Porsche Owner considering 355

I traded from a 996 c2 cab tip to a 355 spider in nov 04. Ive no regrets ....

 

Helllo Mark

Performance wise, looks wise and just general "feel good" wise I cannot see you being disappointed at all.

And from what I've heard of 996s, you're as likely to have problems with that as you are a 355.

Usual advice applies - do your homework (tons of info on here) and get any prospective purchase independently inspected by someone who knows their onions (I would even do this if buying from a dealer to be honest).

Spider and GTS are different cars. Do you really want properly al fresco driving?

 

No regrets here either after moving to a 355 . A 355 Spider is a very very special car - more thrilling and special all round than a 996 cab (IMHO). Get one with a tubi exhaust and you will NOT be dissapointed !!

 

You will not be dissappointed...........I've had about 9 P-cars before I bought my 348ts......it's absolutely awesome.

Do it Do it Do it!!

Cheers
chas

 

Mark I have just made the switch and can recomend it. My 996 was my daily driver until my daughter was born - I then chopped it in for a 530i and a 355. Providing you are not too attached to your options (stereo, cruise, sunroof etc) and don't rely on PSM (I've not had mine long and it does bite if you don't respect it) you will be smiling ever time you drive it. The special feel it has every time you turn the key and hear engine fire up is fantastic!

 

Compared to your 996 a 355 will feel like a shot in the arm, especially with a TUBI singing away too. Sadly the 996 in anything other than turbo or GT guise is a little bland compared to the 911 of old.

If you really want a soft top and don't like the 996 cab and targa then the Ferrari is the way to go, a 355 spider on a summer evening must be near the pinnacle of motoring nirvana.

But, if the soft top is not essential, then there are options within the P camp for similar money as a 355. Such as a GT3, 993 turbo, or even an early 996 turbo.

Whatever you choose you will be happy.

Hope that helps


Martyn.

 

we did a survey on here the other month it showed that 60% of ferrari owners had a porsche but on the porsche site i posted who has had a ferrari and then gone back to a porsche and no one replied but it is each to there ownand you are asking on a ferrari site but you will get an honest opinion on here from most people unlike the response i get on 911uk.com

 

I agree, I think most people will give you an honest informed opinions here.... many still having a porsche as a daily driver.

 

I have recently swapped from a 993 targa to a 355 F1 berlinetta.

I had a cheshire cat smile the first time i parked it up in my garage, feels much more special than the porsche and is incredible to drive. Go for it, you will not regret the change.

 

I have never owned a Porsche and never wanted one because IMO they lack that something special. I am sure they are good cars, but they do not have the wow factor of a Ferrari.

 

I do not think you will be dissapointed with the change, i think the best person here to ask advice from would be our Moderator TonyH, i am sure that Tony owned a 911 before he bought the 355spider.

 

I never owned a 996 but have had a few 993s. The 911 was my first automtive love and i would have another 993 in a heartbeat.
I think you'll be surprised how primitive the 355 feels compared to a 996. The design is 10 yrs old and a few aspects of the car are disappointing, in particlar the interior and roof mechanism on the Spider. That said, the DRIVING experience is on a different level to the 911s i had. Much more power, fantastic engine note and truly fabulous[IMO] looks make the 355 a great package. Added to the fact that 355 prices are the cheapest i've seen for a while , the Ferrari makes a great case for itself.

 

I did just that - recently changed from a 996c2 for a 355GTB. Some personal observations:

- the 996 is much more of a daily driver than the 355. Some of the 355s greatest attributes actually make it less useable day to day - e.g. the noise when you're in the mood for it is something no 996 I have heard can match, but not that good when want some peace. I had to get a daily driver in addition to the 355 whereas the 996 was my daily car. Getting in and out of a 355 can be tricky in tight spaces..and I'm not (very) fat.

- my 996 was extremely reliable...but so is my 355 so far. My 355 has not given a single problem in 3 months of ownership. In the 2 years with my 996 it also never missed a beat. Have a feeling though that if something does go wrong it's probably going to cost more with the 355.

- Agree with Tonyh that the 355 feels primitive compared with the 996...things like switches, the airconditioning, the steering etc feel more robust and modern in the 996.

- my 355 consumes much more petrol than my 996...maybe it's because it sounds so good at high revs that I'm constantly tempted to wind it up but even on long journeys the 355 drinks considerably more.

I seem to have more points in favour of the 996 but why do I look forward to driving my 355 so much more than I did my 996? I think it's because compared with the 996c2, the 355 is so much more focused on the driving experience and gives me far far more enjoyment when I'm in the mood..

Both great cars and given the choice i'd keep them both

btw I do not drive on the track and that may be an issue you should take into consideration. Anyone know which is more fun on the track? which one stands up better to track use?

 

It will cost you quite a lot more to run. My dad's 996 costs him about £400 or so on average for servicing a year, A 355 would be £700-£1000 or £1300-£1500 when you need cambelts done. That is of course if you don't get hit with any of the major problems 355s can suffer from...ask Ade about that.

I am a porsche man, but if I had the choice I would take a red 355 GTS blk/creme please!

edited to say fchat user Robertb found the running costs on his 355 to be a little ridiculous and has bought a 993 instead.

 

Hi folks,
This is my first post so bear with me. I currently own a 1991 Lotus Elan. I am looking at a 355 vs. a Porsche. I drove a new Carrera last weekend. Very nice. I then drove a F355. Engine sound and spool up are very nice too. I know about the maintenance cost. My wife is now convinced that the F355 is the way to go. I love the looks of it no doubt. I think the interior is a bit dated though. I have been waiting for Lotus to come out with a new Esprit but that may be a way off. Anyway, I was starting to think about the Porsche GT3 vs. the F355. Then I saw an article written by someone who bought a GT3 after owning an M3 and was scared like hell on the track. It came around on him at 100mph. Seems that the alignment has to be just right.

I drive my Elan quite often - every other day on average. I love it and will keep it as well as whatever else I get. It doesn't have the high end grunt of these other cars and I certainly felt that both had the power that would be intoxicating. The F355 seems like it doesn't have much low end torque - you gotta spool it up - not too different from my Elan (other than the fact the ultimate high end power is over twice the Elan but the car weighs more too).

So, I'm in dilemma-ville. Practically speaking, a new Corvette delivers the best bang for the buck and the Ferrari the worst. From a repair standpoint, thats true too. The thing about the Porsche is that it supposedly does everything well - to the point of boredom? However, the GT3 sounds like it is one scary car. I'm worried that the F355 interior might feel dated to me more quickly. Certainly the newer Porsche's are much better looking. My Elan is a 91 but feels more like a mid-eighties car in interior. Not bad but nothing to write home about. I know its a picky thing but for this amount of money, I figure I want my cake and eat it too. I realize I have to compromise on something though. Exterior is more important in the long run.

I do drive on the track but I'm no track star. I have done about 15 track days in my Elan and I've also done a few driving schools including one in a single seat race car (that was unbelievable). I want a car I can drive on both track and street. I don't tend to push my cars too much on the street (other cars around - don't want to wrap it around a pole or go off a cliff). But, I do push them on the track.

Here's my order of important things:

- good power
- good looks
- modern
- great handling
- reliable
- I'm willing to live with the maintenance costs
- good driving position
- has some luggage area
- exotic enough that you don't see one every day
- something I won't get tired of

Cars I've thought about - ok, some of these are out of my price range but what the heck:

F355, Porsche Carrera S, Porsche GT3, Corvette, Noble M12, Lotus Esprit, Ford GT

The thing about the Ford and F355 is that you can't really take them anywhere w/o people staring at you. I don't like the interior of the Esprit anymore - it looks nice but the damn thing is so claustrophobic it drives me nuts. My car is cavernouse by comparison. I think the Noble is great for the money but the thing is so rare. I know 2 people that have them and I know a guy who can service it so that isn't an issue. Performance for it should be awesome but it certainly doesn't have the cachet of the Ferrari or even a Porsche. I've heard the engine sound is a bit bizarre too and there is literally no trunk - you have to store stuff in little places around the cabin. No storage bins or glove box either and the radio is on the passenger side!

Speaking of radios - ok, the F355 has a good engine note but when you are just cruising (say up to the track), it is nice to have a radio so I'd definitely put a nice one in.

Ok, advice - who wants to give me some?

Thanks,

Scott

 

I must be one of the few people around that doesn't find the 355 interior dated

Yes it's basic and simple. But it's nicely put together and understatement isn't always a bad thing. And FWIW I think the interior of the 996 is woeful (and in some colours looks like it came from a 70s Datsun saloon). 997 is better, but I wouldn't call it a masterpiece either.

End of the day, you really need to decide what your own priorities are. Corvettes (for example) may well be good "value". But that really depends what you expect your car to be.

If you're a true nut about these cars, the 355 will have something for you that simply cannot be defined. You'll look at it on your driveway and smile, or catch reflections of it in windows and do the same.

The other cars you mention are very nice (though I'm no Corvette fan) and in terms of performance/build quality etc may well be better than a Ferrari. But they aren't a Ferrari.

If your wife likes the 355, why not get one and see how you go with it over a year. You won't be losing too much money on it in that time, almost certainly less than the other cars you note, and you'll have scratched the itch.

If you want more advice on the other marques, you might want to check out www.pistonheads.com. It has specific fora for these cars.

 

I don't think I'm as qualified as some on here with regards either my Ferrari ownership or my sportscar ownership but I'll give you my $0.02.

Don't make it complicated and judge from your heart first!

Buying an out-an-out supercar is not a decision you make with your head otherwise you'll not buy one.....or you'll buy a Porsche!

GT40 - I'm not for the 'golden age' of racing and I've never understood how some people can get overly emotional about a.....Ford!!! Reminds me of a Max Powered Nova of its day!

GT3 - I've heard are a handful but one thing that gets me about the 996 range is that they all look the same from C2 to GT3........sorry, from Boxter to GT3!


997 C2S - It's supposed to be a cracking car and I prefer the hints towards the 993 but how long before the entire range catches up and they all look the same again. Porsche are becoming very predictable in their old age.

Esprit - I've always liked the Esprit and always saw myself buying one when I was a little younger. There aren't many around and are half the price of a F355 for around the same performance.

Noble - Very mean looking and very powerful. You'll definitely stand out in a crowd with one of these. There's a dealer in Sheffield has a few. Very basic inside. They're a looooong way off pedigree status though!

Ferrari F355 - Can you say it slowly? FER-RAR-RI. Sounds good doesn't it. The word Ferrari conjures up every school boys dream and creates powerful thoughts even before you go anywhere near one. The word Ferrari can stun a man and the unbelievable looks seems to turn people into stone. I'll not dwell on the the awesome performance, the sound, the 'quirky' interior, the drop dead gorgeous looks, the exotic name, the racing pedigree, the driving experience, the ability to change a little boys life forever (happen to me!)...............the high running costs, the red rag to Nitroused Novas, the 'who the f**k do you think you are' attitude, the waiting at junctions coz 'I'm not gonna let that p**ck in that Ferrari out!'.........If anything, owning a Ferrari will make you grow thicker skin.

F-E-R-R-A-R-I-F-3-5-5

 

scott you need a 996 turbo.

I was looking for an NSX (to mod so its fast), 996 and 355 GTS.

After 4 months i wound up w/ a 996 turbo. Its a great car, hella fast and comfy too. For me, what i really love about the turbo is how well it blends in to ppl who dont know any better (the one's you dont care about) , but sticks out when you want it to.

I admit that a 355 or even NSX is kinda poor as a daily driver. the looks and stares, lack of cargo room. ETC. I thought i'de have to keep my 350Z as my daily, but the turbo has been so great, i'm selling the Z. Kinda cool to have a daily driver that does 0-60 in 4 sec and tops out at 190mph eh?
the turbo certainly isnt the most *entertaining* ride, but switch PSM off to get some excitement.

make sure you take your time and find the best car for you - interior options. i absolutely love my car lapis blue w/ savannah beige / deviating metropol blue carpet. My car has the Full FULL leather option - HUGE difference interiorly over a lease end 996.

 

You aint never been in a Ferrari with a sports exhaust have you mate?

 

I agree with you mate a 996 turbo is a good daily driver [reps car] but if you want something special it has to be a ferrari as they as they are not a daily user like the porsche has now become