Styling: 308 GTSi vs. 328 GTS

Hey, get a grip here. For every car, the first try is the best they can do. (In this case, the Dino). Then the designers hum a few bars until the carco can afford a wholly new design. The Dino was groundbreaking; the early 308s almost as good, the 328/348 boring extensions until the 350s. All are beautiful to some extent. But the innovation in the 70s is where the true breakthrough started.

Remember I came from a 330GTs, a reply to the Cobra, which was a copy of the Ace, which was a copy of John Torjiero's (sp?) special, which was a copy of a 250. The 3xx series was an enormous step forward!

 

Both beautiful

308 a little more so.

308 interior is timeless 328 interior stamped forever in 1986.

 

AS I now own a 328, I'll have to go with it.

However, I do like the controls on the center console MUCH better on the 308. The wife looked at the 328 controls and said it reminded her of an Atari video game.


Of course, she was still a bit miffed I bought the car at the time. But then she drove it, and all that changed.

 

^^^ +100

it's too bad about the 328's interior controls. i like the nose a little better on the 328. but interior of 308 is timeless and magical Ferrari. i'd probably get the 308 then because i have to live inside of it, not hanging on the outside while driving.

 

if the above pics are: top 308 and bottom 328, the differences are clearer: the 328's nose, as i've been talking about, is bulkier and more filled out. and the fender arches are thicker and come up higher like on a vintage Corvette Stingray. so the front end of the 328 is "beefier" all around, giving the optical quality of the car being "longer" or "bigger." when actually it's shorter!

the 308 is visually/optically thinner looking. so it depends on your preferences. either you like the 308 on a diet, or the 328 eating carbs and sugar. but only slightly. i still feel they both look nearly the same.

because i like the interior of the 308 much better, i would get the Euro-spec front lip spoiler for that car as it fattens up the front making it more aggressive looking and with more presence.

has anyone done a 308 ---> 328 front end conversion? would the front ends swap and bolt up? if so, then just get a 308 and find a front clip from a wrecked 328 and then swap the fronts out. the rest of the car looks exactly the same to me.

 

I like the style of the 308 better. Toggle switches, glass gauges with some aluminum touches. The ones with carbs sound the best. Audio visual sensations are key Ferrari elements.

 

328. Especially black ones.

 

Yep. And for my two cents, I prefer the GTB over the GTS, for looks.

 

To me part of the Ferrari experience is having a spyder top. I don't like the full convertible top of the 348, 355 or 360 etc. nor the closed in feeling I get in a B car as much as the spyder.

Not that their not beautiful too.

The 308 is the last real Ferrari IMO

 

That's interesting. Why?

 

I guess it's not something you can't qualify.

Just the way the car hits me in just a phenomenological way i guess.

I include the 328 in that statement just not to the same degree as i do the 308.

The styling on the later cars is nice but just not the type that makes you stop and stare. The 355 and 360 are haunted by NSX ghost. Should have just stuck to making Ferraris and not trying to be like another car. I can't hardly tell the difference between a 360 and a 430. These cars Remind me of what my girlfriend said the first time i showed her one..a Mitsubishi spyder. They don't catch my eye and hold my interest long enough for me to care which is which.

The 575, 599 and the new 612 look like something Buick may put out as a concept coupe at a car show or something. All great cars just not ones they'll be talking about 50 years from now.

I'd love to have any of these cars and think those that do should be proud of 'em. I'd push any of them before driving a new vette or mustang so to speak but they just don't have the panache or whatever word you wanna give to it that the 308 has.

I guess a better way to put it would be that the next great classic Ferrari since the 308 is still waiting to be made.

 

I tend to agree with you, the 348-355-360-430 don't excite me as much as the 308-328. But I was curious as to why you regard the 308 as "the last real Ferrari". I've never seen much of a demarcation line being drawn between the 308/328.

IMO, the 328 doesn't break much new ground other than fixing some of the 308s design flaws (window mechanism, ignition, electrical system, improvised safety bumpers, etc.) It's similar, IMO, to the TR and 512TR -- real differences, but only a hardcore Ferrari nut would be able to list them.

EDIT: We disagree on the 575 and 612!

 

Like i said i include the 328 when i say the last real Ferrari. Just prefer the looks of the 308.

I really like the stitching on the dash of the 328 and wish my 308 had it too.

 

308 all the way
silver is perfect for 308

similar cars but most new 328 parts looks wrong on the car: bumpers, front lights most

308 is a classic pure line, 328 is a compromised design IMO

 

It's difficult to choose, both of the cars are cool. Maybe the 308.

 

+1
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328, the 308s with targas look like r/c cars, while not the fastest car my old 328 was really beautiful from all angles the color coordinated bumpers make the 328 look bigger and sleeker as well. My 355 is growing on me looks wise its a pretty car but I don't get that little rush feeling I get when I look at my BB even after 4 years of ownership it still does it

 

First of all it's not all about speed and second, I agree 328 is a beautiful, more modern style and this is why you loose all the classicness of the 308.

 

I don't see any loss of the classicness of the 308 to the 328, they are almost identical in appearance with the exception of the ugly black bumpers on the 308 which look added on, the 328 solved that styling issue.

I really dont consider the 308/328 classic in a way of chrome bumper cars, they are not that old in appearance IMO

Concerning power once you get above 300hp it makes a fast car and much more thrilling especially with a Ferrari power plant

 

Is this true? Is the racecar-style tubular frame identical in the 308 and 328? I don't know the answer but would certainly be very interested. I thought I maybe read somewhere that there were some minor changes or reinforcement to the frame, but I could certainly be wrong.

 

I wish 328 wheels were easy to get and would prefer them to the QV wheels.

Someone posted a pic of a silver 308 with 328 wheels...beautiful.

 

I have to say the euro 308 gtsi with 17" inch wheels,but of course I would being the owner of one...but I like any ferrari.
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GTS's should only be photo'd with roof off and windows down !
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I think there to much space between the top of the tire and the wheel well on both cars, which if you low them all around by 1 inch will improve the looks much more. Why is that Ferrari didn't do something about that? I'm considering it.

 

Thank you for saying what i think everytime i see a 308/328 with the top on or even the windows up.