In terms of looks, the 550 Barchetta could be summed up as a simple Ferrari 550 Maranello with the roof cut off. But fortunately the manoeuvre is more subtle. The windscreen is 10 cm lower and has a very distinctive style, with a black upper section and two body-coloured half pillars. The spider concept revives the tradition of sports cars of years gone by, in which the thrill of speed was heightened tenfold by the exhilaration of the open air. In this spirit, the Ferrari 550 Pininfarina offers only a simple manual canvas roof in case of an unexpected downpour. This solution is designed to compensate for the added weight of the numerous structural reinforcements. The Pininfarina 550 Barchetta is also distinguished by the in-house emblems on the front wings, two-piece light-alloy wheels and a special fuel filler cap.

After the end of the TestaRossa saga, of which the 512 TR and M were the last descendants, Ferrari was expected to turn the corner. Ensuring a successor worthy of its predecessors was no easy task. However, from the moment it was unveiled, the 550 Maranello won over everyone, even the most wary of the Italian firm’s die-hards. Although very wide and sporting an evocative air intake on its aluminium bonnet, this Ferrari has no intention of going over the top. It’s nicknamed the ‘Squale’, and on closer inspection it’s easy to see why. Firstly, because of its majestic profile, with a long, seemingly endless bonnet and air intakes after the front wheels that resemble gills.

With the exception of a few very isolated cases, a Ferrari already has a very suggestive line which suggests that few cars will be able to hold their own on the road or on the racetrack. But when the magicians at Maranello turned their attention to the 360 Modena and transformed it into a racing beast, the result lived up to expectations. The body was lowered even further and fitted with larger wheels, additional air intakes were added and numerous elements were made of carbon. The exterior mirrors and the rear apron housing the round lights are made from this noble material, which offers the advantage of greater rigidity and lighter weight. Transverse fins have been added to the rear diffuser to increase the offset by 50%. For once, the Cavallino Rampante on the flanks has not been added by its owner and is standard, proving the sporty vocation of this Challenge Stradale. And last but not least, the white stripe running the length of the body with the three colours of Italy in the centre is a real eye-catcher.

There’s no longer the distinction between GTB and GTS as there used to be; now the Spider fulfils the role of the Targa. To achieve this, the uncapping system has been revised. Goodbye to the constraints of previous Spiders! The soft top, for which four colours were available, is electric. Two motors are responsible for automatic uncapping, which takes no more than 20 seconds to complete. Ferrari even perpetuates the tradition of the engine by housing it behind a transparent window. What a delight! The Spider 360 Modena gained only 60 kg compared to the coupé from which it was derived. Additional side reinforcements and a bar mounted in front of the engine ensure rigidity.

The replacement for the Ferrari F355 was unveiled at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show and went on sale immediately afterwards. The name 360 Modena was chosen in reference to the engine’s cubic capacity and Enzo Ferrari’s birthplace. It also marks the alternation with the F name for the saloon cars, as shown by the succession of F355, 360 Modena, F430 and 458 Italia. The design is by coachbuilder Pininfarina. Several elements were taken from the F50, starting with the abandonment of the retractable lights. A huge amount of work went into the aerodynamics, with the 360 spending 5,400 hours in the wind tunnel. It also inherited Formula 1 technology, receiving a real air extractor. The appearance of two side grilles in place of the front grille was a highly controversial feature.

Naming a car after the creator of its brand is a commercial challenge that leaves no room for error, especially when it evokes the firmament of motoring passion! While the Ferrari F50 was admirable, it failed to make its mark against the McLaren F1, which has been considered THE best supercar in the world ever since its launch. In this respect, the Enzo arrives as if to put an end to the past. A true jewel of technology, symbolising four consecutive years of victories in the Formula 1 World Championship, the Scuderia’s latest car commands respect, starting with its technical specifications. Like the F50, the Ferrari Enzo is built on an ultra-light, ultra-strong carbon-fibre and aluminium honeycomb floor, with every means of achieving a balance close to that of a single-seater racing car. The rear suspension is anchored directly to the V12 block in a central rear position.

Intended for the US market, the Fiorano is easily identifiable by its lowered body, the result of a revised suspension based on that of the Competizione (racing variant). Clearly sportier, this version has red brake callipers. The F355’s electronically reprogrammed shock absorbers, larger anti-roll bars and stiffer springs bring it closer to a racing car. The Fiorano Series also boasts a carbon-fibre interior, an Alcantara-covered steering wheel and a numbered plaque on the dashboard. On the outside, the Fiorano features a black rear grille.

355Brought to market a year after the F355 berlinetta and GTS, the F355 Spider was the second most eagerly awaited version, particularly among American customers. It is also heavier and less rigid than the coupé and targa versions, but its performance remains exceptional. For the first time on a Ferrari, the soft top was electrically operated. 1996 saw the first update of all versions of the F355. It involved Bosch electronic management. Initially available with Motronic 2.7, which managed the V8 like two 4-cylinders, with an injection/ignition ECU handling each bank of cylinders. With version 5.2, a single ECU handles all 8 cylinders. Visually, the difference is easy to see since, as on our test model equipped with Motronic 5.2, the intake manifolds form a Y shape.

Behind the name GTS simply lies the targa version, a sort of compromise between the closed berlinetta and the totally open Spider. For many, it was the ideal version of this Ferrari, given the constraints imposed by the Spider. The real innovation came in 1997, with the F1 boiute and its steering-wheel-mounted paddles, an electro-hydraulic transmission that turned drivers’ habits on their head. Each time a gear was changed, an electric current was transmitted to a computer, which managed the mechanical information directly. A hydraulic pump sends oil to the clutch to control the pistons that transmit the gear change information to the gearbox control unit.

Pininfarina has played it safe by retaining the 348’s look, while modernising it sufficiently for the comparison not to work against it. There’s no risk in that respect: the F355 buries the saloon cars that preceded it, and there’s a risk that its successors will suffer the same fate, given the turn of events at Maranello… The front end has been redesigned to channel the airflow under the flat floor to increase the car’s downforce (Venturi effect), and with its discreet little rear spoiler integrated into the bonnet, the car has not forgotten to be aerodynamic. With a total downforce of around 100kg at maximum speed, and no unsightly spoilers, this is quite a feat in the wind tunnel. Other new features include the removal of the Testarossa-style rear lights, replaced by the classic four round headlights, and the removal of the side grilles.