The Ferrari 360 Modena was an over-achiever in its own time. It came with a celebrated Pininfarina design, a Ferrari-Alcoa developed new aluminum chassis, as well as a screaming fast and powerful 395 hp V8. And just two doors and two seats. So, how on Earth did it end up with four doors (two of the gullwing variety) and enough space on board for ten people?!
The answer is straightforward – this belongs to a very select club of 360 Modenas that received a stretch limousine conversion. We talked about them not long ago, so we are not going to repeat the sacrilege versus eccentric debate.
Yes, this is a Ferrari 360 Modena that is longer than a city bus and the abomination makes people happy in Melbourne, Australia, courtesy of its current seller – Exotic Limo.
It is now for sale on Australian retail website CarSales where the owner thinks it will quickly find a buyer when presented with “a very exciting opportunity for a savvy business owner who is looking to own & operate an iconic automotive work of art.”
We are unsure if this will be the case since there are two key issues with this build. No, it is not the red paint which is highly appropriate for a Ferrari – no matter the length. No, it is not the fact that its stretched interior can host a party for eight.
We are not even questioning (we are not the buyer, after all) the seller’s premise that a 2003 car has a little over 40k miles (65,000 km) on the odometer. Quite frankly, this is probably the mileage since it became a limousine back in 2012 after living its proper sports car life for nine years.
The two blatant problems with this build are the transmission and the price. The seller had the money to convert the car into a stretched limousine fitted with black leather seats (all eight in the back plus two up front), bar and TVs but did not care to address the 6-speed manual. That is just like turning a duck into an elephant and leaving it with just the bird’s two feeble legs. Almost anyone would love a Ferrari with a stick, save for the limo driver...
And then there is the price. The seller is asking AUD $399,999*. That asterisk is not there by accident, because the approximate DAP (drive away price) is actually AUD $436,040. That would be almost $310,000 at today's rates. Is it enough for a questionable custom build that has already seen many years of hard work musing around with party people or newlyweds?!
We do love the 3.6-liter V8 though and have complete confidence in its ability to put a smile on anyone’s face – but we are not sure the driver still hears it from that far up front.
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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