Is the Ferrari 360 "worth it"?

I agree. My original clutch has 45k on it and is still going strong. Depends on if you know what the heck you are doing when driving.

 

Well I drove tens of thousands of miles on my original clutch too and only changed it when I was doing my racing flywheel as a preventive medicine, it was still in excellent condition! Later TCUs are vastly superior from a wear perspective too and especially so if they are calibrated correctly for slip..

 

Wow, You have achieved a level of automotive enlightenment I can only dream of. But try to think back before you had your current financial success and and degree of emotional separation from the cars.

For me, the day my 10 year old gaited 360 with 40k miles was delivered, ranked up there in excitement with many of the milestones in my life. I can’t put a price on that. Even if I got a new 488 today, I don’t think it could match that feeling and excitement.

My advice is the same I give family and friends. Don’t put life off, anything can and will happen (trust me I see it every day and personally lived it), just don’t be foolish. If you find yourself perseverating over something then you are a passionate person, and odds are it’s a must.

I can think of worse places to park money (including equities lately). All marquees will need maintenance and nearly all will depreciate. The 360 will undoubtedly depreciate less than a later model car which is on a steeper part of its depreciation curve. Granted, you will be responsible for repairs.

I speculate you have already made your decision and you will use snippets of this thread to justify rationalize your choice.


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Newer is always “better”, but that isn’t always what owning a performance car is about.

Think of all those guys who’ve spent $100k+ fixing up old muscle cars that aren’t any faster, certainly less reliable and fuel efficient, than a modern mid grade family sedan.
Why own a C2 vette for example? A 3 series BMW would likely smoke it and run happily for years and fit your whole family in it! Therefore, a C2 is stupid! I guess anyone who owns something older than 5 yrs old is a sucker.

Perhaps this year at Barrett Jackson, before they roll out the first cars, a banner will go by the screen saying “just buy a Tesla, Cayman, etc”.

 

Funny really but I don't perceive newer as being better. I like things which are old but modernized. Modern cars have a lot more legislation to pass so tend to be a lot heavier than old cars for example. I can get my 360 with a little bit more effort sub 1,000kg.. try that with a newer car... No amount of clever electronic Aids will mimic less weight in every area..

I am in a lucky position to be able to afford to buy a second Ferrari, for example thinking about an FF. My 360 is valued and insured at an agreed value of $230,000 so it's not all about the $$$ ..However I don't get the same fun out of just going fast in just anything. My Bentley Flying Spur Speed has 650hp and is very quick with its 6.0 twin turbo W12 to propel it. I simply don't drive it so it's up for sale... Literally I would choose to use my 360 whenever I had the chance so it's just not worth owning it regardless of its monetary value...

 

Agree 100%. On my 3rd 360 Spider gate shifter and still find it exhilarating both in looks and drive.

 

I respect your opinion and experience owning multitude of cars but (again) with all due respect, you probably don't have the passion for Ferrari that most people in this forum have. You spent $23k to make your 360 roadworthy? I know sh_t happens all the time, but could it be that you didn't do your homework? (I ask, not mock). I have not spent even 1/2 of that amount in the more than 4 years of ownership of my 360 with the dreaded F1 trans (but may be I will, in the years to come).

 

Well, it's not hard to spend $23k taking your car to the dealer. I've probably spent $8-10k on parts alone over the past 2 years, if I didn't perform my own labor and buy OEM parts rather than the inflated horsey box parts I would have easily spent $25-30k. That being said, I do think there are some out ther that have gotten a bit salty that they spent $60-100k on a car, just to dump another $30k into it. That story has been told a few times on this forum. If I hadn't done my research and know that I would be able to do most of my own work before buying, there's no way I would have pulled the trigger. Even having the money, I would not have ever been able to justify it.

 

A PT cruiser! I would have kept that to myself or you might get kicked off the forum. I'm just a regular (blue collar) guy too and one of the biggest kicks I get is from kids loving the car too. When I was 10 at school I learned to draw graphs. One of the first was a depreciation curve for Ferrari's. They bottom out at 10 years old. Still pretty much holds true. I tell the kids I have been saving up since I was their age. (also true) To the OP, it took another 37 years but the moment it became possible, their was absolutely zero hesitation. It was a 360, now a 430. I DIY all my cars. As stated DIY only goes so far with F1. Go the manual.

 

I just love that someone called the 360 a momentum car... A miata is a momentum car in my book, and will teach you becoming a really good driver on the track. Much more so than a 360, but..., different topic... Good luck with the 360 pursuit! Love my 360 manual transmission, had it for a long time but not enough time to drive it as much as I would like - don't think you will regret it if you are looking for an experience with a semi-modern Ferrari. The driving experiencing is very good IMO, and the car very drivable and easy to live with. There are lots of fun cars out there, but if your heart is burning for a livable, semi-modern, mid-engined Ferrari, then go for it...

 

I haven't been a 360 fan and mostly because I don't feel they photo well. A friend of mine has a 360 spider a couple miles from my shop. Every time I see it, I like it more and more. Photos don't do it justice.

 

I can summarize all the posts:

To each his own.

We all see things differently.

Do whatever puts a smile on your face.

Life is too short. Go make your dreams come true.

Everyone has an opinion. At the end of the day, its your life. Do whatever makes you happy.

Dan

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I get that. For me, except for little things (changing battery, etc), I am not DIY, so I had to do my homework and tried to get the best example. I paid a premium but it was worth it to this day. The only repairs I've dealt with are minor (reverse light not working, left turn signal not working, and a "dirty ECU") . (Fingers crossed).

 

4 yrs ago, I was deciding between a 360 and 430. I preferred the former bec of looks. Now, the 430 has grown on me so if I were to do it again, I'll get a 430.

Well, photos never do Ferrari's justice. I remember thinking the F50 was ugly, but that was until I saw one in person. Now, I think otherwise.

 

Some great well thought out responses and replies in this thread!

I traded my new C7 for this old lady and never looked back...

I always tell people that to me 360 is art on wheels, people spend a lot more on an ugly Picasso (sorry!) I call it a magnificent sculpture that has a beautiful 5 valve per cylinder symphony...to me that is priceless...I'm no longer interested in running numbers race...a smile and feeling is something humans still have a hard time quantifying...

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...so I'll let the pictures do the talking.


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Here is mine today..i think she takes pics nicely lol



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This ^^.

Buy the one you are happy to own and comfortable afford. If it is an F430 then do that.
I started with a Mondial QV - F355 - 360. More or less happy with them all. Mondial (being my first Ferrari) was the biggest treat but my 360 is the best IMHO. My ex-wife wanted me to but a newer Jaguar XK8 or TVR but I wanted a Ferrari.

Pretty much my first car was the best feeling ever. Why? Because it was my first, it was by no means the best.

To summarise buy the one your heart desires and don't settle for something else.

 

Here here...

And just to add to this.. If one is to take emotion out of the subject of buying a 'supercar' then you may as well just go and buy a tuned hotrod or Japanese 1,000hp monster car. Both will be faster in a straight line and a lot cheaper to own...

Had plenty of tuned Japanese cars in the past and they where great fun but none of them become keepers. The 360 is my keeper car and I still absolutely love it after 16 years of ownership... Its just amazing to drive, especially after my upgrades. (once an engineer, always an engineer ...

I don't think they come out bad on photo's either and that subject of spoilers. again marmite but if you actually drive a car hard on the track you'll be very thankfull of the extra aero advance it yields. Again, each to their own and everyone has own interpretation of what's horrible and whats not. Here's my horrible ruined 360...
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it's all relative... OP is coming from a 700 hp vette...... so a 360 will be a momentum car to him......

OP needs to get some seat time b4 pulling the trigger.... if the 360 does not pull at your psyche, then move along....

I enjoy washing/detailing my 360 as much as driving it..... it's an experience that goes back to the first time I held a hot wheels car in my grubby paws.

 

I did not spend that the dealer did just to get it road worthy. I am incapable of passion for anything (I was born that way), cars are adult tinker toys to me. OP asked and since I probably have more experience with cars than most I gave him my opinion, for his situation only. I wish I could feel many things I cannot, I used to get my pleasure from car by taking brand new ones apart a making them better, but age and arthritis have ruined most of that for me, now I have to have others do it or me. I had 5 360/430's that should tell you something, I still may get another gearshift one at some point, but sometimes the guy with no emotional stake can give a logical opinion, and given OP circumstances I do not think a 360 is a smart buy for him. I gave him other choices (yes I own them too) that are faster, rarer (if he wants attention), handle better (sorry 360 owners but they do), and will have a warranty. I had a very modified C6 Z06 (in Lemans Blue great color), and going from driving that to a 360 made the 360 feel tame, and slow.

 

Dave, how can you sat that? You’re a funny guy. Look again:
Image Unavailable, Please Login . The 360 is like a woman. They either grow on you or they don’t but they can be so so beautiful Just kidding with you my friend.

 

.. if your comparing a stock 360 with a tuned other brand you need to compare like for like. Not a fair comparison. Underneath all that luxury and leather there is a race car wanting to leap out and boy my car doesn't feel tame, my 360 regularly gives 458 owners the fright of their lives so ain't feeble either.

Far far more enjoyable like I said to cars in my stable with over 50% more power. Also please don't talk about out handing anything until you understand what the car is capable of. The 360 has fully double wishbone suspension all around and is literally perfect handing once setup correctly. IMHO If you'd been a true enthusiast and wanted it to handle better you'd have seeked out my handling spreadsheet and adjusted geo, etc. You now just come across as having an axe to grind against the 360 which is an excellent handling car with very little effort out of the box, even mods weight aside... It can handle just as good as anything else given enough effort in setup... It's a very balanced chassis..

 

It is unfortunate that you see my comments in that way, I certainly have no axe to grind, (I don't get meanings of statements like that, another thing about being on the spectrum), I merely am trying to give someone what I think is good advice for their situation. I have been around long enough and after 462 cars (that I can remember), I have made more than my share of purchase mistakes. I am glad you all have such emotions about your cars, I envy all of you for that. I never intend to insult anyone or anyone's choice in what they drive. I told the guys at Algar that buying cars for me is just like buying socks, it feels the same way, I just buy more cars than socks. OP, do yourself a favor, get some seat time in a few different cars, and make a list of what you want in your next car, it will help you decide. Good luck.

 

I look forward to seeing your car in person, Tom - you know, when you make a road trip here is summer

Seriously - love that color! and the modular wheels are the best

 

I didn't understand at first your comments, but then you clarified in another post WHY you see cars as objectively as you do.
The rub is, it's like asking a blind man "what is the color of love?" For most of us here, we have that added "feeling" for the inanimate object. Most might not understand how someone doesn't "feel" for their car or NOT have that emotional attachment to the car. In my case, the color of love is Red. For others it might be Silver or Blue. For those who don't see... or don't feel love... it will be something different. However, the only question is for pure objectivity, a computer and sensors that spit performance data is just as valid as when you don't include the emotion of ownership and driving.