# Ferrari 348
A mid-mounted V8 sports car built by Ferrari between 1989 and 1995 to succeed the 328, the Ferrari 348 was also the first entirely new model the company unveiled following [Enzo Ferrari](https://www.edgepedia.org/enzo-ferrari)'s death in August 1988, even though work on it had started while he was still alive.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) It was sold as the fixed-roof TB berlinetta and the targa-top TS at launch, and later as the GTB, GTS, Spider, US-only Serie Speciale, and the limited GT Competizione.[2](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications) • [1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Production run | 1989–1995; total between 8,300 and 9,000 cars, with exact figures contested[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) |
| Engine | 3,405 cc Tipo F119 V8, turned longitudinally with a transverse gearbox behind it[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) |
| Structure | Pressed steel semi-monocoque, a first for a Ferrari road car[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) |
| Launch variants | Coupe TB (Transversale Berlinetta) and targa TS (Transversale Spider)[2](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications) |
| 1993 updates | Revised suspension from 1992, Serie Speciale upgrades carried over, 320 hp GTB and GTS, first full Spider[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) |
| Rarest variant | 348 GT Competizione, 50 built in 1994[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/) |
| Racing legacy | First Ferrari Challenge season in 1993, won by Paolo Rossi in a 348[4](https://www.ferrari.com/en-BE/corse-clienti/articles/time-machine-1993-birth-of-the-ferrari-challenge) |
| Successor | F355, based on the 348's layout but described as a generation ahead[5](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15140902/ferrari-f355-archived-test-review/) |
## Design and engineering
The 348 abandoned the sideways-mounted engine configuration used by all mid-engined V8 Ferraris from the 1973 Dino 308 GT4 onward. The larger 3,405 cc Tipo F119 V8 sat lengthwise in the car, coupled to a gearbox placed transversely aft of it, and was housed in a semi-monocoque of pressed steel instead of a tubular frame—something no Ferrari road car had used before.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) [Pininfarina](https://www.edgepedia.org/pininfarina) styled the body under Leonardo Fioravanti, borrowing the Testarossa's side strakes, and the design drew a mixed reception.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348)
At launch buyers could choose the coupe TB (Transversale Berlinetta) or the targa TS (Transversale Spider).[2](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications) The 348 Spider was the first full drop-top variant in the history of Ferrari mid-engine V-8 two-seaters, replacing the mid-engine 2+2 Mondial cabriolet.[2](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications)
## Reception and running changes
Early cars suffered publicized build and reliability faults, and period testers found the chassis unforgiving at the limit; Luca di Montezemolo's dismissal of the car has followed it since.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) Ferrari responded with revised suspension for 1992, the US-only Serie Speciale, and in 1993 a reworked lineup: the Serie Speciale's power and handling upgrades were applied to the TS and TB, which were renamed GTS and GTB respectively, with the V8 now rated at 320 hp.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348) • [2](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications) The tipo underwent a considerable development program during its five-year run, and the later cars were much improved; the GTB was so altered that it was almost an intermediate model between the 348 tb and the F355.[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/)
## Production and variants
Production figures by variant, as tabulated by the 348GT Competizione registry:[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/)
| Model | Years | Total produced |
|---|---|---|
| 348 TB | 1989–1993 | 2,895 |
| 348 TS | 1989–1993 | 4,230 |
| 348 Spider | 1993–1994 | 1,090 |
| 348 Serie Speciale | 1993–1994 | 100 |
| 348 GTS | 1993–1994 | 137 |
| 348 GTB | 1993–1994 | 252 |
| 348 GTC | 1994 | 50 |
| 348 GTC Michelotto | 1993–1994 | 11 |
Total UK right-hand-drive production for the 348 was 496 cars.[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/) Overall totals between 8,300 and 9,000 are approximate, and the exact figures are contested.[1](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348)
**GT Competizione.** In 1994 the factory produced the 348 GT Competizione road car as a limited edition for the European market, based on the very last 348 Berlinetta, the GTB. Ferrari described the GTC as a superb road and race car.[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/) Two GTC/LM cars and a single 348 LM were also built, and the GTC Michelotto accounted for 11 further competition cars.[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/)
## The 348 Challenge and the birth of the Ferrari Challenge
The [Ferrari Challenge](https://www.edgepedia.org/ferrari-challenge) was officially presented in autumn 1992 at the Mugello track, debuting with the 348 Challenge in TB and TS versions, with Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 driver [Jean Alesi](https://www.edgepedia.org/jean-alesi) as godfather to the new racing car.[4](https://www.ferrari.com/en-BE/corse-clienti/articles/time-machine-1993-birth-of-the-ferrari-challenge) Ferrari equipped the 348 as standard with a kit that, in line with the tradition of converting road cars into racing versions, returned the car to its original configuration once removed.[4](https://www.ferrari.com/en-BE/corse-clienti/articles/time-machine-1993-birth-of-the-ferrari-challenge)
[Paolo Rossi](https://www.edgepedia.org/paolo-rossi) won the first-ever Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli race in car no. 5, an almost fluorescent 348.[4](https://www.ferrari.com/en-BE/corse-clienti/articles/time-machine-1993-birth-of-the-ferrari-challenge) Since 1993 more than 1,000 drivers have competed in the Trofeo Pirelli, many of whom went on to succeed in major GT championships.[6](https://www.ferrari.com/it-SM/history/momenti/1993/dedicato-ai-clienti/more)
Because the Challenge was a kit sold to modify an existing 348 tb or, in a few cases, a 348 ts, and because some cars have since been returned to road specification, no one knows exactly how many Challenge cars were produced; between 150 and 200 cars were probably fitted with the kit.[3](https://www.348gtc.com/history/) Surviving cars raced on in one-make series for years: a 348 Challenge ran in the 1993 Italian series at Monza, Vallelunga, Misano, Mugello, and Imola, and in the West European Ferrari Challenge through 1995 at circuits including [Le Mans](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-mans), Spa, Zandvoort, Donington Park, and Magny-Cours.[7](https://www.f348ch.co.uk/race-history/)
## Replacement and market standing
The F355 arrived as the 348's replacement, based on the same layout but, according to a contemporary [Car and Driver](https://www.edgepedia.org/car-and-driver) test, a generation ahead in every way, with a new V8 and improved chassis delivering the performance, handling, and high-speed stability the 348 lacked.[5](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15140902/ferrari-f355-archived-test-review/)
## References
1. [Ferrari 348 (TB/TS, GTB/GTS, Spider): History, Specs and Buyer's Guide, Fully Sorted](https://fullysorted.com/research/models/ferrari/348)
2. [Ferrari 348: History, Photos, Generations, Specifications, MotorTrend](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ferrari-348-history-generations-specifications)
3. [History – 348GT Competizione](https://www.348gtc.com/history/)
4. [Time machine: 1993, birth of the Ferrari Challenge, Ferrari.com](https://www.ferrari.com/en-BE/corse-clienti/articles/time-machine-1993-birth-of-the-ferrari-challenge)
5. [1995 Ferrari F355 Tested, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a15140902/ferrari-f355-archived-test-review/)
6. [Dedicato ai clienti: Storia Ferrari, Ferrari.com](https://www.ferrari.com/it-SM/history/momenti/1993/dedicato-ai-clienti/more)
7. [Race History, Ferrari 348 Challenge](https://www.f348ch.co.uk/race-history/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › French and Italian automobile models › Sports cars and grand tourers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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