If so, just curious to know what it is? Took some country back roads to get to the dragstrip this afternoon (to drive a friends/customers car) then meet up with some friends at a grand (re) opening party for a Lexus dealership which included some highway and heavy traffic. No matter what road, what speed, what traffic, the F355 is just brilliant. For me it is the best car I have ever driven. The size, sound, shifter, clutch, chassis, response, everything about it comes as close to perfect as I've ever experienced. As I was driving home I actually started feeling depressed that I will soon have to put it away for the winter. I've driven faster cars as I'm sure most here have. I'm truly curious though, have you driven an overall better car?
I feel the same way about my F355 Challenge, Jim. It's one of the safer cars on the track. I really have to make a bad mistake to experience any drama.
BMW 335i (the twin T version). It really is a very different car, but the acceleration is amazing. Even better then the much higher HP M5 I had.
But I would not trade my car for anything. And since I have had it I have had an offer on a relatively newer model, and declined. Really like the F355.
These are great thoughts from everyone. It's a good exercise. The only cars that have a siren song for me (and I'm sure many others) are ones costing 2,3 to 20 times the current value of our F355's. My brother and I posed the exact same question standing among 100 of Ferrari's finest creations in Modena at Enzo's museum. What could we swap for our cars that are so fantastic and fun to drive? But since we hadn't driven them all yet, We couldn't be definitive... But we tried to come up with some that were plausible based on some we had driven, ridden in, and read about. Ones that interested us as possibilities or certainties were mostly limited production cars: 360 Challenge Stradale F430 Scuderia 458 / Speciale The Fantastic 5 - 288 gto, f40, f50, Enzo, LF 599 / gto F12 Dino 246 Porsche Carrera GT Lamborghini Murcielago or Aventador McLaren 675 Porsche GT3RS (current) Zonda All at much higher cost and some not as fun until speeds well over 100mph. The only car that is of a similar value that I think could be as much fun to drive at all speeds would be the Porsche Cayman GT4 / Boxster Speedster (current) but of course you don't get the sound of the F355 or Ferrari uniqueness / pride... Fun to discuss. Robb
The only car I have driven that betters the 355 for pure adrenalin and excitement is a Challenge Stradale. Id still like to have a 355 even if I had the CS though.
challenge stradale for me (in a semi normal price range) other than that dunno Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
You guys won't like me saying it but my Gallardo is a way better car than the 355 I sold. Speed, stability, looks, build quality, reliability, attention it gets, probably other things. I love the 355, it reminds me of when I was younger, but it's new vs. old technology.
Depends on the category. As a 100% race car, a 90s CART/Champcar is the best I've driven. For street cars, there are plenty others that are better i.e. more comfortable/practical than my 355 Ch. As a dual use street/race car, my 355 Ch has been the best overall. I've not driven '60s street-registered historic race cars such as 250 GTOs, LMs, Ps, Porsche 904s, 906s, 910s. Those may trump my 355 Ch, but those cars are also at least >20x the 355 Ch's current value.
The thing that struck me about the 355 is that you felt like you were going fast even when you weren't going all that fast. I'd be much more concerned about my wife or kids (when they get old enough) driving fast in a 355 vs. some of the modern cars.
My Porsche 935 with the updated 950hp 3.2L engine was pretty nice car to drive on the track...took some skill to drive but it was fast fast fast... Take off the hard suspension,put in a solid disc clutch and replace the fixed spool in the gearbox and you could have driven it as a daily driver on the street... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Its funny that you say that because i feel the same about my Murcielago.But there is something special about the 355 its such a fun and easy car to drive.
Yes, my 575M Maranello. Before everyone on the thread jumps all over me, let me add my view that the question itself is not really useful. Because the correct answer is another question: BETTER FOR WHAT? I owned Peter Kalikow's 1995 six-speed berlinetta which was a truly brilliant car, all the performance one could reasonably want and use on the road, nimble like a go-kart, huge fun to drive and achingly lovely. But I'd never have taken that car on a weekend or longer trip, too cramped a cockpit, no real luggage room and most important, too edgy and tiring for relaxed driving on an hours-long trip. So OVERALL my Maranello is the better car, in fact, the best car overall that I've ever driven. I sold my F355 two years ago only because I then owned six cars and had 2 1/2 available garage spaces. Would I love to have her back? Absolutely; but I still don't have the space and I'm approaching my 85th birthday......... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I cant choose between the 348 or 355. the chassis is just the right size Second choice is a Mclaren 12c I really am digging them lately
I've driven many other cars including: 308, 328, F430, Scud, 458, Gallardo, Cayman, GT3, 930s, 997tt, 911s of various eras, corvettes, Lambo Diablo, Lotus, etc etc. Besides my F355 I own a Diablo, 930, 997tt, and a few other cars. The F355 is my favorite car to drive. It feels special, it sounds fantastic, the handling is amazing, the looks are gorgeous, the feel of the gated shifter is like none other, throttle response is instant and very progressive, the power is enough but not too much, the grip is excellent, but you can get it loose and catch it again no problem. The interior is uncluttered, classy, and smells like a million bucks. It is just a joy. Other cars are more flashy, or faster, or more planted, or more comfortable, or more raw, but for me the F355 is THE sweet spot. My 997tt is my commuter, its way faster, more planted, more comfy, overall a much better car, yet not nearly as FUN. My 930 is more raw, more powerful but difficult to drive, always wants to blast past 100mph, terrible throttle response (on or off), big turbo lag, more fun than the 997tt but not as beautiful experience as the F355 Diablo is again more power, more drama, more flashy, but poor visibility, not nimble, less fun than the F355 as a pure drivers car My second most favorite car that I've driven is the Scud, but that was on a racetrack and I don't think it would be more fun than a F355 on the street. No gated shift, can't wring it out like a F355 (too fast). I've strongly considered selling one or more of my other cars to get a Scud but the F355 Spider will always stay in my stable.
Brian, I cannot disagree with a word you've written about your F355. My only suggestion is to drive a Ferrari 12, an event that seems to be missing in your colloquy unless a 12 is hidden among your "other cars". Why would you buy another Ferrari 8 (Scud) when you acknowledge that your F355 is for you the best Ferrari 8? Try a Maranello, for me the best "all-around" Ferrari ever made.
Better than a 355? Hell yes. You don't have to look far, IMO. If I was looking for performance at around the same price the 355 would be pretty low on the list. Even though it's underpowered compared to the 355 I would say my 07 Boxster base is a better car in just about every way. But being "the best" is not the reason I bought a 355, or the Boxster, or any car I've owned. Heck, I traded my 97 Miata on a 99 Anniversary addition because I liked the color. I even traded one car that I owned for 6 months on another because the girl I was dating at the time didn't like it. And she was dead right.
Interesting responses! And what I meant by "better" is something you enjoy driving more, not necessarily something you can measure.
My 355 replaced an objectively superior car, a Porsche Cayman. The Cayman S is better built, more reliable, easier to get in and out of, has more cargo space, has more safety equipment, is more nimble, is nearly as powerful and is likely just as fast. But that's not what I expected from the F355. Porsche makes cars that are a 7 to 8 all-around. Ferrari turns it up to 10 in certain areas at the expense of others. And those 10s make the deepest impressions. Have also driven a 360 Spider and a 458 briefly, pretty sure those are also objectively superior to the old F355. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Well said! The 12cyl cars have been mentioned. I would like to drive a 550 to see how it is but unlikely I would ever buy one now that the prices have exploded. I could see it may be better on a long trip for some but the 355 is perfectly comfortable to me and I travel light. One duffel bag is all I need for anywhere in the world. EDIT- also wanted to mention, I do hear many say that the Cayman S is the "perfect" sports car. Don't think it has the steam to keep up with a good running 355 however with 107mph trap speed. Still would like to try one, and a GT4 (which would outrun 355)
