Where do I start?

+1 on the 360 6 speed manual ;-). I've had mine for 7 years now (my first F-car) and it still gives me that same feeling of exhilaration and driving excitement since day one that no other car I've ever owned does. Even better, it's been rock solid reliable and is showing no signs of slowing down or losing any of its amazing combination of refinement and pent-up nervous energy which to me defines what makes Ferrari different from all other makes.

I hope to own/experience a few more F-cars over time, including a 458 and maybe a 12 cylinder at some point. But if you're a Ferrari guy, you're probably going to like all of them for one reason or another, but I would suggest test driving a few to see what fits your needs and personality. Your visceral and emotional impressions from that will go a long way toward picking the right one.

 

Well, I have two 12 cylinders. Who cares about the 8 cylinder cars

Just kidding, I would love to add a 8 cylinder car!

Markus

 

Let's see, It has eight cylinders, four seats and a Bertone body.

 

Mondial.

 

Err no.

 

Yes, actually, only the body is by Pininfarina. The vehicle you are thinking of is a Dino. A Dino is not a Ferrari.

Cheers,

Geo

 

Once again we see how a foolish consistscy is the hobgoblin of small minds.


Apologies to Emerson.

 

You fell right into my trap. Did you not perceive that I was messing with you?

Cheers,

Geo

 

Whose petard is this anyway?
Who's hoisting whom?



When you identified the Mondial as Bertone I knew.

 

Well crud. I guess it's a draw.

Cheers,

Geo

 

550 would have to be a fantastic place to start I suspect.

 

All's well.

 

Some moto journalist - I wish I could remember who - recently had occasion to drive a 550 on a track again after the many years since it came out. The money quotation was, "I had forgotten how amazingly competent this car is." (Quoting from memory).

As I shop for a 360 stick, I find myself looking at 550's a lot.

Cheers,

George

 

How similar is the 550 to the 456 on the road?

 

Not very. The 456 corners great, but it leans a lot. The 550 is way more poised in aggressive driving. OTOH, the 456 is smoother for everyday driving (It really is a GT in the grand touring sense). The 575M without the handling package actually threads that needle, but the regular 550 is cooler, IMHO.

It is a conundrum to chose between the 360 stick and a 550. They are both similar in price range now, and they both kick it. I'm leaning 360 stick because I think the 456M and a 360 would make a dynamic duo (Sorry, couldn't resist).

 

Makes sense.

As to the OP, drive as many as you can. When you find the right one you'll know it.

 

Are there a lot of Manual 456's around in the US?
Most in the UK seem to be autos.

 

No truer words have ever been uttered in Ferrariland.

Cheers,

Geo

 

Thank you for the PDFs and thanks everybody for the posts. I plan on getting some seat time ASAP, likely in the next couple weeks. I am going to see how much of a variety I can find in my price range and go from there. I am not opposed to buying the first one I see, but I will make sure I look before I leap. I have made the mistake in the past of not evaluating a car closely enough only to be stuck with a good deal that turned out to not be such a good deal once the car had $thousands of hidden problems. I see a 612 on Ebay for $99K in a beautiful color combination. Seems like a reasonable price from what I've seen but unfortunately it's a bit far for me to go to take a test drive. In the meantime, time permitting I will search and research, and try to contribute some to this community! My contributions at first will no doubt be in the form of questions, but hopefully I can spark some interesting conversations!

 

A test drive is nice, but you better have a professional do a PPI before you even think of making an offer. Especially in the price range you are looking to buy.

 

It starts with your budget.

 

OP I would seriously start considering a 456M GTA as they are very under rated (IMO) and you do not have to mess around with a heavy clutch or a very narrow foot well. Also the ingress and egress is a dream compared to other Ferrari's.

 

Words of wisdom, a relatively recent Ferrari V12 for $60k. Very classy.

 

What the hell is a "zylinder" ???? I don't think I want a car with any of those .

 

The 348 GTC is missing also