The 348 was the entry-level model to Ferrari’s range, back in the late ‘80s, early ‘90s, but while it looked and sounded like an Italian supercar, it was apparently criticized for not being as fast as it looked. The Prancing Horse manufacturer did bring out the 348 Challenge, but it was still not enough to impress all the critics.

However, some twenty years after the 348 Challenge ceased production, there came those who thought modern tech could definitely benefit it, and thus crammed as much of it into the model as possible.

This particular car is a monster. It may look as tame as any other 348 on the outside, and it even has the stock Challenge wheels, yet it’s heavily modded and refined, featuring both all-new parts and some borrowed from the newer and more advanced 355 model that succeeded it.

Matt Farah had a go in it and made good use of its 610 hp output (at the wheels!). Of all his videos, in this one he seems to be more impressed than he’s been in some even more powerful cars than this, and it’s probably not just down to the power…

It’s an old Ferrari, with a gated manual shifter, high-revving V8 noise that only seems to be augmented by the turbo woosh (I wonder why series turbo V8s don’t sound this good) and excellent steering – you really can’t beat it, even if it would still be monstered by a modern 458 around the twisty bits.

By Andrei Nedelea

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