Seven reasons why you must buy this Ferrari F355 Berlinetta

We’re loving this game – trailing the classifieds and auction sites each week for the greatest (and most Top Gear) cars on offer. Last week we brought you the Veilside R33 Combat Evolution, before that was an immaculate Renault Clio V6, and this week is perhaps the most perfect F355 Berlinetta we’ve ever seen.

Reason number one for buying it, of course, is the fact that it’s an F355. The V8-engined mid-90s supercar is oft considered the link between classic and modern-day Ferrari – and it’s all the better for it.

This one also just happens to be in the perfect spec, wouldn’t you agree? The Nero paint is understated but also rather rare, and that lovely grey interior keeps things nice and subtle. This one was UK supplied too, so it has the steering wheel on the correct side.

Oh, and it’s a manual. For better or worse, Ferrari first introduced an F1-inspired paddle-shift gearbox to the F355 in 1997. This one rolled off the production line in ’96, though, and gets that gorgeous open-gate manual. 

It also gets the desirable carbon bucket seat option. They're a little bit special...

Reason number five in the list of why you should buy this thing is that it has just undergone a full mechanical overhaul that cost the current owner £11,000. The work included a new cambelt, a new clutch and clutch bearings, new front and rear brakes, period-correct tyres, a new water pump and new ancillary belts and hoses.

Before that it spent a long period of time in storage, meaning that 375bhp flat-plane-crank V8 has only covered 17,103 miles in its 24 years of life. Lovely.

And the final reason? Well, just check out that picture above. How could anyone resist the enduring appeal of pop-up headlights?

This particular F355 is up for sale with Silverstone Auctions and will cross the virtual block at the end of July. How much do we reckon it’ll fetch, Internet?

Images: Silverstone Auctions