Is it just me.......

I like the look of my 348ts.
I do not like the look of the 355ts.
I do like the look of the 355 spider.
I love the look of the 360 spider!
For the money I'd still do the 348.

 

I feel that the 348 is better looking from every angle except the rear. I prefer the 355 treatment of the tail lights. That being said, I don't think I would change the 348 tail lights to the 355 style, only because the 348 lights do kinda go with the whole cheese grater look.

I want a 348 TS.

Birdman

 

I like them the same...maybe the 355 a bit better. 355's are awesome cars.

 

I'm the same, they are both great looking cars and the 355 is overall a better car but I went for a 348 as thats the one I wanted, can't say why, just something in my heart which said thats the one for me.

 

At the front, the 348 looks way better than the 355. The 355 wins it at the back. At a side view, both cars look pretty equal.

 

The 348 front is head and shoulders above the 355 front.
The 355 rear hood bonnet with scoop is better looking than the more bland 348 rear engine hood bonnet.
The 348 cheese grates resemble the Testarossa; the 355 open scoops on the side resembles the 328.

The 348 looks like the F40's little brother.
The 355 looks like the F50's little brother.

The 355 dash, with the white beveled edges, is an improvement over the 348's bland dash.

The 348's steering wheel, with no airbag, looks better than the 355 steering wheel with airbag (no, I'm not talking about your girlfriend).

As a plus, the 348 steering wheel is *easily* upgraded to even better looking Mom designs without worry or fuss over airbags or steering wheel adaptors.

What does Hollywood think? There are more than 8 (because I can name that many) theatre-release movies with 348's...just try naming that many for 355's.

1995 348 Spider Showgirls

1995 348 Spider Sabrina

1999 348 Spider Go

2001 348 The Heist

2004 348 The perfect score

???? 348 The Replacements

2005 Red 348 TS Pusher 2
featured in about 15 minutes or so. (Danish Movie, should be in the US soon, possibly called "With Blood on My Hands")

2005 348 Red Sin City
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we've just bought our first F-car, a 348ts, we love the look of the 348, hate the 355 doors! but likes the rear end of the 355...but would not change the rear of our 348...
its as if the 348 has a bit more character!!!???

 

No power steering will definately have more character!


The 355 has power steering, adjustable shocks, airbags, power top, 6 forward speed gears, and 370 hp to 380 hp (1995 only).


The 348 models vary from 300 hp (TS/TB) to 310 (or 312) in the Spider and SS variants to 320 in the GTS and 360 hp in the 348 Competizione.

348's have no cruise control (easily added via aftermarket, though), no power steering (which I prefer, but most people drive so slow for so long that they need the boost), no airbags, 5 forward gear speeds, pre-set shocks, and a manual top.

Without question that's a recipe for more character!

 

I don't understand how someone how loves one model can hate an aspect of the other. The 348 may look more aggressive than the 355 from the front and the 355 may look more modern from the back than the 348. As far as the doors, each door style matches thier respective model.

I think both cars are awesome, but the 355 seems to be a Version 2 of the 348..... but it came out awesome. I don't think either car should carry a trait from the other - they are both perfect. Wonderful proportions, and an amazing shape. I personally think the 348 and the 355 are the best looking cars on the road.

 

-348 front and side cheese graters look "dated" and "80s".

-348 rear is more functional because of better airflow

-355 front and side is a lot more modern and streamlined ("90s")

verdict: 355 is much more refined and beautiful, but
same sheet metal for the entire body except rear fenders, right
(I believe 355 rear fenders are slightly wider).

 

Pininfarina certainly wasn't timid in those days. Both cars are lookers with nice proportions, but the 348 takes more chances stylistically. 355's a bit more conservative. I admire the 348 for its excess - after all it is an exotic. Those side strakes say 'Ferrari' in the same way the 308/328 intake gouges are one of sportscardoms most memorable design signatures (like the whale tail spoilers on another marque...)

Congrats on your 348.

 

Look only, 348 all the way. No strange toyota rsemblances ...
Ciao
Eugenio

 

heres one . take a cropped picture of a 348 door, and one of a 355 door. show it to 10 random people , see how many tell you the one thats a ferrari ...

 

I totally agree with Benzino. Dollar for dollar, the 348 is a better "bang for the buck" , hands down, than the 355. Sure the 355 has PS, cruise control, nicer wheels etc, but lets face it, no "lay person" could even tell them apart. I'm putting my 87 328 up for sale and shopping for a 348 right now. I do belive that the 348 does look better and more modern with a wheel up-grade. Just my 2-cents.

 

Exactly. The 355 has 3 points above the 348 in looks (the wheels, the rear engine bonnet, and the dash).

But the 348 screams "Ferrari." The 348 has a much better front nose and doors. Polish a 348 up and a 355 up, take them both to a club, and the ladies will gravitate towards the 348 every time.

You can't really update the looks of the 355 steering wheel, either, due to the air bag...but the 348 readily takes any Momo steering wheel, making for an inexpensive cockpit upgrade.

The 355 wins in such areas as hp, power steering, power top, adjustable shocks, and 6 speed...but the average club-goer won't notice any of that.

Moreover, the power steering, power top, and adjustable shocks add that much more to what has to be maintained on these cars.

The more raw, simpler 348 approach avoids those pitfalls...while still delivering the looks. This keeps the 348 driver on the road more, for less effort and money...a double or triple bonus.

You can always upgrade the 348 dash to the 355 dash, too. It's just a little paint on the outer bevels. Ditto for being easy to upgrade wheels.

I'd take the 355 rear engine hood under the right circumstances, too.

 

I don't speak from experience, rather, if I had my druthers...

Granted, each successive 3xx permutation would/could/should outperform it's predecessor, but several considerations come into play - to many, it boils down to aesthetics, which is always a subjective thing, just as roadfeel is. "Response" is different strokes for different folks, as well. Crowd response, engine response, transfer of power to street is a car responding, whereas a street communicating to and from steering is another, as is gearing, running out of road what with speed limits being what they are - the "damn" response works both ways.

Street: 348. Ballsier, with some chutzpah. A driver's (roadfeel/feedback/immediate gratification) car. Comparatively, a 355, with mechanical & design refinements is a homogenized 348. Some say a 348 is dated, I don't - I consider it, along with the far more likely to be "dated" Testarossa to be inimitable, while the 355 is easily & flatteringly imitated with varying degrees of success.

Track: 355 Challenge. Rob Lay long ago stated his preference over 360 Challenge - much like the 348>355 comparison above, seemed to be less "distance" between car and driver, if you will.

Perhaps "visceral" is the word.

 

IMO I've never liked 348 though I love the side grills on TR but they rather look out of place on 348 and the same goes for the rear grills. 355 has a more smoother package and wasn't 355 that revitalised Ferrari name when it took a massive sale dive in the mid 90s.
Don't get me wrong, I don't have a 355 but I love the car and still own the 348's bigger brother, 512TR.

 

I still prefer the 308 over either the 348 or 355...

 

Chalk me up for the 348.

I could have purchased either, but there was something too concise/streamlined and compact about the 355. To some degree it has features that resemble other cars on the road (Acura NSX, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Toyota Supra, etc.). Not to say the 355 isn't "Ferrari", it's a lovely car. But, to me, the 348 has an unmistakable Ferrari design to it. It's a classic style, and there is no other car on the road, minus the Lotus from the early 90's from the front end, that looks like it. I love my '94 348 S.S., and don't think I'll ever get rid of it.

 

Both are very close to me. I think the 348 spider is the best looking convertible ever made by anyone, ever. The 355 spider is very close though. I like the 348 just a tad better (as long as the top (ts) and the bottom edge/front spoiler are painted the same as the body).

 

I agree. I cannot stand to see black plastic at the bottom of the 348. Also, there was a 348TS that ended on ebay yesterday...absolutely beautiful car, but a hideous black targa top on a white car. I prefer the 355 for its modern, more smooth look. However, the 348 is THE bang for the buck car.

 

Could not really choose. All Ferrari's old an new are fantastic. Only the odd Aston Martin and most Lamborghinis match them