Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2005 Chevrolet CORVETTE VS 2005 Ferrari 360 Near Scottsdale, AZ

The Corvette offers optional front and available rear seat tall, head-protecting side-impact airbags, which act as a forgiving barrier between the passengers and the door. Combined with high-strength steel door beams this system increases protection from broadside collisions. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer side-impact airbags.

Using vehicle speed sensors, smart airbags in the Corvette deploy with different levels of force to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The 360 Modena’s airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.

The Corvette has a standard Active Handling System, which uses the antilock brake hardware along with powerful software and additional sensors to detect the beginning of a skid. The Active Handling System then intervenes by automatically applying the brake at one appropriate wheel, preventing a skid. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer skid prevention.

Both the Corvette and the 360 Modena have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, four wheel antilock brakes and traction control.

The Corvette’s corrosion warranty is 3 years longer than the 360 Modena’s (6 vs. 3 years).

There are almost 169 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Ferrari dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Corvette’s warranty.

The camshaft in the Corvette’s engine is driven by a hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs. The 360 Modena’s camshafts are driven by a rubber belt, which eventually needs to be replaced. If the 360 Modena’s cam drive belt breaks the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The 360 Modena’s redline is at 8500 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Corvette has a 6500 RPM redline.

The Corvette’s 6.0 LS2 V8 produces 5 more horsepower (400 vs. 395) and 125 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 275) than the 360 Modena’s standard 3.6 DOHC V8. The Corvette’s 6.0 LS2 V8 produces 126 lbs.-ft. more torque (400 vs. 274) than the 360 Challenge Stradale’s standard 3.6 V8 (Challenge).

As tested in Car and Driver the Chevrolet Corvette is faster than the Ferrari 360 Modena 3.6 DOHC V8 (manual transmissions tested):

For more instantaneous acceleration and better engine flexibility in any gear, the Corvette’s engine produces its peak horsepower at lower RPM’s than the 360 Modena:

The Chevrolet Corvette gets better fuel mileage than the 360 Modena:

The Corvette stops much shorter than the 360 Modena:

For better traction, the Corvette has larger tires than the 360 Modena (F:245/40R18 & R:285/35R19 vs. F:215/45R18 & R:275/40R18). The Corvette’s front tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 360 Modena (F:245/40R18 & R:285/35R19 vs. F:225/35R19 & R:285/35R19).

The Corvette’s 245/40R18 front and 285/35R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile (height to width ratio), which provides a stiffer sidewall than the 360 Modena’s standard 45 series front and 40 series rear tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Corvette has standard 19 inch rear wheels. Smaller 18 inch wheels are standard on the 360 Modena.

The Corvette has a standard tire pressure monitoring system, which will alert the driver to a drop in tire pressure before damage to the tire or an accident might occur. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer a low tire pressure warning system.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the Corvette can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Corvette’s wheelbase is 3.3 inches longer than on the 360 Challenge Stradale. The Corvette’s wheelbase is 3.4 inches longer than on the 360 Modena.

The Corvette’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the 360 Modena’s (43% to 57%). This gives the Corvette more stable handling and braking.

The Corvette Coupe handles at .98 G’s, while the 360 Modena Coupe pulls only .92 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Corvette Convertible handles at .96 G’s, while the 360 Spider pulls only .93 G’s of cornering force in a Road & Track skidpad test.

The design of the Chevrolet Corvette amounts to more than styling. The Corvette has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .28 Cd. That is significantly lower than the 360 Modena (.34 to .36). A more efficient exterior helps the Corvette go faster and keeps the interior quieter. It also helps the Corvette get better fuel mileage.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Corvette Coupe is quieter than the 360 Modena Coupe:

As tested by Road & Track, the interior of the Corvette Convertible is quieter than the 360 Spider:

The Corvette Coupe has a much larger trunk than the 360 Modena Coupe (22.4 vs. 7.7 cubic feet).

The Corvette’s entire steering wheel hub sounds the horn, facilitating hitting the horn in an emergency. The 360 Modena has two small spoke buttons. These buttons can be hard to reach in an emergency.

The Corvette offers an optional heads-up display which projects speed and other key instrumentation readouts onto the windshield, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Corvette’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The 360 Modena’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The rear window of the Corvette Convertible is glass, so that it won’t become hard to see through with age. The plastic rear window on the 360 Modena Spider will become opaque with age and scratches.

The Corvette’s standard power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The 360 Modena’s standard power mirror controls are on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The Corvette’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

With optional voice command, the Corvette offers the driver hands free control of the navigation computer by simply speaking. The 360 Modena doesn’t offer a voice control system.