As an owner, I think it IS possible to use a 355 as a daily. Certainly there is no reason why you couldn't use a well-maintained example as a DD if you really wanted to. The reasons why I personally wouldn't use my car that way are; 1) it is a bit noisy with the Nouvalari exhaust for constant use 2) although it is actually surprisingly comfortable and easy to drive for a supercar, it is still a PITA to get into and out of, and believe it or not sometimes you don't want to be a spectacle and have everyone whipping out their iPhones at every traffic light 3) the fuel economy is so hilariously bad that you can, literally, watch the fuel guage go down before your eyes in heavy traffic! But, the only important reason, and the only one why I REALLY wouldn't use a 355 as a DD is that; In my opinion, ANY car, no matter how special it is will lose it's specialness if used as a DD.
It's realistic if the car is truly sorted (reliable) and you're not afraid of door dings and mileage, or the occasional unavoidable bumper chin scrape, or some jealous butthole keying the car. From a comfort standpoint, it doesn't make a whole lot of sense as the car is hard to get in/out of, visibility is poor because we're so low, and everywhere you go you make "an entrance" unless you're in Beverly Hills or someplace like that. I bought a cushy Lexus recently as a DD to replace my vanilla BMW 3-series, and even that made me think "Why didn't I do this sooner..." So much nicer to my body than either the 355 or 328i. EDIT: Late to the party myself!
Thanks all. I have a porsche 981 as a DD, which I enjoy very much but am at a stage in life where I want to flip through a variety of cars before I start building any kind of collation. I have a GT3 on order which would be used as a DD. But I would possibly cancel the order if I felt I could use the 355 daily. I'll get the 430 and other models but I wanted to likely start with the 355 and work my way through other models. I'm likely different then most car owners on here, where I will drive the hell out of ANY car I'm going to buy and track it as well. This goes for the 355. I could care less about miles or door dings, my intent is to drive the hell out of it and not keep it as a garage queen.
In my experience you are 100% right about this. Years ago I DD a Porsche 996 C4S and it became the norm. Was out of it a few weeks and back in and WOW what an impression it made.
Ignore what I previously said. With respect, if your plan is to treat a bunch of special cars like ****, get the Porsche. It's more suited to your purpose.
It's not to treat it like ****e but I will not be scared in anyway to drive the car and put on miles. I take very good care of my vehicles. But it's a machine, not some museum art like these cars are to so many people. I intend to use any car I purchase in the way it was designed to be used, otherwise, at least to me it's nothing but a fashion accessory. I used to live in Miami where I would see 10+ ferrari's a day driven by people who could care less about what the car was designed for and rest assured, they had never come within miles of a track. Basically, this is the new clientele, that Ferrari is adjusting their cars too and a big reason, why so much feel of from the newer cars is missing.... sadly. It's the weak customers who are afraid to "drive' their cars which Ferrari now caters too and at least IMO, I do not like the new direction.
Why? I can think of many reasons to not use the 355 as a DD: 1) It has no cup holders (for coffee) 2) I would not risk the potential damage from parking in shopping malls, etc 3) I already wash the car after each drive - I really don't want to wash it daily 4) It's a special car, for special drives, I don't want to play that down.
I drove mine almost every day for a number of years. It's just like any other car so I don't see why you wouldn't, you just have to be aware that driving around on crappy city streets will help it fall apart a lot faster than it would if you left it parked all the time. If you have great smooth roads I don't see an issue with it though. It's not like it's some multi million dollar collector car with racing history or anything, so put it to use.
Just got mine in January...and parking is a pain. I do care about $1500 door dings and key marks.If you were to use one as a dd...expect to drop the engine every 2 years at 6k a pop. If not...you are pushing the limits a bit as far as belts are concerned. Sure...the belt could last 50k miles...fine. If it breaks...about 30 k for a rebuilt engine... If you have the cash... buy 2 and go for it!!
I have several Ferraris. I use them all regularly and yes, some even go to the track. However, I would not use any of them as a DD. There are better tools for the job. I think that it's easy to look at Ferrari ownership from afar and cast stones. It's another thing to own one, or two, or eight and understand what it's like to not want to subject something that you worked incredibly hard for and something that you continually work hard to keep in perfect condition to the abuse of daily use. I'm not saying don't drive it - hell, I think that I might have the 10th highest mileage F40 in the US. I'm saying that there are better tools for the job. And that's just it: there are tools and there are toys. They don't really overlap. Every time I buy a Ferrari that I say I'm going to use as a dd, it ends up becoming a car that I treasure too much to drive daily and I only drive it a few thousand miles a year. Also, I don't really enjoy the extra attention that driving it many places and times of the day can bring. The cars are best enjoyed at 5am when there's no one on the road and you can enjoy the miles in peace. I bought a Porsche 911 C4 as a daily driver. That car, on the other hand, made me wish for snow. It got driven in every type of weather imaginable and parked every place you could think. Porsche makes awesome appliances.
I'd be less likely to rush and do belts on a driven car than a garage queen. yes if you are driving 30k per year I would do it sooner than 3yr/5yr rule
I dont mesn to nit pick, but what the heck are $1500 door dings, we have a paintless dent guy that comes to our shop and charges , the norm, $75.00 a panel , one ding or 25. My opinion on this thread is not really relevant, i have a 348, but do enjoy it every nice day, aside from things like it losing " its specialness. " mechanically its capable of daily use, and i have s customer that racks miles up on his 355. If you drive it often , it will need $$$$$$$ . Be prepared . Dont drive it daily if you cant afford it. I see this all the time , people buy cars from us they cant afford to fix, and then act like its the cars fault for needing repairs. I dont think mankind has ever built an unbreakable machine.Personally i think its a shame to have a car just sit around, its meant to be driven, as far as spending money on a display piece, i'm sure art hung on a wall would be a better investment than a modern day , mass produced car just sitting in a garage in hopes it will be worth something in the future. Imho , i could drop dead tomorrow, at least i will have enjoyed my car. Costs lots to run , but nothing good comes cheap. Just my 2 cents worth " serenity now "
Also , the biggest factor, where are we talking about driving it daily, downtown chicago? Rural ohio? I drive my 348 daily but its 10 miles of country roads to work " serenity now "
The roads are so bad (torn up from construction and just lack of maintenance) here in Denver it just would take the fun out of it. I agree with Sherpa, there are just better tools for the job depending on your commute and environment. I also think the lack of respect for any car by the general public as well the damage in parking lots, garages etc. have made my desire to drive a higher end car daily very low. The amount of traffic one encounters daily and how much time you spend in gridlock will also greatly diminish the fun factor. When I take my car out it now it is only for a fun mountain drive, there is no reason for me to bring it down into the city, it is just not much fun with all if the traffic, construction and texting drivers.
Drove a 964 C2 for seven years non-stop, even in snow storms, drove the kids to the clubs, to the alps (4-persons). I got bored and used to the car. It was not that spectacular anymore! For a DD: 911 (or Cayman), it will never let you down. A Ferrari for DD??? If you can afford it, do it! But after a while you might get annoyed or bored. It's a delicate car, so it will not do it's job like a Porsche, BMW or Audi.
My 2 cents on it, yes, you can use a 355 as a daily driver. I think it actually forces you to get the car properly sorted since having a cantankerous daily driver can really be a pain in the butt. I do drive mine daily and slowly it is getting sorted out. I am finally getting to the point where the things left to do are fewer than the things I have already done.
I use mine as a DD, provided there is no ice, snow or salt on the roads. I've had my car for exactly three years and four days, and have put 27,000 miles on it in that time. I didn't buy the car to look at, I bought it to drive it. And for me, driving it never gets boring or less special. Every time I'm in it I know I'm realizing a childhood dream, and how one could get ho-hum about driving one I don't understand. Yes, there are other cars more suited for a DD, but who cares? It's up to the individual to make that call. For me, I love it. It's comfortable, as practical as I need (it’s got plenty of room in the trunk for a full cart of groceries), and I average 16.5 to 17.5 mpg, compared to 12 in my SUV. As Markphd stated, the downside is that with these cars being 15+ years old, you are getting to the point where things are going to wear and break because you are using it, but as you have it repaired there will be less to do and it will be in better shape. For me, my Ferrari isn’t just a toy and driving it isn’t just a treat, it’s a pleasure and a passion. There is no greater feeling, for me, than being in a Ferrari, just driving; cruising with the top down, sun in your face and wind in your hair. It hasn’t gotten old yet, and I don’t think it ever will.
