Ferrari 348

The Ferrari 348 is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive V8-powered 2-seat sports car,

replacing the 328 in 1989 and continuing until 1995.

Overview

The 348, badged 348 TB for the coupe and 348 TS for the targa 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 sports car. The engine produced 300 hp (224 kW) at launch

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 348s 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 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

need to have light bulbs installed into the dash to activate this troubleshooting feature.

Similar to the Testarossa but departing from the BB 512 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" 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.

Nearly 9,000 348s were produced, and the car's straked side air intakes resemble those of

the Testarossa.

Credit for this page must go to the excellent Wikipedia, the original page can be found