To be honest Rob, I understand why you stuck with Porsches. The last car I owned and drove before I went to Japan was a 1984 911 Carrera 3.2 with the 915 box. It was a fantastic car - turbine smooth engine that had punch and it braked amazingly well. It also felt like you were driving a piece of granite and even though the dash looked plasticky, the switchgear felt tactile. The first car I bought 11 years later was the Ferrari 308. I rode a bike to Port Melbourne to inspect the car as it came out of the container. First impression weren't the best - it felt slower than the 911, braked less well (despite sharing the same ATE calipers) and definitely less rigid. I was initially disappointed as I expected it to be faster and better driving than a 911. Thats is what the contemporary UK and Australian magazines all suggested. The reality is that the 911 is faster and better braked car - of course it should as it weighs significantly less. There's a reason why 911's are so damn quick on the track. Its also a car that has less mechanical complexity (struts up front, trailing arms at the rear, single cam engine and air cooled to boot) What the Ferrari offers is a potentially more engaging experience if you maintain the car and understand it. Tap into spirit of the car, and it offers a reward only few can even hope to match. Yes, a Porsche 911 comes close and for most people, is the better car as its easier and cheaper to get the best out of it. And lets be real about it - no brand can rival Ferrari.
Completely agree Maurice. Yes the interior is better in a 308 but to be honest, the 328 is the better car (matching market spec to market spec). I think perhaps the 328 looks slightly better - not in terms of sheer beauty - but more complete/perfect as a design because the front and rear bumpers are better integrated. I will always buy the 308 because its usually cheaper and my initial true love.
Things happen so you can learn from them. Thats the reason. If you learn from them, then there isn't any regret. You just try to be a bit better each day.
I'll tell ya why Horse is the better looking 308 QV. Grigio looks stunning at night or on a bright sunny day. The colour just pops. But on a grey or overcast day, grigio looks drab and a bland. John's Blue Chiaro 308 looks fantastic no matter the weather or light. Ditto for rosso corsa.
They all look beautiful IMO, but Grigio/Bordeaux combo on any Ferrari really gets my motor running! Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Can always re-dye? I might feed my 348 tomorrow, it's been around 10 years since I last done it lol. Still got heaps of Coachaline tins here. Purchased the last of them in town when I heard that stoppped making it.
Found a can on Ebay for sale lol. COACHOLINE LEATHER DRESSING 9.5 Ozs TIN by SHELDON DRUG C SYDNEY AUSTRALIA 1940s | eBay
I too was disappointed when I bought my 308GTB, after years of reading rapturous magazine articles I was expecting an amazing driving experience. Yes, it was beautiful, but even then I'd owned and driven better drivers' cars. I drove a 3 litre Carrera not long after and the steering was instantly alive and, for all the road test commentary about scary handling, the car felt more planted and quicker. Two years into 308 ownership, I drove a 246GT. Fabulous steering, eager turn in and a rear that stepped out but could be caught. I bought one 2 months later. As for the Ferrari brand, I find all that embarrassing nowadays. Agnelli owns 52% of Exor NV which owns 24% of Ferrari, so that translates to 12.5%. Piero Ferrari owns 10.4%. The rest is Middle east sovereign funds and Blackrock. These people care little for history or tradition, brand value is just a balance sheet entry. What's the point of a brand when an energy drink label flogs you every fortnight?
100% agree Ian. I guess this is why most of us on here prefer owning or covet the Enzo and Montezemolo era cars. I do adore the latest 296 but generally, I'm not a fan of modern Ferraris and its current image. It certainly has sold itself out. As an aside, I remember being surprised, almost incredulous when the 246GT was rated as the better car against a 308 GTB in the April/May 1985 issue of Sports Car World. At the time, I thought the 308 was the better and prettier car - of course, not now. I know better. Almost every other contemporary road test of the 308 GTB suggested that it was a significant improvement over the 246. So the Australians got this comparison right from the get go. I think most testers would now conclude the Dino 246 as the better car. So again, you are are spot on. Do you ever tire of being right on the money? Image Unavailable, Please Login
My first experience was the opposite, loved driving a Dino, thought I’d buy one, next drove a 308 and thought “it drives the same but with a fair bit more power” Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
I loved the Dino for the balance but the 308 had the power, then the Boxer felt like a 308 with the right engine ........ all personal opinions
Boxer didn’t steer as well and felt like a lot more weight in the tail. And obviously no quicker around Winton. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Obviously the Dino is slower and in particular lacks the mid range punch of a 308 (which is missing from an Aussie-spec 328 btw) but as an A to B car, the 246 is quick. Back in the day, when Ferrari club runs actually involved driving quickly, it was always 246's (Gerry D, Nigel P, etc) who were at the front. Nowadays you could be at the front in a Hyundai.
