Ferrari 360 Spider 2004 - Present

The Ferrari 360 replaced the phenomenally successful 355 and in that it was always going to have a tough time. It is worth commending the achievement of the Italian icon that they've managed to bring out a car that pushed the limits of production cars even further, for the 360 is an even more impressive motorcar.

The Ferrari team went right through the car and redesigned, improved and replaced pretty much everything, except the gate that the gearsitck sits in. The all aluminium chassis is both stiffer (it's the world's stiffest chassis), and lighter than it's predecessor. It also adds an extra 9 inches which makes the cabin appreciably more roomy and comfortable. The Spider chassis has been strengthened further and has one of the fastest roofs on the market, taking just 20 seconds to fold down. It has been given a slightly bigger windscreen in order to keep the majority of wind out of the cockpit. The additional weight and size of windscreen is slightly detrimental in terms of the 360's performance, shaving 3 mph off of the 183 mph top speed, enjoyed by the coupe.

As you would expect from the prancing horse there is power to play with under your right foot. The engine sings at low speeds and clears it's throat to a howl as you put your foot down. The noise is exhilarating and adds an extra dimension to the whole driving experience. The 360 does from standing to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds so you are assured of a thrill every time you sit in the car. There are two gearbox options; the stick shift six speed box and the F1 style paddle shift gearbox. The F1 accounts for 70% of sales, but isn't as good for lower speeds as the standard box.

Once again there are few surprises with regards to the handling, it's fantastic. The car is low to the ground and almost seems to have a magnetic attraction to it for it hols the road so keenly that it almost feels that they are part of the same thing, the Italian supercar behaves a wave of energy that is created by the road, it's part of the road and then with the blink of an eye it's gone.

The Ferrari 360 Spider starts at 115,000 and for that money doesn't even have a CD player as standard. But it comes with it's own soundtrack and if you want music you can go to the disco, if you want to drive there are few better places to be.

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