Do I buy or not?

Wrazor...

First, WELCOME TO FERRARICHAT...! (How'd you find us...?)

Secondly, have you gone to a dealer and said that exact thing and taken a test drive...? i drove a 355 and have been in a few and was even in a 348 and they were blood-rushing fun... Ironically, i've never ridden in*/driven a 'Vette...


*except for that one time when i was 16, but that didn't count.

 

check out '96,'97,'98 355 gtb/gts

 

Never been in a Vette either, and Im sure they perform quite well...at least equally to the 355. However, having been in both the 348 and 355, there is nothing more fun than driving them --or any other Ferrari for that matter.

If you could get a 355, I would go for the Berlinetta or GTS models since they are great bargains right now, but if not, any version of the 348 will be more than enough to put a big smile on your face

 

Although I have not driven a Vette recently (last time I drove one was about 10 years ago), I did go through a similar thing 6 months ago with NSXs. Over the last 8 years I have owned 3 different NSXs - the last one being a 99 that was heavily modified by CompTech. The sound on it was good (if not great) and the performance was noticeably better than either of my previous NSX cars. Anyway, about 6 months ago I decided that I could finally buy a Ferrari as long as I stayed in the 100K range. Well, I went to my local dealer and spent a day test driving the 355 in various models (GTS, Berlinetta, Spyder). I have to say that - while I was in awe of the styling and the mystic of the car - I did not find the performance to be mind blowingly different to the NSX. The sound was definitely better and there was probably more pull in the mid range but off the start I would say that the NSX had it beat. Of course, there is always the argument that you drive your own cars a little more "aggressively" than a car that you are test driving at a dealership but my impression after the test drive was that I was not going to be trading up dramatically in performance. To cut a long story short, due to the dramatic decrease in the price of 550 Maranellos, I decided to forgo the V-8 and go with the V-12 (which had always been my dream car anyway). In my mind, the 550 and the NSX are so very different that I do not really worry about the performance comparison between the two. Had I not bought the 550 then I would probably have still bought a 355 - but not becuase of an increase in performance, rather because I have always dreamed of owning a Ferrari and they are definitely special cars.

Just my $.02....

 

Vettes vs Ferrari are two very different things. If you want torque like there is no tomorrow & a pure beast - Stick with the Vette. My friend has a 94 and he LOVES the car. That being said, after seeing my '87 328, he proclaims "Someday I will get a Ferrari." Mine is not as fast, but puts a huge smile on my face & sounds great with the TUBI.

A 355 would be a fantastic buy - But be prepared to spend way more in maintenance than on the Vette.

 

I just got my 93 C4 Vette roadster on the road, I'm in love its such a beautiful car. Its no Ferrari but its still a beauty Now as for your question. If you have a Z06 then a 355, 348 will be a step down in performance & up in maintenance. You can get a 512TR for around $90k now and with a few tweaks they are comparable to a modern Z06. Dont handle as well as the 348, 355 but the power & sound are very nice & it will slam you back in your seat, HARD. Have no doubt

 

I think when one gets right down to the nitty gritty, all the car magazines and true sports car buffs will admit that the Corvette is the most refined performance automobile that your money can buy. Dollar for dollar, you get more engineering and performance than any other sports car.

Now to kick the sacred Ferrari cow:

Isn't it amazing how everybody expounds upon the fact that Ferraris and sports cars should be DRIVEN and that true PERFORMANCE is what REALLY counts, yet when you submit the Corvette as EXHIBIT number ONE for COST, ENGINEERING, and PERFORMANCE, you immediately get a snobby sneer from the upper crust (Ferrari, Lambo) crowd?

Sounds like somebody can't handle the truth.

(Flame away.)

 

Who said performance is the only criteria? If that was the case, I would ride a motorcycle.

Corvettes are all performance in a straight line, just not as fun to drive, imho.

 

Could not agree less. My neighbor has a 2002 Z06 and a 2003 360 Spyder in his garage, and I've ridden in and driven both. No comparison, and I mean NO comparison. The vette has a ton of grunt and great roadholding as long as the road is smooth, but the sophistication of the design, the interior quality (MAJOR difference here), the fun factor, the looks, man oh man, just not even the same league.

 

I bought a new yellow black convertible corvette about a year ago and I have sold it. The car is a great value and is fast,fuel eff. and comfortable. I added a borla eshaust and a K&N filter. The car interior was plastic but nicely done. The car was not exciting to drive. It was a good car and I'm not saying it wasn't worth the money.
A Ferrari is much more engaging and sounds great. The fun factor in my opinion is tremendous. I owned a 355 and a TR and now own a 360. All of these cars have a lot to offer but not the same things. The expense of maintenance is terrible. If it was me I'd rush out and get a 355 with an F1 shifter and have a blast. Spider is my choice but a coupe is a great deal now. Hell if you don't like it sell it. I'll bet you will love it.

 

"just not even the same league."

I assume that you're also talking about the price tag not being in the same league also?

What's the cost of a 2002 ZO6 Corvette versus a 2003 360 Spyder Ferrari? Hmmmmm?

 

I don't know how many times I've said this, and others have too, if you're doing performance per dollar calculations, don't buy a Ferrari, 'cause you just don't GET IT. I've bought cars on perf/$ value in the past, but I'm beyond that now, thank heavens, otherwise I'd be driving a Mustang GT...or a Vette!

 

"if you're doing performance per dollar calculations, don't buy a Ferrari, 'cause you just don't GET IT."

From what I've read, Enzo GOT IT. He realized that in order to make high performance cars for the track, he had to be able to manufacture and sell ROAD cars in order to finance his TRACK cars. Seems like Chevrolet is designing and selling more performance cars than anybody else in the world. AND doing it with more value per dollar, just like Enzo himself knew was necessary for a car company to survive.

 

I get the impression Ferrari is doing just fine, thank you.

 

Vettes and Ferraris..its like "nearly ripe apples" and "ripe apples" to compare them. I went from a ZR-1 vette with some mods that was a real killer in a straight line, and pretty darn good on the twisties....to a Testarossa. The ZR-1 would kill it in a drag race for sure, but surprisingly once you get in the mid-range and higher the TRs 301 cubes pull just as hard and the ZR-1s 347 cubes did even with the mods. Actually the TRs torque curve seems flatter, comes in sooner and stays longer, than the ZR-1s. But as we all know Ferraris aren't drag cars. As far as handling I think the ZR-1 is better, or maybe just easier, to handle near the limit. It's really hard to tell. And the ZR-1 has much better brakes. Chassis wise the TR is tons better, no squeaks or rattles of any kind...absolutely none at all! This really amazed me when I first drove it. Corvettes were really compromised with frame flex until the C5 came out. The TR is not quite as comfortable as the ZR-1, mostly due to the seat construction and that "Italian" driving position. But the TR does have a trunk which is very nice, the Vette just a space behind the seats. Both cars have great sound. Even though my ZR-1 was a rare wide-body Vette in stunning colors, I would get lost in the crowd. Even other Vette guys didn't know what it was half the time. This really disturbed me....I guess it shows how shallow I can be perhaps. But the TR is....well....hard to describe the feeling. It is awesome to drive because it is so different, so "out there" in styling, it makes such an impact on people. Heck sometimes I pop into the shop just to stare at it occasionally. The Ferrari mystique and the passion it evokes just incredible and no other car...NO OTHER CAR ON EARTH.... can do this. Ooops....so sorry to rant and rave....just had to express my feelings. Thank You for listening.

 

Clearly carguy "gets it".

 

"I get the impression Ferrari is doing just fine, thank you."

They're probably doing just fine today because Enzo realized that in order to survive, one has to make AFFORDABLE cars that will sell. And from the continuous reoccuring rumors, perhaps Ferrari is NOT doing just fine. It seems like a week doesn't go by that rumors are flying around concerning Ferrari's impending sale to GM or Volkswagen or whoever. The topic regularly pops up on this board, and nothing scares a Ferrari buff more than to think that his beloved company might be sold off in the interest of maintaining profits. If all is well, where do all these rumors come from? Usually, where there's smoke, there's fire.

 

Oops, sorry - wrong board. Didn't realize I was on AntiFerrariChat.com

Give it a rest, Horsefly. Car companies have been bought and sold like, well, cars since the industry began.

Now, can we get back to the topic?

 

No problem. Just don't start crying when Schumi retires and takes his bankroll to Switzerland and Ferrari has to sell out to Volkswagen (ugg!).
Can't you just hear the talk at the office: Hey Joe, don't you own one of those Ferrari BEETLES? Is your's a four seater or the new SUV van designed for soccer moms? Does it have the little horsies on the kiddie cup holders in the back seat?

 

Vettes have been competing with & on occassion beating Ferraris on race track since the 50s. Vettes have nothing to be embarassed about in their racing history. AS to the cars well Ferraris are much more art than a Vette is even though a Vette does have some art to it. Ferraris are much more refined & exclusive, that s what you are paying for. Like some1 said, if all you want is performance bang for the $, You cant beat a full liter sportbike

 

i would recommend you to read the financial statements of the fiat group. you may then also get an idea about ferrari's results and the reason for the rumours about selling ferrari. this is not a ferrari problem, it's a fiat problem!

 

<Sounds like somebody can't handle the truth.>

Horsefly, your point of view is like my wife's, who has about as much passion for cars as a slug. She'll look at a spec sheet and think that's all there is. Have you ever driven an exotic? The Vette is a great car, no argument. Fast, modern, reliable....

That's not the point.

Drive a Ferrari. If you're in NE Illinois, stop by and drive my Lotus. Then I think you'll understand why some people prefer expensive, slow and comparatively unreliable exotics to Vettes and Porsches. Since you're here, I'm trusting you have some passion for art, both visual and visceral.

 

Horsefly,
From reading your posts for quite a while now it seems that not only are you usually devil's advocate, but that seems to be the only position you advocate. You have stated numerous times your affinity for classic Corvettes and restoration of these cars. That's great. You are constantly griping about the downside of F-cars and the superiority (bang-for-buck) of modern Corvettes. I even agree with some of your opinions.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you have even stated you don't own a Ferrari (and have never). So you're not an owner...and you're not an enthusiast. So why are you here?

Challenge
(An enthusiast)