Thinking of going from C63 AMG to 360

I take mine all the time to Trader Joes, grocery shopping. I usually put them behind the seats or on the passenger footwell.

I haven't had anyone give me any negative vibe in the car. If they do, it's their problem.. not mine. My experience is that people will think your a ***** only after you behave like a ***** when they meet you and try to talk to you. If you're a nice guy.. people are going to think you're a nice guy. In other words, it's not the car that's going to make people think that. As far as peoples perceptions of the car... they're probably already thinking it in the AMG...

 

I can understand your apprehension on not seeming you're throwing out a tax bracket but honestly you like most of us just love cars. It's not showing off, it's a passion.

I have driven Everything and get All the questions and when it comes down to it people are just curious, that's it.

You own a business, just smile and talk.....enjoy the car as you'll get 1000 more times the attention, but you know what...it's All good

 

Why get content with a 360 ? Your budget can get you a 430 coupe ... that's what i would do if i was you ! No belt service needed either !

 

People will take pictures, yell out at you (postiive comments), so many thumbs up... even the black ones aren't immune.. although it's perhaps less so than my red car.

I haven't encountered any bad attitude on my drives... it's all been supportive and good. The ferrari will communicate exclusivity more clearly than an AMG...

 

For background we live in Spokane, WA (with a population of about 210K in the city and total of 500K in the surrounding area). I have owned a CLS55 and SLK55, and a bunch of other “normal” Benz cars. I have also owned many Porsches and currently the wife drives a new Cayenne and we have a new Boxster on order.

I took the plunge and bought a 360 Modena last year. The Ferrari is amazing and nothing like any of the Benz cars. Short form summary is that it is a visceral, living, emotive experience that is like no other. The modern AMG cars are as quick (and maybe even quicker), but don’t give you anywhere near the joy that the Ferrari will. Every kid wants to talk to you, check out the car and asks for a ride. This pretty much goes for most car guys too. You will not want to stop driving it.

This is the part where some folk may strongly disagree. DO NOT buy a 360 if you want to be inconspicuous in a town of 200K. EVERYONE will know you have the car within the first three months. In addition, the reactions in a smaller city like ours have been mixed. Most folks really dig the car and will say so, but I have had several “hey #$%hole or $%#^head” remarks thrown at me for no reason. In addition, kids will do stupid and dangerous stuff while driving to get pictures of the car. I had one kid pull in front of me and while driving turn in the seat to take pictures of the front of my car. I had another kid stop in cross traffic in the middle of an intersection to get a picture of me stopped at the light. While these things may happen in bigger cities where exotics are more common, it seems to me to be much more prevalent where exotics are really rare. Be prepared for constant attention when you are out on the road or parking the car.

 

I would totally agree with the comment above on both counts.

As a daily driver, I have a W209-era CLK55 AMG that, while only slightly behind the 360 in terms of straight line acceleration (thanks to an additional ~100 lb-ft of torque), is completely different in terms of the driving experience. Even with the AMG treatment, it remains a Mercedes; smooth, stable, comfortable, and comparatively quiet, kind of like driving a bank vault equipped with a whole lot of power, whereas the 360 is visceral, agile, engaging, and communicative to the nth degree. If you're thinking of "feeling faster" as straight-line performance, my guess is that your C63 and the 360 will be pretty comparable, but in terms of everything else, they're just entirely different cars.

As for attracting attention, I live in the central business district of Bellevue, Washington, where BMWs, Audis, and Mercedes are as common as Toyotas and Hondas. Even late-model Porsches don't turn heads, but I've had people chase me or pull up at stoplights and break out their phones to start taking pictures of my 2001 360 Spider. And it's not even red ... Personally I don't mind, and those who know you will know and understand your real motivations for owning the car, but to those that don't know you, unless you're in Monaco, it's tough to be inconspicuous in a Ferrari.

 

I got called a D*bag one time, while sitting in my car!! She said "sweet ride D*bag"!

 

+1
Think hard about the F430. If you're worried about attracting attention, get a subdued color like TdF, Pozzi, or Grigio Silverstone.

 

I've had my car for almost a year, and only got positive responses so far. I also felt the way you did before I purchased my car. Those feeling quickly dissipate with the first drive. After the first drive, you won't really care what others say. But like I said, thankfully it's all positive anyway.

 

I had a C63 and the 360. The C63 is a fun beast. RWD, loads of torque. The 360 is an exotic. More worries but a car that is a iconic. Lot more attention.

I still think the 360 is a great car going through the gear box with an exhaust was great.

I would say buy the Ferrari and enjoy it.

 

Don't worry about the color. If you want black get black. If you've waited this long to buy a Ferrari, you really should get the color you want.

 

I say do it, the amg is an awesome executive car with lots of power, muscular looks, and a great overall ride. The Ferrari is a racecar for the street, fast but agile, corners are your friend and fun, whereas with the Benz, corners are not the fun part due to the weight and its size.

People will see you, but anyone with a clue will know the 360 is older and is more choice than showing off. I think red may be the attraction angle you don't want though. Other colours may not be as popular resale wise, but who cares, just don't buy dusky pink, or polka spots! It's still a Ferrari 360, it will be we'll maintained and looked after, someone will buy it, it may just take a bit longer. I always try to remember that if I wanted a black/blue car to blend in a bit more, someone else will have the same requirement one day. I've had red ferraris, but in the main, I always pick other colours, my 599 is Grigio silverstone, and it does creep up on people (including cops) where a red car announces itself from a mile away.

You will always get jealousy, heck, my father had his 'panel' van keyed the day he bought it at a mall, just keep your wits about you and park/drive sensibly around likely areas (just like you would in the Benz, cayenne or anything else) and you should be good

Enjoy the 360 experience........ It's a blast

 

If by abuse you mean very hard shifts, lots of heavy foot driving, and most time spent near the red line, then the Ferrari can take it. It was designed to be driven that way.

If by abuse you mean starting up the car and driving it 5 miles and then parking without ever getting the engine warm, skipping service every other year, and leaving it parked outside under a car cover for months, then no. The Ferrari will fall apart if you treat it that way.

As far as not wanting to attract attention goes...well, there are worse choices than a Ferrari. I guess a Lamborghini might attract more attention. If you want a nice car that doesn't attract attention, keep your Merc.

 

I have an OE tuned C63 to 540 Hp, my second C63, and an F355 Berlinetta at 375 Hp. The AMG is much quicker and has much more torque than the Ferrari. The AMG is effortless to get to 130mph! While the Ferrari takes some high revs and lots of work to get up to speed and to keep the speed. the 360 Modena has similar performance to an F355, so next to your C63 P31, the 360 should feel less powerful and slower. The AMG is my DD and brings a huge smile to my face, everyday I commute to work. It is a true "muscle car". However, the Ferrari is my passion, my dream, and is that much more special. Sure it is older, and slower, but it is so much more involving to drive. The Ferrari is a 6speed manual vs the AMG 7 speed torque convertor. The Ferrari is more comfortable on a winding back roads drive or at the wide open track, while the AMG is best on the Autobahn, stoplight to stoplight drag racing, and even auto crossing. Interestingly, both the C63 and F355 have the same Nurburgring time, 8:13! If I had just one car to do everything in, I find the C63 hard to beat. It is not flashy, but classy, comfortable like a modern luxury sedan, can out drag most anything on the street, due to the C-class size-it is still nimble enough to play around and be fast thru the twisties, unlike the E63. I can even take my whole family in it in reasonable comfort (wife and 2 kids). The only other car I considered as another option as a do it all was the Nissan GTR, but the backseats are too small. The performance is out of this world though-on par with a Scuderia or 458.

 

with your budget i would also consider an f430.

 

If the budget is that I'd actually disagree and get the 360 still. It will allow you much more comfort to drive.

I bought mine in argento nuburgring (silver) because people notice it but I find less so than a red or yellow. I get thumbs up and pictures all the time but not anything negative. If you're worried about vandalism you could always bring it to AVI near Boston and have them do a full 3M wrap on the car. We tested it with a key and it works great.

The best thing has been just making sure when people say hi you act nice to them. Some people will hate you for your success. It's the nature of our country to hate those who work hard. But don't let it dissuade you from getting what you want.

Don't listen to the 430 crowd either... The 360 is a better looking car IMHO, unless you own it for 30 years the money you'll save in decreased cost will offset the belts.

If you're in New England drop me a message, I'm in NH and always willing to let you take mine out for a drive (can I drive your MB?!?!) and you can decide yourself how you like it. Also, the guys at Ferrari of New England are good friends of mine and I can point you to good people down there (they have 3 360 spiders right now at last check) and there is the Ferrari master up in nh (Ferrari Service of Bedford) to help get you serviced properly.

Cheers!

 

hey buddy it's been a while. Get the 360 no regrets I promise! black or silver would garner less attention, so black since it's your color anyway.

You'll love owning a Ferrari, it's another league altogether.

 

I have a front bra and the lights are covered in separate piece. My badges aren't covere (I have a 1/2 front). The guys at avi Boston can tell you more but it's new England... Not too bad in terms of "haters". I'll PM you on FoNE guys now... Good people there,

Red is nice and all but you'll be different in something else. Black looks oh-so-sexy whereas I found m silver more subtle. I'm dying for one in white. Maybe when I upgrade someday...

You can have at it any time. That AMG is hot...

 

Yep, most of us had the same thoughts as you about what people will say, think or do.
After lots of 911's I was bored so just did what I had been putting off for years.
And I wear this..
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Interesting thread. I got a red/tan black top 360 Spider one year ago as kind of a bucket list thing. I really did not even consider the things that you are apprehensive about. I did experience what many others have said here though about the attention that you will draw. It is dangerous for others to be taking pictures with cell phones while driving but, we cannot control that. My biggest take away from owning a Ferrari is that it improves the quality of life for me, my wife, my kids, my coworkers and others who I have met since I bought it. By that I mean, people love the car, talking about the car, riding in the car and driving the car. I am kind of generous about letting others drive it (with me as a passenger) and if it is not on someones bucket list, it should be. My college age son said in all seriousness, that driving the the 360 was "the most responsible thing" he has ever done. Strange perspective. I had a car guy cop pull me over for a BS reason because he wanted to look at the car. I offered to take him for a ride on another day, which we did, and now we're friends. That's a good thing.

Go ahead and buy the car. You will improve the quality of life in your town. BTW, I am taking my car to an annual car show in the town where I went to high school, population approx. 2000 people, this Memorial Day. I will park next to the Camaros, T-Birds and 57 Chevy's. Should be fun. I think it will be a thrill for the people there to see something that is uncommon.

 

Nothing wrong with Black, I prefer the 360 in Black.
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