How come Europeans prefer GTB`s and Americans the GTS?

My Ferrari is Berlinetta (never was an F355 GTB) and my Alfa a Spider. I love them both but probably look like a hairdresser in the Alfa more than I do in the F355.

GTS I guess is the best of both with the beautiful Berlinetta lines and open top, I certainly prefer most coupés and saloons to convertibles. The odd exception is Audi A4 and 916 Alfa Spider/GTV.

 

Chicks in the US seem to dig a spyder or S over a B. 'being seen' is important I guess

 

Easy...

Europeans don't have SoCal, Arizona, Florida and Texas!



Mike

 

GTS leaking? Mine is water tight through rain storms. Color matched top and it is difficult to notice that the roof comes off if you don't know the car.

Only downside really is the squeaks from the top when installed.

 

GTS probably. Love the look of targas though I do understand the appeal of a hard roof. Thankfully on the 360 there wasn't a choice so I didn't have to wrack my brains deciding. I'm not really a convertible person. Maybe if I had money for two more Ferrari's the 3rd car might be a spider.

 

As was previously stated, I think the Magnum P.I. effect in the US was huge. The earlier 308's still have quite a few GTB's represented, but once you get into the Magnum years the percentage of GTB's falls like a stone. Try finding a US spec 308 QV GTB. There are virtually none. I think there are more imported euro GTB QV's in the US than there are US market cars. There are very few 328 GTB's as well.

 

gtb. more "purist". Less maintenence. Like was said above- stiffer , more solid car ride/body. No leaks. Oh- hate getting sunburn.

 

With all due respect Ross....you forgot three things that makes the GTS type car a worthy choice in the USA. Blondes, Brunettes & Redheads! Nothing like a long haired lady having her hair blowing in the wind!!!

 

one thing i like about my gtb is privacy.
i don't like being seen, especially when i've got a female companion in the car.
the hard top and tinted windows do the trick.

 

GTS = Best of both worlds, when color matched and mine never squeaks when on!

 

Drove a 328GTB after I bought my GTS, could'nt believe how much nicer it was to drive. However when I was looking for cars there were literally zero GTB's in the marketplace.

 

What he said.

For me, GTS. Unless you're racing competitively, or plan to drive your car in bad weather -- and I've never in my life seen a Ferrari in the rain or snow -- open top is the way to go. And the 308-355 are no longer competitive in the face of newer Ferraris, Porsches, Lotuseses, etc.

I also like the lines of the GTS over the GTB in the 308-355 range.

 

2 feet down your back! ? Trapped in the '80's are we?

I am a GTS fan as well....

The whole 'stiffer chassis' with a 'B' thing is frankly irrelevant for most drivers. Unless you are looking for the last .2 second and you are really, really good, the real variable is behind the wheel.

With my old 348 GTS (that is now Chucabra's), I routinely would smoke lots of coupes of all makes at the track.

At the end of the day, it's all about choice, and if you can choose to drive a Ferrari..... life is pretty damned good! Merry Christmas!

 

This is just not true. The B versions of 308s and 328s are vastly more pleasant to drive in all circumstances. I have owned both and once I experienced Bs, the Ss are just plain annoying to drive. The whole car feels like it is coming apart to me. But you are right about track use. The benefit is overstated. The soft suspension on these cars comes into play long before chassis rigidity is much of a problem.

Dave

 

Not sure its actually irrelevant, Dino. Yes, drive what one wants, but when a cars roof is chopped off as in a targa or convertible, no way that structure will ever be as solid as with an actual welded roof. Cowl shake, they call it. Has nothing to do with if one races or not. You can get cowl shake just driving around normally on our roads, dont need to race to get the "shakes".

 

I 'get' the cowl shake thing, but I guess for most it's a trade off, and they probably aren't that serious about the 'drive', and it's worth it to have the ability to go al fresco!

 

Whatever you like.
I assume most like the auto GTS.
I would want a B in stick.

 

I'm not convinced that the OP's statement is correct for the UK.

Looking at the UK market, there seems to be as many GTS/TS versions for sale as there are GTB/TB versions (ruling out any sort of limited supply of GTS/TS'cars that could affect prices), and yet the GTS/TS cars carry a slight premium over the GTB/TB cars.

On the 308/328 cars, the GTB is the purer shape because the GTS has the lip above the roof rail that slightly spoils the line of the roof when you look closely at it, and the black roof is "an obvious panel", but I'd still have a GTS every time for the sunny/mild days when you can take the roof off and make the drive feel even more special.

On the 348/355, the lines are far less compromised between the TS/TB - GTS/GTB, but the black roof on the TS/GTS still causes too much of a major break in the design, again it's a bit too obvious, that's why colour coded roof panels work so well, because they help to keep the design of the roof much purer by disguising and blending the panel.

Ferrari missed a trick there with the 328 GTS, 348 TS/GTS and 355 GTS', they could have made a bit more money offering the roof panels as a factory colour coded option.

 

I "more or less" agree with Phil; for the 308/328 family, there are indeed still more GTS than GTB in France also, but the proportion is different as it is in the United States. In the United States, the GTB is very rare, and really overwhelmed by the GTS. In France, it seems to be about 2/3 GTS for 1/3 GTB, or about two "S" for one "B".
So the "B" is not rare, but they are still outnumbered two to one by the "S"...