Used Ferrari 360 Coupe 1999 - 2005 review

Replacing a car like the Ferrari 355 was never going to be an easy task, but with the 360, Ferrari managed to improve on what seemed to be perfection.

The 360 provides all the raw driving pleasure of its predecessor: the V8 performance is nothing short of awesome; the heart-racing acceleration matched only by the glorious soundtrack that accompanies it. Thanks to the mid-engined layout, the balance and poise are superb, and while the ride is a touch firm around town, you'd expect that. Where the 360 improves on the past, though, is in its refinement. When your right foot isn't making every effort to make the engine howl, the 360 is an impressively civilised supercar. With build quality and interior finish also being a vast improvement on older Ferraris, the 360 is an incredible machine, even by today's standards.

The 360 may have been the most affordable Ferrari of its day, but this doesn't mean that 'affordability' is a word that applies to the brand. It cost well over £100,000 when it was new, and with a retained value of almost 70% after three years, even the oldest examples will cost you an absolute packet.

Maintaining your 360 will also cost a not-so-small fortune. The exotic, complicated parts are expensive to replace, and with service intervals rolling around every 6000 miles, visits to the garage will empty your wallet on a regular basis. It needs to be done, too, because you really don't want to neglect a car like this. The 360 returns just 15.8mpg on average, and that's if you're careful, which you won't be. Insurance costs are also colossal. The 360 obviously falls into the most expensive group 20.

The most basic choice is whether to go for the Modena coupe or the Spider drop-top. This is entirely down to personal preference, but both look sensational. The Spider will be a bit more expensive, but when you're talking about a car that costs this much, the difference will mean nothing. Importantly, the Spider is no less thrilling to drive than the Modena. Performance isn't impaired and it doesn't feel too shaky.

Both versions are powered by the same mid-mounted 3.6-litre V8. At its howling, screaming best the engine knocks out 400bhp for thunderous performance and an awe-inspiring soundtrack. Later on, Ferrari released the Challenge Stradale, a more powerful 425bhp version. However, this is much more expensive, and we'd choose the more basic (if you can call it that) standard version. The other choice is whether to go for a manual gearshift or for F1-style paddles. We'd stick to the manual.