Test drove F355...disappointed.

Thats my point....I think there was something wrong with the car you drove....
I know you said your not looking for a red light racer. but 0 to 60 in 4.5 compared to 4.6 is nothing that you will feel...You made it sound like the 355 didn't have a chance.

 

My mother in law has a SL 600, shes 80 years old

 

All this talk of speed and torque and 0-60 times and straight line this and that..

My advice...stick with a porsche or mercedes.

You haven't got a horse in your blood

 

As an every day driver the 355 is pretty docile compared to my Boxster or my 308. Both of those car provide me with a more satisfying driving experience when driving "legally". Both of those car make me fell more connected to the road. Most of that come from feedback through the steering which I find pretty numb in the 355.

Of course, if you want to add some excitement and draw attention to yourself you can drive around in 3 or 4 gear to get the reves up, improve response out of corners and make noise.

 

It sounds to me like it may be time to send your shocks out to be rebuilt and time to check the suspension bushings. I had DeltaVee rebuild my shocks while I had my major service done last winter and it made a major difference in how the car handled and the road "feel". Rob at DeltaVee did a fantastic job and the price was very reasonable. These cars are getting older and many are just due for maintenance.

For the OP drive several different 355s and you will see the difference between them. Just because a car has great paint, do not assume the it has been properly maintained, the newest 355 is nearly 14 years old and a fair amount of the cars suffer from deferred maintenance. A properly maintained 355 will put a smile on you that is ear to ear!

Forza 355!

 

I agree with the above statements. I had a 997 C2 and it felt faster than the 355 when just cruising, but once in the power band of a 355 it is definitely faster. There is really no comparison when it comes to the sound and feeling.
Compared to the SL600 the 355 will always seem slow because of the torque. It flies off the line and has a ton of low end torque, but come to a corner and things change very quickly.

 

I test drove several before I found one that worked for me. There seem to be a fair amount of abused 355s out there by the looks of it.

Best to test drive a few and see...

 

My car had a stuck throttle once due to a seized bearing but it does not have any stick at all now, smooth as silk.

I had a 95 vette prior, cool car but nothing like the 355. 0-60 in 4.7 is pretty quick but certainly slow by todays standards. But how many non F cars redline @8500? The 355 is a package deal. The lines are timeless. In fact, every angle gives

the car a whole other feel. I sometimes sit and stare at mine. I've never loved another car more.

My 355 is a far more smooth and comfortable ride than my 08 BMW 335xi.

The looks, sound, revs, elegance, exotic nature is what these cars are about.

I would not trade my 355 for a modern lambo coz in the end Ferrari knows how to build the best without being over the top and that is called class!

 

Take your time. Sell your SL first and then go shopping for a 355 spider with your cash.

There are so many spiders for sale in the US that there is no excuse for settling for a worn version...

Let me repeat that again:

There are so many spiders for sale in the US that there is no excuse for settling for a worn version...

Drive several.

We have a Mercedes Convertible in our garage also. It will never replace the 355... Good luck in your search. I am excited for you. The good ones are exciting and long termers.

I would suggest a '95...

And just remember, Brittany Spears owned a 360...

Robb

 

As what others have said, forget about that car. It doesn't sound like it's in very good shape. Just hold off until you find a car that's well sorted with zero issues.

 

45k mile red spider?

 

Are you sure it was not a 348 with 355 badges ??? Did that "355" you test drove sound like the vids below?? Did you wind out the gears to 8750 RPM?? Watch these vids dshoe, they are essential medicine for those who are in a walking coma ..... .............

Turn your speakers up!!!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0OusN1y1Yc]Ferrari F355 Tribute - YouTube[/ame]

Custom Ferrari 355 Exhaust by Gothspeed - Video

 

LOL...damn...tough crowd

 

Oh my goodness, that is funny

 

Yup

I will not accept any criticism of the 355.

They are simply too wonderful a machine.

If a man doesn't lust after one but talks about mercs and 977 things and straightline speed and torque this and that then there is no horse in his soul.

 

No. It's not the shocks or bushing. Or if it is then all the 355s I test drove before buying have bad shocks and/or bushing. The problem is that the power steering isolates the driver from feedback too much compared to the other cars I have. It works fine. Point and shoot. But it's kind of numbing. Seems over damped. It's not just my opinion. I've read similar comments by others.

 

I love the steering ....turn the wheel and instantly she reacts...all pivoted around my seat..properly sorted

What's the matter with you?...
Ferrari been making cars that steered for 50 years..they know what's what.
I don't want heavy steering...I need to park her sometimes.

Cheer up

 

I agree that the power steering has a lot of over assist and is much lighter than most sports cars. It never really bothered me at all though. I actually like it. When driving at 9/10ths, which I have done a couple times for long periods of time on FCA drives, it felt fantastic, seemed to tighten up as speed and gave plenty of feedback for street driving. If it was a track car I would probably want to change it, but it isn't.

This is one of the things that made the 355 "daily drivable" by most buyers standards when it came out compared to prior cars.

 

It sounds like it was not up to par. When new, they would do 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and 12's in the 1/4, which is right on pace with a new 911 Carrera (not an S). The 355 actually will probably do it in less than that on modern rubber if running properly as the rubber 15 years ago was nowhere near as good as what's available now. This also marginalizes the brakes a bit on track as they will overheat with newer rubber.

I got straight out of a c6 z06 at the track and into my 355 and while the z06 definitely had more grunt, it was not a huge difference as the 355 (gtb at least) is a couple hundred pounds lighter and has a more peaky engine which gives it a racier feel. They key is that you have to rev the 355, and it loves it. If you got in one and it felt slow, especially at around 6000rpm up, I would wager there is something wrong with it, maybe the gas is old, or maybe it needs a computer reset.

I just drove mine to work this morning as it's a nice clear day and I was going in later due to an appt. so had no traffic to deal with. It could definitely be a daily driver if you wanted to, but I do not enjoy driving it in rush hour traffic as I worry about the guy half asleep on his 4th cup of coffee and the dump trucks that have claimed 3 of my windshields in various cars over the last 7 years. The nice thing about the 355 is that it does it's best on twisty roads, which is about the only place (besides a track) you can get on it a bit and not have to worry about getting arrested. Contrast that with say your merc or other larger GT, where they are really not at home on twisty roads and need wide open spaces. I've driven the 355 on 3 different thousand mile trips since I got it and it does well, but that's not where it's at home. It's actually fairly comfortable and has a good sized trunk, but I'd rather take my 7 series on a highway trip. A 355 should be as fast or faster than a base 911 of any year to present. If you're comparing to a turbo, GT2/3 or some of the later Carrera S models, proabably not.

 

When loaded up, say on track or on a twisty road, it feels very good. In normal driving it's very light, though. That's fine with me as I don't need to feel every pebble when I'm driving down the highway.

If you want more feel you can have an alignment shop dial in more caster, which will weight it up more. You could also devalve the rack, install a manual rack, or install a challenge rack. Plenty of options, but not worth it imo.

 

Indeed it is. But that does not mean it has no faults. When I first heard a F355 start up I was wildly disappointed, it sounded like pure crap. No growl, no nothing.

It's only when you wind them out will they wake up and get out of it's on way.


But then again I was a Top Fuel follower when I was young, so any Ferrari sound no matter how "magic" sounds too tinny to my ears.

I love the 355. But I would not let that love blind me. I can find "magic" in a giant slaying 60's Mini Cooper just as I can a 355.

As for the prancing horse blood and tifosi, ill post this video again.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkfvQvc9ipI]Fifth Gear - Ferrari Enzo vs McLaren F1 - YouTube[/ame]

Tiff nails it solidly on the head on what a Super Car should be.

The Enzo was antiseptic in comparison to the F1. Tifosi blood must be thinner than water if a person cannot see the advantages of another machine.

And I am definitely a lover of horses, hence my given name.