I was pretty familiar with the 355 driving experience through friends in the Ferrari Owners Club and to be honest considered the Nissan to be its superior in virtually every objective parameter. However, one engine rebuild too many forced me to seek financial shelter in the reassuring reliability of Fiat's finest.

No really, I'm being serious, the F355's engine is phenomenally reliable, many of the (unmodified) F355 Challenge race engines did two or three full seasons without rebuilds, helped no doubt by the dry-sump lubrication system. So I remain the only person I know who sold a Ferrari (308GTB qv) for a Nissan (R32 GT-R) because the Ferrari wasn't fast enough and sold a Nissan (Godzilla) for a Ferrari because I craved greater reliability...

I found the left-hand-drive, '97 P-reg, 15,000-mile, Swaters blue Spider through a specialist car dealer who kindly put me directly in touch with the private seller and a deal was struck at the ridiculously low price of ΂£47,750. Predictably, the old adage about there being no such thing as a 'bargain' Ferrari became immediately true as a couple of the expensive Bilstein adaptive dampers needed replacing and the catalytic converters started disintegrating and emitting alarming white 'smoke' (thankfully just ceramic particles of converter).

Frequent visits to Verdi Performance Cars in Hayes gradually sorted out the teething problems and, to be fair, the only time the car actually left me stranded was when the factory fitted Bosch alarm/immobiliser failed to disarm one rainy night.

The only part of the Ferrari I hated aesthetically was the enormous carbuncle of an air-bagged steering wheel. A quick visit to QV London (actually nearer Ascot) secured a lovely titanium coloured Momo Race wheel complete with gorgeous billet aluminium boss, and some Pagid racing brake pads to beef up the excellent standard Brembo system.

Of course it didn't take long for me to get the tuning bug again. I had read very good reports about an Italian aftermarket exhaust manufacturer called Tubi Style, whose Ferrari sports/competition systems were among the few acknowledged ways of liberating a few extra (prancing) ponies. I therefore insisted that Carl Verdi import one for my car. The resulting aural symphony was justification enough for the high price, but I was slightly disappointed that the Spider did not feel that much faster, even with a K&N replacement free-flow air filter allowing more air in.

It was only after the ECU was remapped by Superchips that the injectors had the extra fuel to match that air, enhanced by more aggressive ignition timing and the exclusive use of super unleaded. The Ferrari now went like it sounded, the banshee F1 wail providing the mouth to match the tweaked V8's trousers. Certainly a few 360 owners were shocked to discover the older car keeping up on trackdays.

The handling was always entertaining and whereas the Skyline was at its most fun when pushed well beyond its limits, the mid-engined F355 was delightful even within its considerable grip envelope. A mind-bogglingly sharp turn-in, backed up by yet more front-end grip if asked, followed a corresponding wiggle from the shapely rear were signs of a seriously well balanced and honed chassis. There was also now enough mid-range torque to keep the rear wheels slipping if desired, and a big momentum oversteer-induced spin at the thankfully very safe Bedford Autodrome taught me that this set-up demanded skilful and subtle throttle control in order to get the best from it.

The electric soft-top was not exactly the slickest around even when the F355 was launched and the inordinate amount of time the electric seats take to motor back and forth to keep your hair out of the mechanism is annoying. However, such churlish thoughts are abandoned the split second you put your foot down with the roof retracted. The combination of exposure to the elements and to that engine noise is truly one of motoring's most intoxicating cocktails.

It was while v-maxing the Spider roof-down on one of Europe's fine motorways that a catastrophe occurred that would surely have spelt an engine rebuild in a lesser car: a jubilee clip holding one of the heater hoses failed and lost all of the coolant via the front boot whilst the engine was working flat-out to push the car along at an indicated 180mph. Both the temperature dials went straight to the red and sweet-smelling steam poured into the open cockpit through the heater vents.

Unbelievably, all that was required to get us going again was a complete coolant recharge, having waited a suitable time for the very hot engine to cool down. The F355 continued that trip in fine style attacking the Route Napoleon with gusto and cruising the Croisette in Cannes with panache.

Unfortunately upon returning to the UK, higher than normal engine temperatures became a common occurrence and eventually it transpired that one of the head gaskets had a minor leak. This entailed both heads coming off for new gaskets and as the engine was out anyway another cambelt service was deemed prudent despite the fact the scheduled one had occurred only six months before...

There were further cooling problems caused by a broken oil cooler thermostat and fans not cutting in properly, the exhaust manifolds needed replacing (a 355 weakspot) and it had a ferocious appetite for rear tyres (I got through three sets of Pirelli P-Zeros, one pair of Bridgestone S-01s and halfway through a set of Toyo Proxes T1s!) but in over 15,000 miles the 355 never failed to entertain and delight not only the lucky occupants but most of the lucky bystanders too.

In terms of the important 'not blowing up' criteria, this is the first Yu-mobile in ten years to have survived, a fitting tribute to the thoroughness of Maranello's engineering. The only problem, what can possibly replace such an invigorating and faithful steed? Watch this space...