Red Ferrari F355 GTS

A red Ferrari F355 GTS arriving at and leaving the RPM Exotic Car Event at Hing Wa Lee Plaza.

The F355 was the last car in Ferrari's long line of rear-mid-engined models available as a targa top "GTS". Folding-top convertibles (Spiders) weren't available until the 348, and the 348 and F355 were both sold in coupe, targa, and Spider configurations. By the time the 360 came around, the targa design had gone out of fashion, and thanks to continued improvements in convertible top construction and technology, there was simply no reason to offer targas alongside full convertibles anymore, especially when the Spiders began using hardtops (starting with the 458).

Ferrari's new 296 GTS revives the rear-mid-engined GTS moniker with a targa-like design and an automatically retracting hardtop. But purists may argue that there's something special about manually taking off a car's roof for an open-top drive. Despite the inconvenience, at least you won't have to worry about costly mechanical problems in the long run. Unfortunately, when it comes to the F355, the roof is one of few things that won't require frequent trips to the mechanic, so while the car may appear relatively affordable for a used Ferrari, you'll probably pay a premium to keep it running. But as long as it's running fine, you get to enjoy a car that's fun to drive, pleasing to look at, and, with its removable targa top and pop-up headlights, an unmistakable icon of the '90s.

Do you prefer the F355 as a coupe (Berlinetta), convertible (Spider), or targa (GTS)? Leave a comment on YouTube and let me know!