The F355 was about as difficult as they come as a standard to be followed. It has essentially changed not just Ferrari's finances but also its reputation since its launch in 1994. The company's lineup at the time, which included the 348, Testarossa, and Mondial, was one of its least enthralling in recent memory. The F355 immediately rose to fame as the vehicle that every red-blooded man lusted after and went on to sell an astonishing 10,000 units in only five years.

But Ferrari understood it couldn't take its success for granted. A baby Lamborghini was being developed nearby in Sant'Agata Bolognese, and Ferrari pride required that it be properly equipped to take on the challenge.

The 360 wasn't only a development of the 355 when it was shown in berlinetta form at the Geneva auto show in spring 1999. The chiseled delicacy of the 355 was replaced with something broader and bolder, with more generous and sensual Pininfarina curves. The pop-up lights that could be traced back to the 308 GTB were also gone since the 360 covered them with perspex and hid the dual water radiators' gaping air intakes beneath them.