Hello Everyone, I have been searching for a 6-speed F430. My hunt continues. I have been thinking of may be buying a 360 Spider 6-speed. My question is; back ground first. When I bought my F355. I realized the performance difference between the 348 and the F355. The F355 was such a nicer car to drive (IMHO). The difference between both cars was very noticable. Is the 360 to the F430 the same kind of difference? Is the 360 that big of a jump from the F355 as the F355 was compared to the 348? I would be willing to own both a 360 Spider(6-speed) and a F430 Coupe(6-speed) at the same time. What are all your thoughts? Anyone own both currently? Anyone own both recently? I am interested in what you all think when comparing the two. Thanks
haha sure, just get both Problem solved. Truthfully the 360 is no rocket ship, but it is an absolutely magnificent machine. But it all depends on what your expectations are for it. I would love a spyder to cruise around, enjoy the wonderful socal weather, and wouldn't reallly give a hoot if it's the fastest thing on the road or not. Oh plus the 360 looks better That being said the 430 is considerably quicker. Sorry I have no idea how a 360s compares to the 355.
The F430 is F40 fast - hard to touch that. Here is a video that you might like: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7876783223772952408&q=best+motoring:eek3 I have a 360 and used to have a 355. While there was a gap of several years in between, I would say that the 360 feels a lot faster than the 355. It may just be that the power comes on lower in the 360, but I don't ever recall my 355 pulling quite as hard as my 360 does. The 360 is a fine machine. You can drive it every day and it looks great. The 355 is a great car - don't get me wrong - but the 360 is *really* great. I've yet to own a 430 - but I would guess the 430 is amazing. Anyway, if you liked the 355, yes, you will probably love the 360. The figures claim the 355 and 366 are equally fast, but it sure feels like the 360 would tear the skin off the 355 in a side by side race. Ray
My local dealer just got a red/tan 06 gearshift car in on Sat. Has around 800 miles on it. Give Francis a call at Algar. 610-527-1100. I drove it Saturday, had two 360's, very different. They also have a gearshift 360 spider.
I've had all 3, a 355 Spider new in 99 (I still have it) 19k miles, a 360 Spider new in 03 6k miles, sold it last December, and a 430 Spider new since end April 2k miles. All 3 cars are manual. The 355 is such a wonderful car, I will never sell it (tax man allowing) it so much more involving to drive than the others, apart from ABS it has no electronic aids to either get you out of trouble, or more often, to frustrate you to death by cutting the power just when you want it! Short of driving around with the T/C turned off, which can be a handful, you'll find even a 430 in Sport will spoil your fun at times!! I gave the 360 to my dealer for 5 months on SOR and didn't miss it for a second! The 430 however is a huge leap from the 360! It's seriously quick, the T/C is slightly more predictable, although it needs to be put in Race mode more often than you think, and it sounds great without having to spend 000's on an after-market system that MAY void your warranty! As for the looks of the 2 cars, I always thought the front of the 360 looks a bit like a wide-mouthed frog, the 430 is a much sharper design. My only real criticism of the 430 is the stupid positioning of the horn buttons on the steering wheel, I seem to press it far too often by accident, that's probably why they make it so pathetic that you can only hear it on tick-over! But given the choice of having to lose one of them...I'd sell the 430!
Spiderman, are you saying you would sell the F430 over the 355. Is that about the raw experience of the 355, can you explain more.
Yes I would sell the 430 before the 355! And before anyone calls for the lunatic asylum to make yet another home call, I'll try to explain why! There are plenty of seriously fast cars out there, many of which cost a fraction of the price of a Ferrari! The japenese consistantly produce cars which handle well, go quicker, and unrestricted go faster than a Ferrari! But that isn't what it's all about! Driving my 355 is such a sublime experience, the noise, the feel, the handling just make every journey feel......special! I simply adore the car, some may say because it's the 1st Ferrari I ever owned that makes it feel so special, but I think it's more than that! I would state quite categorically that with the notable exception of the 308, the 355 is the prettiest car produced to date, and we all know looks count for quite a lot! I feel that it's a challenge to drive, not that it bites back particularly hard, but it's very rewarding to drive quickly through twisty bits with no electronic help! I'm no race driver, not by a long way, but I've felt that the 360 and 430 have flattered my limited ability, the 355 shows it's it's obvious when I'm trying! Don't get me wrong, the 360 is a very impressive car, but......I just didn't bond with it! I really wasn't sorry to see it go! The 430 is awesome! It has all the advantages of the 360, ergonomics, roof design, seat comfort, speed, pace.....and lots more! The 430 just feels right, unless you plant your foot in the carpet at the wrong moment, then it feels like it's trying to kill you! This is a very, very fast car, and anyone who says different either has a number of F1 wins under their belt, or is full of sh*t! But it doesn't stir the emotions the way the 355 does, or at least not for me! I went out over the weekend with Nigel, (F328GTS on here) and I was so impressed with the way his 328 went, I think I've now decided what's next for my garage! There's more to driving than just straight line speed, there's the feel-good factor, and my 355 has that in spades! So, the 355 is a keeper, and the next addition will be a 328.....or if life is good to me, a 288! The 430 is great while it lasts, a bit like a good mistress, but I'll always return to my first love!
Spiderman, I can appreciate your sentiment in regards to the 355. I happen to think it also is one of the best looking cars that Ferrari has produced and still looks modern and in place today. I am also happy to hear that you love it as much or more than the 430, as I have a 355 (which I love for all the right reasons) and do not see myself being able to afford a 360 or 430 (for that matter) any time in the near future. Enjoy yourself as you have the benefit of choice at this point.
I just sold my 355 spider....and sorely miss it. It too was my 1st Ferrari and while it wasn't the fastest car nor the most practical...it was an amazing machine!!!!!!!!!!!! I replacemed my 355 spider with a 360 spider, I almost planned to keep both, but everyone convinced me the 355 would sit and I should just sell it as we came into spring-time. So I did...and now a guy named Paul in Glendora owns it. I'm still trying to bond with my 360, I think I need an alignment and some re-mapping of my throttle. The steering seems overly sensitive as if the ratio's are too high and I have a few other things I need to look into. While there are many advantages to the 360 and it is an undisputably better car...the arguement can be made that the 355 is a better Ferrari. The handling of the 355 was just superb, the feedback amazing and the sensation "raw" but in a refined way. One day I think I'll own one again....maybe buy back my old one when the buyer moves along to another model...I think I includeda buy-back clause in our sales receipt? Oh...as for the awesome speed/power of the 430...I dunno. My buddy Darth was in a Murci-Lambo with Rakjoe and every time the 430 started to charge to pass him...the Murci just blew the &%$# out of the 430 and left it behind...again and again and again. Going back to my favorite analogy....speed in a car is a lot like boobs on a super-model...at some point enough is enough and you have to look at other qualities to balance out the equation. Seems to me Ferrari has never been overly concerned about trying to make HUGE horsepower from their cars, they continue to toy with 3.5 to 4.3 liter V8 engines and everybody tries to compare them to the 7.0 liter vette engine. No dice: the exotic purr of the 355's 5-valve per cylinder engine will always raise hairs while the gurgle of a chevy engine will always revolve around an infield full of RV's, beer cans and exposed butt-cracks. What the heck was the subject of this thread again?
i owned a 355spider for two years until i bought a 360 spider, both 6 speed and kept both a few months until i sold the 355 spider.....the 355 spider was fun to drive but several factors, including the horrible ergonomics ,the long throws on the 6 speed and the overly boosted power steering bugged me...also the body structure could have been stiffer as there was excessive cowl shake over bumps....the 360 was better in everyway possible , was faster, lighter, nicer inside, better ergomics, much better handling, better steering, more solid structure, better paint, better leather inside,...the list goes on and on...after i bought the 360 , i never drove the 355 again until it was sold2 months later and i drove it up to the transport truck...
Spiderman's input shows how much of this is based on total personal preference. You can only rely on fchat member's input so much. The rest is up to you. Personally, I don't consider the 355 a Ferrari. It does absolutely nothing for me. The 360 on the other hand is on top of my list of all the cars I've ever owned.
