Ferrari 348

The Ferrari 348 is a mid-engined V8-powered 2-seat sports car. It replaced the Ferrari 328 in 1989.

The 348, badged 348tb and 348ts for the coupe and targa versions respectively, features a naturally aspirated 3.4 litre version of the quad-cam, 4-valve per cylinder V8 engine which was originally found in the 288 GTO supercar. The engine produces 300 hp (233 kW) and sits longitudinally with a transverse gearbox, like the Mondial t with which the 348 shares many components. This was a major switch for Ferrari, with most previous small Ferraris using a transverse engine with longitudinal transmission.

All 348's were shipped with dual-computer, double-redundant Anti-Lock Braking systems. Traction Control and Launch Control are 348 aftermarket options available through Gemballa, among others.

Likewise, all 348's were shipped with on-board self-diagnosing Air Conditioning and heating systems.

U.S. 348's have functioning on-board OBDI engine management systems, though European variants need to have light bulbs placed into the dash to activate this trouble-shooting feature.

Similar to the Testarossa but departing from the BB512 and 308/328, the oil and coolant radiators were relocated from the nose to the sides, widening the waist of the car substantially, but making the cabin much easier to cool, since hoses routing warm water no longer ran underneath the cabin as in the older front-radiator cars. This also had the side effect of making the doors very wide.

All Ferrari 348's use racing "dry-sump" oil systems to prevent oil starvation at high speeds and in hard corners. The oil level can only be checked (accurately) on the dip-stick when the motor is hot due to this setup.

Likewise, all 348's have independent, corner-adjustable ride/height/weight adjustment abilities built in to each suspension, as well as a removable rear sub-frame to speed up the removal of the engine for maintenance.

More than 8,000 348's were produced, and the car's straked side air intakes give it a Testarossa look (because of this it is sometimes considered a kid brother to the Testarossa).

The car has been criticized for twitchy handling when driven with mismatched tires (some old, some new). When tested by Car and Driver magazine versus the slower Acura NSX, it was found to be very easy to spin out around some turns when all 4 tires were not identical in tire-model and tire-age. Its "break away" characteristic was then abrupt and difficult to catch once rear traction was lost.

In 1993 the 348 was revised, featuring subtle styling changes and more power, this time producing 312 bhp (U.S) and 320 hp (Euro) from the same 3.4 litre engine (different exhaust). The revised cars are called 348 SS, 348gtb, and 348gts. The lower body being body-colored instead of black and the rear track being one inch wider due to the addition of spacers which greatly enhanced its super-car-level handling.

Ferrari also made 360 hp to 500 hp 348 Competizione race models (some sold in Europe for the street, too) in conjunction with the Michelotto performance house. These 348 GTC's had kevlar front and rear bumpers, kevlar seats, kevlar door panels, and the Le Mans race models used F40 super-car half-shafts.

Technical Support for this car is volunteered on-line at: The348.comDecember 31 , 2006

Specifications

348 TB & TS

• Engine: V8, 3405 cc
• Power: 300 bhp @ 7200 RPMs
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Chassis: Steel platform & sub-frame
• Suspension: Independent all round
• Brakes: 4 wheel Disk ABS
• Max. Speed: 275 km/h (171 mph)
• Acceleration:
  • 0-96 km/h (60 mph): 5.6 s
  • 0-161 km/h (100 mph): 13 s

GTB/S & Spider

• Engine: V8, 3405 cc
• Power: 320 bhp @ 7800 RPMs
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Chassis: Steel platform & sub-frame
• Suspension: Independent all round
• Brakes: 4 wheel Disk ABS
• Max. Speed: 275 km/h (171 mph)
• Acceleration
  • 0-96 km/h (60 mph): 5.3 s
  • 0-161 km/h (100 mph): 13 s

References

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