Hi all. I've been lurking for a while and now have gathered enough courage to post. I currently have a Porsche 993 cab which is a great car for many reasons. I'm looking at the 348 for the beautiful yet classic lines Ferrari is known for or the 355 spider for the intoxicating turbo like power and sweet exhaust note. I wanted to turn the floor over to the people that already own these two classics on how it compares to the last air cooled real Porsche. TIA
Fantastic, I'll go first before you're infected by the 348 owners. 355 is WAAAAAY cooler, bottom line. I mean who can deny more power, better handling, and no cheese graters?? So there's your answer, 355 is the one you want. You'll find some good natured jabbing between the 348 and 355 guys...but really both models are fun and both will draw the same questions from the general public like 'wow, is that NEW?' or 'wow, that must cost over $100k!' I'd say the main difference between the 348 and 355 is the 348 has a bit more raw feeling; no power steering, while the ps in the 355 is overdone and makes effort too light. 355 has more modern styling, more power and better handling, along with a higher price tag. and either one you're looking at serious maintenance costs, the engine comes out every 3-5 yrs for a major service. As they say, many people can afford to buy a Ferrari but not as many can afford to own one.
Maintenance! Porsche owners (aka. the 911's) can't fathom major expenditures. The motor drops are part of clutch jobs, rms and the like however, most times the costs are factored into the job that's being completed but not a "major service" interval. Please give me an example of a preventative maintenance job and the potential cost of one. BTW-What does the Ferrari community think of the 911?
Ciao my friend like many of us here we owned or own Porsche and they are awesome cars especially engineering wise. I am assuming you will keep the Porsche as a daily driver as I did. Now to your question only way I can answer is I need more info. 1- Are you a mans man 2- Do you go to a barber or a hair stylist 3- Do you wear gel 4- Do you like Madonna or Nirvana. These are the very important question you need to answer before you make your decision. I'm sure you will make the right choice brother....
But what are you going to do when you have your lady friend out for a picnic in a majestic landscape and you realise you've no way to grate the parmesan cheese for the lunch? Besides, those side strakes look really cool! Hmmm... not that I want to hijack the thread, but I'm curious to see how I'd score with those: 1- Not in an overtly macho way, but yes. 2- Barber. 3- No, leave-in conditioner. 4- Nirvana. Do I pass the Night Life test? All the best, Andrew.
they are both great cars, but as was stated earlier the 348 is more raw, and the 355 is more faster. Where the 355 is elegant, the 348 is a little harder. I went with the 348 and have enjoyed it for 4 years. All together I spent about $11k in four years for service and a few upgrades. On average that is pretty cheap. The 355 is probably about $500-1000 more per year in maintenance and repair on average, but you may find a really good 355 that does not cost much at all in repairs. That said, I know of a great 348 that is for sale right now! http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/vbclassified.php?do=ad&id=503 BT
LOL. The OP probably didn't mean it that way, but this reminds me of what a tough crowd F-Chat can be. It makes me get a mental image of a bunch of noobs lying in the weeds, lurking, peering, and watching with trepidation as other innocents get flamed out of the sky. Then they lob their first post out there, grimace, shut their eyes, and hope for the best. Welcome to F-Chat. And FWIW, the 348 would get my vote. I had my sights set on a 328, then drove a 348, and came "this close" to changing my mind. That is without question a VERY nice car. I love the cheese graters as well, I'm weird like that. Good luck in your search.
They are both cool cars. You really can't go wrong unless you choose the 355.....................KIDDING!!! I was convinced to get a 348 vice a 328 or 355 for my first Ferrari and I am extremely happy with it. If I did go another direction it would be 328, but that is just a taste thing. By the way, I LOVE the cheesegraters as well, it makes it look like a Ferrari to me and to tons of viewers. I have owned many cars, but none that are as raw and visceral as the 348. No power steering, no bullsh!t, you have to DRIVE this car, it doesn't drive itself. If this is your first Ferrari I would recommend 328 or 348, but if you want a 355, they are awesome machines and sound fantastic as well. Just be VERY careful and get a well sorted car. My.02 MB
A year ago I was searching for a 355, but due to prices at the time, I decided to buy a 348. I'm very happy with it! If I were buying today with current prices, it would be easier to consider the 355. But I love the 348 and have never wished that I had a 355 instead, in spite of seeing them at car events. I think the 355 power steering must be very good, but I'm sure I'd rather have my 348's manual steering. And although the 355 has more power/torque, I'm not at all disappointed with my car's performance! The 355 is also a bit more complex with the power steering, and electronic suspension. So it's a 348 for me!
The 355 is much like the 993 in that it is (IMO) the last real Ferrari, as the 993 is the last real Porsche. I love the lines of the 355 (and the 993 for that matter), the sound, the feel, the overall package in the 355 is excellent. If you take your time and find a good one with plenty of history and hopefully some of the common faults correctly addressed, you will be set for a great experence. Headers are the main one, if they have not been replaced, keep in the budget to have them done, this way you can forget about the problem from the get go. 1- Are you a mans man 2- Do you go to a barber or a hair stylist 3- Do you wear gel 4- Do you like Madonna or Nirvana. 1- Yes. 2- Hair Stylist (This is my partners profession, if I wrote barber here I may never be found....) 3- Yes (I have a good line on bulk supply, 5 gal tubs ) 4- Ma who? Nirvana!
348 or 355. Or maybe a Porsche. I love my Porsche Turbo - it's a freaking bullet train on a 'roid rage. It does everything perfectly, except provide the automobile inspiration that I crave. The older and much lesser performing 348 is a dream to drive, especially since it has been "gothed", er, gone over by goth engineering and skunkworks, LLC. The 355 is a nice car too. Now it all comes back to what you are looking for and value as the exotic car experience. If you want a near daily driver that's as bullet proof as a Honda and will scare the living crap out of you on demand, then the Porsche is your car, especially a turbo. If you love Ferrari's but still want a Porsche, then it's the GT3 over all other Porsches. If you have the money and your idea of Ferrari ownership is polishing it and taking it to club events where you can generously apply the hair gel and cavort with other follically slicked car owners, then the 355 is your model. If you want a more hand's on Ferrari and you like to mess around under the engine cover and seldom comb your hair let alone slick it with gel, then maybe you are a candidate for a man's car, the 348, the hot rod of the Ferrari V-8 line-up. Your choice, Alice.
Mr TIA, I would suggest to carefully read the great information listed within this site. I too, have been a faithful Porsche guy for many years, a '64 sc coupe original and a '87 turbo cab are currently in my garage. The 930 came my way about two years ago, and I just love the car. IMO the 355 is more refined, but not surgically smooth. I tasted the 355 last fall and it sure opened my eyes to the awesomeness of the Ferrari. I have yet to pull the trigger, but it is only a matter of time. I have carefully inspected several and am waiting for the right one to fall into my lap. Good luck in your search, the discovery phase can be the real fun. JG
348 vs 355 = Carmen Electra vs Jessica Alba can't go wrong either way... Full disclosure...former 348 owner I now have a 355
