First Ferrari. Need help deciding

Just say NO to flappies.

"Uglier"? You must have a thumb in your eye.

 

I could potentially narrow down your choices with one question:

How tall are you?

 

Are you a college student?

a couple points:
1. if a 360 exceeds the budget... don't
2. if a 360 exceeds the budget... you can't afford a 355
3. use search fuction to get an idea of maint costs on a 348
4. if a 360 exceeds your budget... don't even think about a TR

 

Have you ever hear the 355 symphony at 8500rpm once?
I think thats the best reason why 355 is better than other sports cars of similar prices.

355 - First Ferrari production car with 5 valve per cilinder
GTS - Last targa model
F1 - First model to introduce F1 transmition (The only and the real F1 transmition, no semiautomatic)
3.5L - 109bhp per litre. The highest specific output per litre of all normally aspirated production cars when it was manufactured

Are you still thinking which is better?

Regards from Spain

 

I don't own a 355, but I have driven one. The 348 is a fantastic car, the 360 is a work of art...the 355, is probably Enzo reincarnated in metal

The sound of a 355 at full song is so unbelievable it cannot even be described.

In fact, the 355 is so incredible from a driver's standpoint that I am actually sitting here tongue tied because of the rush of superlatives racing in my head.

The Ferrari collection is about preferences. There are NO bad Ferraris. Every car has its drawbacks and advantages, IMHO, the 355 is about as good as the traditional Ferrari experience gets.

The 360 is a wonderful car, but even at the same price or cheaper, you would be surprised how many people would pick the 355...it is just that good!

 

Unless something goes properly wrong...


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Seems to me you want a car to look like a 348 but go and sound like a 360. The 355 is probably the best choice. Its better looking than a 348 and IMO even better looking than a 360 (no CS though!). The sound is better, too.

 

Wait until you get out of college and see how you're finances are then. You may change your mind on buying a F-car that soon. Priorities and mind-set changes quicker than you imagine. 'Needs' and 'Wants' become far more apparent and more easily distinguished between.

I have to say too, I think you may be the first person I have heard say the 360 sounds better than the 355. That's blasphemy.

 

Ok to dream,... but once you graduate time to be an adult. Pay your way for a year. see how expensive living is. see how much money you have left at the end of each month... and go from there...

another thing, unless you live in a city where you do not need a car (london / paris / NYC), a ferrari is not very realistic as sole transportation. they don't get serviced while you wait!

Again, enjoy the dream!

 

Not to get off topic, but if I were you, I wouldn't be rushing out blowing huge chunks of change on a Ferrari when you are just getting out of college and heading into an uncertain job market. Save up, get a nice little nest egg. If, after a few years out on your own, the money is coming in and you are comfortably situated, you want to revisit this, go ahead.

Now, if there is more to the story (ie independently wealthy, joining the family business, etc), disregard my comments, but if you are like most of us, go out, make your way in the world, and come back when you are very comfortable financially...trust me, the cars aren't going anywhere! I know its hard when you are in college and in love with these cars, and you would be surprised at how many college kids roam these boards looking to get into a Ferrari, but we wouldn't be doing you any favors if we didn't point out the cons of these cars. A Ferrari, any Ferrari, can burn 10K at a moments notice, sometimes even double that. That's a hell of a liability to have on your hands when you are just starting out.


Just my .02

and good luck either way!

 

very well put.

I recently got my first Ferrari at 40. Hope you don't have to wait that long. On the bright side, I was able to go right into a 430 Sounds amazing

 

I agree with others about waiting a bit. The running costs plus insurance, etc. can eat you alive right when you are trying to get rolling in life.

However, I can tell you from first hand experience that you will be disappointed with a 348 on a track. 348's, 355's and TR's are all cheap because of high maintenance costs and reliability issues. From a driver's standpoint, the 355 is the clear winner over a 348. The extra you might pay for a 360 will be paid back in lower costs over time.

Dave

 

That's not a real plan...

I'm also a university student, currently coming to the end of a Ph.D. in neuroscience. I'm working on a 'big plan' that'll see me getting into a 348 in about 10 years or so - if all goes well. What you haven't factored into your plan is that when you graduate and your parents aren't bankrolling your education, you'll need to find a job, pay for your own accommodation, pay for utilities, buy food... and girlfriends/fiancées/wives are expensive too. Unless your parents are planning on subsidising your standard of living beyond university, you won't have a great deal of disposable income to set aside for a Ferrari at the start of your career.

Frankly, if you think you'll be buying a Ferrari 348 or 360 only 2 years after your graduation, you're living in a fantasy. I wish you the best of luck, but you should consider adjusting your expectations or you'll probably be sorely disappointed.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

Joe Zaff hit the nail on the head better than anyone else, IMO.


My experience - I was in college and had a LOT of money to spend. I figured that when I got out and got a real job I would be doing extremely well. The fact was that all of my income from my real job got spent well before the end of the month and was like that for a long time until I learned to manage my money more effectively. Now at 39, I drive my Ferrari.

Bottom line - follow what Joe said and get a handle on your finances before you jump off into Ferrari ownership.


PDG

 

What he said.

If you want something for the track, and are well enough off that you have $30K+ in disposable funds, I'd check out a used Lotus Elise. It's a seriously capable car with the right equipment: mid-engined, targa top, manual gearbox, very quick and agile, and Toyota-engined. Prices are very attractive right now and while I haven't owned one, I suspect brakes, clutches and tires would be much more affordable.

I would watch for a good price on a gently used Lotus, and plan longer term for a Ferrari. 360s will continue to get cheaper, and in two years you probably won't want one anyway.

 

Get the Ferrari as soon as you can and the younger you are the better. I speak from experience.

 

I take my 348 on a track and don't find it slow, ponderous or dissapointing. I also keep up with 355's except on long straights where they only pull away from me slowly.

My 348 also sounds as good as a 355/360, with the added bonus of flames from the rear.

Here in the UK, the 348's also regularly win the Ferrari Hill Climb events.

The 348 is not as easy to drive as a 355 or a 360. It takes more effort, but is ultimatly more rewarding because of it.

 

Sy pulls through for the brotherhood again

Back to the OP - you need to drive both vehicles, actually drive the 355 also, and then decide which one does it for you.

 

It could be a number of reasons. You could be a better driver, he may not be pushing it as hard, the 348 may not be optimised, etc. Only real way to compare is to time a professional driver in both cars.

For example, in this video you can see my 348 being driven by a pro-race car driver http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Cxmt8y8_o.

He also drove a Lotus Elise 111R on the same circuit and both cars did identical times, although it was the first time he drove a 348, but raced Elises's.

In contrast, when I drove the Elise on that circuit (first time I ever drove an Elise), I was a couple of seconds faster than I was in my 348. In an elise you can get in and drive fast, in a 348 you need to be a better driver to get more out of it.

We also did a side by side drag race. Up to 60mph we were level and then I just started to pull away.

He also drove a 355 on that same circuit (although he had a passenger as well) and was 1.5 seconds slower than in the 348. From my understanding, the 348 has more torque low down and is better on these types of circuits. If there was a long straight, the 355 would have done a quicker time.

My 348 at that time only had 305bhp even with a decatt and tubi exhaust. I later had the engine tuned up and larger brakes installed. Depending on transmission loss, I have anywhere between 332 and 351 bhp and it redlines at 8,200rpm. I later lapped that circuit a full 5 seconds faster than i had ever done before.

You see, a lot of Ferrari's aren't set up right. I've seen many dyno readings of 355's showing less bhp than my 348. As you've read, even my 348 wasn't set up correctly.

As for 360's, I've driven a couple now. One of them when i was thinking of buying one to replace my 348. I prefer the 348 to a 360. The 360 is faster, but the 348 is much more enjoyable. For me, the 360 felt like a Jaguar Coupe, whilst the 348 feels like a race car on the road in comparison. If I had liked it, I would be driving one now and not spending $$$$$ modifying my 348.

I've mentioned how the 360 has better performance than a 348. Here's an example.

At the start of this video you can see cars driving down a straight and doing a left turn. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWFo7Pm_nUg

The aim is to go as fast as possible and then whilst turning left to not cross the gutter (you can see it it in the video). In my 348, I can do it at 75mph. Any faster and I spin the car. In a 360, the instructor could do it at 85mph. With the 360 electronic aids on, he could do it at 120mph. Very impressive stuff!!!

Another example is at a recent track day at Silverstone. On the day it was raining heavy, but some cars went out on the track. Of those cars, nine crashed. Six of them were 355's. The 360's however didn't have a problem as they cruised around with their TC on.

You'll read/hear a lot of negative comments about the 348. It's probably the most misunderstood Ferrarri out there. Common statemenst are...

"It's too slow"
If you look at the Fiorano lap times you see the following:

328 - 1'44.00
348 - 1'38.00
Porsche 959 -1'38.00
Testarossa - 1'37.00
288 GTO - 1'37.00
355 - 1'34.00
360 - 1'31.00

SEE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiorano_Circuit

No one ever says the 328 is slow and here you can see the 348 is 6 seconds faster. Plus only 1 second slower than the 288GTO, which is regarded as a "supercar".




"They have bad handling/tricky on the limit"
I've had my 348 for over 4 years now and have done airfield days and track days without any problems. Only minor problem is high speed stability, but other 348 owners I know don't tend to have this so i think it's more of a geometry set up problem on my car.

Early versions did have probelms, but they were resolved on later cars, but unfortunatly the stigma stayed on. Spacers and bigger wheels do wonders for the handling.

A few people I've talked to have mentioned the tricky handling of the 360. I know of a few 360 owners who have lost the back end during vigorous driving. Commenst of teh back end feeling light is often expressed.


"Don't like the strakes/rear grill etc"
Totally subjective. For me, it's one of the best looking Ferrari's around. Especially in black.


"Expensive to maintain"
Only additional maintenance cost compared to a 355 is that the valves need to be manually adjusted and checked. Personally, I'm a fan of the 355, but I would never buy one as the maintenance costs and potential problems scare the hell out of me.



The biggest problem with buying a 348 is actually finding a good one for sale. There aren't many around as owners don't tend to sell them. Here in the UK, we have the following for sale:

348's = 7
355's = 61
360's = 114

If 348's are that bad, that expensive to run... why are there so few for sale?


If I was buy a Ferrari again, I would get a 348 everytime. It's not perfect and needs a few tweaks to get the best out of it, but when it's running 100% it's an awesome machine. Saying that, I'm about to embark on a wild modification on mine.



Anyway... about time for some gratuitious 348 pictures.
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