If there’s one thing I love more than track-driven street cars, it’s street cars. Cars like Yosuke-san’s Ferrari 360 Modena.
I’ve always been fascinated by street-driven Porsche Cup cars and machines like Yosuke-san’s Ferrari. Certainly, a few comfort features are nice in a street car – especially if you are often stuck in traffic jams – but Yosuke, like me, does not subscribe to that mentality.
At first glance, Yosuke-san’s 360 could almost be mistaken for a slightly toned-down version of Ferrari’s Corse Clienti 360 Modena. But surprisingly, this chassis started life as a standard road car.
For almost a decade, Yosuke has been creating his own version of a street-powered GTC race car, and wow, does it look good. Of all the cars I’ve photographed in Japan, this Ferrari is easily a favorite. The sheer number of photos I took is a testament to that.
My story with Yosuke-san’s 360 started a few years ago, when I was wandering the streets of Osaka’s Nipponbashi district and heard what sounded like an F1 car three blocks away. Of course, it was one of those rare moments when I didn’t have my camera at hand. But after exchanging contact information with Yosuke, I knew I had to return to the Kansai region for a shoot.
Finally, two years later, on a hot summer evening in Osaka, I met Yosuke-san at the same place where I first saw his car. With the 360’s straight Power Craft exhaust, its arrival was far from quiet.
When you look at the car, it’s obvious that this isn’t just another 360 driven on a Sunday. The factory front bumper has been replaced with a GTC-style version, which does a lot for the looks, especially when combined with the Challenge Stradale suspension that lowers the car about an inch.
Yosuke has also replaced the taillight garnish with a carbon fiber variant, bringing it in line with the 360 GT styling. To top it all off, there’s an aggressive carbon GT wing, a polarizing addition that perfectly ties the Kansai and GT aesthetics together.
As we drove through Osaka, we stopped several times, and wherever we parked, the car turned heads like nothing I’ve ever photographed before. The street presence of this 360 is simply undeniable.
But styling aside, one of the best features of Yosuke-san’s 360 is the manual transmission housed in the center console. While the 360 offered a manual option, Challenge cars only came with the automatic F1 variant. While some Challenge owners have traded their F1 cars for manual gearboxes, Yosuke had the advantage of starting with one.
Every detail matters: the mirrors have been replaced with CS-exclusive models, the headlights have been tinted yellow, the front and rear locks have been replaced with pins and tow hooks have been added, all of which enhances the track-focused look.
What originally drew me to Yosuke-san’s 360 wasn’t just the track style, but also the wheels. RAYS Volk Racing TE37s graced almost every make and model from Daihatsu Where cars to vintage Datsuns and modern Porsches. Their timeless design never misses the mark. But with the Ferrari 360 entering the realm of classics, it’s refreshing and quintessentially Japanese to see a set used in this way. Behind the TEs are huge AP Racing six-cylinder calipers, brakes commonly found on GT cars.
Inside, the racing theme continues. The steering wheel has been upgraded to a 350mm OMP Velocita Superleggero, but the highlight of the interior is undoubtedly the Bride seats.
The driver’s side features a Bride carbon/Kevlar Xero seat, while the passenger side features a more reserved Bride carbon armchair. The icing on the cake are the old-fashioned ‘Loop Crazy’ and other Osaka Kanjo Loop-derived stickers, which refer to Yosuke’s driving history.
We leave the city behind us and reach the Loop. Following Yosuke-san in a chase car was an unforgettable experience. The V8’s roar was reminiscent of early 2000s F1 cars in both sound and intensity, and left my ears ringing for a long time afterwards.
After the drive through Osaka, we found ourselves in a bayside parking lot, enjoying the sights and sounds of a car that will always have a special place in my heart.
For many, Yosuke’s changes may be controversial. But for me, this 360 encompasses everything I love about cars – especially the ones in Japan that look and drive good.
Alec Pender
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