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The 360 Modena, the road-going successor to the F355, was unveiled in late
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1998. The new car´s revolutionary advancements were more than just skin
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deep, however. An all-new aluminium space-frame created through a
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partnership with Alcoa resulted in a 10 percent reduction in weight and a nearly
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50 percent gain in structural rigidity. This new stiffness dramatically sharpened
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the mid-engined Ferrari´s handling. Curvaceous Pininfarina-penned styling, a
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dramatic departure from the designs associated with Ferrari since the late
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1970s, helped usher the modern Ferrari into the 21st century.
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The Challenge Series was born of a need for Ferrari to launch a racing series for
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its competition-minded clients. Essentially factory-stock cars, the Challenge
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Series 348, F355 and then 360s were stripped of most of their unnecessary
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weight and given a high-performance suspension. It was then that Team JMB
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Giesse took a 360 Challenge and modified it to the FIA´s newly created GT
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regulations to compete against the Porsche GT2 in 2000. The car proved so
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successful that the Ferrari factory commissioned Michelotto to create a
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´works` 360 GT, wich would be sold through Ferrari´s Corse Clienti department.
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Later Michelotto further developed the 360 GTs into what is considered the
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ultimate specification and fastest 360, known as the 360 N-GT.
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In the N-GT specification, Michelotto boosted the 360´s 3.6-liter V8 to 430
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horsepower, an impressively high figure even with the required 30.8mm air
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restrictors.
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It is reported that the maximum power without air restrictors could have been
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brought up to 540 bhp which makes it even today to a serious weapon on each
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track test day or fun racing.
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To match the power upgrade, a sequential gearbox was fitted to the N-GTs,
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giving the car blisteringly quick gear changes. Michelotto tightened the
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suspension with stiffer shocks and springs, added an adjustable anti-roll bar and
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removed all non-essential weight. With wider fenders and spoilers front and
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rear, the 360 N-GT was approximately 200 pounds lighter than the 360
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Challenge.
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Listening carefully to the new ideas of Ferrari to develop by themselves a new so
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called 360 Modena N-GT Gines Vivancos the later Spanish GT Champion in 2003
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had been one of the first race enthusiasts who took the chance to receive for his
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Darro Motor Racingteam a factory built up FIA N-GT for the new 2001 Spanish GT
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Championship. The 360 Challenge was ordered through the Madrid based
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Spanish Ferrari dealership and directly delivered to Michelotto who was
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commisioned by the works to carry out the development and carry out most of
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the work. Within three month Chassis 0122903 was modified by Michelotto to N-
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GT specification to compete in the Spanish GT championship, and was
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campaigned by former Spanish GT champion Gines Vivancos of Darro Motor
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Racing during the 2001 and 2002 season as well as several races in the 2003
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season. The car´s racing career ended in 2004 when it was entered in the
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Spanish round of the FIA GT Championshipagain with Gines Vivancos behind the
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wheel.
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