355 input

The 355 is a rush. Very nibble car. Raw compared to a 458. Sound like no other. I own 3 right now and I do want a 458 but that will be an add on, not a replacement.

355 is a fantastic Ferrari with a lot of soul

 

Nothing whatsoever to dislike in a 355

A masterpiece from the factory....will surely be a real classic in 20 years time.

The right amount of power for street driving, the unique scream of a sound, fantastic balance...gorgeous looks....not computer controlled...clikclak of the gear lever...double declutching on change down...the smell of leather, engine oil and excitement everytime you turn the key....and you get that classic Ferrari sound when the starter motor is engaged and the engine fires...and she's small...very nimble....if you're a big man then better sit in one first!

Some say the steering is too light...but that's nitpicking.

It's all good

 

^^ Good posts. I adore the 355. It's gorgeous, interior smells awesome, gated shifter and transmission with perfect ratios. Amazing sound of the high rpm V8 is just a joy to drive.

It is a keeper for sure.

 

Between my Porsche 930, 997tt, Lamborghini Diablo, and my F355, the F355 is my favorite car to drive. The size, sounds, handling, power delivery, etc. make it THE perfect STREET sports car. It feels special at any speed and is fast enough to be entertaining. The gated shifter is delightful. Also one of the prettiest cars ever made. I originally wanted a GTS but wound up with a Spider and I have zero regrets, there is no wind buffeting in the Spider, its the best convertible I've ever been in. Enjoy!

 

Very good point and something I think is often overlooked. People get tied up on lap times/etc but many of those cars would (for me at least) be less enjoyable on the street.

Many are geared to be near 70mph at the top of 1st gear. To enjoy rowing through the gears you need to be really cooking and those opportunities don't usually present themselves in the areas I drive in.

The short gearing of the 355 allows a lot of shifting and heel/toe downshifts even sub 60mph if you want to play around and have some fun with it at sane speed levels.

 

I would go along with what others have said, it is a great balance of things. Greatest feature? The noise, especially with a Capristo exhaust. Two weaknesses? The steering has too much assist (good feel though) and suspension seems underdamped.

 

Regarding the sound, if one is a purist and wants to keep everything OEM stock, does it still sound awesome?

 

Oh yes! Indeed it does.

 

Wrong place to ask the question. This forum is a 355 love fest. I love mine too, but the Trump truth is that of the cars you mentioned, the only car that the 355 might be considered better than, performance/driving wise, is the 348. They are beautiful, but are starting to look dated, IMO. Park one between a 3x8 and a 360 and they seem out of place. Performance is good considering their age. Sound? If that floats your boat the 355 has it is spades. On the street they can get boring if your not pushing it, thanks to overly dead steering and lack of feedback through the wheel. Mine is a spider and I don't find the seats particularly comfortable, mostly due to the limited amount of seat back recline. If your just adding to your collection, why not? But frankly, if I owned the car you have listed I'd be looking at a 3x8 for the collection. Much more fun to drive on normal roads. Fortunately, I already have one of those. I drive the 355 a lot more that the 308 because, frankly, after 3 years I really haven't developed much of an attachment to it and just think of it as another car.

Ok guy. Flame away. I can take it.

 

No flaming here, that's just how you feel and an honest account.

 

Technically, 3X8 can mean X = 4. 😆


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Good to know. I've been seriously considering getting one, but I'm very particular to everything being OEM, even if some of the aftermarket options improve the sound.

 

I'll take a shot There is no lack of feel through the steering...it is simply has too much assist, that is all. It is very precise, and has good feedback. But I much prefer the resistance in my 430 Scuderia steering by comparison. The 308 being completely manual requires way too much effort, especially at low speed, though feel is good, especially with fresh rack bushings. 355 has a timeless look, especially the berlinetta and GTS....the spider, less so...so I would agree the spider has not aged as well.

 

What are you talking about........???

Boring?
Dead steering?
Starting to look dated?
Just another car?

Either:

1. You do not own a 355
2. You can't drive a sports car properly therefore have no clue
3. You're bored and are laying bait for confrontation

 

If you can't handle a dissenting opinion, you probably shouldn't be in a forum.

I personally find the steering spot on as it weights up when you push the car. I'd rather it be nice and light in normal driving and weight up when pushed, which is exactly what the 355 does. Problem is, a lot of owners don't ever push their car often enough to get that feedback so they prefer the manual steering or cars with less boost, which is fine. For me, there's nothing worse than having to fight the steering wheel when pushing a car on-track (or even worse, in an autocross).

 

I have to agree with some of the points here. The exterior really doesn't look modern, but hardly has a "dated" feel to it. The lack of feedback, as noted, is really just the fact that it is excessively assisted and can be addressed by converting to a manual rack or through other tricks. The seats and interior are perhaps my biggest complaints for the reasons noted above. The interior is dated looking and could use refinement.

That all said, I love the car and wouldn't trade it for anything short of a 458.

 

The points regarding the look of the car and the interior have no weight. By definition (the car is from the mid to late 90's) it will look dated. Still, what's wrong with that? It's a gorgeous testimant to its era. By that definition, the great Ferraris of the 50's and 60's are dated, but I don't know anyone that would say that's a negative. I love the LaFerrari and the 488, and one day they will be dated. So, it really has little to do with anything. Either you like the looks of the car or you don't

 

uh oh , said something other that all out praise about the 355 , better hope no one knows where you live , there might be a drive by shooting at your house.

 

I really like the styling. It's the basic reason I bought a 355 over a 360 or 430. But it screams 80s/90s, Don Johnson, Miami Vise. Come on, the 348 was the baby brother of the Testarossa and the 355 just ditched the side strakes and funky rear lights. Those 3 cars, TR, 348, 355 are the signature of the excesses of the late 80's carried over to the 90's, right to the pop up head lights through 99. Even Honda ditched pop ups by 1990. Heck, I'm 69 the end of the month. I was there. I lived the 80's. Ferrari was playing catch up because they had nothing. The beat the 3x8 series to death through 89. As stunning as the 355 may be, it looks of the time it came form. Nothing wrong with that. But with the 360 there was a significant change in the direction of styling, and the mid engine V8s have moved forward from there. You don't have to like what came after, but there is a clear delineation in styling between 355 and 360 on. And it wasn't until the 458 that we saw some of the Dino/308 heritage come back.

 

355 styling is completely timeless in my opinion. I've never found my car boring to drive, I actually like it because you can drive it like a normal car if you wish but within a second it will turn into one of the most special events. Or at least for me it does.

Yes the 360 is more modern but also looks somewhat generic. Everyone that has talked to me about my car has told me it's stunning and/or beautiful. I've had a few non car people ask me if it's new...

Here is a short video a friend took after I installed the Capristo. Disclaimer: the videos on Youtube don't even come close to doing the sound justice. It turns the volume up to 11...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Xt9DvJ6HIQ

 

Hi Eddie!! Your 355 sounds fantastic!!! With the Capristo!!!
You made the right choice ))
Enjoy chasing the pavement 😃😃🏁🏁
Mike

 

And thank you Mike for making it happen!