F355 or R8

Listen to your heart, not your brain.

 

If you'll pardon my borrowing a Porsche phrase, "Ferrari, there is no substitute."

Henry

 

R8.

 

Three55 - It's funny, if I had to bring it down to two cars right now, it would be the same two. I've loved the 355 since it debuted, but it wasn't until the R8 that I've had the same (or similar) emotional reaction to a car once again. Audi did an amazing job on the R8.

The two cars in my mind have quite a bit in common despite growing up in different countries and different decades. Both have similar platforms and proportions, mid-engine V8, door air scoops, and an understated classic elegance to their look (my opinion, of course). I'd agree that the R8 bests the 355 in terms of modern technology, and while I'm no expert, I'd also GUESS that it's not nearly as scary of a car to maintain as a Ferrari, no less a 355... not to say it would be inexpensive, however.

However, for me, it would come down to what you really want to do with the car. If you're looking to drive it every day, the R8 has gotten remarkable reviews with regard to every day drive-ability. I think more than one review said, "your grandmother can drive this car." The R8 also has a more subdued sound... lower-revving and not as "in your face" exhaust note... the way a German makes a supercar. The V10 is another thing altogether, and it'll obviously best the 355 in performance, too, if that type of thing is important to you.

But if you're looking for a more raw experience, even though it's 15+ years old, I don't think you can beat the 355. The sound it makes revving to 8,500 RPM alone just makes the hairs on my neck stand up. The R8 doesn't do that for me. I'm actually in the market myself for a GTB or GTS (literally have just started looking the past few weeks - doing my homework)... and like yourself considered the R8 for a while. But the R8 isn't a Ferrari... and it's not a 355. I don't know if that makes sense, but I guess I'm just saying that as beautiful and high-tech as the R8 is, and a marvel in its own right, I just don't feel it can substitute for the 355.

If I were looking for a car to drive more regularly, I'd probably pick the R8. It's going to have more modern tech and creature comforts, and it'll probably be a little more gentle on your wallet (after purchase, of course, since a decent one will cost you twice the price of a good 355 minimum). But if this is a car for taking out on the weekend for a spirited drive through the country, modern technology be-darned, I'd pick the Ferrari hands-down... no navigation or MP3 player needed... just roll the windows down, listen to the engine and exhaust, and get lost somewhere during a nice long drive.

Granted, I don't own either car (yet)... so take my 2 cents for what it's worth... about 2 cents.

 

I have a 355 because it isn't practical. If it was i would get bored of it and move on to something else.

 

What Henry Said! I might get a S5 for a DD but no way can Audi compare to Ferrari!

 

I like both.

The R8 will always be an Audi (non-exotic) or a grown up TT. It shares many parts with the lower priced car.

I see r8's all the time in Phoenix. They are said to be a great car although I have no seat time. I have owned a TT and it was solid yet uneventful.

Isn't the R8 quite a bit more money?

Once you get a Ferrari, you really can't be without. So I vote 355.

Robb

 

The R8 was one of the cars I looked at to replace my 355. The only thing that really held me back was the shoebox they call a trunk... doesn't seem all that practical for anything more than buzzing around town.

 

+1

 

R8, rather a new 3 series bimmer

 

If I could afford an R8 V10 spider with a manual I would have one to replace my 355 GTS in a heartbeat.

I am a huge Audi fan, so I have some immunity to the Ferrari Kool Aid. There is nothing like a Ferrari, I do agree with that. But there comes a time when reliability (I am not talking maintenance, I mean the threat of being left on the side of the road on a long trip) is a really nice thing. And the mystique of the Ferrari that we all love is unfortunately translated into very strong impressions from the rest of the world, and not all positive.

To say the R8 will not be exciting I think is taking too many swigs of the Italian colored soda. The R8 is one of the best handling cars ever built. The manual gearbox is one of the best ever built. It is a gorgeous car. The V8 revs like the dickens (yes, beyond 8 grand, but "only" to 8250). It is a 90 degree crank so the exhaust note is not the F1 shriek of the 355. If you simply cannot do without this, spend a little extra on the V10.

The R8 has not been depreciating much at all (I have been watching). There just aren't very many and they have no gotten any black marks.

I still have my 355 because FOR THE MONEY it cannot be replaced. But if I had 130k to drop...

 

If you have to ask the question at all... Get the R8. Better in every possible way.

But you'll never sneak into your garage in the middle of the night to catch a glimpse of an Audi...

 

That's easy; don't get a RED Ferrari. Problem solved!

(says the guy with the Blue Spider)

Seriously, though. Nothing against Red, Yellow or White Ferraris, but there is a beautiful subtlety in off-color Ferraris. People know they're special but they don't scream look-at-me.

ketel

 

From the "tone" of your post it seems that you have made up your mind. Whichever you choose, you'll have a smile on your face (especially with a "top down") here in Sunny So. Cal.

 

For me this is a little apples and oranges. Obviously, this is all HIGHLY subjective.

To me, the R8 is kinda "meh." Interesting looks when it debuted 5 years ago but, again subjectively, it hasn't aged that well. That, to me, is a key issue.

Great design -- like a great pop song -- kinda grows on you. You hear that song the first time and it's pretty good; the next time the hook is getting set. By the third time, you're humming it all day long and looking online for tickets for when the band plays near you. You're a fan!

Same for auto design. Certain designs are timeless and often they are not considered that at their debut. Case(s) in point - Daytona, Dino, Boxer, and more recently the Maranellos and 355s.

On the flip side, I was once a big fan of the 993 Twin Turbos and Testarossas but today they are time-stamped design statements for their eras. They have their rabid fans, but they appear so dated now. Not so the 355.

Of course the R8 is leaps ahead of the 355 in every performance department. It's 10+ years newer which, in auto years, is a lifetime. It's more functional in every imaginable way.

I don't DD my 355 but I do drive it 1-2x a week to work and virtually every weekend when the Northern California weather cooperates, which is often. My "other" car is a Range Rover so, basically, I've got all the bases covered.

If you've never owned a Ferrari, get the 355. There is nothing like the experience of owning a Ferrari (good and bad) and being a part of the Ferrari owner fraternity (almost always good.) There are few visceral experiences in life, but owning a Ferrari at least once in your life is definitely one of them.

R8s will be around a long time to come and will only get cheaper. 355s are only getting more desirable and going up in value.

Again, just one 355 guy bloviating.

ketel

 

355 ... if you can afford more, 360 ... if you can afford more, 430 ... if you can afford anything, La Ferrari ...

Of course, I didn't drive my 355 every day, nor do I drive my 430 every day (my DD is a Range Sport Supercharged), but just remember, there's nothing like a Ferrari!

 

The R8 V10 spider is a fantastic car, but for me always with the manual gearbox. It is a fantastic and exiting sportscar in every sense. For me the spider looks much better than the coupé. I don' t have a driving experience with the 355 but I have a 599 GTB and I wouldn't rate the R8 less exiting. The 355 looks better, has the Ferrari Aura and is already a timeless piece of car design. You will make a good choice anyway. Wolfgang

 

355 no contest! My friend has an R8 and hes selling it because there are so many on the road and it lacks that special bit of panache that the Ferrari has!

 

Most of it is very subjective and very personal. For example I think the F355 is lovely and timeless, but *many* younger people feel it absolutely looks dated (it has popups!, they say) Conversely many feel that the 993 is still the nicest 911 ever (I dont agree, but many seem to) yet that car is from the same era. All of that I think one must figure out on their own.

One thing *not* subjective is that the R8 is certainly more practical. It isnt *actually practical* mind you, its just *more practical*.

To me the Ferrari is extremely special and is an event. It's also a bit wild and also is starting to become a classic. Obviously maintenance on the 355 is going to be higher if for no other reason than it needs it more frequently and *parts* cost more. All of that adds up to a car that most people would be less likely to use as a DD than a modern car from a mass market manufacturer (albeit an exotic one)

The R8, on the other hand, reminds me of the many NSX's I've owned and, in some ways, the GTR. I say this because it's an Audi. It's an exotic Audi without a doubt, but it's an Audi. There is *good* in that *as well* as bad. It's in current production and can be taken into any Audi dealer for service. It's modern and has a more modern car maintenance routine (for an exotic). It's less special than a Ferrari simply because it's *not* one of the "halo marques" (of which Ferrari is the king really), but it's still exotic because it is rare, expensive, mid-engined and wild looking.

Some have said it is "common". For 99% of the places on the earth that's crazy. Maybe if you live in Singapore or like Dubai or LA or Miami or something, but Audi simply doesn't sell *nearly* enough for it to be common. Here in NE PA I actually see far more Ferraris. Despite this the R8 is definitely going to be the "lower profile" car and the "easier" car to use as a regular car. It's not a Ferrari, at the end of the day. Very few cars reach the Ferrari level of cachet (arguably *no* other car does). Of course when Honda, or Nissan, or Audi *try* to take a run at that market, there are special things about their efforts as well (like the fact that they're much cheaper and easier to live with as a general rule)

My *gut* tells me that the OP should get the R8, but my gut also tells me that the OP will get the R8, and then still pine for the Ferrari and maybe regret getting the R8

 

+1

 

The 355 and R8 are both very nice cars. I like the looks of the 355 much better. Timeless styling. The R8 looks nice, and I wouldn't mind owning one, but it doesn't have the same impact on me when I see one. If you want a daily driver, easier maintenance costs, go for the R8. Here is another option, check out the Gallardos. Audi engineering, more power depending on the year, and improved reliability, and more exotic.

 

Anyone comparing a 355 and an r8 needs to be in an r8.

 

I love the 355 and I think it's one of the most beautiful Ferrari's ever but since you asked between these two cars. R8.
Way more modern, faster, less maintenance. Personally I couldn't swallow the maintenance bill on a 355.

That's a big reason I skipped the 360 and got a 430 instead.