[Llarry]

The Ferrari 355 -- sometimes styled as F355 -- was Ferrari's last steel-bodied mid-engine V-8 car and was introduced in berlinetta form in 1994. The car rode on the same wheelbase as the previous 348 and featured 18-inch wheels and tires. It had a larger 3.5 liter V-8 with 5 valves per cylinder and titanium connecting rods. Output rose to 375 hp at 8250 rpm.

The 355 GTB was soon followed by a 355 Spider and a 355 GTS with removable targa top panel. There were also some special editions, which I will not cover here.

In 1997, an automated manual transmission with paddle shifters was introduced as an option and proved popular; Ferrari called it the F1. (It was quite similar to the Magnetti-Marelli system called SMG by BMW.)

The 355 ceased production in 1999 after 11,273 had been sold. It was replaced by a radical new all-aluminum model, the Ferrari 360.