A Crated Ferrari 360 V8 Is Heading to Auction, All 395 BHP of It

Ferrari’s Tipo F131 V8, the engine that gave the 360 Modena its name and its voice, is about to cross an auction block as a standalone, crated unit. According to RM Sotheby’s, the used engine is due to be offered later in October. As it sits, the listing suggests the unit is complete or near-complete, with the block, cylinder heads, intake, and flywheel all present.

The F131 was not a clean-sheet design. Ferrari evolved it from the V8 that powered the F355, keeping the 90-degree layout, five valves per cylinder, titanium connecting rods, and dry-sump lubrication. Bore stayed at 85 mm while the stroke stretched from 77 mm to 79 mm, pushing displacement from 3.5 to 3.6 liters. That figure is where the car’s name comes from: 3.6 liters, hence 360. Output landed at 395 bhp at 8,500 rpm and 275 lb ft of torque at 4,750 rpm, or roughly 400 metric horsepower, on an 11.0:1 compression ratio. Ferrari presented the engine in the back of the 360 Modena at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1999.

The hardware is as exotic as the numbers suggest. Aluminum alloy block and heads, Nikasil-coated steel liners, a one-piece steel crankshaft in plain bearings, and titanium rods measuring 137 mm between centers. Toothed belts turn four overhead camshafts, the exhaust cams run variable timing, and Bosch Motronic ME 7.3 management is split across two control units handling injection and ignition, with a drive-by-wire throttle.

What set the 360 apart from many Ferraris before it was that it was engineered with maintenance in mind. The engine sat longitudinally, which meant timing belts could be replaced with the unit still in the car. On the F355, that same job required pulling the V8 out entirely, and the bills reflected it. Ferrari called for belt changes every three years, so simplifying the work had a real effect on running costs. The F131 sent power rearward through either a six-speed manual or Ferrari’s electrohydraulic F1 gearbox, then a limited-slip differential. It was the last of a Ferrari V8 line that traces back to the Dino 308 GT4 in 1973; the F430’s 4.3-liter F136, co-developed with Maserati, took over in 2004.

As for this particular crate engine, its history is not documented in any detail, which means a buyer should plan on a full rebuild by a marque specialist before thinking about installing it. The most likely home is a 360 Modena or Spider owner hunting a spare. Anyone who wants to read the full listing or register to bid can visit the RM Sotheby’s auction page.