2002 Ferrari 360 Modena from UK and Ireland - Comments

Misfire when cold. Came and went - never properly sorted.

For what it did, I enjoyed the car immensely. Lots of power, a noise that can't fail to make you smile, and surprisingly involving and adjustable handling. Quite happy to be thrown about too, although it's not exactly appropriate to play the hooligan in a car which everyone seems to be looking at even when you're driving sensibly. Miss a gear in this, and it's hideously embarassing!

In 14 months and 6,000 miles I was pulled over six times. Two of those times the officers seemed more keen to sit in it and look at/listen to the engine than give me a ticket. Not that I'm complaining of course, but the phrase "abuse of power" does for some reason spring to mind.

Other than that, it's what you'd expect. Beautiful, musical, shatteringly fast, obscenely expensive to run (10-12 mpg hurts regardless of your income), obsecenely expensive to service (

This is an excellent review. This individual definitely brings up some interesting, often disregarded points about Ferrari ownership.

Most people are so caught up in the boyhood Ferrari fantasy that they are unable to remember that the price you pay to own one is more than that of the car.

Jealousy or sheer ire are no doubt concerns, and if someone keyed or threw a brick at my (hypothetical) Ferrari, I couldn't imagine a worse feeling.

I suppose that folks who are considering buying one to stimulate their self-esteem will be disappointed, as I can just imagine teenagers in cars laughing and poking fun at you if your top is down.

I am starting to think maybe this hatred of the Ferrari by proles is sensible, and possibly their point holds water. Buying a $200,000 car when so many people are starving just seems to show an unadulterated arrogance, and a dissonant, far removed sense of social responsibility.

But damn it, I can't help loving them, as ridiculous as they are.

OK very suprised by the review.

I have had my Ferrari for 5 months now and I haven't had 1 bit of bad press (Touchwood!) I'm 26 so being young could easily attract the jealously card.

Every kid has waved, old people have admired it, even boy racers or chavs tell me to floor it and wave to hear the noise.

Not 1 cop has pulled me up, not 1 mark on the car, other than when I drove into someone elses car in a car park which wasnt too happy about!

Now I really hope I don't get bad things happening to my car now, but so far its been the best thing ever.

This review, and the subsequent comments offered, brings up an important, but seldom discussed aspect of owning a special car like a Ferrari. Any Ferrari.

During the four years I owned one of these automotive masterpieces, I too, experienced a number of unexpected surprises. Not from something about the car itself, but from reactions by the onlooking public. The very fact that an automobile can extract emotion from strangers and passers-by has to be considered indicative of something extraordinary about the car's design.

I suggest this amazing phenomenon has to do with the creator of the car's spirit being made a part of each and every car produced at Ferrari, unlike any other manufacturer. Yes, there are some that come close, but most will say few, if any surpass the Ferrari overall. I consider Ferraris to be the epitome of automotive art. Many others do as well.

Certainly there was something very special about that eccentric old Italian from Modena who caused his automotive dreams to become materialized in such an extraordinary way.

For me, the single most unexpected facet of owning a Ferrari was when the car did NOT draw attention. Amazingly enough to me, was the fact that many people on the streets didn't know what it was, much less cared! *Ouch!* No one ever voiced any disapproval to me, however. I suppose that how often people say or do something that expresses their opinion (good or bad) about a stranger's car may have something to do with where you live or the culture you live in.

In the US, those who have less generally don't care what you DO have, so jealousy is not often a problem. Making social judgments as to what someone else does with their money is considered rude here. Having wealth is admired and respected, not hated. Of course, there are exceptions, and sometimes people do get rude... but generally speaking most people were smiling when they saw my Ferrari. The ones that noticed it, that is...

I too have owned a Ferrari and in the 12 months of my ownership the car was never vandalised although it was never left out of the garage ever! night or day. Here in the UK, the only thing you can do with your Ferrari is drive it - parking it on a busy street unattended is not a good idea - it only takes one idiot!

The other unpleasant experience is being verbally abused as you drive past. This has happened twice - and it has certainly put an end to any thoughts of buying a Spyder.

In the UK, a queue of people at a bus stop will watch a fancy car go by with envy, thinking "Why should that bas**** have one?"

In the USA & Canada, the people in the bus queue will say to themselves, "I hope I can have one of those one day".

Generalisations, of course, but much truth in them.

It will only get worse.

To the 19 Oct commenter, if the Ferrari buyer did not buy a Ferrari, how would that help the starving?

The 2 issues are in no way related.

The Ferrari buyer might even be making charitable donations at a rate you could not.

Why not get upset instead with those who buy million-dollar+ homes? They take up an unfairly large share of resources and land.

Unfortunately, life isn't fair at all.

Good Review, I once owned one too and experienced the same sort of problems. The other being that in the UK you can never really use it properly often enough. A perfect remedy for this was replacing it for an Aston Martin DB9 no jealousy, no vandalism, and it is much much more useable.

Hello I just got a 360 f1 and I think it must be arrogant drivers that drive these cars from the comments I've read above. Previously I had a ferrari 355 and people would stop me in the street or petrol station and say please take me out in it, please please!! They ranged from 3 year olds to 80 year old granny's who would have loved to get in it. When some one looks at you try to smile it helps you know -- but the car is not expensive, if you know the right people and drive the car more often.

Generally enjoy it, drive it, appreciate it and be happy and let others share it rather than give the impression that you think you are IT. From a genuine ferrari 360 driver... 27/3/6.

I'm just curious how a $160K car that gets 10 mpg, takes premium fuel, requires $3,000 oil changes, and is costly to insure is in any way NOT expensive.

I'm not saying these cars aren't brilliant, but even if you are best friends with a Ferrari mechanic there is no way this car is cheap to buy and run compared to, say, a Porsche or a Mercedes, much less a Toyota.

It would be silly to compare a Ferrari to a toyota, porsche, chevrolet.

Expensive to run? You're in the wrong showroom.

I give more to charity and taxes in one year than that 99.9% of the world do in 10 years. So, I do more to feed and help others than 99.9% of the world. (yes I own a Ferrari.)

And for the US, we are there helping more than any other nation in the world, and all we get is grief. We're always there for the world, giving, giving, giving!

It's just too bad new money has polluted the Ferrari pool as evidenced by the above.

Hi, I'm thinking of buying a spider this summer, what are the real running costs of a years driving say 6000 miles. Also has anyone ever purchased a ferrari power warranty?

I'm in the market for a 360 so find many of the posts here fairly helpful, particularly the initial post. Being able to actually stop the car somewhere without worrying that some scrote will cause damage is a real concern.

To the guy from the US of the 6th Dec, I'd like to point out that the US is one of, if not THE lowest aid suppliers in the civilised world as a percentage of GDP - fact!

I'm currently researching the topic of genuine Ferrari owners who have had the same socially negative experiences mentioned in this forum especially in the UK, but also from anywhere in the world.

I would love to hear from the UK owners who have posted here on this forum in particular.

Please get in touch at the following email address. ferraridoco*at*hotmail.co.uk Thanks.

I have enjoyed reading all of the comments and reviews above. Sorry to hear about the jealousy issues in the U.K. I live in the U.S. and find that people here are generally happy to see my 360, although I am still wary about just leaving the car unattended in some parking lot or street, as certain curious people can accidentally damage the car. When I am stopped at a light, at my office or at an event, people are curious and ask lots of questions. I am always willing to show and discuss the vehicle with them, as well as let some of them sit in the car and view it. A lot of people are amazed that I am happy to spend so much time with them. I am happy to do so, because I always appreciated the folks that would treat me nice and show me there cars when I didn't have the means to get one. I have worked hard all of my life and always aspired to get one of these cars. I have always had a passion for cars which started off with used Mustangs, Corvettes, Camaros and 300ZXs and graduated to BMWs, Porsches, Vipers and now the 360. In addition to the 360, I also currently own an NSX, a E60 M5 and a gas guzzling Escalade ESV. I started a car detailing business when I was 16 and got the opportunity to detail a lot of these types of cars through a collaboration with a Porsche and Mercedes shop in New Orleans, and this is where I began my aspirations to own my vehicles. I have respect for many other types of cars and appreciate all of the other practical (and not so practicle) automobiles out there, but I want to drive vehicles I am passionate about. As well as having the detailing business, I also worked a fast food restaurants and convenience stores. I put myself through college by joining the U.S. Airforce. I learned to be an aircraft mechanic and used a lot of my mechanical training to work on my own cars (as much as I possibly can, but I do still have my limits due to how expensive tools and diagnostic equipment is these days). When I graduated college, I joined a managed health care company at a very low position and salary, and worked my way up to RVP of a 10 state region. I still remember where I come from and try to show respect to all people I encounter. The Golden Rule can get you far in life! I know that there are some people that are happy for me with regards to what I have accomplished (especially my family... and yes...,I am still with my first wife who agreed to marry me right out of school when neither of us had any money). There are others that think I am absolutely absurd about spending my money on high cost automobiles (including my parents). I understand the fact that many people find it ridiculous that I buy these expensive gas guzzling machines, but there isn't much I can do to change their minds, nor do I really care to try. I figure as long as I take care of my family, household responsibilities, charitable donations and my 401K first, then I don't need to apologize for spending the rest of my hard earned money on expensive cars like the Ferrari. I am happy for anyone that has the means to do whatever they are truly passionate about. I want to live life to the fullest. I am thankful everyday for the opportunities that have been afforded to me, and I continue to thank God that I live in the U.S., where I am free to do this!

With that said, there is nothing I have ever owned compared to the 360 Modena. First, the hard facts that I have encountered: the major costs are a timing belt and full tune up and fluid change that can cost around $4,000. If you plan on putting a couple of thousand miles per year on the car, you can get by with doing this service every 3 to 5 years. Batteries can go dead (even with the battery saver switch turned off), so I recommend getting a trickle charger and plugging it in when not driving. I have one from Sears and it works just fine. Also, if buying a F1 car, I highly suggest having a Ferrari mechanic putting the car on a SD2 machine and checking the clutch wear, as you can be looking at anywhere between $2K and $5K. Early 360 Models (1999 through September 2000) had cam variators that were about 2mm shorter than the redesigned variators that followed. The variators were redesigned in September 2000, as certain 360s had issues where the timing was thrown off, which could cause catastrophic damage. Also, when doing a belt change, it is recommended to replace the belt tensioners with a stronger updated design. I found out from my mechanic, that you can actually contact Ferrari North America, and they will actually replace these parts at their cost when you pay for a belt change if the parts haven't already been changed out. They won't just roll over for you on this request, so you may have to do a little arguing, and you will need this service performed at a Ferrari dealership for Ferrari to foot the bill on the parts. Also, please note that Ferrari will require you to show proof of registration before selling you any parts, and they will only sell you parts specific to your car. Also, check out all underbody panels (there are 3 of them) to make sure that they aren't cracked or missing. The 3 panels can cost around $2,500 from Ferrari to replace. It is normal for these fiberglass panels to get stress cracks around the mount points. I actually fixed mine myself with fiberglass, bondo and resin. I then primed and sanded it and repainted it which saved me $1,500. I did have to buy the front panel, as it was missing. Also, check for oil leaks. I had some that were the result of the cam seals not being seated properly. Your mechanic should always replace these when changing the timing belts. Once you have a major service performed and a full report printed out from the SD2 machine, you should have piece of mind and be ready to have some fun. Another issue with some 360s is that the instrument panel can go out. A replacement can cost around $4K. Make sure the panel in your car works through all of the ranges. My panel has always worked fine. Also, when turning the key to the first position, make sure all idiot lights work. The owner's manual will tell you which ones come on. You should also run a Car Fax vehicle history to see how many owners there were. If your car doesn't have a good service history readily available, you can see where the car was previousy registered and contact Ferrari dealers and specialty shops in the areas) where the car was previously registered to find out service history. I was able to do this on my car, and found out that the AC compressor had been changed and that the upgrades to the timing belt tensioners and cam variators had been done. I also found out that my car was considered a very solid example. As a precaution, I did a major service over 1 year ago and spent $4,300. The car runs like a top, and my oil change will run me around $250 this year. I shouldn't have to do any major maintenance for the next 4 years, and will only do oil changes once per year, as I plan to put on a couple of thousand miles per year. Also, my insurance costs are a bargain for this type of a car. I have USAA (from being in the military) and my premium with a $1,000 deductible runs $1,175 per year, and I can drive the car every day to work if I want to without any restrictions. I don't plan to part with my 2000 model 360 if I can help it, as it took me over 3 years to find the exact car I wanted. It is Rosso Corsa with tan Daytonas with red inserts. It has factory shields, red brake calipers, F1 transmission and Challenge grill. I have added carbon fiber challenge mirrors (purchased from a guy on ebay, as Ferrari won't sell these to you), carbon fiber tubi airboxes, 19 inch Hamann wheels with Pilot Sports and Fab Speed Exhaust tips. The car drives like a razor. The sound of the motor running up to 8,500 RPMs is exhilirating, and the F1 paddels make you feel like Schumacher behind the wheel!

Someday, I plan to have the means to purchase an Enzo. I don't have them today, but as they say, "Follow your dreams". I have done that my 37 years of life, and I don't have any plans to stop now.

Regards to all!