Ferrari F355 Tested: A V-8 Worthy of the Prancing Horse - Car and Driver (blog)
No Ferrari F355 owner in his right mind would drive one of these art treasures in the wintry conditions we experienced while the car was in Ann Arbor, but what could we do. New Ferraris do not come our way often, and we don't pick the dates. So we ended up stabbing a flaming-red F355 through snow flurries and road-salt spray, cringing at these abuses as our admiration for the car's capabilities grew. The F355 is Ferrari's replacement for the 348, and although it’s based on that car’s layout, it is a generation ahead of the 348 in every way. Still, there's no mistaking it for anything other than a red car from Maranello when you first approach it. After hunting for the door handle (it's hidden under the intake duct) and opening the door, the impression is heightened. You vault the sill, twist into the seat, and slide your feet down to shiny metal pedals offset slightly to the center of the car. Prods at the pedal send the revs soaring, and you hear the twang of an unconstricted exhaust system and the whiz of a small, responsive V-8. Five valves serve each cylinder, but they're operated by belt-driven cams and hydraulic tappets. A tachometer redlined at 8500 rpm suggests a peaky engine and a dull, off-song response to the throttle at low revs, but that isn't the case. Source: www.caranddriver.com
