> all 360 Modena pictures

The Ferrari 360 Modena isn't a car. Not really. Not in the traditional sense. Cars are about transportation, get to grandma's house, haul home the groceries, they're a necessity, like food or ESPN. But the Ferrari 360 Modena has little to do with transportation, little to do with necessity. It's a 395-horsepower sports car. It's a pleasure machine, pure and simple. A toy.

Oh sure, it'll get you to granny's, quickly in fact, it's just not the reason why you own such a machine. You own a Ferrari 360 Modena because you want to. Because you can. Because women will like you if you do.

Still, the Ferrari 360 Modena is as close to a real car, a traditional car, a usable car, as the storied Italian car maker has ever produced. For the first time, Ferrari has addressed such things as interior space, basic ergonomics, and overall comfort, not to mention our test car's F1 semi-automatic transmission, which makes this the first of the brand's mid-engined supercars that can truly be driven everyday.

For 2003, Ferrari adds the hardcore Challenge Stradale to the 360 Modena line-up.

> all 360 Modena pictures

The Ferrari 360 comes in two bodystyles; Berlinetta (hardtop) and Spider (convertible).

Both are offered with a either a conventional 6-speed manual or a trick semi-automatic 6-speed transmission. Cars with the semi-automatic gearbox, like our Berlinetta test car, get their own model designation, F1, because shifting is controlled with two paddles mounted on the steering column similar to those used by Michael Schumacher in his gazillion-dollar Formula 1 race car.

For 2003, the race-bred Challenge Stradale joins the lineup. The Challenge Stradale is the road-going version of Ferrari's 360 Modena Challenge racecar, which thanks to the extensive use of carbonfiber for the door panels, racing seat shells, and filter-box covers weighs about 240 lb less than the standard Berlinetta. It rides on 19 in. BBS Challenge wheels shot with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and features a 0.6 in. lowered suspension with stiffer springs and a thicker anti-roll bar in the rear. An upgraded brake-system with 15 in. ceramic brake discs in front and 13.8 in. ceramic brake discs in the rear ensures racecar-like stopping distances and longevity. Power comes from a retuned version of the standard car's 3.6l V8 that, due to an increased compression ratio, produces 419 at 8,500 rpm. The Challenge Stradale is available only with the semi-automatic F1 transmission which can be adjusted in two modes: "Sport" and "Race"; the latter offering gear changes in a mere 150 milliseconds.

The Challenge Stradale is joined by four more models, the 360 Modena, the 360 Modena F1, the 360 Spider, and the 360 Spider F1.

Each comes with a long list of standard features including the ubiquitous air conditioning, power windows, locks and mirrors. (At these prices, they better.) Leather seats and a AM/FM stereo with CD player are also standard. Spiders get a standard power top. Standard safety equipment includes ABS, traction control, and dual airbags.