I have been off and on FC for years. I have owned numerous 911 including hardtops and cabs. Currently have a 991 s cab. The best was a 07 gt3 that got sacrificed in a divorce! Happily remarried with someone who enjoys my love of cars. I have, over the years, flirted with the idea of owning a ferrari; but maintenance concerns and need for a daily driver eventually won out. The only time a porsche was not a daily driver was the gt3 that never saw rain or snow. So now, I'm in a position to afford a 430 or a 991 gt3. The 911 s will get replaced by a used awd, probably a subaru so that I can haul a rowing shell to the lake. Seems maintenance on the 430 will be much improved from earlier cars. My gt3 was bulletproof, though I never tracked it. I live 90 miles from Phx with a certified ferrari mechanic in town. So finally my question: if you have switched from P to F or vice versa, what was your experience? Did you regret it? How did they compare to you; not the technical points but the feel both in town and on the road? And finally did you enjoy one more than the other? I know this is the millionth reiteration of the question and I thank you for your patience in advance!
If you know it is what did you find out reading all the others ! Try advanced search on gt3 in the 360/430 section to see if you missed any.......
The transition I made was from a 911 to a 355. Like you said, the Porsche was bullet proof. You could drive the living daylights out of it and throw it around and it never complained. It was a wonderful car, and until that time in my life it was the best car I ever had. Then I bought my first Ferrari, a 355 Spyder. Within the first hour of owning it, I had complete discarded the notion of going back to the Porsche. With the Ferrari, I went through tires and brakes, and I had to replace the headers. I had a lot of wear on the seat, and the seat was nowhere as comfortable as the Porsche. The exhaust note on the Ferrari was intoxicating. Here is my synopsis--I have no complaints about the Porsche. It is a truly remarkable car. But . . . But . . . The Ferrari is a wonderful car which has that elusive quality called "soul" and it is, simply, an amazing car that lives up to the hype surrounding its name. Once you have it, you are hooked. More modern Ferraris are much more refined than the 355 and the seats now are quite nice. The Porsche has improved too. But, having had both, I think you will find the Ferrari to be everything you missed with the Porsche.
I went from 2011 gt3 to 2006 f430 (now a 2013 458) and have owned a bunch of porches as well as instruct for pca. The gt3 is a better track car. The f430 is a better street car. I solved the issue, I have a dedicated track car now and an f car for the street. This is my direct experience, ymmv.
As requested by you, I do not write about technical aspects, just about subjective perceptions. Subjectively considered, the GT3 is just a tuned 911 - a tuned version of a car that you can see parked on every street corner. A car with a much too large rear wing, a "Porsche 911 on steroids", many people wonder what that is for. A Ferrari 430 is a Ferrari 430; rare, unique, authentic. The feel both in town and on the road (not on track)? With the Porsche: nice, everything is perfect, could be even an Audi or a Mercedes. With the Ferrari: a little different, try it...
Get the 991GT3. I went from air cooled Porsches to 6 Ferraris and now back to an air cooled cab for week-ends and a 991C2S w/7mt as my DD. The Ferrari experience was fun and the engines do sound good, but not worth the poor build quality and astronomically expensive parts/maintenance costs IMHO. And, a flat-6 Porsche engine sounds pretty good; both air-cooled and water-cooled.
Yes the Ferrari "soul" is what captures most. It may not be as fast, or have better handling, or be as comfortable as a 911. But there is an emotional attachment to the driving experience and the marque. Even sitting in a Ferrari feels different and special. Driving one, you immerse yourself on a thrilling journey with vivid communication with the road. I've always thought about getting a 911. I test drove a 997.1 GT3RS and loved it. But it felt a little numb to me and slightly banal. There are so many 911's that blend in with the herd....get the unicorn. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
