I recently sold my 996 C2 and thinking of either going to 996 Turbo or 348. Looks is very important to me and that is why I love the 348. At this present moment I cant find what I am looking for in both models. I owned the porsche for 7 years and it was fun but Iam looking for something to really make me smile. I know the 996 turbo well, great speed, horrible sound and terrible interior ( same as my 996 c2 ) but that performance is incredible and reliable. I just wanted feedback on going from a 996 to an older 348. I dont daily drive these cars so its just for pleasure. I am still searching for a mint 348 but it aint easy ! Let me know what i should expect going for this change . I just dont want to be disappointed Thank You Eric
The biggest thing you'll notice is that the 996 has a lot of torque, and the 348 has very little at low RPM's. Same thing for the 355. My 2003 Boxster S has more torque below 4k rpm than my 1995 F355 Spider, even though the 355 is rated at about 100 more horsepower.
Didn't come from 996, but I did come from a Cayman S. I LOVED the CS, but found the 348 to be even more satisfying from a driver involvement standpoint. I have been daily driver Porsche shopping lately and have driven a few 996s. Nice, capable cars (I hear ya on the interior, though) but they all feel a bit dull compared to the 348. Ok for a daily, I suppose, but I still yearn for more rawness in my everyday ride
the turbo has endless power, grip and an incredible handling ability at very high speeds. 996 was a nice car but the other day when i visited my first red 348 tb my heart moved. crazy crazy look, i was with my uncle and we both started laughing...its a looker. the sound that comes from a 996 turbo is horrible. i had the porsche sport exhaust on my 996 and it sounded fantastic, the turbos have power but no noise effect something i am looking for. so my debate continues but right now if i find a 348 i like, its mine. how do we get an f1 sound from a 348 ?
Capristo! Cat delete, too, if you can get away with it. I have no experience with it, but the Krisseig stuff sounds good, too.
I had a 2001 996 C4 Black with a full aero kit and it was very sweet! I sold it and bought a 1990 348 TS this past April. Both cars are awesome... but I do enjoy the 348 much more. In South Florida the Porsche is very common; however you don't see a 348 on the road everyday. Both vehicles ran during the weekend only. Stress relief for my Saturday/Sunday enjoyment.
Roadracer311 said it well! The 996 is great for a daily driver but for a weekend car... the 348 TS is my preferred choice. Overall enjoyment and for putting a smile on my face when the prancin' horse leaves my stable. Parts are harder to come by and more expensive than a 996.
FWIW I went from a 997 to a 355 -Two completely different ownership and driving experiences. Each has pros and cons.
This was my 996 twin turbo before my F355 GTS. Beautiful interior and wonderful sound with my Tech Art Sport exhaust in my opinion. http://ferrarichat.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=1605840&stc=1&d=1350951847 Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
When my first was born I tried to be a good dad and sold the two seated 348 and got a 2000 996 with every intention of taking him in a car seat in the back. In the end I didnt want him to be underwhelmed in his first sports car and eventually sold it in short order and got a twin turbo V8 Lotus Esprit. Then added a Lamborghini Diablo. For th record that was my third 911 style car so I knew what I was getting into and still missed the 348. While I say this in jest, it isn't that far from the truth. I was bored with the 996. You'll love the 348!
i sold my 996 already...its now between the 996 turbo or 348.. i think i found a 348 blk blk 15 k miles from a friend, ts though. i want tb...but i might have to accept this going to see it tomorrow and then i will know. i actually raced a 348 with my 996 and i had a hard time keeping up with the 348 over 100km..so it is not as slow as people say it is..good sign.
let me know when i can chat with you, i need to talk with someone who had all 3 cars ! making an offer tomorrow.
I had a 1999 996 C2 MT and went to a 1995 F355 Berlinetta. There are no words for the differences between these two cars, only a test drive will give you your answer. I have put a fair amount of money into my F355 to make it just right, and I've owned it 3X longer than any other car I've ever had if that says anything. Don't miss the 911 at all, except for the nearly nonexistent repair bills. I put 30,000 fast miles on the 911, and did only rotors, pads, and engine/tranny oil. A Porsche Turbo would probably be similar to the C2 maintenance wise, but not as thrilling of an experience as a 348/355. To me, Porsche is the Toyota of the sports car world, and Ferrari is the Ferrari of the sports car world. I think going from a 996 C2 to a 348 might be a letdown performance-wise, but looks and feel-wise the 348 probably trumps most cars, especially newer ones. Sorry, never driven a 348 but I've seen a few and everyone here says they are amazing to drive, very visceral. My suggestion is go for a drive in a few 348's, a few 355's, and a few 360's if possible. Hope this helps!
I have both cars ... I love both ... The 348 w right wheels looks great and it's peaky fun to drive and it's functional and reliable as collector cars go ... But If I could only have one it would be 996tt ... It does everything well and performance is remarkable ... It's the easiest to own super car ever IMHO ... And swapping the tired turbo twist wheels for 997 wolverines makes it look outstanding!
I currently have both a C4 Cab and 348 Spider, I'm asked which one I like more. My reply is the Porsche makes me a better drive and the Ferrari shows how bad of a driver I am. The Porsche is much more forgiving and the Ferrari requires more driver interaction. I love them both but for different reasons, the Porsche is great for driving with my wife, comfortable, solid, quiet. I like the Ferrari if I drive alone, more of a drivers car then the Porsche. Just my thoughts, I love them both and have brought many Porsche cars over the years, liked them so much that I bought a Cayenne for my wife, can't say that if Ferrari had a SUV that I would have bought one for her. The Ferrari is for when you need a smile put on your face after a bad day, the Porsche is the car you drive to get a glass of wine to correct a bad day.
