first let me say that this is a repost from the precrash time. i figure i should post again because i'm still looking.... anyway the point of my old post was that i sold my testarossa for a 550 and now i can't believe i did that. i really miss the car and its charms and so i was thinking maybe someone out here would like to trade (+cash) for my 550...if anyone's interested i want a 5-lug testarossa, 25-35K miles, prefer red, well serviced. PM or post here...thanks a mill! john
This is also a repost (I'm doing my best to give PAPster a run for his money)! I am surprised that one would miss a TR after going to a 550; not in the sense that a 550 should be a step up from a TR, but just that a 550, from what I've read, is touted to be a reincarnation of the Daytona, thus very much a driver's car. In fact, a past issue of Hemmings Sports and Exotic Car magazine summed up the Daytona to be a "man's" car for all its attributes. John, before you sell the 550, please give me a ride!
the 550 is indeed a fun car to drive. but the difference between modern ferraris and classic ferraris is huge. the 308, 328 and testarossa i own/owned all have a similar feel to the their steering, pedals, controls. the 550, on the other hand, is a huge step up in terms of modernity...smoothness, ease of use of steering/controls, noise levels, suspension...but for me, i like the older stuff, even if it's harder to drive, noisier, less user-friendly. you could say those are the charms of a classic ferrari! i haven't driven, or even sat in, a daytona, so i can't say what a daytona is like. i don't think anyone will be dissapointed with a 550, it's a manly car too i haven't been dissappointed, just prefer the classic cars. john ps. got your pics.
I share the same sentiments, but qualify that by disclosing that I have yet to drive a modern Ferrari. I do enjoy having to "work" the steering and shifting on my MD and TR...and perhaps chauvinistically sneer at any car that any "Bambi" can get in and operate. [not bothering to put on flame suit, but running away and ducking]
I perfectly see what you mean.... I never thought technology can replace passion at all..... Never sell your old Ferrari, just because the new one is more comfortable... they compromise style in exchange for comfort. Look at the height of the car,... higher and higher
Don't have one - but have spent my fair share of time sitting in them at the show-room. The guy who used to run the dealership in Brisbane used to let me go in and sit in them as they came through the shop. Had my heart set on one for about 20 years now - and it does seem like the car that you either 'get' or 'don't get' and I think really that's what's at the heart of Testarossas. As soon as it's not fast, too wide, too expensive, bad quarter view etc - you shouldn't have one. It's the sum of everything 'wrong' with it that makes it right. Sad to hear you miss it - but it is better to have loved and lost... ...hey, what am I saying - don't you have another Ferrari?
I agree 100%. I currently own a 328 GTS that is for sale and am looking at a 512 TR. I drove a 550 and was shocked at the difference, so modern, power steering, felt like a German Sedan. Then you slip into a 512 TR (never driven a TR) and you are back to the louder engine no power steering just such a visceral experience. Kind of what I think a Ferrari should be, harder to steer, however the 512 TR was easy to drive, easy clutch, easy shifting even into 2nd, and not as big as I have read about either. I was winding around the back roads out side of Boston and it was a breeze. For me the TR series is amazing and the looks in person can not be beat. The older cars scream Ferrari.
Nicely said. I hear you guys laud the Testarossa and I've this desire to own another Ferrari. My "heart" says Boxer (looks and 12 cylinders.); my head says "328 (reliability) and I wonder - or am asking actually - if you guys feel that a TR's reliability is somewhere between those two. I hope this isn't considered a thread hijack since it deals with perhaps why you DO miss your Testarossa, but... ALL THINGS BEING AS EQUAL as you can imagine (miles, service history, treatment) is an 88.5 and newer Testarossa MORE reliable than the similarly- conditioned injected Boxer? No need to comment about looks and all the things that make us crazy, just some insight on experience. Thanks in advance.
yes but each ferrari has it's own unique driving experience. you can't just swap a testarossa for something else! AHudson, i don't have boxer experience, but my TR was very reliable. i took it everywhere and it always started, ran well and all the controls worked fine. just get a car that has been well maintained and you shouldn't have a problem. but keep in mind that issues do pop up...i had a busted speedo and a fuel leak that i had to fix in 8 months of ownership. overall, my next testarossa will also be used regularly (almost everyday) because i think these cars just keep on ticking if you take care of them. john
Exactly! there was a thread on 355 shifter vs. 360 - all the things "wrong" with the 355's box are the things that I love about it. I was driving with a buddy that comes here (Cyclenirvana). He was following me in his Ford GT (nice). At the end of the drive he commented "man, you really have to shift a lot. I just put it in third and drive. Your car really makes you work for it. That's pretty cool" Yes, it is!
IMO, the roarest Ferrari is in the older model... The guys in the classics Ferrari think that the real Ferraris are those before Fiat period. I couldn't agree more. Between the Boxer and the 328, I can't see how the 328 get anywhere for comparision. The Boxer VS the TR is a closer match... then, the Boxer will win for delivering the most Ferrari passionate to you than the TR. I don't have the Boxer but my carb. 308 give me such different thrill every time I drive it. It makes my TR feel like a nice reliable Honda Accord. Can't imagine how the carb 12 Boxer feel like....
Hello: I recently sold my 1990 TR with 15,000+/- miles. I haven't missed driving it - It was "work" at times and the attributes of the TR only become apparent at the upper limits. I found I was using my 1995 F355 spider much more (53,000+/- miles) and using the TR only on drives greater than 1 hour each way. I have only spent a limited time in a 550 but I have been impressed. My 1997 550 (Titanium/Bordeaux) will be available this Sunday. Hopefully I will be putting miles on the 550 and give my 355 a break.
me too david. i had a 1990 testarossa and got a 1997 550. post and let us know how you like the 550 vs. the testarossa once you've had the chance to put some miles on it. i've put about 625 miles in 3.5 weeks on the 550! btw, my preferred color group has expanded...red and now white. john
I would say if you want to get anywhere, you'd want a 328 or TR handy while your real classic Ferrari is in the shop.
Though not having had personal experience, I would think that the classic Ferraris, if driven regularly, are more reliable since there are less electronics and complicated engineering to go wrong?? Please explain.
Fair question. I remember reading in the car mags the introductions for the 328 and Testarossa (and maybe the 308 - I'd have to look), and the verdict was that these were the first Ferraris really made to be driven on American roads. There was always some comment to the effect that here at last was a Ferrari that could sit patiently in traffic without overheating, start up in the morning without a lot of fuss, and wouldn't foul its plugs if you couldn't wind it up to 6000rpm for a while. In my experience, as someone who counts every Ferrari he sees on the road, I haven't seen anything older than a 308 QV being driven outside of special Ferrari events. And I live in southern California. I don't know why I've never seen a Boxer, or a Daytona, or Dino 246 on the road, but I see scads of Porsche 911s from the Boxer era and they seem to be racking up the miles. That doesn't mean classic Ferraris can't be driven, but it suggests that guys are much more likely to grab the keys to the TR, 328, 355, etc. Could be comfort, could be reliability, could be the old ones are too expensive to drive, could be Enzo didn't give a damn about American traffic patterns. I'd venture that the old Colombo V12s were nearly unbreakable, but that the cooling and electrical systems were designed more for the Mille Miglia than I-405 at 4PM.
hello, i agree completly. the 1980's decade of decadence produced all of my favorite ferrari's. the testarossa, 328, 348, F40. i loved the fact that they didn't have power steering/cruise control/stereos/power seats, etc. today's ferrari's are technologically superior, but i'll take a crampt interior, loud (mid) engine, offset pedals and a shifter you wrestle with over what is currently offered. plus you don't have to wait two years or pay 50% above sticker for any of these. But what do i know, i've only driven 1980's ferraris anyway. joe
Thanks. There was a fun article in a past issue of Hemmings' Sports and Exotic Cars about a Daytona owned by the Pres. of the Dallas-FW Owners' Club (or something like that). The car is driven regularly; in any kind of weather, and even has unrepaired rust on the doors, and is only upkept mechanically!
Hello: I got my 550 early (picked it up this last Friday) - I haven't been back on F-chat up to now. I've put approximately 250 miles on the car and haven't really pushed the limits. The 550 seems so much faster, agile, stable, and comfortable and than the TR the only way to decribe the performance difference is upgrading from a 3x8 to a 355. The 550 being a front engine Ferrari actually feels better balanced than the TR. The TR never felt "tossable" while the 550 feels like my past M3 on steroids in corners (I've kept the ASR on for now and it has intervened on two occasions - Both times the tires were possible not warm and the night time temp <35 F outside very cold for southern California). I've always missed some attributes when "upgrading" Ferraris - I will definately miss the styling of the TR (very few cars with the exception of Lambos were as outrageous before or after).
david, the 550 almost feels as nimble as the V8 cars. despite its heft, it moves quickly and turns sharply. i can't feel that it has 3600 lbs or so of weight to it. the testarossa, as you stated, is not a tossable car. i could feel that it was heavy. two different cars, separated by 20+ years of advances in technology, that are as different as night and day. i could enjoy having both, but if i had to choose one, it would be the testarossa. in any case, sounds like you are enjoying your new car...congrats and post some pics!!! john
