The Ferrari 348 is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8

V8 engine

A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....

-powered 2-seat sports car

Sports car

A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....

 by Ferrari S.p.A., replacing the 328

Ferrari 328

The Ferrari 328 GTB and GTS was the successor to the Ferrari 308 GTB and GTS. While largely based on the 308 GTB and GTS respectively, small modifications were made to the body style and engine, including an increase in engine displacement to 3.2 L...

 in 1989 and continuing until 1995.

Overview

The 348, badged 348 TB for the coupe (Berlinetta) and 348 TS (Spider) for the targa

Targa top

Targa top, targa for short, is a semi-convertible car body style with a removable roof section and a full width roll bar behind the seats. The term was first used on the 1966 Porsche 911 Targa, and it remains a registered trademark of Porsche AG....

 versions, 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

Ferrari 288 GTO

The Ferrari GTO is an exotic homologation of the Ferrari 308 GTB produced from 1984 through 1986, designated GT for Gran Turismo and O for Omologato .- Background :...

 sports car. Thus the model name, 3.4 litre 8 cylinder engine. The engine produced 300 hp (224 kW) at launch and sits longitudinal

Longitudinal engine

In automotive engineering, a longitudinal engine is an internal combustion engine in which the crankshaft is oriented along the long axis of the vehicle, front to back....

ly with a transverse

Transverse engine

A transverse engine is an engine mounted in a vehicle so that the engine's crankshaft axis is perpendicular to the long axis of the vehicle. Many modern front wheel drive vehicles use this engine mounting configuration...

 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. The transverse gearbox gives the model its "T" on TS and TB.

All 348s were shipped with dual-computer engine management with twin Bosch 2.5 Motronic ECUs, and double-redundant Anti-Lock Braking systems.

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

U.S. 348s have functioning on-board OBDI engine management systems, though European variants do not come with the self test push button installed, which is needed to activate this troubleshooting feature.

Similar to the Testarossa

Ferrari Testarossa

The Ferrari Testarossa is a 12-cylinder mid-engine sports car manufactured by Ferrari, which went into production in 1984 as the successor to the Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer...

 but departing from the BB 512

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.Production of the...

 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 348s use racing "dry-sump

Dry sump

A dry sump is a lubricating motor oil management method for four-stroke and large two-stroke piston internal combustion engines that uses external pumps and a secondary external reservoir for oil, as compared to a conventional wet sump system....

" 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 running due to this setup.

Likewise, all 348s have suspensions independently adjustable for ride height, as well as a removable rear sub-frame to speed up the removal of the engine for maintenance.

Late versions (1993 and beyond) have Japanese-made starter motors and Nippondenso power generators to improve reliability, as well as the battery located within the front left fender for better weight distribution.

Nearly 9,000 348s were produced, and the car's straked side air intakes resemble those of the Testarossa, as do the rectangular tail lights. The 348's successor, the F355, returned to the styling cues of the 328 with round tail lights and rounded side air scoops. Also, 57 "Challenge" models were made for owners who wanted a more "track-ready" car.

This vehicle also served as a test mule for the Ferrari Enzo. Three of these were made.

1993 changes

In late 1993 the 348 was revised, featuring subtle styling changes (front grille, rear chrome Cavallino and removable seat cushions) and more power, this time producing 312 bhp (U.S) and 320 hp (Euro) from the same 3.4 litre engine, with an improved engine management system - Bosch Motronic 2.7, increased compression ratio from 10.4:1 to 10.8:1, higher plenum chamber on inlet manifold, new exhaust system (single muffler) and different camshaft timing.

The revised cars are called 348 GTB (222 made) and GTS (218 made) and were presented to the public as the 348 GT versions, equipped with the F119H engine (as opposed to the original F119D and US F119G).

For these models, both the engine hood panel and lower body skirts were body-colored instead of black, and the rear track was one inch wider due to the mounting area, on the inside, of the rear wheels being thicker. The suspension geometry was revised which greatly enhanced its handling, ride and body control. The fuel tank was also smaller (88L) in order to reduce overall weight and provide space to improve chassis rigidity.

The 348 Spider

Roadster

A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...

 (convertible) model was also introduced, in-line with the phasing out of the Mondial Cabriolet.

For 1994 only, 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 GTCs (or GT Competiziones) had kevlar front and rear bumpers, kevlar seats, kevlar door panels, whilst the Le Mans race models used F40 half-shafts.

TB and TS

• Engine: DOHC, 32 Valve V8, 3405 cc
• Power: 300 bhp (224 kW) @ 7200 rpm
• 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:
  • 0–100 km/h (62 mph): 5.1 s (as stated in owners manual)
  • 0–161 km/h (100 mph): 11.5 s
• 1/4 mile : 12.9 s (as stated in owners manual)

GTB, GTS and Spider

• Engine: DOHC, 32 Valve V8, 3405 cc
• Power: 320 bhp @ 7800 rpm
• Transmission: 5-speed manual
• Chassis: Steel platform & sub-frame
• Suspension: Independent all round
• Brakes: 4 wheel Disk ABS
• Max. Speed: 281,5 km/h (175+ mph)
• Acceleration
  • 0–96 km/h (60 mph): 5.3 s
  • 0–161 km/h (100 mph): 12.0 s
• 1/4 mile : 13.2 s