SP Rides: Lucky to drive a Ferrari
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Morgan
Age: 31
Occupation: Logistics officer
Hobbies: Traveling, hiking, sky diving and other exciting and extreme activities
Year/Make/Model: 1996 Ferrari F355 Berlinetta
Color: Rosso Corsa, tan leather interior
If you have never heard the sound of a Ferrari F355 exhaust at a full clip, do me a favor and Google it. You will hear what many automotive enthusiasts consider one of the best sounding, pants-wetting, exhaust notes of all time. Hearing this car under full acceleration is something that every car enthusiast should experience once in his or her life. For the lucky ones, like Morgan Cowle, this is an everyday experience.
Cowle never expected to this lucky. As a kid, he owned a toy version of a Ferrari F355, which happened to be his favorite. This 1995 version, used previously in the TV series North Show, just happened to be an unexpected but well-received find.
The Ferrari F355 is an evolution of the Ferrari 348, another iconic car among a stable of other iconic exotics. Hidden beneath the vented engine bay cover is a 3.5L V8, the “pedestrian” version put out a healthy 375HP, which isn’t bad for a car manufactured in the mid-90s! This car features a compression ratio of 11:1 that combines with a max 8,500 redline to emit that absolutely exhilarating growl while providing plenty of oomph for the steel monocoque design to get around.
As with all Ferraris, the looks are just as important as the sound, and this car was put through an intense spate of aerodynamic tests (over 1,300 hours of wind tunnel testing) resulting in the exquisite and uniquely identifying bodylines. With a wide-mouth front grill emblazoned with the Ferrari Prancing Horse, the sleek design features the classic pop-up headlines combined with fully functional side air scoops to help cool both the rear-mounted engine as well as the rear brakes. The rear of the car still features the memorable twin tail-light design along with the classic buttress design of the rear wing.
The OEM wheels are 18-inch alloys remembered fondly for their 5-spoke silver style and feature the yellow prancing horse motif that is exhibited elsewhere on the car. Pirelli tires adorn these shoes sized 225/40ZR 18 in front and 265/40 ZR 18 in the rear.
The interior of a Ferrari F355 is simply sumptuous with Connolly hide and a two-tone design that promotes the classic tan-and-black look. The bolstered leather seats hold the driver snugly, while the cockpit is strictly spartan and features two enormous dials for the tach and speedo. Gauges for monitoring the engine are placed above the radio and HVAC controls while the console features the well-recognized, shiny steel ball shift-knob and gated shifter.This car is meant for driving and the no-frills interior reflects that in both design and features.
Owning an F355 such as this 1995 model is like owning a piece of automotive history. For Cowle, the Ferrari is meant for the open road. His favorite time to drive is late at night when he can enjoy the car’s exhilarating drive with little distraction. This ride is truly an exceptional sports car that will be long remembered for its F1-style exhaust note and its iconic bodylines. There’s nothing else quite like it.
