2001 Ferrari 360 Modena Spider review from North America

There was a mysterious glitch with the alarm that came and went for a while. Pulling the fuse and resetting the system seemed to cure that.

The throw out bearing for the clutch seized up. Apparently, the part was defective from the factory. However, the dealer did an amazing job repairing it in record time. I should be more upset about this, but for some reason I'm not.

Eats tires like a 5 year old eats candy. Perhaps to be expected though, since I drive it as Enzo intended.

Everybody, and I mean everybody, wants to look, ride, ask questions, race, talk, take pictures, follow you, wave, ask for a date, propose, etc, etc, etc... Only bad when the car next to you swerves close to get a better look!

The 360 Spider is truly an amazing vehicle. I was lucky enough to get a very early spot on the order list, and got one of the first delivered in North America early this summer. Yahoo!

I believe Ferrari has finally gotten it all right with this one -- the 360 is far above and beyond any other I have owned/driven in terms of reliability, styling, ergonomics (very important to me), functionality, and sheer driving excitement.

It is sheer joy to drive. The car's limits are far above mine, although it encourages me to push them higher. The sound? Glorious! I love to hear the engine rev, as the variable intakes, variable timing, and variable exhaust tracks kick in. Simply glorious!

The level of technology is stunning. Traction control, stability control, all sorts of funky engine tricks, amazing aerodynamics, etc, etc... And all of it's functional and transparent. No unnessecary geegaws and gizmos, just pure driving machine.

I should also mention the top, which is a work of art. Press the button, and it works, every time, no questions asked. A world apart from the 355, which was balky, sticky, and an all around pain.

And, not only does it go like a spotty butt ape, the 360 is actually relatively practical, for a super car. The cabin is roomy, the trunk is big enough for a decent amount of stuff, and it's comfortable enough to drive for hours at a time. A 700 mile, 7 hour (you do the math) road trip proved that point quite well.

True, cost of ownership is high. Gas, tires, insurance, and all the rest cost plenty, and I'm sure post warranty repairs will, too. Not to sound like I'm snotty and rich, but if you can afford the car in the first place, the incidentals aren't that big a deal.

And to all you number comparers out there -- I don't want to hear it. I know various things will outrun, out accelerate, out price, out skidpad, whatever. There must be something about being female that shifts your focus away from the 1/10th's of a second and all that other silliness. Hahaha!

In short, as Ferris said, "If you have the means, I highly recommend you pick one up."