Ferrari or Porsche ?

I selected the Ferrari. It is better.
Selection confirmed during a drive this afternoon.
The end.

BT

 

Ill be surprised if anyone on Fchat answers with Porsche............
IMHO, thery aren't very close in comparison. In performance, yes, very competitive. But, in the end, the Porsche is an everyday car, and the Ferrari is a Ferrari.

 

Let me see , how many porsches do I see during the day ? Maybe 5 or 6 or more. And how many Ferraries do I see during the day ? None in my area. So porsches are a dime ( they all look the same to most people) a dozen and I still can't get the VW picture out of my mine regardless of how quick they are. So it looks like the Fcar is my choice.

 

Yes, and you're not the first.

I had a 911 (993), sold it a bought a 328. To be blunt, the 911 was everything advertised -- looked nice, made that air-cooled flat six sound, looked classic inside, went fast and could be an everyday driver. But eventually I got bored of it and moved on. Seeing as you're posting on FerrariChat, you're probably fishing for that answer. At one point I test drove a water-cooled 911 (a couple of 996s), and the last vestiges of Porsche-ness seemed to have been lost.

As I'm sure you'll read in the next 16 replies here, driving a Ferrari is more of an 'event'. Other than the fact that both cars are expensive (not so much the Boxster/Cayman), and both fit into the sports car segment, I can't say they have much in common.

If you can afford to have a weekend car whose whole purpose is to look great, sound great and provide a fun drive when the weather is nice, it's hard to beat a Ferrari (or another exotic, like a Lamborghini). I was driving mine this morning, and other drivers love it almost as much as I do -- even in San Diego, you don't see many on the road.

If you want a fast, classic-looking sports car, but need to use it in the real world, Porsche (or the Audi R8) will serve you better. You do lose the exotic flavor and rarity of the Ferrari (there are a lot of Porsches here), but you get a lot of practicality in return. If the Porsche excites you, go with that. You either 'need' to have the Ferrari experience, or you don't. My brother just bought a 997 -- he's a lifetime Porsche enthusiast who doesn't want to deal with the purchase or service costs of an exotic. So, it kind of comes down to whether you're a hardcore rational performance guy, or a romantic idiot who hangs out here and has tried four different exhausts on his car to fine tune the naughty sound of that flat-plane crank Ferrari engine.

I'm in the second group. If I buy another Porsche, it will be a pre-1974 car only.

 

Over the years I've owned at least seven porsches and I enjoyed driving each and every one of those cars. But there wasn't a day that I wouldn't rather have been driving at least one of the three ferraris I have been fortuante enough to own during my life.

 

I'm going to have to agree with Steve on this one. You will literally see dozens of Porsches if go drive around my town (or if you just go walk through the grocery store parking lot). I'd get the Ferrari.

 

Or, to put it another way...would you rather eat "an apple or an orange" --- yes, they are that different, IMO.

I really don't think you can compare these cars head-to-head --- they both do what they do very well, but they have entirely different characteristics. It is very subjective to what you "like from a sports car". Chances are if you very much like the Ferrari, you will not like the Porsche, and vice-versa.

A few years back, my buddy and I went out for a Sunday drive to the Oregon coast from Portland --- he was driving his '84 911 SC, and I was driving my 308. On the way back, we agreed to switch cars. After 20 miles, we stopped for a coffee and to compare notes --- I wanted to switch back, but he didn't!! The following year, he traded his 911 towards a 308...

I like the 911 to drive, but it does nothing for me aesthetically --- people see a Porsche, and they say, "nice car" --- people see a Ferrari, and they say, "Wow". It's that "wow factor" that makes me choose Ferrari every time.
.
If your idea of a sports car is "fun to drive, reliable, user friendly, comfortable" --- get a Porsche. If you prefer a car that is "fun to drive, at times is a handful to manage, hurts your back after sitting in it for 30 minutes, and gives that old-world era experience of smelling raw gas, exhaust, and oil fumes the whole way" --- get a Ferrari.

For me, Porsche is clearly the better "machine".
But, Ferrari is clearly the better "experience".

 

There is no comparison here. Two completely different cars. But to answer your question.......I have owned three 911's since 1999 and they all were very capable and fine sports cars. My 430 in my humble opinion is so much better in every way that it's a no brainer what car I would rather own. The Porsche experience gets very antiseptic, boring, and dull. The Ferrari experience is SO MUCH FUN every time I get behind the wheel. I can't imagine ever going back to Porsche again. That includes the GT.

 

Good post, but a couple of comments:

First, I find the 328 cockpit to be very comfortable (granted, I'm 5'7" and wiry...), and that's pretty much as raw and snug as road Ferraris get. The 360 and 550 are borderline luxurious, IMO. It is a handful to manage only in that you have to watch out for steep driveways and soccer moms blabbing away on cell phones while doing an on-ramp merge at 30 mph in an SUV. But all the basics -- steering, clutch, gearbox, brakes, gauges -- are a pleasure.

Secondly, my car hasn't left me stranded. The closest I came was a coolant hose that was starting to swell around a clamp, but I had it replaced before it failed ($9 for the hose). Porsches are pretty dependable, but the notion that Ferraris are only good for trips to the shop and back is a bit overblown. The idea that Ferraris require a lot of maintenance, OTOH, is accurate.

 

Porsche is a sports car, Ferrari is an exotic. Test drive both & see which you prefer.

I drove a 2004 Porsche, thought about it for a while... then I drove a 1994 Ferrari & was sold!!! The Ferrari sound & exotic looks won me over.

 

comparing a ferrari to a 997 is probably about as relavant as comparing the 997 series Porsche w/ any Porsche to date. Completely different cars.

Never driven a 430.

 

I currently own a 2001 Carrera with an original 11,000 miles on it. Although I love the car, it is boring to me. That is probably the reason I disposed of my previous 3 Porsches. I am not biased and I am a member of another Porsche forum and I have said the same there. To me, it doesn't get much more exciting than driving and owning a Ferrari. Expect more maintenance, expect more expense and some frustrating times with a Ferrari...much more than with a Porsche. But awww...the driving experience of the Ferrari makes it all well worth it.
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There is something about Porsches that I like, especially the old carbureted 911s. But that "little something" has not been enough to inspire me to want one, and it probably won't be.

The driving experience, while fun in both, is simply otherworldly in a Ferrari.

 

I have a 996 turbo S cabriolet and a 328 gts. The Porsche does everything very well. It is dependable and well made. When driven sensibly, it drives like a Toyota. Nothing exciting but well mannered. It can be pushed quite far however. Like a jealous woman, the Ferrari requires my undivided attention. It demands that I attach myself to it. The sounds and seat of the pants feel are everything that you could imagine. I like my Porsche but I love my Ferrari.

 

Agreed. I guess I'm really focusing in on the old "911 vs. 308", specifically.

I consider the 550 to be more of a "GT", rather than a "pure sports" car. And, yes the newer F-cars, especially the GT 12-cylinders have really upped their scale on comfort. I feel more relaxed in my 456 than I do in my girlfriend's Lexus...but, then again, that could have something to do with her (lousy) taste in music...!!

 

It's a good question. Don't be scared of asking this just because it's a Ferrari forum. You are correct, many do own both or have in the past. I sell Porsche among other hi-end cars and they are a great bang for the buck. I had some good seat time in an 06 C4S yesterday (Before our nasty snow storm) and all I can tell you is WOW. They brought back alot of the 993 feel into a more modern package. I loved it and only can imagine the TT. Would never consider a 996 unless maybe a TT or C4S for the right $.

Now the F430 is a whole lot more money, but if the budget allows an F430 then why not!?

 

hello,

i'm a jr. playing in a sr. match here, but i'll stick my neck out on this one. several years ago i was looking to replace my porsche 944S. i narrowed it down to two cars: a 1985 ferrari mondial coupe and a 1995 porsche 968 cabriolet. both cars were priced similar. i chose the porsche because of my previous experience with the marquee and the known maintenance costs. where as the ferrari was a unique car that intimidated me with unknown costs and potential issues....

if i could do it all over... i'd take the ferrari in a heartbeat

my $0.02

 

If you can find no other discriminator between Ferrari and Porsche --- when you say "sports car", don't you have to choose the manufacturer who doesn't have an SUV in their model line up?! LOL

 

Thinking of getting a 997 Turbo in Dec for next ski season, the new ones are gorgeous

There are 2 or more on ebay now in Cobalt Blue that are just amazing

 

The only two Porsches that would make me think twice about getting into my next F-Car would be a '73 RS or a '74 RSR. I was actually foolish enough to let go of an authentic RS once. But replacing that with a 308GTSi and a 348TB (a year later) made it worth while.

 

I have to say that each car,P-car and F-car are the absolute best at what they are to be.The tortured wail of an early 911(1969-1973) AND the pitch changing howl of a 512TR with Tubi's just can't be matched by others.I have both red AND white wine in my home!

 

Depends on the Porsche and on the Ferrari. I have owned both. Horses for courses. And so on....

 

My daily driver for the past ten years has been my 1998 993 Cab 6-speed and I can't think of a better daily driver... its been totally dependable, sounds and drives great...makes my daily commute one of the best parts of the day. Alternatively on weekends when I start up my 360 Spider and hear the great Ferrari sound from the Tubis it is pure heaven. Driving the car is so far above the experience of driving any other automobile that I find myself looking for excuses to take it out. I look forward all week for nice weekend days to take it out for as long and many drives as possible.
IMO there is no better daily driver than a 911 (esp an air cooled 993) but to drive a Ferrari is beyond comparison.

 

Of course either car can make you happy. I like them about equal. The only thing I have noticed is that I sometimes find myself trying to plan a drive in my Ferrari and I don't do that with any of my Porsche's. With a Porsche I just grab a key & go.