Why is the F348 classic and the F355 modern?

I cannot understand the rational where the F348 is placed in the classic catagory rather than the modern catagory. Can someone shed light on this decision, and the process by which this classification choice was made?

 

True. Offered solution here...
http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14384&page=5&pp=20

 

I like wax's classification, too, and I also like current classification. They both have pros & cons.

My understanding was production system (hand assembled to production line assembly) of Ferrari changed from 355's era, so that's why it was divided like that and called "modern". Of course, I may be misunderstanding this.

Mitch, don't you like 348 be called "classic" than "modern"?

 

Its not that I am a 348 owner and would prefer to change it to modern, just for the sake of changing it but even if I were not it would make much more sense it were changed to modern. IMHO

 

Maybe its because the 348 series was pre-NSX and the 355 series is post-NSX? The NSX influenced the design of most -if not all- super sportscars in that it forced their makers to produce a car that more civilized as well as more "modern" car. Perhaps the pre-NSX cars are "classic" while the post-NSX Ferraris are thought to be "modern".

I think the 348 should be in Modern, just IMO.

 

My thought is (like Robs in) that the F348 is almost an F355. All the F355 body pannels fit on an F348, and many F348C have been repaired with F355 body pannels. In additioni, it is possible to pit the F355 sub-frame to the F348 making it a F355 with F348 'sheeps' clothing. So, it seems incongruous that these cars straddle a classification boundary.

I can understand the styling of the F348 puts it squarely in the TR styling catagory, however, I thought it was in the post 'assembled by hand' manufacturing time frame.

 

Welp, the classifications could always be divided by model year..... 95+ = 355, 456, etc... 87-94 = 348, 512, etc...

-R

 

the current classification works for me. The 355 + has the electronics and F1 option. Doesn't the 348 shares the engine with the Mondial T, which also naturally goes backwards in time to the 328 and 308 brethern.

seems to me strong arguments can be made either way.

 

I dont know if it has already been mentioned, but I would think "modern" to be post Enzo's passing.

 

I didn't know 348 & 355 shares many body parts! They look very different. Well I learn something every day!

I think 348 & TR should be in the same classification, if we divided by current way. Then again, dividing 8 & 12 cylinders by era may make more sense.

Either way, I'll read them anyway & post, too.

 

i strongly feel 348 should be in modern, same as with 355. the switch to longitudinal engine is what changed the design from 328 to 355, imo. the mondial belongs with 328.

 

The 348 and the Mondial t were the first small Ferrari's to use fully electronic ignition and fuel injection. ( no CIS mechanical stuff). This in my mind puts it in the modern catagory. The 348 and the 355 like others have stated are almost the same car, they were both production line cars. I belevie the last truely mostly hand made Ferrari's were the TR's ans the 512TR. (I think my be wrong though)

 

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didn't the bbi have fuel injection? maybe it should be carbed vs. injection? no wait... 8 vs 12? but what about the 6? this is giving me a headache.

I'm with husker on this. Or just lump them all back together.

 

The F355 was the first car that was built under Motezemolo regime. The 348 was made during Enzo's regime. So that's the simple demarkation Enzo's period and Montezemolo's period.

 

Check out this index
http://www.qv500.com/indexferrari.htm

See how it relates to FerrariChat. For all intents and purposes F-Chat could do:
Vintage
Early Days, Bespoke Luxury, 250 Street Chassis, 250 Competition Chassis, Post-250 V12's (Change descriptions accordingly)
V6 & V8
206 & 246 Dino, 308, Mondial, 328, 348, F355 & 360
Boxer 12's
Berlinetta Boxer, Testarossa, 512 TR & F512 M
Supercars
288, F40, F50 & Enzo
Modern V-12's
456, 550, 575 & 612

This would allow cross-platforms & generations to be Grandfathered, mixed & matched without losing sight of one another. After all, in the most basic sense of the word, this is how Ferraris are related to and distinct from one another and is prepared for future models.

 

The BBi was mechanical injection not electronic

 

the F355 has electronic managed suspension, 348 No
the F355 has 5 valves per cylinder , 348 No
the F355 has 6 speed, 348 No
The F355 has F1 gear box, 348 No
the F355 has power steering , 348 No
the f355 has more than 100 HP/liter, 348 No

Sure the f355 is "only" an evolution of the 348 ...

I'm ak with this classification, because of the quantity of electronic on the f355 not present in 348...

a 355 is a 348 with modena's electronic

 

Exactly.

The Modern cars all are in the era of OBDI and OBDII; and thus SD1 and SD2. That makes the cars dramatically different than their predecessors... whole different set of issues that are common across the Modern models.

In 95, all the new models adopted Bosch Motronic 5.2 fuel injection.
None of the prior models used that. The 348 used Bosch Motronic 2.5 port fuel injection.

Finally, note that those changes and the changes that Bob lists have another dramatic impact: the cars became very hard for owners to work on. And thus, another good reason to separate Classic and Modern as we have is that the owners in Modern will generally be far less interested in DIY topics than the owners in Classic. If you want to work on your car, you're far better off with a 348 than a 355. Disagree?

 

Why do we care the lineage of the engine casting? Few of us are going to be casting our own engine parts.

All the surroundings... the stuff you'd actually work on or have modified or have break... are completely different 308 vs. 360. So, you're throwing together two of our most active groups, where almost nothing is common between the two conversation-wise. We just don't discuss the block that much.

Further, the way owners use the cars in this group is way different. Those Dino's are great concorso cars; the 355s and 360s aren't even eligible in most cases. The 355's and 360's are often taken to the track; and are even decent at autocross. The rest rarely get tracked.

I think this would be a horrible organization... don't align with the blocks, align with the owners' interests and needs; the blocks don't participate on Fchat, the owners do.

 

However, under this classification scheme the 550 might NOT qualify as modern
5 valves; no
F1; no
100 HP/litre; no

I was swayed by one previous argument: F355 was the first car done under the Montezemolo reign.

 

You could just say the divisions were by decade - the 348 came out in '89, the 355 as MY '95.