why is a 328 "vastly improved" over a 308 ?

So, after 25 posts have we decided on the definition of "vastly superior" as portrayed by a sales person?

Yes, there were some differences, otherwise Ferrari would not have changed the nomenclature. Right??

So, lets put this into another perspective:


1. Is a 308 "vastly superior" to a 246 in the same way that a 328 is "vastly superior" to a 308??

2. Is a Testarossa "vastly superior" to a 512BB in the same way?

3. Is a 348 "vastly superior" to a 328?

4. 355 vs 348?

You get the idea... No, I dont claim to know the answer, just thought I would throw that out there and see what thoughts pop up.


They are each different cars and many of them are very similar going from one generation to the next.


PDG

 

i agree and think its silly to compare in the first place. buy which one you want. whatever improvements the 328 has over the 308 pale in comparison to what kind improvements have been made in other cars for the same money. example, for 328 money you could get yourself a current gen vette which is completely superior in just about every measureable way, yet we all still love our ponies...

and as far as improvements go, just in my case, none of them mattered anyway. 328 has better cooling and stronger ac? dont care, i only drive when its a nice and cool out. car stays cool, i stay cool, no prob. stronger trans? im not drag racing or doing 5k clutch dumps, my trans is just fine. better ignition? i dunno, mine seems to do the job. point is, if youre looking for a fun leisurely weekend cruiser like i was, both fit the bill just fine. thats what these cars are good for, not for the daily grind or racing. buy whichever your heart tells you. just get it inspected and buy one thats been well cared for.

 

Bingo. The only thing ANY Ferrari is vastly superior to is any NON-FERRARI.

Jedi

 

One thing I can say is that my 328 started like a Civic after many months idle during winter.

 

If you're talking about a Euro GTB, then I agree. If I could steal one that needed a lot of TLC, I'd buy it, park it in the back of the garage away from the 328 and then begin to mod the hell out of it....suspension, brakes, supercharger, wheels, interior, etc. A Euro GTB just looks vicious to me, and should have the thump to go with the looks. For some reason, I can't bring myself to do that to my 328....yet.

 

Yup, the 328 is better in many ways, but that 308 switch gear is pretty hard to beat...doesn't get much more vintage Italian cool than that.
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Better corrosion protection
Better standard wheels
Better power window mechanisms...

Agreed, if you have the cash, get the 328.

 

Not sure I agree with this. The longer I owned my 328, the more I noticed the extent of the changes over the 308. Ferrari barely changed the design, because it was a hot seller, but they went through seemingly every bolt on the car.

And, for the money, the 328 is the best sports car buy on the planet, even as 360s start to encroach on the 328 price bracket.

 

WOW! You must really like the 328! You're implying that even if the 360 came down in price to current 328 levels, you'd opt for the 328?

BTW, I respect anyone's opinion regarding what they like (it's a personal choice), but....

....I have to ask, have you ever driven a V8 Lotus Esprit ??? If not, try one sometime... you might be surprised and impressed by what $40K will get you . .........and, you don't even have to change the t-belts every time you turn around .

 

Absolutely.

 

How can a car without carbs be an improvement?

 

I used to be shop foreman in a Lotus dealer. You couldn't give me one.

 

i would certainly like to know how you quantify that then. for the money its not the fastest (by far), doesnt handle the best, wont be the most reliable even if it has a good reputation by ferrari standards, wont be the most comfortable or easy to drive, etc. what exactly makes it the best? for some 328 asking prices ive seen c6 z06 asking the same. please tell me in what way a 328 is a superior car to a c6 z06 (save for maybe the fact that the z06 will continue to depreciate).

 

Not to knock the vette but how can one be dismissive about the depreciation? What's the z06 worth twenty years from now, and more importantly, why?

 

Improved? Definitely. "Vastly" improved? No.

 

+1 , btw Im a euro carb drysump driver and love the 328 but a raw 308 with carbs and with that old interior is a very nice car to live and drive in

 

Could the same be said with regards to a 3.2 Mondial and a 3.0?

 

We're comparing a 1986-89 car to a 2008-2010 one, which is interesting in itself, and some measure of the market's view on the 328 and the Corvette.

Everyone has to make his own decision, but in the ~$50K range the 328 offers widely admired lines (including a beautiful interior), Ferrari cachet, Ferrari engine sounds, a surprisingly balanced degree of performance (i.e., it challenges and involves you, without beating you up), exclusivity and rarity and a sense of occasion on every drive. It is an exciting car to drive, intoxicating.

The Corvette goes very fast, but the next Corvette will go faster and they will sell hundreds of thousands of those. And they will all have interiors from a rental car. In the meantime, you have performance you can't use and an interior that you must endure. The Corvette competes with everyday regular cars, which makes it great as an everyday car -- but also makes it less special. As a car enthusiast, I realized long ago that there would never be a daily driver that filled those needs and also made me wet my pants every time I walked out to the garage.

In the long run, that's why the 328 commands a premium over Corvettes.

And, that's why my washing machine is in the garage.

 

That was the #1 reason I bought a 308 insteadof a C6 Vette. Test drove one, and while the acceleration was incredible that didn't come close to making up for the overall package of a 308/328.
For me corners are more fun than straights, and I'd rather drive at 9/10 in a 308 than 7/10 in a Vette, even though at 7/10 a Vette may be 'faster'. Some people get bigger smiles driving a slower, more involving car.

 

Well said! I saw an Z06 on the way to work this morning (not to mention may other lesser Corvettes), the last time I saw a 328 on the way to work was more than 18 mos ago. There are only a few thousand of the 328 in the US.

Having said that, I like the latest Z06 myself, but these Chevy's is at the beginning of their depreciation curve, wait a few years, your 328 will worth more than a Z06.

 

True, also the old carb ferraris will hold their value much more then injected cars.

 

Sure, Lotus build quality is fairly poor, and the interior is somewhat uninspired (it is British, after all), but you gotta admit the Esprit is a kick in the pants to drive -- and it will run circles around a 328 ! In fact the newer V8 will easily keep pace with a 355

 

I don't know -- there were a few articles on the Esprit World site with contemporary road tests. IIRC the 328 held its own against the '80s Esprit, off by 1/10th of a second 0-60.

http://www.lotusespritworld.com/ERoadtests/ferrari_challenge.html

I think we spend a lot of time comparing the 328 to cars that came 10 or 20 years later, and not much time making the equally useless comparison of the Ferrari F430 to the C4 Corvette and Lotus Esprit Turbo.

 

Can a 328 be easily modified to look like a 308? i.e., are the bodywork changes bolt on?

 

This is all silly. Do what I am doing, buy a Euro 308 QV, kill motor, then install a 328 motor.

You get Euro 308 style with 328 motor. Best of both worlds.

Will hopefully post up some pictures in about a month.