355 Targa vs. Berlinetta vs. Spyder

I can only speak for my experience but the 355 top is a nightmare. Mine is in the shop for the umpteenth tiime right now.

get the targa.

 

Well here is the other side of the coin, I've got over 30k on my 355 spider and haven't had any problems with the top other than a topping off of the fluid to the hydralics. Can't go whong either way. Buy whichever you want to see sitting in the garage.


Darrell.

 

Had my 355 Spider 20 months put the top up & down on every trip with no problems at all , the slight loss of body rigidity is not an issue unless you want to drive at the limit on a race circuit .

 

Same here, no problems with my roof.

 

I have the Berlinetta and have had no problems with my top. LOL Yes there were more Berlinettas made but many of them were converted to challenge cars of destroyed on the track thus making them rarer. All in all they will be more collectable in years to come. If you go back to the 308, the GTB is the more sought after car now. Yes there are days when I wish I could throw the top down. The Spider with the top down looks awsome but with the top up it looks like someone pitched a tent.

 

Depending on where you live, a full spyder can be problematic, in that you burn your buns every time you get into the car because of the hot seats. Also, I feel too "exposed" in a full spyder. For me, the targa looks sharp and is a good compromise.

Trouble is, the 355 GTS isn't the easiest to find, and you will likely pay a premium when you do find it.

 

I actually think the top up on my spider looks almost as cool as it being down! I have yet to get stuck in a downpour with mine, but I know the top does not seal as well as a hard top, so if you plan on driving in inclement weather you may want to skip the spider. I also had issues with the automatic top so now have it manual. I may not look cool popping it up or down manually, but at least I know it will go all the way up and all the way down this way. For all the issues with the top, I would go no other way.... nothing beats driving topless.

 

I have a F355B and from a purist stand point, I think it is the best looking version. I have had many convertibles and traded my 911 c4 cab for my current Ferrair and have not missed the drop top really. I put the windows down listen to the engine and drive.

 

I don't care for the look of the hard top. The 355 looks older and dated without the soft top IMO. I love the look and lines of the 355 spider and have had no trouble with the top.

If / when I do have problem, this site has provided inexpensive solutions to solve them.

With the premium of every other spider model it makes sense that the 355 would follow suit. You can alway pay $60k + more for a 360.

 

Well gee, why don't you just tell us how you REALLY feel?

 

LOL

I thought I did.......... After further review, I have softened it.

Better?

 

You da man, LetsJet!

 

No matter what you have, windows up or down, little roof section on or of. But in a GTB or GTS you will never get the same in car exhaust sound as that of in side a spider. Them that drive a spider will know which zone i am comming from Dress it up as ya like but thats a dot com

 

Get a GTS w/ the painted top...best of ALL worlds. I personally think that the spider looks better w/ the top up vs. down so as you can see, opinions are like a**holes, everyone's got one. IMO, with it down you lose the fabulous roof lines.

 

Yep, GTS is the best of it all. Hard top for the rain (and the track). Open top for all the fun. I think the lines of the GTS with the top off are very nice also.

But basically, the 355 is just great car, however you take it. Get the one that grabs you.

 

I have the GTS and love it. I think it provides the best of both worlds for driving. My only dislike is that the targa top must be stowed behind the seats, which limits how far back you can be seated when traveling "al fresco".

 

355B - Less expensive to buy, hard top security, stiffer.........

GTS - Hard top security, covert feel and classic Magnum PI look, top goes behind the seats so cant put in subwoofer, or be over 6'2" and covers the glove box. The seats rub against the top even with the cover and can scuff it up. Very easy to take off and on, however. The softest suspension of the three. Very hard to find one.

Spider - top has had many bad reviews, cumbersome to put up and down.. The GTS top is faster. Seat potentiometer issues, soft top security and a lot of road noise if you have a hot babe in the car with you. The back window is not that great, and the boot is an added headache.

I have a GTS, and i Have friends with all the above. All opinions on looks, but the soft top has had problems, and the GTS covers a lot behind the seats and has the softer flex of the body. I always hated the look of the softop because it looks like just some regular car on the road, I went with the GTS because it had the classic appeal that said "Ferrari!!", and I can go convertible with it up PCH... And you still hear the sound of the car, just like the spider!

C

 

I assume the GTS has more flex than the GTB due to the targa and was not stiffened up like the full open Spider. But why does it have the softest suspension? I thought all 3 were the same?? Nice perspective write-up.

 

I second this.

 

Sorry about that, sometimes I type and think too fast. Suspension does not differ but the flex you can notice which in turn effects the overall tightness of the car. I feel the diifference on high speed turns between the two, and my GTS top you can hear the cracking sounds as it bends when I get into it hard! and I do. I got 33K miles on her, and I abuse her!

 

Here's a clean looking GTS for sale in CA. Not affiliated, etc etc. F-chatter?

http://www.craigslist.org/pen/car/172062905.html