Ferrari’s Technological Innovations Part 16: F355. The First Road Car with Ground Effect

It may seem incredible that the automobile, in its development over decades, took more than 75 years to understand the importance of utilizing the air it encounters when driven. In fact, research initially focused on the opposite approach: reducing drag by making cars as streamlined as possible to improve air penetration. Yet, the solution would have been simple for an industry that had always taken inspiration from airplanes. It would have sufficed to invert the principle of airplane wings, which enable flight by creating lift. By flipping this principle, airflow generated by speed could create low pressure beneath the vehicle, pushing it downward, enhancing road grip and stability. This concept, first tested by Chaparral cars in the American Can-Am championship and later in Formula 1 in the mid-1970s, demonstrated that air is not the enemy but the ally of automobiles.

The flat underbody of the 1995 Ferrari F355, the first production car to adopt this racing-derived technical solution.

The system is essentially simple: air directed beneath the car increases its speed when the cross-sectional area is reduced, allowing it to exit at the rear. This reduces pressure and pushes the car toward the ground, improving adhesion and drivability. While the principle is straightforward, implementing it is highly complex but essential for performance. In an attempt to further enhance ground effect in Formula 1, Ferrari experimented with a double floor to create downforce. This was featured on the F92, produced in 1992, but it was unsuccessful due to being ahead of its time.

The double floor of the 1992 Ferrari F92, achieved through the unique design of the lower side pods.

An enterprise that has always prioritized competition from its inception could not resist transferring ground-effect technology to a production car. For road use, it is evidently more challenging to maintain airflow under the chassis and extract it to create downforce. In Maranello, the F355 tackled this issue by introducing complementary air extractors: the more air directed beneath the chassis, the larger the passages needed to release it and reduce pressure.

The F355 fully embodies Ferrari’s philosophy of transferring race-tested technology to road cars.

This work, initiated with the Ferrari F355, was progressively refined and made more sophisticated on the 360 Modena. To free up the rear area and carve out deeper air extractors, Ferrari engineers adjusted the suspension and half-shafts, using a sophisticated Formula 1-inspired approach. These Ferrari innovations were later adopted and developed by other manufacturers, but the F355’s international media presentation remains legendary. For the first time, the car’s “sixth face” — the underside — was showcased and explained, a previously neglected aspect of automotive design.

On the 360 Modena, Ferrari engineers refined the underbody to create deeper extractors and improve downforce.