430 vs. 360 equal to 355 vs. 348?

I would say the difference between the 360 and 430 is SUBSTANTIAL. Being the Ferrari hater I am, I would never consider a 360, but I would consider the 430. Night and day inmo.

 

I agree with Allan about the night & day difference between the 360 & 430. Everything about the 430 is substantially better, especially the F1 tranny. It feels a lot more like an F1 car than the 360 did, or at least what I picture an F1 car to feel like.

 

The large majority of responses to your question are likely to be based on speculation, superficial impressions and imagination because few people have owned all 4 cars. I'm one of these, though I did carefully choose a 98 355 F1 spider over a 348, and I now own a 04-360 F1 modena with option to purchase a 430. So here are a few observations.

Ferrari works on a 10 year platform, so the 348 + 355 share the same platform, whereas the 360 and 430 share an entirely different platform.

The 348 and 355 are easily distinguishable from one another, with the 355 being the standout and expected to be a 'classic' in design. The 355 was also more roomy inside, was regarded to be far more reliable as a 'daily driver', had relatively few electrical problems compared to the 348, and is considerably quicker. Thus the significant price differential between the two.

The 360 and 430 are barely distinguishable from one another. Put differently, BOTH have the same head-turning appeal. Only the ferrari affectionado can tell the difference, 9/10 of my friends can't, and 7 out of 8 viewers of the 360 and 430 side-by-side (same color) at a dealer didn't know the two cars were different. In other words, the one additional scoop in the 430's bumper, the narrower headlites, the higher rake on the rear fender scoops, and the enzo type rear lights EASILY go completely unnoticed. Both have identical roominess inside -- a very big consideration for large owners; and both look very similar inside except for a few buttons and bulges.

For obvious reasons the 430 offers more performance than the 360. BUT REMEMBER, when the 360 came out, it too was the darling and is still considered by many to be a darling. Just check out these reviews, with the 360 modena being Automobile's all-star pick for 2004.

http://www.windingroad.com/issue-1/ferrari-modena/

http://www.automobilemag.com/awards/0402_allstar_modena/index.html

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=221

OK, now down to the crunch. We've all been innundated with the sports car mag. stats of 0-60 in 3.5-3.9 in a 430, vs. 4.3-4.5 in a 360, both topping out between 180-200mph. How many of us have been driving at 180-200 mph lately, or even beyond 150. How many of us have found ourselves in the magazine fantasy of being beside a Gallardo, a Viper, a Merc SMG, an M5 or the latest Vette at a stoplight -- prompting us to thunder away, sqeeling down the road beside a school or shops. Well, in my years of owning my 355 and 360, it hasn't happened to me yet.

Where it happens is in the magazines and in the fantasy stats. we carry around in our heads. The fact is that the 360 is scary, the 430 even scarier. Most of us hardly have any chance to truly test their limits, unless we track the car. So if anyone tells you a 355 is twice the drive of a 348, or that a 430 is twice the drive of a 360, just chalk it up to verbal flatulance.

IMOH, of course.

 

Hi Paul,

Good post. I agree with a lot of what you wrote, but have you driven a 430 yet? I got mine last week and have put just under 100 miles on it (Michigan weather limits my driving time). To me, the performance difference is very substantial. I don't track my cars or see if I can go 0-60 in 4 seconds, however, with each shift & each time I hit 6-7k RPMs, I feel performance that I just didn't feel in the 360. I always thought the 360s F1 tranny was lacking. I do not feel the same about the 430s.

 

Greetings Jeff,

Haven't driven a 430 yet and would certainly enjoy the additional performance you describe. And your observation regarding the tranny is similar to mine. My 355 F1 was jerky, harsh and sometimes brutal. The tranny in my 360 F1 is a major improvement over the 355 but I still find myself trying to control jerks and lunges here and there under full throttle. Everyone seems to agree the 430 tranny is superb by comparison.

I guess I'm on the fence, with the 430 pulling on me like a small magnet. I love my 360, got the color I want, it has a fully integrated radar system, addictive tubi sound track and other accessories (photos attached). I'm also considering a Euroteck ECU upgrade which promises some significant torque gains so I can make faster trips to the grocery store.

Enjoy your 430! Cheers, paul
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I can't speak to the difference between the 348 and 355, but I owned a 2004 360 Modena, and now a 2005 F430 Coupe (both 6 spd). I would say the difference in power is pretty substantial, and the 430 handles rough roads with more composure, but the 360 is still an incredible car. I'd still choose a 360 over most modern sports cars, just for its incredible driving experience. Much more fun to drive than the Gallardo, for example, IMO.

Gary

 

Beautiful 360. My new 430 is TDF blue and I couldn't be happier with the color. Can't blame you for wanting to stick with the 360, it is indeed a stunner. If the 430 has the same effect on you that it had on me, you'll feel like you're getting everything out of your 360, plus a new level of performance. The stock exhaust on the 430 sounds great, no need for a TUBI.

My best advice would be to give a 430 a test drive if you get a chance. My guess is you'll be sold within 1 mile.

 

Mechanically the 430 is far superior to the 360. The factory literature goes way out of their way to say that over, and over in the brochure.

However !!! The ***** attraction factor is the SAME. Very few people can tell the diff, outside the folks who post here....

 

Agree that average people can't tell the difference between the 2.
IMO apart from the performance superiority of 430 I think 360 is nicer looking, but that's just me.

 

I agree, although 430 is much better in performance and handling, i much prefer the styling of 360. Just personal opinion really.