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The 2004 Ferrari 360 Spider is Ferrari's 20th road-going convertible and is a record breaker in two quite different ways. Without doubt it is the best spider Maranello has ever produced in terms of engineering, looks
and performance. And, thanks to the exclusive experience Ferrari has accumulated as a Formula 1 constructor, it is the most technologically advanced convertible available today. Despite the car's mid-mounted V8
engine Ferrari's engineers have found a way of creating a hood that automatically folds away inside 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 sports cars. These are matched by the two roll bars that add the final touch to providing maximum safety for the car's two occupants.
With the hood up, the 360 Spider looks extremely aggressive, emphasising the car's rear mass with the V8 clearly visible through the clear glass engine cover. Lowering the fully automatic hood totally transforms the
looks. Seen from the side, it closely resembles a sports racer, a sensation underlined by the length of the rear engine bay, the twin roll bars, the rear fairings and a windscreen so steeply raked that it looks like
a prolongation of the bonnet. The hood with its power mechanism stows away inside a special well set between the cabin and the engine, a feature that necessitated the re-design of all the air intakes and outlets.
The 360 Spider features a fully automatic hood mechanisim with a movement that takes just 20 seconds to complete. Very compact in design, the hood mechanism involves a complex two-stage folding action. In fact
the canvas hood is folded double before it can slip down inside the engine bay and be topped off by its own integrated tonneau cover. The hood's frame is made in a combination of cast aluminium and pressed steel
elements, driven by electro-hydraulic actuators. The soft top comes in a choice of four colours (black, dark blue, beige and grey) with a fabric lining and an interchangeable PVC rear screen.
The cabin of the
360 Spider is identical to the coupé's, 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, while the roll bar structure is coated in a special material that progressively absorbs energy in the area around the occupants' heads under
its soft Connolly leather trim. Two small mesh screens have been fitted inside the roll bars and, along with a third set between them, these effectively eliminate the buffetting that normally affects convertibles.
The engineers worked very hard right from the start of the 360 project to lay the foundations for a spider with exceptional torsional and flexional 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 cut out engine noise from the cabin. The result is a structural efficiency and a dynamic response that
sets new standards in chassis and body shell construction in open cars. The occupants of the 360 Spider are ensconced inside an ultra-protective safety cage, backed up by the two tubular steel roll bars that form an
integral part of the hood system and work with the windscreen reinforcement to offer maximum resistance in rollover situations.
The 360 Spider adopts the same suspension system as the coupé version: double
wishbones at front and rear complete with the same anti-dive and anti-squat geometry. Behind the wheel the 360 Spider feels ultra-smooth with minimal roll and pitch and extraordinary precision in its response to
steering inputs
The 360 Spider adopts exactly the same mechanicals as the berlinetta: a mid-rear mounted 3,586 cc V8 delivering 400 bhp at 8,500 rpm with a longitudinal gearbox incorporating the limited slip
differential. What that means in practice - on the road and on the test track - is that the 360 Spider offers almost identical performance and handling. In fact, open or closed, the car achieves a top speed of over
290 km/h, while weighing barely 132 lbs more than the berlinetta and offering the same amount of room for the occupants and their luggage.
The designers of the 360 Spider worked hard to make the convertible
version as aerodynamically efficient as its berlinetta counterpart. This has been achieved using the twin radiators to help channel the airflow along the underbody to the extractors under the tail. Despite the
absence of any spoiler or wings, wind tunnel research has produced a negative lift figure and aerodynamic downforce of 374 lbs, compared to the 396 lbs generated by the berlinetta. In order to achieve that
downforce, the engineers incorporated a nolder (a protuberance on the edge of the tail), a solution first adopted on Formula 1 cars. Compared to the coupé's drag figure of 0.33, the Spider achieves a Cd of 0.36 - a
figure which is the norm for open cars.
Aerodynamic analysis also extended to the fluid dynamics inside the engine bay. In fact the only apertures on the bonnet are the two grilles flanking the glass cover.
These share the same honeycomb pattern as on the berlinetta, though the size of the hexagonal openings has been increased to ensure the correct amount of heat can escape from the Spider's slightly smaller engine bay.
Specifications
Overall length 4,477 mm-176.3 in.
Overall width 1,922 mm-75.7 in.
Height 1,235 mm-48.6 in.
Wheelbase 2,600 mm-102.3 in.
Front track 1,669 mm-65.7 in.
Rear track 1,617 mm-63.6 in.
Weight 1,350 kg-2,976 lbs
Kerb weight 1,450 kg-3,197 lbs
Weight distribution 42/58% front/rear
Fuel capacity 95 litres
21 gallons (25.1 US gal)
Front tyres 215/45 ZR 18
Rear tyres 275/40 ZR 18
Front brakes 330 x 28 mm 13 x 1.1"
Rear brakes 330 x 28 mm 13 x 1.1"
No. of cylinders 90° V8
Bore & stroke 85x79 mm 3.34x3.11in.
Unit displacement 448.2 cc 27.36 cu. in.
Total displacement 3,586 cc 218.84 cu. in.
Maximum power 294 kW (400 bhp) @ 8,500 rpm
Maximum torque 373 Nm (275.6 lbs/ft) @ 4,750 rpm
Maximum speed over 290 km/h 180 mph
0-62 mph 4.5 s
0-400 m 12.7 s
0-1,000 m 23.1 s
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