308 or 328 to 360. Anybody miss the smoother ride?

The very rigid aluminum chassis gave up some ride quality in much the same way they did on bicycles. I have had many clients who owned many Ferraris and moved up with technology from 308-328-348-355-360-430 then decided they were chasing performance and technology but it just was not increasing their fun. So many went back to a 308 or a 328 and have never regretted it. More fun, less money.

 

Besides chassis improvements, the 308 cars had tires with tall side walls which softens the ride a lot at the expense of cornering performance.
I to owned a 308 and now have a 430 and yes the 430 rides much stiffer. That's life..

 

Look at the side wall tire on a 308 too a 360. Raise the 360 and put some 60 series tires on it.

 

I am surprised to hear this comparison come up. I am in the market for a gated car and I am leaning to a 308>328 over a 360. Wife mentioned this morning that the 360 does everything better and will be smoother ride and I, having zero experience with either, agreed with her. I’m struggling with the decision big time. I want classic and fun without a lot of headaches. Really confused where to go from here. Would love to hear more people chime in on this thread.

 

Hilarious to me that anyone would cross shop a 308 and a 360.

The two cars could not be more different.

 

I have both, and enjoy both cars but for different experiences. Besides ride experience, there is a big difference in rolling through the gears between a 308 and (gated) 360. 308 is probably the easiest 3-pedal car I've ever driven. Very easy to get smooth shifts at any speed, and is just really satisfying at any speed. 360 is more sensitive to rev matching and the most enjoyment comes when working at higher revs. But there is no comparison when one wants to stomp on the pedal and GO.

One note if your significant other is going to be driving. My daughter finds the 360 pedal distance more comfortable than the 308. If you have longer legs its probably not an issue.

 

I've driven almost 4 hrs straight (two 5min breaks) in my 360 w/race seats with no issues. That was 260 miles through the mountains with lots of shifting. Would have been easy to do the return trip same day.

 

Did 7 hours ~500 miles with a 15 min pit stop for gas in my 360. Very comfortable. (I am 6’ 7”). Very smooth on the highway, though on imperfect asphalt you will get a lot of road feedback. This is with the 18” starfish wheels that have a bit more sidewall than the challenge wheels that a lot of folks have.


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Well, the 308 is a Grand Touring (GT) car, just like the California is a GT. In theory, a GT is more of a cruiser. The 360, along with its various successors, is essentially a street legal race car. Comfort isn’t the highest priority. I certainly wouldn’t want to take mine on a trip. Could I do it? Yes, but that’s a job more suited for my Land Cruiser.

 

What’s “hilarious” about it? 308s are amazing cars, as are 360s. What’s the issue about that?

Some of us can’t choose one over the other so we have both. I do.

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I can’t stand the 3x8 “Lazy Boy” driving position. I like to sit up and beg. I loved my Challenge Stradale. Why did I sell it? Because I’m a dumbass.



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Interesting. Would like to drive a 360 to compare to 355. To me the 355 is the most comfortable/compliant sports car I've driven. If the 308/328 is squishier it must be like an S class

 

Not to mention the vast difference in maintenance issues. I'll keep my 360.

 

I have done that in my 360. I didn't find it uncomfortable at all. Now I can't say I've done in in a 308, but I'm not feeling like I would trade the looks, maintenance, or performance of my 360 when I don't find it tedious to drive. And I'm an old fart with an aged body.

 

Exactly what I was going to say.
Considering most marques, the GT offering is always going to be more of a "cruiser" than their sports car offering. It's all in what you want to drive. And that is also why IMO comparing the two; the 308 to the 360 is kinda off base. I would expect a more "road connected" feel from my 360 than the taller sidewall and more of a GT ride from the former.

Nothing wrong with the choice of a 308, 355, but it is really a different car from the 360 in many ways.

 

Are you sure you don't have something going wrong with the suspension in the 360? I've spent full days driving in the 360 and didn't find it too harsh at all.

 

My first Ferrari was an 82 308. It wasn’t in super nice condition, and was pretty sluggish by modern standards, but goodness it was fun. Loved that car!

Each Ferrari is its own unique animal. Comparison is the thief of joy.

 

We did but it was 360-328. Precisely because they are very different. We had another Ferrari but wanted one we felt more comfortable as a daily driver. Did we want old and old school and less money or did we want modern with more safety features and better performance.

Having been in the business for many years and knowing both cars extremely well I knew the 360 would cost more in the long run and would not be one little bit more fun to drive. We bought the 328. Instead of depreciating it has gone up considerably in value and has been a gas to own.

 

I have driven both in perfect condition back to back hundreds of times. 360 is harsher. Same can be said of 355 and 360 both with similarly low profile tires. It was something those of us in the business noticed on day one. The alloy chassis is very stiff. Great for performance but not as good for ride. Very elementary.

 

You'd notice the difference in chassis construction right away. Neither is uncomfortable but the 360 is harsher. The 328 or 308 isnt squisher. Not at all. But conventional chassis are more compliant, just the way it is. They dampen out a lot of the small stuff a very rigid chassis structure does not much the same as a solid bushing race car vs a rubber bushed street car but not as profound a difference.

 

^ Thanks, great explanation.

 

I found the tires made a suble difference in my 04 360 spiders ride as well. Had Hankooks on it when I bought it....harsh ride. My ps4's are a nicer ride and smoother I guess I would say. Otherwise, I have long rally drives in the 360 with no comfort issues.