Supercars - Ferrari - 360 Spider
Ferrari 360 Spider Review
The 360 Spider is
Ferrari's 20th road going convertible. In
terms of engineering, looks, and performance
it was the best production spider Maranello
had ever produced at that time. Thanks to
the exclusive know-how Ferrari has
accumulated as a Formula 1 constructor, it
was the most technologically advanced
convertible available of its time.
Despite the car's mid-mounted 400bhp V8
engine, Ferrari engineers found a way of
creating a roof that automatically folds
into its own well between the cabin and the
engine bay, thus ensuring purity of line.
The intrinsic quality of the design is
underlined by the two fairings in the
bodywork to the rear of the seats which
evoke memories of classic Ferraris. These
are matched by the two roll hoops that
provide maximum safety for both of the car's
occupants. With the top up the car is
aggressive, emphasizing the V8 visible
through engine cover. Lowering the fully
automatic roof transforms the 360 Spider,
highlighting its connection to great sports
racers. As strong and rigid as the
Berlinetta, the 360 Spider offers
performance almost identical to the coupe
version, achieving a top speed over 180mph
while weighing barely 130lbs more and
offering the same amount of room for the
occupants and their luggage.
Design
The most striking aspect of the 360 Spider's
styling is its convertible top. With
incredible care, using the wonderful shape
of the 360 Maranello as a starting point,
the engineers and designers created a
stylish and highly effective, fully
automatic folding roof. Top down, the
Spider's rear fairings evoke the great era
of sports racing cars, smoothing the lines
of the roll hoops that protect the
occupants. A design tour-de-force, the
Spider gives nothing away to the berlinetta
on the road, the track, or the boulevard.
The 360 Spider features a fully automatic
roof. The driver needs only to slow below
3mph and press a button to have the roof
totally disappear into - or reappear from -
the special well between the engine and
cabin in a mere 20 seconds. No matter the
seating positions, the roof can close to
form a total seal with the windshield or
open to let in all the sunshine. The
mechanism involves a complex two-stage
action in which the roof folds double before
it slips inside its compartment to be
covered by its own special tonneau made of
high-density SMC to reduce noise. The roof's
invisible frame is made from a combination
of cast aluminum and pressed steel elements,
driven by electro-hydraulic actuators. The
roof is available in four colours.
Structure
Like the 360 Modena, the 360 Spider is made
primarily of aluminum. It is thus extremely
light and extremely strong. Thanks to its
aluminum alloy body and frame, bonded with
special Feran welds, the 360 Spider is as
torsionally and flexionally rigid as its
berlinetta counterpart. While most of the
body is of aluminum, the rigid tonneau that
covers the folded roof, and the tub in which
the folded roof and mechanism reside, are
formed from sound-reducing SMC. The roof
itself is made from bonded fabrics and
features an interchangeable PVC rear screen.
For the Spider, the 360 Modena's chassis has
been adapted to optimise static and dynamic
rigidity. This involved strengthening the
sills, stiffening the front of the floorpan
and redesigning the windscreen frame. The
rear bulkhead has also been stiffened to
isolate the cabin from engine sounds. The
result is a structural efficiency and a
dynamic response that sets new standards for
open car chassis and body shell
construction. The occupants of the 360
Spider are ensconced by an ultra-protective
safetycage, backed up by two tubular steel
roll hoops that form an integral part of the
hood system and work with the windscreen
reinforcement to offer maximum resistance in
rollover situations. The entire roll bar
structure is also coated in a special
material that progressively absorbs energy
in the area around the occupants" heads
under its soft Connolly leather trim.
Drivetrain
The 360 Spider's 5-valve per cylinder, 3.6
liter V8 engine produces 400bhp and is
centrally mounted with dry-sump lubrication.
The oil tank is placed, F1-style, on the
spacer between the longitudinal engine and
unitary gearbox. Pick-up is spectacular
thanks to excellent torque peaking at
275lb-ft at 4750rpm, 80% of that available
at just 3000rpm. The engine's flexibility
means that the car is relaxing and easy to
drive even in heavy traffic. Power output is
a record-breaking 400bhp at 8,500rpm (112bhp
per liter) the highest specific output yet
achieved by a naturally-aspirated V8
production engine. The power unit features a
variable geometry intake system, five-main
bearing crankshaft with counter-balanced
180° crank throws, titanium con rods, 5
valves per cylinder (3 intake, 2 exhaust,
the latter with variable valve timing for
improved performance at high speeds) and a
Bosch ME 7.3 electronic engine management
system which, via the CAN - Controlled Area
Network - allows the injection system to
transmit and receive data from the ignition
which is integrated with the drive-by-wire
electronic accelerator connected to the ASR
traction control and, where fitted, the
system that manages the F1 electrohydraulic
transmission.
The drive-by-wire system incorporates a
motorized throttle tegulating air induction.
On the 360, the accelerator pedal activates
a potentiometer connected to a pair of
engine management units. The CAN system also
allows the various control units to
communicate with the ASR traction control
system and the F1 gearbox control so that,
taking into consideration performance
parameters and vehicle speed, the engine
management system decides on the appropriate
throttle angle. The drive-by-wire system
makes a vital contribution during
gearshifts, ensuring they take place at the
engine speed recommended by the control
unit. The 360 Spider has benefited
enormously from Ferrari's experience with
Formula 1 engine technology, which also
contributed variable-length intake manifolds
to optimize torque at all engine speeds. The
system incorporates two plenums each
supplying air to one bank of cylinders,
either through short direct tracts connected
to the same bank or through longer indirect
ones connected to the opposite bank via
valves.
The 360 Spider's 6-speed gearbox is
available with either the classic gate-shift
or the F1-style paddle shift. The manual
system offers triple cone synchronizers on
1st and 2nd gears, with a double cone on the
others. The single dry plate clutch has
coaxial hydraulic drive and the limited slip
differential has different locking
percentages (25% on acceleration and 45% on
lift off). Ferrari introduced paddle shift
to Formula 1 and this solution is now used
by all teams. The 360 Spider's F1
transmission, which changes gears in a mere
150 milliseconds, has an optimized full
automatic option as well as manual mode, and
a low grip Snow and Ice mode. Manual changes
are effected through the two paddles behind
the steering wheel - the right paddle
selects a higher ratio, while the left drops
a gear. The pedal-less clutch is
automatically activated by the gearbox's
electronic control unit, and engages only
when the engine revs are correct. If the
sports suspension setting has been selected
the gearbox software adapts the speed of
changes to suit, and the 360 Spider is thus
stable in conditions beyond the capabilities
of most sports cars.
Suspension
The 360 Spider has superb road dynamics
thanks to a long wheelbase, wide front
track, a superb suspension geometry, and
electronic control. The car rides on an
adjustable suspension with dual aluminum
wishbones front and rear. Anti-dive and
anti-squat geometries are incorporated front
and rear so the car remains level under
braking and acceleration. The aluminum
dampers, co-designed with Sachs, are
equipped with an electronic control unit.
All body and wheel movements are thus guided
in a process that takes just 0.04 seconds to
eliminate any rolling or pitching.
Befitting a high-performance sports car, the
360 Spider's brakes include large 13"
diameter vented and cross-drilled discs with
sensitive hydraulically actuated two-piston
aluminum calipers, controlled by a braking
effort proportioning valve and an ABS system
that prevents wheel lock-up in deceleration.
The large rotors also help maintain a low
thermal load, and improve resistance to
fading without forced cooling. Although
Ferrari engineers placed emphasis on
decelerative stability, the 360 Spider stops
in record short distances.
Interior
The cabin of the 360 Spider is identical to
the coupe"s: the first things of note are
the ease of access offered by the ample door
aperture, whether the rooof is up or down,
and the striking effect of the aluminum kick
panel that recalls the lightweight but
extremely rigid extruded aluminum sill
below. The Spider's interior dimensions are
virtually identical to those of the
berlinetta, offering a far more spacious
cabin than the F355 Spider, right down to
the golf bag slot behind the seats. The only
differences are the practical, electrically
operated strongbox set between the two seats
at the centre of the roll bar structure and
the two storage nets on each side of the
rear console. The 360 Spider is available
with a choice of 12 different Connolly
leather trim options, highlighting the
aluminum detailing that reflects the car's
sophisticated construction technology. All
the major instruments are grouped in a
binnacle in the driver's line of sight, with
the tachometer positioned centrally. The
three-spoke steering wheel incorporates a
full-size airbag.
