Drag racing still isn't big in Italy, so the acceleration numbers hardly tell the F355 performance story. While this Ferrari's ride isn't as compliant as that of the more commuter-oriented NSX, the handling abilities easily match that world leader in every instance. The Ferrari clearly leads the Acura in its talent for balancing steering-wheel and throttle inputs. The transmission gears are so perfectly chosen that when upshifting from redline in third to fourth, the drop is only about 1000 rpm, and the V-8 remains in the meatiest part of its powerband. For a veteran driver, it's sheer joy to dance the F355 through corners.
However, the F355 isn't easier to drive fast than the forgiving NSX. The limits of the F355 are phenomenal (0.93 g on the skidpad), but the drop-off from those limits is precipitous. On the slalom course in particular, it was vividly apparent that a moment's inattention can be costly. The rear end can snap around suddenly, and smoothly regaining control probably won't happen. Still, at 70.8 mph, it's the quickest production car yet through our slalom.
At $129,500, the F355's rewards for the high-level enthusiast are immense; the sound, feel, ability, and beauty of the car can't be matched at any price. As all great art must, this example reaches deep into the soul of those viewing (or driving) it and elicits passions, memories, and aspirations. Michelangelo and da Vinci both combined art with fine engineering; the former as architect of the dome of St. Peters at the Vatican, the latter as inventor of everything from aerodynamics to submarines. In Italy today, where Giorgio Armani suits aren't just the best cut but the most comfortable, too, their traditional design leadership has recently been reinvigorated. It's thrilling to experience Ferrari as it recaptures that unique nexus between art and machine.
Second OpinionMemories are tough competitors to reality. Those of us raised on the stories of Lussos, 365 Daytonas, and '58 Testa Rossas carry rose-colored ideals of what we think those late, great, Ferraris were like to drive. Rampaging power curves, tach-twisting redlines, near-200-mph top ends, and ripping-canvas exhaust notes live in the minds of latent teenagers around the world. Never mind that the truth would show today's Toyota Supra Turbo likely capable of blowing those vintage legends clean off the racetrack; it's our perception of what a Ferrari is that's most important.
All this serves to put the F355 in a tough situation. Although we still have to take a deep breath before devouring this car's tasty spec sheet, it's the driving experience that's most likely to disappoint. Fifteen years ago, my first stint in a blood-red, Magnum P.I.-spec 308 left me saddened by its lack of power. A few years later, my initial tryst with a 400i left me feeling Ferrari had gone to seed. Likewise, the little Dino, cute as it was, just didn't have the suds to stir my soul. In my mind, the Ferrari myth had been blown to smithereens. I was dejected.
Then came the 348, the Spider, and now, the F355. Each one bolstering my respect for the Italian automaker in big, leggy leaps. So, if you've shared any of my feelings about the demise of Ferrari's car building talents, it's now time to rejoice. The F355 is the machine that beats the memories. -C. Van Tune
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