348 exerience

I have not driven an F355 so I don't have anything to compare to. However, I can tell you that the 348 can still hang with the best. I was on a canyon drive a couple of weeks ago and hung on the ass of a group of 458s and faster cars. The group in front of me consisted of four 458's one 360 Modena and an Aston Martin DBS.

In no way shape or form am I a fast driver/dare devil but on the day something compelled me to try and keep up and I did LOL. It came at a cost though, I was way out of my comfort zone, bones shaking and trembling but I was pushing the car to its limits. It was the best rush I ever felt both in riding motorcycles and sports cars.

It handles literally like a Go Kart. Manual steering, almost no roll, stiff, planted and with the Bridgestones stuck the ground. The gear ratio is perfect for track/twisties...mainly 2nd and 3rd gear the whole time. You will love the 348!

 

+1, I have similar experiences

 

+1, me too

 

+1, I have gone to a few track days with very similar experiences. In the long straights the new cars could (and did) pull away, but in the corners I always managed to catch up. It is a bright red go cart....

 

It's incredibly fun to drive. It rewards competent driving wholly. From what I understand the 355 is more forgiving, and given the increase in power it probably needs to be. It has extremely typical mid engine tendencies, with great grip and throttle steering, but the low moment of inertia doesn't suffer fools gladly. Drive it smoothly and confidently though and it rewards you in spades.

The feeling of the steering is sublime, the gearbox ratios from 2nd on up are near perfect. In spirited driving on public roads reaching 5th probably means you are in danger of losing your license. But 5th is useful for cruising on highways going along with traffic.

There were some very pleasant surprises as well:

- I fit in the car perfectly and it's very comfortable, though if I was a little wider in the backside it would probably be too snug.

- The visibility out is excellent, which makes it reasonable to drive in traffic, though of course it's native habitat are more desolate country roads.

- The engine is very flexible and doesn't mind puttering around town at lower RPMs. Of course as the driver I usually do mind, I'd rather be winding it up somewhere.

 

Mine is a targa and there are no squeaks. I actually think it's too quiet with the top on and the stock exhaust. However, it doesn't seal perfectly at the tops of the windows. Mine drips a bit, but I rarely drive in the wet so practically speaking it isn't much of an issue.

I generally use the top if I'm doing some highway driving and I don't feel like listening to the punishing road noise of the cars and trucks around. Or if the sun is blazing and it's not comfortable with it off.

The top stows behind the seat and restricts the legroom somewhat. I tend to leave it at home unless I'm going a great distance and the weather is iffy.

 

I have both 348 and 355 challenge

The 348 is total blast like they said a go cart
Added 25 mm spacers and new michelin 295 in the rear + fronts and the tail is not as happy as it was. Got it moving good a few times since the new tires but cat needs the corner weights set. These cars really need a proper alignment as they are very sensative to adjustments. more so then the 355.

 

John, you know the cars I have and the cars I've owned. I love my 348 TB Challenge so much that I'm looking for a second TB. The later cars are better as they're better built have a redesigned suspension geometry. It is the only Ferrari I've driven that reminds me of my 1973 Porsche Carrera RS 2.7 in terms of feel and charisma. I put my 348 Challenge on par with my F40 in terms of attachment. They are my serious keepers.

 

I've driven a 360's, 430 and a 458.

The 348 is harder to drive but ultimatly more fun.

 

I have a targa model. The only time is squeaks is when I go up or down the curb on the driveway. The body does flex a tad, so I find this perfectly normal.

 

A friend kept his 348 for a while after he bought his 360 and was often kind enough to let me choose which I wanted to drive. I chose the 348 about 75% of the time, both on the street & on the track. About the only time I'd choose the 360 was when running against a rather powerful car, where the 360's torque and the quick shifts from the F1 'box were very helpful.

Not sure the 348 is harder to drive than the 360 though, although it depends on how hard you're pushing. I've long said that the 360 is an easy car to drive right up to about 9/10ths, but beyond that the DBW throttle and quick, over-boosted steering mean you really have to meter your corrections, whereas the 348 is more forgiving. It took us both a lot longer to get comfortable driving the 360 *hard* on a road course than it did the 348, but to be fair his 348 was set up beautifully for the track.

In thinking about finally acquiring an F-car of my own, I first thought I wanted a 355, as I had loved the looks and sound since they were introduced. But it didn't take long to realize that the 348 delivers more of what I really want these days-- a pure driving experience, unfiltered by extraneous driver aids.

I've had the good fortune to drive literally hundreds of sports cars on road courses over the years and there are very few that are as satisfying to drive fast than a well sorted 348, especially a Challenge car.

My two lira (or Euros, these days)...

 

While I agree with you, I have to offer the idea that an early car with all the right upgrades is a fantastic purchase! My '89 is a blast, but it has a lot of SS and Challenge mods.

 

Good to know. It's good to know that it's possible to buy an early car and improve it.

 

All the more excited as I await my 348 serie speciale now...

Being picked up Monday by Intercity, then trucked to Automotive International for belts...

 

It's an incredible feeling and I love every minute of it.
The experience so far has been phenomenal and it's the publics reaction that really puts the cherry on top

 

My inclination is for late '92 or newer but Chupa said you can update the older ones.. Look up the thread that shows all the 348 production updates and you will see how much they changed the car through the production. I know that the Challenge cars have updates that were not openly disclosed.

If you can live with a spider, by all accounts they're as well built as the factory challenge cars and the SS versions.

 

The two other 348s I have driven that I felt were comparable to mine are Malex's (forgot who owns it now, but damn good purchase!!) factory challenge and a '95 Spider...and I'm not even a convertible guy, though I somehow ended up with a Corvette convertible not long ago!

The Spiders are GREAT cars, and the one I drove seriously gave me pause before I pulled the trigger on mine. Ultimately, I went for the hardtop, upgrades, and the interesting history of my '89, but I never did forget that Spider. I'd own one in a heartbeat.

 

Um, I'm the one who bought that car from Mark.


FYI, here are some of the production changes done to the 348. As you can see, many of these aren't changeable after the fact and that's why I thought it was not possible to make an older one quite as good as a newer one. Full credit to Bruce for listing these.


1. 05/30/91 differential side seal—production improvement
2. 05/30/91 Bosch starter motor changed to Nippon—production improvement
3. 10/10/91 cam seal housing modification—reduced oil leakage
4. 10/10/91 double plate-clutch changed in favor of single-plate clutch—production improvement
5. 10/10/91 new alignment specs—improved handling
6. 10/10/91 improved mounting of front bonnet grill to address warpage
7. 10/10/91 front suspension shocks and springs—production improvement
8. 06/01/92 rear A-arm fix point height reduction—production improvement
9. 06/01/92 Delco Alternator changed to Nippon—production improvement
10. 08/18/92 door grills—improved strength
11. 08/24/92 oil sump tank ground strap—improved gauge operation
12. 11/03/92 front timing bearing—reduced noise
13. 08/18/93 harmonic balancer replacement—reduced weight - added 2hp

14. 08/20/93 clutch thrust bearing/slave—production improvement

 

Duh!! Awesome car...