Earl Karanja Adds the 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS Convertible to His Collection. This example is finished in Rosso Corsa, or racing red, the traditional national motor racing colour of Italy, which was also used in models like the 1984 Ferrari 288 GTO, 1987 Ferrari F40 and 2002 Ferrari Enzo, among others.
The Ferrari F355 uses a mid-mounted 3.5-litre (3,496 cc) naturally aspirated V8 engine with five valves per cylinder, with its technology taken from the Ferrari F1 engine. The engine generates up to 375 horsepower (279 kW) at 8,500 rpm and 363 Nm (267 lb-ft) at 6,000 rpm. The engine is connected to a 6-speed manual gearbox, which sends power to the rear wheels.
Although we couldn’t verify fuel consumption and economy, some sources suggest that on open roads, it achieves 8.5 L/100 km, 33 MPG in the UK and 28 MPG in the US. On the highway, it achieves 10 L/100 km, 28 MPG in the UK and 24 MPG in the US. Lastly, in the city, it achieves 20 L/100 km, 14 MPG in the UK and 12 MPG in the US. It comes with an 88 L fuel tank capacity.
For acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h, the F355 takes 4.7 seconds, while from zero to 400 m, it needs only 12.9 seconds. The top speed of the car is 295 km/h.
The car features 2 doors, which open to reveal an interior that accommodates only 2 people. The front dashboard, steering wheel and seats are covered in leather, and a Cavallino emblem is embossed on the headrests. It also features electric windows and automatic climate control.
The Ferrari F355 GTS doesn’t feature a modern touchscreen infotainment system. Rather, it has a Sony XR-F20 radio or cassette player. Alternatively, it can use the Sony XR-F21 with a CD changer. The car also uses a traditional analogue instrument cluster behind the steering wheel, featuring classic Ferrari styling and orange or red instrument markings.
Among other things, the 1996 Ferrari F355 has a gear shifter that features an exposed, highly polished chrome gate with precise slots carved out for each gear level. When changing gears, a highly distinctive metallic clack-clack sound is produced, probably when the steel shifter shaft strikes the gate edges. The top of the lever features a simple, solid round ball finished in matching brushed or polished aluminium.
The 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS’s original pricing today starts at KSh 27,523,410 to KSh 30,421,295. We will verify the pricing in Kenya and update you as soon as we get the information.
Earl posted on his Facebook account while appearing to be in Japan, sharing an image of the car captioned, “Ferrari F355 GTS every angle is so meticulous. Pininfarina era beauty.” He also shared a second post, which is a reel showing former Top Gear TV personality and author Jeremy Clarkson reviewing his 1996 Ferrari F355 GTS, which he bought in August 1996.
In the reel’s caption, Earl Karanja revealed that he was attracted to the F355 by Clarkson’s 2000 classic show, which he later added to his YouTube saved list. We feel the show added something to Earl’s automotive enthusiasm, pushing him to buy the car, and the dream came true as he now has the classic Ferrari among his collection.
