The 355 has some very cool stuff first of its kind and ground breaking but will it be remembered for being anything more than 348 v.2.0? There is nothing special on a 355 that can't be bolted onto a 348. Ferrari just as easily could have called the 355 a 348A for aero or 348 cinqovalvole. I see the 355 is to 348 as 328 is to 308. There is no question the 328 is a better car. The 355 is a better car on paper than the 348 but questionably executed. Quantum leaps were 308gt4 to 308 to 348 to 360 to 458. People get smitten by a pretty girl. Some are ok with dealing with her bad breath, smelly underarms, and squeaky voice. And some will brand me a hater...
Hard to argue with that.... But I still think the 348/355 have the potential to become "iconic" and that the 360 lacks that potential, even if it's a great car.
Please. "iconic" in what way? The last steel bodied Ferrari? The last Ferrari built before quality controls? What else am I missing here that isn't subjective? Oh... and only will you get this from the 355 contingent: aluminum body (lighter), bump in horsepower, more Aluminum components on the body.. yet.. its just as fast? Really? You actually believe that you give a car more horsepower and make it 400 pounds lighter and its going to be just as fast as its predecessor? Sure.
With your logic, there is nothing special about a 993 Twin Turbo other than it's just a 993 with a couple of hair dryers and a bodykit. Non Turbo 993 - $30,000 Porsche 911 Carrera 993 Cab | eBay Turbo 993 - $378,500 Porsche 911 Turbo "S" | eBay
Iconic in every way: size, sound, the way it's built, when it's built....To me, the 360 is a stunning beautiful desirable car (I love it in every way) BUT it's part of when Ferrari became a marketing/money machine. Up to the 355, Ferrari had to choose their buyers because there weren't enough cars. The turn of the millenium is when Ferrari started major production & marketing (including a ton of merchandising garbage) and it's just not the same as it used to be. But that's just me.....I drove in the FCA 50th anniversary 500k 599GTB last year and upon exiting the vehicle I said to myself: "I'd rather buy 10 355s than 1 of these with 500k" The new cars lack the mystique for me and I think the market will agree with me, we'll see......I'm sure this thread will be revisited 3-5-7 years from now and the discussion will continue.
You may see it as you wish but that doesn't indicate which version, if any, will achieve higher values in the long run. As an example look at the 328 GTB and the 308 GTB QV. Hard to argue that a 328 isn't a 308 evoluzione. But, at the moment, while the 328 is of higher value, it's flat. The 308 QV is increasing in value rapidly and will soon be of higher value if the trends for both cars continue unchecked. You never know which way the wind will blow.
My 993S is increasing more than my 355 and is in 360 territory. I am fortunate to own two great cars from the 90's.
It says INTENDED to be the first car with air bags, doesn't say it was the first car. Nowhere in my searching is there reference to the 73 tornado having airbags. I don't see it all over the Internet Help a brother out ! Where do you see this ?
Here ya go you big Silly Goose LOL 1974-1976 Cadillac, Buick, and Oldsmobile Air Cushion Restraint System https://www.flickr.com/photos/that_chrysler_guy/3988197872/ Dads car had a beige interior. We bought a new one each year since I believe 1950 or so always loaded. they were boats and love them
Not exactly true. That is more of a recent development. Back in the 60s/70s Ferraris were not exactly flying off show room floors in the USA. And in 85 I had no problem walking into a dealer, a complete stranger, in jeans and a flannel shirt with hair to my shoulders and signing an order for a new GTB QV at significantly below MSRP. When I indicated I wanted to buy a Ferrari I was treated with the utmost courtesy.
The 360 is unquestionably the faster car. But the difference is not huge. The performance improvement from 348 to 355 is much greater than from 355 to 360. Don't know where you get "400 pounds lighter" from. My information shows the 360 Modena as only around 130 pounds lighter, and the 360 Spider as weighing the same as an F355B.
To give you a context of my beliefs: In Montreal, there was a legend called Luigi Della Grotta. The stories and anecdotes about this man are endless. He went to Italy 3 times before Enzo agreed to see him. Finally, in '63 he became the first Canadian Ferrari dealer and the exclusive Quebec dealer. He would always get 1 to 4 cars per year and had his pick of the litter as far as who was going to get them. He looked at your appearance and throw you out of his garage if you showed up dressed like that. He once chased a buyer and took the car back because he peeled out, he once cut the rivets off someone's jeans, he would tell you to go on a diet and come back after you shed 20 pounds and maybe he would consider selling you the car. He sat in alongside you in a road test and make sure you knew how to drive a Ferrari. If you failed, you were SOL and "no Ferrari for you!" All his customers became his disciples and part of his family and he never let go of the cars he sold because he kept a key double and all the books. When you'd go in for service it was like going to the dentist after not brushing your teeth properly because you know you'd be reprimanded. He was a god to all the local owners. He was a nut job but he was so passionate about the brand, so protective of it, he was the ultimate fanatic and he and Enzo became great friends over the years. At the turn of the millenium, he was almost 80 years old and he was stuck in his ways, he refused to comply with the new Ferrari way and ultimately he gave up the dealership. He was totally repulsed by the new philosophy of the company and just let go of it. Once he did, a very rich man took over and made a gorgeous huge dealership and began selling 360s faster than a hot dog stand. the Luigi days and the Luigi way was over, the end of an era had come and the all mighty dollar became the priority at Ferrari. So, this being said, it's obvious my environment here in Montreal has influenced my way of seeing things and defines a clear line between the 355 and the 360. Here's a video I produced of the Luigi Ferrari Club Quebec and tells a little bit about this important figure in the Canadian Ferrari Community. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nhtnHc4aaE
The old way of not selling you a car because he just didnt like you versus corporate dealership not selling you a car because you're not on the preferred sales list?
I thought the 360's were 150lbs heavier than the 355. The body shell is lighter, but all the interior niceties, moving radiators to the front etc. made it 3200lbs vs 3050lbs for the 355. The power to weight of the cars is almost the same, lap times at fiorano are close, 0-60 is close. Put them on the same tires and it would come down to the better driver.
The 355 has been killed by this site and others. And now forza magazine has had a dig at them too. Because of this, the 355 will fall even further in price, and will become the one Ferrari you should stay away from. How sad..
You're giving this site and the media waaaaaayyyy too much credit. Of the 40 local Ferrari owners I know, there are less than 10 on this site and most don't have a subscription to Forza. 348s and 355s are slowly going up..
Buyers will dictate the price. All the Enronic (made that up) positioning in the world might be an attempt to raise the price but at the end of the day it's the buyer. Media can effect it too. Thankfully we're all here defending our cars whatever model they may be. If you bought your car with the hopes of it increasing in value in the future that's a huge risk with lots of players involved and a small market. You'd be better in penny stocks. I say drive the GD thing and enjoy it. Mobilized reply by Dahveedem
Ferraris website has that reversed. 355b: 1350kg, 360: 1290kg. (Unless Ferrari isn't accurately reporting the weight of its own cars).
