What is your all time favorite mid V8 Ferrari?

As someone who has owned five of the V8s on this list (and I still own four of them), my opinion is that the Scud/16M will in the future be viewed as the most special of all of them. There will never be another Ferrari that is as much of an experience to drive, especially the 16M.

The older cars (308 - 355) are nice to experience but they aren't really great driving cars by modern standards. Apologies to my 308 and 355, don't hate me!

The later cars (458 - SF90) are better driving and faster, but they don't offer the same level of visceral drama. They've been toned down for what Ferrari marketing probably thinks the typical buyer wants (and that includes the Speciale). And the turbos on 488 - SF 90 do not help. The Sud is slower, but still quick. The handling is not as precise, but it's good enough. The transmission maybe a little clunky but the scream of the engine and the way gear shifts pop you in the back at redline pounds your senses.

Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

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I'm a lifelong 911 fan, and very much appreciate Porsches as well. But the 3.2 Carrera was the model that Porsche produced during the years Ferrari produced the 328 years, so I can't agree with the statement that a 328 is big and slow, or that a same year Porsche is better.

Your 964 was a pretty big leap from the 3.2 Carrera. The 964 was almost all new and is a very different car (with a lot more power) -- and the 2wd 964 didn't come out till 1990 I think. I find the late 60's/early 70's 911e's very visceral. Those early e's are my favorite 911 of all time, and would enjoy it in the same way as a 328 (though still a bit less than the more raw 328/308, and I love the gated shifter).

My 2wd/6-speed/coupe 996.1 is great also -- it only weighs 25 lbs more than my 1987 3.2 Carrera, but with 300 hp and power steering if feels a LOT lighter than the 3.2. I don't really miss my 3.2 Carrera, but our 996 will be a forever car in my family. The 996 is not nearly as visceral as a 328 (or 964), but it's so quietly competent with creature comforts and frigid cold air -- yet you can toss it around like those early 911's, which makes it very special in it's own way.

Everybody has their own sweet spot. I totally get @U-Boat Commander 's preference for the Scud versus his other cars, even though that probably wouldn't be mine.

 

haha surprising??

 

You’re not wrong at all. I’ve been telling people for years the Scud/16m is the most visceral of the special series, but no one seems to listen .

Analogy time.

Speciale = M16 Rifle. Surgical. Accurate. Smooth. Efficient. Effective.

Scud = AK47 Rifle. Wild. Dramatic. Visceral. Action-packed. Still effective, but in a different way.


F355 = Desert Eagle Pistol. Iconic. Novelty. Poster material (the preferred handgun choice in action movies). Quintessential handgun look. Simplistic. Dramatic. Visceral from a handgun standpoint (ex. F1 visceral vs Gated Manual visceral). Semi-effective, but rewarding when you get it right.


Push comes to shove, no ones gonna choose a Desert Eagle over an M16 or an Ak47 in battle, but if you don’t care if you live or die and you prefer an artistic and memorable death for style points, you’d want a Desert Eagle in each hand.

 

They are typically better, but as a Porsche-then-Ferrari-now-back-to-Porsche guy I'd say the experience is different. The 328 and 911/964 are both about 168 inches in length, and 0-60 is about the same (964 is maybe half a second quicker than a 328?) The 328 remains a great drive.

I love classic cars so wouldn't throw either of them out of bed, automotively speaking. I would give Porsche huge credit for their recent Classic program, which invests in service and spares for their older cars. Impressive. Ferrari could do a lot better.

 

My favourite would be an early 308GTB (European Spec, dry sump). Easy to maintain. Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

For me, the Jekyll & Hyde scale is good to compare Ferrari models and Ferrari versus Porsche. "Jekyll" being visceral and exciting to drive. "Hyde" being refined so that you can enjoy the car in larger doses.

328 Mostly Jekyll, tiny dose of Hyde (very reliable, A/C kind of works)
3.2 Mondial Plenty of Jekyll, plus a significant increase in Hyde vs 328 (roomier, more comfortable)
3.2 Carrera -- (contemporary model of 328) Not enough Jekyll, and not enough Hyde
Early 911's (especially pre-73) - Meaningful Jekyll in terms of lightweight sports car, visceral, though not fast -- a tiny bit of Hyde (quieter than Ferrari, but not much more comfortable for longer drives)
964/993 -- Meaningful Jekyll (mostly from sharply improved performance over prior 911s) and air-cooled rawness, pretty good Hyde also (coldish A/C, quieter than Ferrari)
996/997 -- Can be Jekyll when you put your foot in it, especially with peaky 996.1 engine -- plenty of Hyde (creature comforts, cold A/C, quiet in normal use) -- serves as a perfect compliment to your Jekyl car


To me: 328 fun up to 1.5 hours, Mondial 3.2 fun up to 3 hours, 964/993 up to 4 hours, older water cooled 911 for 4+ hours and practical daily use

 

360 Spider! Open top is the only way to truly appreciate the sound of that glorious engine!!
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Regardless of opinions here..No other mid engine V8 F car has become as coveted as the GTS spyder.
Try to find a sub 10,000 mile gated S for under$350,000.00
The Market is the only true indicator!

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I got involved in Ferraris in the early seventies. Shortly after I got my first one, a 275 GTB/4, the SoCal Ferrari Owners Club started doing track days at the now defunct (SOB!) Riverside Raceway. For reasons unknown, I ended up doing a lot of driver coaching, so was incredibly lucky to be able to drive most of the listed cars on track. The remainder I have been able to drive on the street, including the SF90 and not listed 296 GTB/GTS.

In the relatively real world, I love to drive a gated 430, but the styling doesn't appeal to me. The 360 is still my favorite as far as looks. I LOVE open cars, but would go with the coupe, just because of that great roofline.

A very early post was a Texan who said a yellow 360 with a stick and Tubi would be the bomb! As a Texas Tech grad, I have to agree on all points.

I did find it interesting that there are three times as many votes for the 355 as the 360. It would be fascinating to hear why the 355 seems to be preferred by so many. It is a great car, for sure, but the 360 gets my vote.

BTW, I have a lot of track time in the 458 Italia and it really is fantastic. I could be tempted by a 458 Spider. That would be a close second. A 458 Spider with a manual conversion would be the ultimate. $$$$$

 

Which one are you going to take to the range and shoot for fun? Let's face, nobody is racing these cars for real unless they're in a challenge version (which is a different poll, imo), so the range is the much more apt comparison...

 

I have to say that is a danged impressive exhaust note! Wonderful to see and hear! Thanks for sharing that!

 

I'd guess the 355 votes are primarily on looks. For me, the top 3 mid-engine on looks are Dino first (though not a V8 obviously) and the 355 and 328/308 as roughly a tie. I never loved the looks of the 360. Others obviously prefer the more modern 360 over the older cars. Nobody is right or wrong in what they like -- fortunately there are models that fit all of our individual preferences.

I did not really enjoy driving the 458 -- it just felt very large and disconnected even though it was supremely competent. I prefer the earlier cars for driving. And also prefer them vastly for simplicity -- I can barely stomach the complexity of the newest modern cars (that extends beyond Ferrari).

 

Speciale…the best NA out there

 

https://youtube.com/shorts/FahoVfHpksg?feature=shared





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Now someone brings up 996.1s. Haha. A fav of mine, too…especially the early ones. I’ve owned two as dailies and have logged a combined 145k miles. No IMS issues. Tossable like early 911s indeed. Looks made the model underrated…just like the 964s until the last decade or so.

Re: Scud and other modern F na V8s, I’ve tried them. And I like them but I find that the flappy paddle is simply not as enduringly satisfying to drive as stick IMHO. Besides, the other subjective aspect is the aesthetics… putting the 355 ahead in my mind.

 

I essentially agree with you. The majority of my time in a 458 was on track and they are great there. On the street, I really prefer the earlier cars. Anything from a 355 on has plenty of power. I like the simpler cars, as well. and actually prefer daily drivers that are almost underpowered. The old "more fun to drive a slow car fast, than a fast car slow" routine.

I have often said that the perfect choice of a car or motorcycle is the one that you cannot park and walk away from without looking back.

Ferrari has been a passion of mine for fifty years now, whether or not I owned one all the time. I confess that I really considered buying a 360 a few years ago, but I only have garage space for one car for me. To buy it, I would have need to sell my daily driver of 16 years, a Lotus Elise. I finally decided to hold off on the 360, untill I can no longer get in the Lotus! I am 77 and the clock is ticking. The reality, for me, is the smaller and more agile Lotus is more fun as a daily driver and a track day car. I feel certain I will own another Ferrari, but just not yet.

Even when I owned a Ferrari in the past, I always had some sort of pocket rocket for daily driving. Still, for me Ferrari is the only really magical brand.

This is a great thread and it is fascinating to see everyone's comments.

 

Thanks for not including the original mid engine V8 Ferrari in your poll........


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Like shooting a rifle and a handgun. Two different experiences. Preference. I much prefer the gated manual . Then there’s the size .. like a rifle vs handgun. 355 is the last of the small V8’s and packs a punch. It’s the Desert Eagle of Ferraris.

Is a gun collection complete without the most iconic handgun??


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Somewhere in there, is the analogue for the A.U.G..... maybe a better one than the DE for the 355, though considerably more than "semi-effective".

 

I had an 06 NA Exige. Practically the same as an Elise. I daily drove it for 100k mi before I sold it. Had to make room for another car during Covid, otherwise I’d keep it forever. I felt like Speed Racer on my 45 min daily commute to work. Well-rounded. Versatile. Best compared to a very useful pistol…. But it ain’t no Deagle.

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For me at least it's the looks and size. 355 still reminds me of older design philosophy whereas I never liked the front end of the 360. I much prefer the 360's dashboard and better mechanical reliability and ease of maintenance but can't really gel with the looks. I feel the same about most of their designs after the turn of the century.

 

Yep, a run to Walmart is even a hoot. They are very special little cars and almost impossible to beat as a driving experience.

Sorry for the sidetrack guys! I do still love Ferraris!

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