Hand-made. Mid-Engined. Italian. These are things that would normally be reserved only for those with 5-figure dinner bills and 7-figure incomes. Fortunately, this Ferrari F355 Spider is here to deliver those same unobtainium thrills, without you having to go broke in the process. Depreciation is a wonderful thing.
This 1995 Ferrari F355 Spider is regarded as one of the best handling and best looking Ferraris ever made by some critics. Its 3.5 liter, 5-valve-per-cylinder V8 produces 375 horsepower, and powers its sleek body from 0-60 in about 4 and a half seconds, which is still damn quick 20 years later. Its aluminum body was formed after 1800 hours of wind tunnel testing, and it's the perfect marriage of form and function. It also has a row-your-own 6 speed manual transmission with a fancypants gated shifter.
This car has more miles than a regular Ferrari for its age, but it looks absolutely immaculate and seems to have all of its services in order - a necessary part of any used Ferrari purchase. Here's an excerpt from the description:
3.5 LITER DOHC 5 VALVES PER CYLINDER, ALL ALUMINUM V8, TO IT'S UNIQUE FERRARI FEELING TRANSVERSE 6 SPEED GEAR BOX WITH FAMOUS GATED SHIFT BEZEL AND POLISHED SHIFT KNOB.. THE END RESULT IS A WHOPPING 375 HP OPEN-AIR SPORTS CAR WITH LOOKS TO DIE FOR!! ONLY ABOUT 300 CAME TO THE UNITED STATES IN THIS YEAR!! ALSO INCLUDED IS RACK AND PINION STEERING WITH POWER ASSIST, VENTED DISC BRAKES WITH ABS, A/C, AND POWER WINDOWS AND MIRRORS!! THIS 95 SPIDER JUST COMPLETED A $11K COMPLETE MAJOR SERVICE INCLUDING BELTS WITH OTHER RECEIPTS TOTALING AROUND $40K INCLUDED DURING IT'S LIFETIME..
Should you buy a used Ferrari? That depends on what you want in a car. It's not a replacement for a daily driver, and it probably won't be the most practical thing in the world, but it is a Ferrari, and that in itself is a novelty that won't get old in a short amount of time. You'd have to do a major engine out service every few years, but if budgeted correctly, this could be one hell of a nice ride, especially if you do the work yourself. Who wants an Italian stallion in their garage?
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Tavarish is the founder of APiDA Online and writes about buying and selling cool cars on the internet. He owns the world's cheapest Mercedes S-Class, a graffiti-bombed Lexus, and he's the only Jalopnik author that has never driven a Miata. He also has a real name that he didn't feel was journalist-y enough so he used a pen name and this was the best he could do.
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