lil help to a Porsche Guy

You're not the first potential convert and as such there's a raft of threads asking the same question - try an advanced search for Porsche in the 360/430 section and look for tempting titles

 

As a true Porsche guy at heart and in practice, I recently purchased an F430 to try it out. It is frankly, coming from Porsche, the only "older" Ferrari I would consider for performance reasons. It has the performance of a 996tt X50. It can not hang with my 996 GT2. That being said, I don't care for the attention the F430 gets. I think most Porsche guys go to Ferrari because they are sick of spending 100k or more on a Porsche and people looking at it like it is a Camry. So if you are interested in a 2005 7k mile F430 red/beige, fully loaded, let me know. I am going to a 997 GT2.

Craig

 

I too have been (and still am) a Porsche guy if I had to pick a "side".

Having at a 997.2 GT3, 997.1 Turbo, 997.2S, 996, '87 Targa, etc (but no cup ) - I chose the 360.

Here's why:
1) I like the aesthetics better than the 430
2) The price/performance ratio is strong
3) Its depreciation curve (a 2002) is tapering

Having had my 997.1 Turbo pushing 650hp, I was not going for maximum performance.

My 360 looks awesome, drives great, and is a completely different experience than my Porsches.

In a prior post it was mentioned some 911 guys considering a Ferrari are sick of people looking at their 911s as if they were Camrys -- true for me to some extent.

 

Both 6 speed and Rennlist. Having gotten my ass beat on my 996 GT2.I decided to sit and wait for the 997GT2 to be more market correct. The GT2 RS is no where worth 270k. That car will drop in value also. The Ford GT will out perform the 430 but the Ferrari handles amazing. I live in an upscale suburb of NYC and I figured no one would pay attention to car. Boy was I wrong. I would think nothing of driving my GT2 or GT3RS to the super market. I think my 964T gets more attention than the RS. But the Ferrari takes it to another level. I have owned the car for 5 months and have only burned half a tank of gas. My wife can't figure out why anyone would cover the door sills in leather. It makes getting in and out rather tough. The car does sound good though. A Porsche you buy for performance, Ferraris are a lifestyle choice.

 

Hello Matt. I've been a die-hard Porsche guy for over 30 years and currently own a 993S. I've also owned Ferraris for over 20 years and love them just as much. I also currently own a 360 with nearly 45,000 trouble-free miles. They are two very different kind of cars and will give you two very different experiences. If you're lucky enough to be able to own both, that's the best of both worlds. If you love sports cars, you'll absolutely love a 360 or 430. The 430 is a much improved car but the 360, IMHO, is a better looking car. If you buy a later 360 it will have some of the improvements that were made such as updated TCU, etc. The 430, on the other hand, has much more hp and is an all-round better machine. I'm sure you've done your research and understand the costs involved, i.e. a Ferrari is more expensive to maintain and is more maintenance sensitive than a Porsche. Either a 360 or 430 is a wonderful car to own/drive.

Good luck with your search and let everyone know what you buy. As much as I love Porsche, there's nothing like a Ferrari.

Cheers.
Dave

P.S. Don't seek any opinions over on Rennlist as they are well known for Ferrari-bashing, and most all of it by people that have never even riden in a Ferrari much less owned one.

 

+1

I agree.

I've owned a series of 911's including two 911 turbos. I still have a 993Cab and a Cayenne S... we've been a Porsche family for many many years.

I also had a 360 for a few years and now an F430.

There's no comparison. The Ferrari is just more exotic. As others have said, you need to prepare for far more visibility and attention. Sometimes I love driving the 993 as it just doesn't turn any heads. My red F430 or Black Lamborghini Gallardo Spider get huge attention and every gas fill-up is a car show. I routinely see people taking pictures of my car while driving and at stop lights etc etc.

If you can own both, perfect.

If you can only own one (for whatever reason) you won't be disappointed with the Ferrari.

Regarding 360 vs. 430? The 360 was a better looking car, but the 430's performance makes up for the looks-deficit.

Good luck... these are good problems to have.

Frank

 

Please fill out your personal stuff.

If you are near South Jersey you are welcome to have a go at my 360.

 

I've had a couple of porsches, and this week got my first Ferrari and a several month serach. With my limited, but on-topic experience, my recommendation (based mostly on the Porsche's you listed that you have owned and your track driving experience), is to get the high(er) performance version of those Ferrari's...a 360 Challenge Stradale (CS) or 430 Scuderia.

I suspect the driving dynamics of a regular 360 will not excite you after what you are used to in terms of performance abiillity. A regular 430 is closer. A Scud will be at least the equal, if not better than, your street P-cars in that regard, while a CS will be a raw, very different kinda beast (even rawer than a GT3RS, but I can't say vs. a GT2RS). There is an old Top Gear episode where they drive both a 996 GT3 and a CS and I found their comments to match my (limited) experience with those two cars.

There are several tests by mags of Scud/CS vs. GT2/3...do a google search on that. Then, of course, go drive a CS and a Scud. You can find an F-car meeting by searching the regional forums on here and I'm sure someone local will take you for a drive...

 

I used to be a Porsche die-hard. Then I saw the light. ;-)

I came from the water cooled porsche route. Grew up with a 924, then 928, then Boxster and now a Boxster and a 360.

Never got a second look with the porsches. (Except one guy to his friend; "Hey Bob look at that old porsche" The 360 is another experience altogether. I too prefer the look of the 360 to the 430. It truly is such a more visceral experience than the P-Car. I think the Boxster, strictly from a handling perspective, is a nice preparation for the 360.

 

Matt,

If you plan to keep it out of the track, get the latest 360 with a manual tranny.

If you intend to track it and want more performance than any Porsche GT car (except GT2RS and Carrera GT) get the Scuderia.

You'll get too much attention whether you're driving a 308 GTS or an Enzo. However, I think the Ford GT attracts more people than any Ferrari.

Performance wise, this is my opinion (on equal decent tires):

GT2RS > Scuderia > 997 GT2 > 997.2 GT3 RS > 997.2 GT3 > 996 GT2 > 997.1 GT3 RS > 997.1 GT3 > 996 GT3 > F430 > 360 Stradale > 360 Modena

Reliability wise, the Scuderia beats them all.

 

I used to be a Porsche guy too. Ferrari is an emotional thing for me. Any car in the same class can be made to go faster around a track than a Ferrari, but nothing excites me like a Ferrari. The lines, the sounds, how it drives - that's what it's all about for me.

You need to put some miles in the cars. If you don't get tingly all over while driving it, it's probably best to keep what you got.

In case you haven't seen these, here are some of my favorite F430 YouTube videos:

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reFNgwDvFuY[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um6GCzKQudg[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kj58hRUe05M[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IM6jHK8iIvA[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFZoRl9gGmQ[/ame]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRnpKN3Ngm4[/ame]

 

Former Porsche guy. Lets say this... if you liked the GT3, you'll love the 360 Stradale. That's what I just got.

 

Never been a Porsche guy, recently purchased my first Ferrari, a 2001 360 Modena F1, I love it. My buddy is a diehard Porsche owner, he hates the attention my car gets compared to his... I LOVE IT!

 

always liked porsches, had/have a few. but ferraris are just something else. but dont expect them to behave or be as trustworthy as a porsche.

 

So, so TRUE!

I've only had the Ferrari for 5 days and already treat it very differently than the Porsche's I used to have. Of course, the P-cars are like having a Honda that starts everytime and that you just put in a farther away parking space.

I've already had two instances of the Ferrari not starting and already made sure I bought a tow hook (the tool kit and hook were missing) and put the name of the right kind of tow company in my blackberry (not kidding sadly, it just had that "I'm going to strand you somewhere vibe"). My Maserati F1 clutch has similarly left me doubting I would get home safely on several occassions in the first 16 months I've had that. These cars are exotic, but sheesh we put up with a lot of shoddiness in the name of that extra dollop of exoticness...

 

I don't think anyone here who owns or owned a Porsche will knock them. They're good sports cars, better in some ways than the Ferrari, but they just don't excite quite the same. It's all been said before...the sound, the look, the feel, etc. The Ferrari is a special experience because it feels like it was built first-and-foremost for performance and driving pleasure. That's part of the 'feel' or 'soul' everybody talks about. In comparison, the Porsche feels like it's built to meet certain goals. The result is a fine car, but a bit cold/clinical.

Reliability and costs aside, does a Ferrari make as good a daily driver as the more conservatively styled Porsche? Probably not. But to jump in and go for a ride, I don't think the Porsche really compares (exclusive of a CGT or possibly highly modded cars). Even my old 997 GT3, a great car IMO, did not excite like my 430. No marque is perfect, but a Ferrari makes you feel like a kid, a grown-up, a racer and a lottery winner all at the same time.

To answer the OP's question, buy the newest modern Ferrari you can.

 

i used to have a 996 right here in my country in venezuela,it was very fast , now i have a 360 modena and its a nother thinck budy, very nice car

 

Drive the Fcars first. As a true drivers sports car those two cannot hold a candle to a 997 GT3. I have both a 430 and gt3.

But I still love both!!

 

I guess it depends on what you want or expect from the car, neither a stock 360 or a 430 will be as good as a GT3 on a track. If you are buying the car for looks and sound, that fine too, but do not expect a better drivers car. And go with a gearshift 430