First Drive in a Concours Restored Ferrari F355

It’s not every day you get handed the keys to a Ferrari F355, and it’s certainly not every day you get to drive one that’s been painstakingly restored, refreshed, and detailed to concours-level perfection.

But there I was, in a brightly lit garage in the heart of Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia, staring at the dark blue curves of a Ferrari F355 Berlinetta – and more importantly, its iconic open-gated, six-speed manual.

This wasn’t just any F355. This was a car brought back to perfection by the passionate artisans at Auto Detailer Studio, one of Malaysia’s premier restoration and detailing outfits. Darren, the man behind the operation and a good friend I’ve got to know over 15 years of trips to KL, kindly arranged the drive.

It all materialized during a conversation with him over some amazing local food. While taking a bite of a lamb satay dipped in peanut sauce, I casually mentioned that I still hadn’t driven one of my bucket list cars, the F355. He was on the phone instantly, telling me it might be my lucky day. 

It turned out he and his team had just put the final touches on an in-depth restoration of a manual F355 – work that saw a full mechanical strip down, fresh paint and an interior re-trim as well as a few upgrades – which I’ll touch on in a second. 

Hours later I was in front of this beauty, looking like it had just rolled off the Maranello production line in 1997, fresh as could be. Before I could even take it all in Darren gave me the key and with a smirk told me, let’s do this! 

Clutch pedal depressed, I twisted the key and the flat-plane crank V8 barked into life; the cabin filled with the raw, unfiltered snarl of 3.5 liters of naturally aspirated awesomeness amplified by a one-off exhaust. 375 horses waiting to be unleashed – in a city not exactly known for its forgiving traffic.

Driving a gated manual Ferrari through downtown Kuala Lumpur is like doing ballet in a riot. The streets pulse with chaos: motorbikes swarm like bees between lanes, buses lurch, pedestrians dart. Lane markings are suggestions at best.

But in the middle of this barely-contained madness, the F355 felt alive. When driving in KL I always follow Darren’s advice – be like water– and thus I just…flow! 

First gear slots in with a tactile click. The clutch is heavier than I expected, but not punishing. The cable throttle’s response is immediate, not a dull drive-by-wire system, and every input feels analog in a way modern cars simply cannot replicate. Then the V8 behind your shoulders starts to sing…

We wound our way up to one of the city’s surrounding hills, a nice stretch of elevation and curves that gives a stunning view of the bustling metropolis below. The V8 feels so alive in the mid and high rpm ranges, delivering a symphony which is nothing short of aural perfection. This is what V8s should sound like!

There’s decent acceleration that accompanies the scream but honestly this is where the F355’s age shows. Realistically this isn’t why these cars shine, it’s the experience, the connection, the satisfaction you take away after each outing. Darren’s team have rebuilt, reupholstered, and rejuvenated the F355 without compromising its soul, only upgrading key elements like the braking package and the exhaust. 

From the hills, KL looks like a city still in motion; cranes, towers, and construction stretching endlessly into the haze. Yet inside the F355, time stops. No screens. No lane keep assist. No touch-sensitive haptic nonsense. Just a car, a gearbox, and a road.

As we descended back into the city’s chaos, I realized what made this drive so special wasn’t just the car. It was this car, in this city, on this day. I’ve driven faster cars. I’ve driven rarer ones. But few drives have ever felt as visceral, as mechanical, or as human as this.