348 vs 355 Article

4respy · Sep 4, 2014

clarkson never drove a 348 spider and said...This is the best car ever!!..I have to have one!!....I owned a 89 328 when I first drove a 348 spider when it came out...I liked the power and handling alot more, but not the styling or gearbox!!..not enough to make me want to sell my 328...However when my car was at Algar for service they wanted me to test drive the 355 so i did and after that one drive I knew I wanted it..It was that easy and simple!!

4respy · Sep 4, 2014

traimpz348 said: ↑

Ok, I'll add my $0.02.

I think it might be kind of pointless to compare a 348 to 355.

Like what many have already said here, it's 100% preference at this point. Yes the 355 is faster, because it's newer, just like the F430 is faster than the 360 - and the 458 will be slower than the next version. It's not a mystery that the car platform goes through 1 major iteration.

308 improved to a 328, same platform.
348 improved to a 355, same platform.
360 improved to a 430, same platform.

I do think however, that the differences between the platforms are further apart in the 348 vs 355 argument. The biggest issue with the 348 was it's competition at the time. It was never revered by the automotive press as a great car. Just a good car, but hard to argue that you should buy it over a Nissan 300zx. Moreover, Acura came out with a car that is some ways was ahead of the 348. This just doomed the 348. Why pay a premium when you got better build quality, better reliability, better performance, and exotic styling in a NSX.

Sadly, that was overblown, but that's the reality. I way prefer the 348 over an NSX. It's a more rewarding experience perfecting how to drive the 348, and I think it looks and sounds so, so much better.

When Ferrari came out with the 355, it remedied all complaints against the 348, and proved to be a better car than the NSX, with many in the press labeling it as the best car in the world.

As Ferrari owners, we all know that the 355 being the best car in the world, and the 348 being ho-hum isn't realistic. You can't polish a turd, and the 348 certainly wasn't a turd. It was very, very close to being the best car in the world in the late 80's and early 90's, but it wasn't - and that is the expectation put on Ferrari. They have to produce the best. The 348 missed the mark. A Ferrari that misses the mark a little, is still a great, great car.

I owned a 348 for 7 years. I loved my time with that car. It was a fantastic car.

25 years later, what does it really matter? Cars from the 90's are not the best in the world. Buy what you like. At the end of the day a 348 or a 355 will leave a huge smile on your face.
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The second version cars are always the ones to buy..Always the improvement to the same basic car they started with..And you just cant beat that!!

4rePhill · Sep 4, 2014

4respy said: ↑

clarkson never drove a 348 spider and said...This is the best car ever!!..I have to have one!!....I owned a 89 328 when I first drove a 348 spider when it came out...I liked the power and handling alot more, but not the styling or gearbox!!..
Click to expand...

He came pretty close to saying it was the best car ever! (@16:50): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGZ17HTXmtw

I don't recall him ever stating that he would lick his 355 clean........"every night!"

Nosevi · Sep 4, 2014

4respy said: ↑

clarkson never drove a 348 spider and said...This is the best car ever!!..I have to have one!!....
Click to expand...

That's true. When he drove a 348 TB he said it was simply sensational, made a laughing stock out of the Honda NSX and he wanted one more than a Lamborghini Diablo (his dream car at the time). Sadly he couldn't afford a Ferrari back then

Nosevi · Sep 4, 2014

4respy said: ↑

The second version cars are always the ones to buy..Always the improvement to the same basic car they started with..And you just cant beat that!!
Click to expand...

Until they get old, then it's pretty much always the earliest version is the one to have

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