. Occasionally you will see someone claim a 458 is analog as a dis towards 488s. Saying a 355 is analog compared to what came before it (say a Daytona) is hilarious.

Since true analog cars IMO disappeared in the 70s (but how analog are those, they don't even have hand cranks) a more reasonable judgement/comparison would be to say "Car X provides a more visceral driving experience than Car Y".

But like a couple of the more reasoned posters have pointed out, most of us (me included) don't want analog cars anyway. My cars are from '99 and '05, and they provide the visceral driving experience I want (although if I had the money, I would love a F8 or 812GTS).

This post brought to you by Carl's Jr....

(this endorsement deal will get me a fully analog F8 by 2040 I hope)

 

Exactly ohh man I thought I was alone. The argument of a 458 being analog is ridiculous.

Hell I wouldn't even consider the 430 analog largely because the e diff sort of kills the analog part.

Its not that dissimilar for people to argue about supercar vs sports car vs hypercar and the classification. The definition people come up with is so stupid. It usually just gets bent to fit their favorite car... Honestly which is fine... But be honest about it. So many just double down on stupidity and hypocrisy to make their little view of the world fit.

It's like... Hey at the end of the day... Call it whatever you want. Just enjoy it and don't force others to agree with you. If they are that far off or that stupid about it ... You probably shouldn't be having a conversation with that person anyways. Lol

 

And just like Thanos snapping is fingers, all car forums would cease to exist....we can't even agree about the wetness of water here,

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