Why do some folks want double the price for their 355 as opposed to a 360? What does a 355 do that a 360 doesn't? Sorry - I am not that familiar with each, that's why I am asking.
Preference. The old boomers and Gen X like the look and size of the 355. They haven’t realized they could get an mr2 for a tenth the cost without the maintenance hog cost. I don’t get it obviously. And I don’t think the upcoming generations will pay that money for a car with those maintenance costs.
Owned a F355 for 9 years. A 360 for 5 years. Looks. Subjective. 360 is beautiful. F355 more so. Drive. 360 is a "better" car. F355 is more fun. Go-Kart like. Sound. My 360 had CS exhaust. Great sound. F355 had Capristo. Amazing sound. Maintenance. Both can be expensive. F355 more costly. Once "sorted$$$" Rock Solid. Just my opinions. Both great Ferraris.
The 355 is older; the 360 has to wait it’s turn for the bump. More importantly, have you heard a 355 with aftermarket exhaust?
I'm also more a 355 admirer. The 360 looked too big and amoeba-like to me, but... It probably is generational. The 355 has sports car proportions IMO, whereas the 360 just got big. (The Porsche 991/992 are also inexplicably huge...) I grew up with compact sports cars. The maintenance/spares costs for all of these cars are a separate topic, and probably will weigh on future values.
A 355 pushes the design of the Dino to its apogee. This is a far as possible those lines could evolve. A 360 is the start of something totally different. Not bad, but nothing as good as its predecessor. A bulky design... if you ask me
The 360 is probably a better car (faster, more comfortable, less expensive to maintain...) - but currently it looks too modern for its age, so its outdated performance numbers are a penalty whereas the old-looking 355 doesn't care.
IHMO: The 355 is prettier and a more compact size, but I hate the numb, over-boosted steering, and they're much more challenging and expensive to maintain. The 360, on the other hand, is faster and vastly more technologically advanced, not to mention easier and cheaper to maintain (no engine-out belt service). In either case, stick to the manual gearbox.
For me both are great cars, for me the 360 is really coming of age styling wise, the 355 is stunning, for me the best looking version is the spider with the roof down. Which is just as well because the roof will teach you expletives you did not know.
This is an excellent observation, the old man with the perpetually broken garage trophy mentality is dying out and it's moving towards cars you can actually drive being preferred....or maybe more accurately cars you can "show off" as that's all anyone cares about anymore it seems. I myself would love a Diablo but I don't want a burden on wheels, I want something I can drive every day without being terrified of a 20k maintenance bill every other week. I don't think this will reflect in prices for supercars so much as exclusivity always has value but you're seeing it with American classics and even more with vintage cars, nobody really wants them anymore as people are seeing them for what they are on the surface instead of being nostalgic for them......they were pieces of crap when they were new now they're just expensive old shined up pieces of crap.
They could also get roller skates or a bicycle for that matter, or perhaps a snow sled. Some just don't / won't drive Japanese. I drink Nastro Azzuro not Sapporo.
All I asked was why the big price discrepency today. I remember not that long ago where you could buy a 355 all day long for between 50 and 60K, and 360's were still 70-80K. But I also remember yours truly skipping on a 1966 330 GTC for $6,500 - but that was 42 years ago. It 'needed a ring job', and that's why I passed on it.
In obje In objective terms there is no real reason for such a large price disparity but it could be argued the 355 was the generation of "new more usable cars" but combined some of the more classic features of cars like the 308 etc, especially in cabin layout.
What I see the crowd under 40 driving ARE the Japanese brands. They’re the ones who will be buying cars into the future.. and they’re not going to tolerate an engine out. Just sayin’ Sapporo is nice on occasion with some rolls and tuna sashimi. Peroni is for plebs.
If we’re talking manual vs manual, I don’t think 355’s are trading at 2x comparing apples to apples (same color, mileage, etc). 355’s are trading higher though. I’m not sure if the price is all that much related to what the cars can do vs how it makes the owner feel when you look at it, sit in it, and drive it. Main difference would be the rod linkage shifting vs cable shifting. Ultimately, you should pick the car you are most visually attracted to. Let’s face it, most Ferraris values are highly dependent on how the car looks inside out and even more so as they age.
Sorry, I am not familiar with someone who’s been here since 2006 with 26k posts that isn’t familiar with the 355 and 360. of course just jesting.
As a 10 year Diablo owner, it is driving nirvana with the top off....it just doesn't get much better. Maintenance wise, sure you will spend some money....but NOWHERE near $20k. My average is $6,000 a year, which is easy considering the joy of driving it and the appreciation (3X) over the years. I would be WAY more terrified of my engine relying on a rotating piece of rubber (timing belt) that means instant engine death when failing.......you would WISH it was only a $20k repair at that point.
That's good to hear, perhaps the cost of owning them has been dramatized. How many miles do you put on it a year?
Less than 1,000, but it is just too special to expose it to Houston rush hour traffic on a daily basis…..this is really the wild west of commutes. Distracted driving here means they are cleaning their guns on the way to work. But there are those who put upwards of 5k a year on them. We had a guy here on F Chat (Shamile) who had put 70k miles on his over 8-12 years until…..a crappy driver totaled it. In general, the drivetrain is really stout. 20 years ago, the clutch was a weak point (and they require an engine out), but the new generation of materials solved that……same with the engine seal where in the past, you had to put up with weeping (like an old oil cooled 911) new materials solved that too. Now, like with all 25 year old cars, most of the upkeep is around electrics and restoration type stuff. Taking it to the shop next week for it’s annual service, and the issues are a frozen windshield wiper motor, a failed backup camera, a snap pulled out of a piece of leather, and a yellowed piece of carbon fiber….no big deals .
At less than 1k miles a year you're not really getting that driving nirvana very much... As much as I want a Diablo but I don't really want a garage trophy, that's kinda my entire issue with it.
