My 308 is classis, the 355 marks the start of the full blown modern era. The transition began with the 328, a classic era car trying to fill the gap of the changing times.
hummm...I see the 355 looks like an evolution of the 308. You could even say the 355 has visual cues of the 246 dino thus classic. You put a 246 next to a 355 and a lover of either would love the lines of the other. The 360 looks like nothing else before it. It was controversial when it came out and is controversial in this thread. The 360 looks closer to a 458 the most modern. I would say the 355 is classic.
I'm referring to the technology, OBD I, II, active suspension, unibody construction with bolted on parts..... The 308 still has the classic Daytona style toggle switches and such. Frankly I don't see a resemblance between the 3x8 series and the 355, 360 or 430. There is actually more resemblance to the 458. But that just appearance. We can argue it all day. It's just one subjective opinion vs another. Nothing definitive. Also, a 355 drives more like a BMW than a classic Ferrari. The 355 is iconic, not classic.
328 was a cutoff point of classics as "WE" knew it 355 was a one of a kind 360 was disco 430 was a mullet
Steve, I agree with you completely and this is the reason I am so fond of the 355. it retains some of the classic Ferrari lines but with a more modern element. and man, the scream of that V-8 is just unreal...
I'm not convinced the sudden lack of 348's is anything more than seasonal variation. it seems they come out in the spring and then again at the end of the season. I bought my 360 because it is the first of the modern design language. I think it looks more like what came after it than before it. And I like that. With the 355 I don't think you have people that "just want a Ferrari". I think people (men) buy the 355 because to them they love the way the cars looks. I've had a 28 year old at C+C and the 20-something mechanic who's told me that they WANT a 355. They just love the design. The former mentioned he's a 90's guy, so that might give an idea of the market. I mention the upkeep and both were aware. THAT IMHO is the future owner.
Can't actually believe that we agree twice in one week...well almost I think the 360 was the transition to modern althoug I feel the 458 came a bit back to the roots even in a modern look. As I said in another thread about the details of a 355: It was the last Ferrari to have a buttress design - I think that fact puts it into the classic status
TOTALLY agree here! Maybe this is a young guy thing, but its I dont get how anyone can consider a F355 a "classic" Ferrari It was largely created as a response to the NSX and, as a result, brought a boat load of purely modern tech to the marque as John points out. It even had a popular sequential option! LOL Im really curious what the definition of "classic" is to anyone who would argue that the F355 fits the definition? If it's "styling" then that is completely wrong. I don't feel that's debatable. How a car looks has nothing to do with what era it belongs to. The modern era is defined by the presence of massive amounts of onboard electronics wired into, and effecting the feedback of, every major system The 355 is very clearly the beginning of the philosophy that has lead to the F458. Same as how the Porsche 996 has lead to the 991. The fact that all of the electronic assistance is a bit more primitive, and so the car maybe "feels" a bit more raw, is really much less relevant than the fact that those systems are *there*.
The 348 / 355 are transitioning in the middle - It has different characteristics throughout its "pieces." One foot on each side of the change. Is the Porsche 993 modern or classic? Same era as the 355... Most would call the 993 a classic. But it has electronics and a tiptronic gearbox, 4 wheel drive... Last of the air cooled cars but plenty of modern features. Could be viewed the same as the 355. Robb
To me, the 360 is the beginning of the modern-era Ferrari (based on how it looks, how it was produced, how many were produced, etc...) that's also the time when Ferrari asked the the dealerships to add merchandising, get a bigger showroom, bigger sales force, etc... they went a little more corporate and a little more "Hollywood" when the 360 came out. The 355 feels more to me like the last of the "old school" cars (based on its size, sound and the fact that it's almost the same as a 348 which was the last model produced while Enzo was alive) Also ended an era of smaller, more discreet dealerships and a time when there were ferwer cars available vs. the number of buyers and you had to suck up to the dealer to let you buy one (at least here in Canada that's true). I love the 360, everything about it is awesome to me, especially the way it looks from the front & back, the fact that it's bigger, etc... I love the car! The point of the discussion is values, cycles, how high & low they go, when, etc... not bashing one model vs. the other
+1 The 328 does feel like the last "classic" v8 Ferrari. If the 348 with the radically different looking (at the time) side strakes were never made, would it be easier to connect the dots to the 355? Probably. My 328 and 355 are very connected in style and feel. That is why I think the 348 / 355 are straddling the line. Robb
The 360 marks a turning point in Ferrari's market segmentation. The car is iconic for so many reasons, including mass production and mass marketing compared to previous models. It is the first of its generation, which is why it is so divergent from the previous V-8 models. The 355 is the last of the old style V-8's and represents the ultimate statement of it. It actually bridges much of the technology between old and new, but obviously the styling is still old school - which is why we all like these cars. If anything, I only denigrate the model for its comparability to the 360, which to me is a sell-out to the Porsche "GT car" crowd - comfort, convenience and style over sports. The attraction of the 348 to me is the even more retro tech and styling than the 355. The only car more buff would be a 355 Challenge, which we can't drive on the street here (normally and without great modification). The 348 strikes me as the raw sinewy and visceral embodiment of the Ferrari V-8 mid engine coupe. The 355 is its refined and prettier younger brother. The bottom line to me is that I would never cross shop a 360 and 355 (or a 348) because those cars are so dissimilar in market appeal. Therefore, I do not think that the 355 market is affected by the 360 market like the 328 market is unaffected by the 348/355 market. I am helping someone look for their first Ferrari and they are drawn to the 360/430 styling as much as I am trying to dissuade them. They won't even consider a 355, which to me is the better investment. I tried to get them into a 550 for the best value for money proposition, then a 575 since they wanted F1. But they remained seduced by the 430 (out of their price range) and the 360, both of which will continue to depreciate. They used to own Porsches and I'd like to draw some inference from that. Luckily there are enough suitors and still not that many cars made that the market stays relatively strong for both 348's and 355's. Let's see how it plays out here in the next year.
Yeah I kinda agree with you. Ive had many F cars including a 360 and 360 Challenge stradale as well as a prior 355 spyder. I just went back to the 355 after about 6 years because I liked it the best....I did go with a berlinetta this time but as far as Im concerned its the last of the tree raw Ferraris. Maybe the CS and the Scuderia but thats a good bump up in price. I guess if I had enough room for both Id have the 355 and the CS as stable mates. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Looking at those 2 pictures I see an enthusiast in the lower one and a guy with gelled hair and neck chains in the upper one despite our gibes about 355 owners being gel heads. No matter how much we 348 and 355 owners gaff one another, we all love to beat up on the 360 owners.
Proud user of Control Paste... Not sure if that is guilty as charged. There was that mousse back in the 80's... Robb
Nothing wrong with that combo. Your photos are good comparison's. the difference is much bigger in a 3/4 shot from front or back though. Robb
