Ferrari Overrated

Has any F-car not lived up to your expectations? Friend of the family liked the 308, but found the performance to be lacking.

 

Compared to WHAT YEAR OTHER CAR? No, my 328 meets EVERY expectation.
And my 2008 Mercedes could totally kick it's ass in probably every way. So
what. Cars today are NOT EVEN CLOSE to what a Ferrari was in the years of
the 3x8 - but they are CLASSIC SPORTS CARS

I suggest you drive one yourself - if you're not thrilled beyond your expectations,
lunch will be on me

Jedi

 

Here we go again.
Not all Ferraris were "Supercars".
Not all Lamborghinis were "Supercars"
Not all Maseratis were "Supercars"
and on and on and on................................

Look at what they were built for and what market they were meant to appeal to.

BTW, The 308 was quite successful in sports racing and one of the better balanced cars out there handling wise.

In order of importance for a winning driver, horsepower isn't at the top of the list..

 

Well, cosmicdingo... I'm not sure that's a fair assessment.

The Ferrari 308 is anywhere between 25 and 35 years old! You can't think of it in terms of modern performance or you'll always be disappointed. If you look on it as a classic that has great aesthetics, unimpeachable heritage, and an excellent drive (particularly compared to its contemporaries) then you can appreciate it for what it is.

And don't think me bias, as I don't have a 308 to defend.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

What he said - times two. And I might add, to ME, my 328 IS a supercar

Jedi

 

+1, well said.

 

Seems like modern F cars exceed expectations. Doesn't appear that they are sitting back at all these days.

 

During the 1980's, 308's and 328's were among the fastest cars built. Today, my Toyota Tundra could outdrag my 328, at least to 60. So what?

Dave

 

My 1957 Ford pickup was slow as hell, couldn't go fast enough to drive on the freeway, and took forever to come to a stop... but I loved it! It's all relative I think.

 

There are always going to be some people who just don't get a Ferrari. They judge them by impossible standards. They think that a Ferrari (all of them) is supposed to be as fast as the lastest greatest fastest most expensive supercar money can buy. They expect them to have the smooth ride of a BMW or Mercedes. And they think that they should be as dependable as a Honda. Driving a Ferrari (especially the older cars) is much more about the experience than it is about raw horse power. It is the feeling of driving a legend. Of making that connection between you and the road that few other cars can approach. Some people will never understand this concept. For those people, I feel sorry. It is like the line out of Pretty Woman in regards to the opera. "People's reactions to a Ferrari the first time they see one is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul."

 

Nice twist on that line. I like it

 

Sounds like someone that buys a car to impress other people? Speed, prestige, etc etc......LOL I did not buy a Ferrari for the car. Just so happens it comes with the purchase. My F-CARS have exceeded my expectations to the point i will never own anything else but ferraris. The only other land vehicle i will ever own would possibly be a Ducati, Also from the performance aspect..........i enjoy my 1980 308 GTBi(s) more so than my 89 F40. But don't tell that to the F40 because i will never sell her either.

 

Pretty much any classic car is disappointing in the power department by modern performance standards.

Probably the best advice is to tell your friend to buy an F430 and see if he likes the performance.

 

Ideally you'd have a Ferrari and another car. Because there will always be something else that has better "performance" than a Ferrari.

 

Well yeah, it's a 30 year old car, so what did he expect ? But in the context of other 30 year old cars, it's performance was outstanding.

Hard to see how they can be overrated - I'd say people who buy 30 year old italian cars have done enough research to know exactly what they are getting in to and what expect. In any case you say he liked the 308.

M

 

Guys,

Face it.

If it is on-the-street, even nigel-nagel-neue, it is ALREADY OLD NEWS engineering-wise and an underperformer. NOTHING truly cutting edge ever makes it onto the street anymore.


My 308 GTSi can easily outperform me and probably 97.57453% of the people on this board. That makes it a "Supercar" to me and to us.


And doing 180mph in a straight line on the autobahn takes no more brain power or coordination than exhibited by an amoeba (Been there, Done that).



Auto performance is like boobage.

If you have more than you can use ..... it's wasted.

 

Lived up to an exceeded

 

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You drive a car and make your own educated decision. Go drive a 1980 Honda Civic and compare it to your 1980 308. It was the best but a new Honda could toast it today.

 

Agree 100%

 

I think this thread has run it's course. The guy only posted once.

Reminds me of VENUSONE

 

On the contrary - I think Ferraris are under-rated

 

When I took my F430 on the track for the first time, I was very disappointed. It's road manners do not translate to the track. The gate on the 6-speed didn't help matters.

 

Imagine the hype involved in wanting something since you were a little boy and finally attaining it. Talk about a high bar. My Ferrari would have to had to have been almost mythical to not have resulted in disappointment.

It was...mythical. It so far beyond anything I even imagined.


Ferraris are every bit the legend. Not the fastest, not the most reliable.. but they are the very definition of a sports car. There is nothing in the world like a Ferrari...and if you acquire a taste for them, nothing else will do.

 

Joe you nailed it on the head.

I had never driven a Ferrari when I bought my F355. My expectations were too high...they were completely unreasonable. I did little research on the car beforehand...I just wanted a Ferrari.

i was completely underwhelmed by it. I didnt like it at all to be honest.

It took time for me to understand and appreciate the car and to not try and compare it to my previous cars. To love it for what it did better than the other cars and to not criticize it for what it might not do as well as those other cars.