Hi, I know this is a pretty weird question but after selling my 550 (replaced it by an 97 aston martin virage volante 6.3 cosmetic) I sort of have another ferrari itch. After considering that I probably want something a bit more edgy than the GTs. So I felt a 355 challenge could be interesting both in terms of performance (50% track /50% road as long as I probably change a bit the springs for more compliance). Price is about right, shouldn't depreciate further and has still very current performance plus great sound. Then I came across a 964 RS and got very confused. I already have a 993 C4S that I will not sell but this is something else. Old school racer and very reliable. Small and neat packaging. Bearing in mind the 'ferrari biais' of a ferrari website, I would like to know if some members have experience of both and can give their perspective ? To be a bit more specific, outright performance, car balance and sharpness of chassis, general enjoyment and running costs bearing in mind 50 / 50 usage. One area where I have little doubt is sound. Many thanks for your views T
Not a 355 Challenge I know, but here is a comparison (from EVO magazine) between the 964 RS and a 348GTC, probably the closest thing to a 355 challenge. http://www.evo.co.uk/features/features/260332/porsche_964_rs_v_ferrari_348_gt_competizione.html
Very interesting question but yes, a better fight would be the 993RS Vs 355C. There's a recent article about 964 in Total911? with the purple RS as the fav. How's the prices of the 964RS vs 355C in UK now? The 355 will cost a lot more to maintain but has one of the sweetest Ferrari sound ever.
Price-wise I believe we are talking around GBP 40 K for the 355 CH and around 75K for the 964. Running costs aren't too much of a concern and yes I expect the 911 to be more frugal here. In terms of performance, after reading other posts, I was under the impression the 993RS may be superior to the 355 ch. I agree that would be a fairer comparison but since 993RS are (a) very rare and (b) even more expensive than 964RS, I will not be going that direction. Any view on suitability for a 50 / 50 road & track use, after relevant suspension modifications are carried out ? stock, I believe 964 RS may be more compliant than 355 CH, but with softer springs ?
I think I know which 355C you may be referring to, in that case, it should be road-legal with little modification. As far as 964RS vs 355C; it's kinda akin to the age old question of 'apples to oranges', there is no comparison unless you are speculating in terms of purely track use or road. Forget about rarity and focus on what you are going to use it for. There is little point in purchasing either, if the intention is to stare at it for long-periods of time. If they state in their advert that they are both "road-legal" then you have really answered your own question. Good luck with your choice mate! Michael
I have owned a 355 (although never a Challenge car) and I currently own a perfect 964RS with just 22,000kms on the clock The 355 is faster in my opinion (faster than the 993RS too) but a skilled driver would easily keep up in the 964RS. I think the choice comes down to what you re looking for. If it is the supercar experience, the 355C is the choice. If you want to enjoy driving and get challenged the 964RS would be my pick. It is light, agile, uncompromising and one of the best Porsches money can buy right now. If you want investment value (or at least not to lose a lot of money), again the 964RS is the top pick. It will also be the cheapest to maintain. However rest assured that IT IS NOT a practical road car... It is very hard, it has no air-con and no underbody rust protection...So driving it in the winter will ruin it and driving in the summer you will hate it...Only for the super-committed The trouble is that you wont find a perfect 964RS for 75K. Check for signs of hard track use, accidents, leaks in the engine (964 blocks are notorious). Service history is critical for its value and cars with low mileage and proper history will go well over 100k. It is common to find cars that have not been properly maintained; a few years ago these cars bottomed out just above 30 grand and many owners serviced them at their local garage which is not advisable. Looking at the price of a mint 964RS, a 355C looks quite attractive after all. Buying an average 964RS is recipe for disaster; it will cost a lot to sort and it will be harder to re-sell when the time comes. If you need advice call Thomas Schmitz (www.germansportscars.net) who is a 964RS owner and an authority on lightweight Porsches Incidentally I believe the 964RS is a better car than the 993RS (I owned 2) and still undervalued. Short of buying a 993GT2 this is the best among (almost) modern 911s I am a Ferrari fanatic, but I do like 911s and the 964RS is the perfect companion to the Prancing Horse!
Interesting post. I have a 355 Spider and have owned many 355 Berlinettas. I also have a 348GTC. I have 964RS (also 993RS, 964 Speedster, 2.7RS Touring, 964 Turbo 3.6, etc). My current 993RS is a timewarp 2,000 mile dead stock car. My previous was a modified killer fast road demon. IMO 355 Challenge is not a proper road car. It is unfair to even consider it for this purpose. My 964RS is a lightweight but I added AC. I know that this is going to be frowned on in some circles but it is my car and I will do what I want to it to enjoy it. I live in a tropical climate and the window of usage without AC would conflict with other cars (like my 2.7RS and 964 Speedster). I would go for the 964RS. It is a fantastic car that will only be more and more appreciated with the passage of time. Hugely rewarding and cheap to run. FWIW I prefer the 993RS over the 964RS. I also prefer the 964 Speedster over the 964RS. The 964 Speedster is the 16M of it's day. RHD are rare and will be appreciated more and more IMO. I would also go for a 355 Spider stick over a 355 Challenge. 355 is slow in any event. At least the Spider offers the full experience of the exhaust note - one of the best. For a 2 seater track friendly Berlinetta the only one I would consider is the CS. It is a certain future classic and good ones are increasingly hard to find.
I owned and raced a US 1993 RS America, not sure how that compared to the 964 RS. The RSA was a fantastic car, small and light, 247 hp, a wonderful platform for a track car. There were very few options. Wish I still had it.
Must say I am quite surprised by the answers. I was expecting a pro-ferrari biais but it turns out that F-chat has a quite healthy number of porsche die-hard fans ! One point I wanted to add is the portfolio of cars I am developing. Beside the aston virage volante (2+2 old school hand made convertible with bags of english charm) the 993 C4S is a rational 2+2 (wife enjoys driving it, fairly practical and small persons fit in the back). The idea was to add a screaming V8 with italian flair to round this lot. I like the looks of the 355 and performance wise it should be fine. But with the above lot I have no car that can be used on track days. Hence a road legal challenge with softer suspension seemed the best idea. I guess the next step is to try out the 355 CH and see if the desired compliance can be achieved. If not then I will consider my options. 360 CS (or 430 scud) are not for me as I really find these cars ugly. I am a bit beyond outright performance consideration and would rather look at a 328 (there are some prep'ed up trackday cars quite cheap).
Your question will be answered by comparing the US 964 Cup cars vs RSA that they sold over the pond. RSA to me is a marketing gimmick (no offence intended) as proper RS was seam welded, had 260bhp vs RSA.
When you say track car, are you talking HPDE or door to door racing? If the former, a challenge would be overkill imo, a regular GTB would work fine for that purpose. They are substantially the same in stock form with the challenge cars having slightly bigger brakes and added cooling along with a much stiffer suspension, but nothing that would prevent you having fun at a track day in a non-competition setting. It'd be a lot more liveable on the street.
I've driven many supercars that I love the looks of in a previous role as a car salesman selling supercars and classics. Now I'm not a great fan of the way the 964 looks but I have to say that the 964RS is one of the most exciting cars I've ever driven. It's just absolutely fantastic. I remember having one for sale in the nineties along with a beautiful 993 Carrera 2 that a customer came in to look at. He loved the way the 993 looked, and like me, preferred it over the 964 in its looks and had no interest in the RS at all. Anyway, he drove the 993 and was very happy with it and put a deposit on it. I told him to drive the 964RS as well and he absolutely loved it and he bought that instead.
No offence taken. We have grown accustomed to watching the rest of the world get better cars than ours. Perhaps the RSA was a marketing gimmick, a way to move cars when Porsche volumes were small and the company seemed to be in trouble. The RSA nonetheless was a very nice track toy, at a fantastic price, with the right options and no more. I spent time on track with US 964 Cup Cars and didn't find them any faster, but that could be down to any number of factors. Certainly seam welding, and more bhp, make for a better car. Another marketing gimmick car was the "America Roadster," if I recall the name correctly. Cheers, Will
Sorry I'm late to the party. I've owned my 355CH since 1999. I 'softened' it a little to make the ride more compliant...and it's bloody brilliant. Reinstalled the a/c too, just a quick change of seat and harness for the track, a twist of the shocks, and bob's your uncle...back to the track weapon. I don't use the cage. In Australia, the race series at the time had the 993 RS and the 355CH...whilst the 993 usually won the races, there was very little in it. I'd say performance is about equal. So...in answer to your question, if the 355ch tickles your fancy, yes, it can be made extremely pleasant on the road without losing too much of its track performance. p.s. for the others who answered with 355B and Spiders....errr..no comparison. Image Unavailable, Please Login
p.p.s. Good luck finding a good one. Most of them have had a very hard life...but there are still some gems around.
Depending on the exhaust, a 355 challenge was just about the best sounding car I have heard on the street. The 355 is the last Ferrari to look "exotic" imo because of its lowness. So for looks and sound I would say the 355 is the winner easily.
