Challenge Stradale - An Unforgettable Car

The Ferrari 360 was a stunning car when it was first launched in 1999, it was a step ahead for Ferrari, it was a complete and utter revolution in design compared to its older brother, the F355. The lines had completely changed, it was curvier and much sexier, but over time it has lost its way a little bit, times have moved on and the 360 Modena is now dare I say it, a bit dated unlike the F355.

Well, that all changed when the 360 Challenge Stradale came out, what isn't there to like about that car? I mean, it's got curves in all the right places, it's got the additional feature of the grille at the back compared to the Modena's colour co-ordinated panel. It has umpteen times more presence on the road than that of the Modena with its slightly lower ride height, black grille on the back, special Challenge wheels, and 90% of the time the stripe which just completely defines the look of the car. If you have a CS without a stripe, you are mad in my opinion. Mad.

Now, I have mentioned the sound but it's just a phenomenon, one that just cannot be described, it simply must be heard. I have been in numerous supercars, but none give quite the same sensation as the 360 CS. It's insane, it's raw, it's just, out there. It also does fast, and rather well too, you can have fun on the way to "fast" in this car, the fact it is so raw and stripped back makes it feel like you are travelling at warp speed when driving through town. It has no sound proofing whatsoever in the cabin so you can hear every little noise, from both the road and engine. It is an extraordinary car in every way. Ferrari took the "stripping down" to the next level, the wheels completely changed from the Modena's which saved weight along with changing the rear window from glass to plastic, carbon fibre mirrors and door inserts, bare metal in the footwell, and also the internal door handles too, you can see the welding which holds the floor together as well, which means they saved weight on not fitting carpets, every thing was changed in some way to make it that bit lighter and bit quicker than a Modena or Spider.

So, to conclude, if you haven't figured all ready, the 360 CS is an extraordinary car, it is an amazing experience. If you have experienced one before hand, you will know exactly what I am talking about, if not, just hope that one day you will experience it, it is an unforgettable experience. 


PS. Just listen to that noise!

by Tom