Will the miss'us be able to drive the 355?

Chaps & Chapesses,

this thread is ultimately to be used for the cohersion of my significant other.

If she decides she can't drive the above then she will be unable to deliver me home drunken after impressing my mates at swanky restaurants & parties etc ...

I have assured her that despite only being a wee 5ft 1in girlie she will have no trouble due to power steering, hydraulic assistance etc... She has sat in a F355 on one of our jaunts to nearby dealers and confirms she can see over the steering wheel! .. Joy!

So I think problem must be to mental.. perhaps she's intimidated by the Fezza as shes keen for us (me!) to get a 911 instead & she's not even sat in it one yet!

Any girl 355 owners (foxy), girlfriends & wives of Fchatters post here describing your diminutive statistics and the ease with which you pilot the 355. If I experience further resistance I can show her this thread and hopefully she will relent so as not to appear inadequate!

 

My GF has no problems driving the 355, I would even say she enjoys driving it especially on the motorway. It's a very easy car to drive with the power steering and has quite good rear visability using the mirrors.

Parking can be a problem but that holds true for any car!

 

Well, having previously come from a 911 (993), I can honestly say that the 355 is a lot easier to drive (believe it or not). The 993 always demands a lot of your attention when driving - the car can be quite twitchy - and the steering inputs put a lot of people off in that it is VERY communacative, and this can be interpreted by some people as being 'edgy'.

If you're talking about a 996 then that is probably easier to drive, but lets face it, its just a mode of transport for 'fat-cats' who need a luxo-barge type ride but feel they need the Porsche badge, not a real sportscar (Turbo, GT2 and GT3 are obviously exempt from this description).

I honestly think the 355 is a doddle to drive - light steering, clutch, no visibility problems etc etc. Its just the shift gate that takes a little getting used to, but once you have driven it half a dozen times, no problem.

 

This probably doesn't help your cause, but I haven't managed to get my Girlfriend to drive me yet either, she is 5'5"ish so shouldn't have height issues. I reckon she will be fine though, maybe some test drives in supermarket carpark are in order to build up some confidence?

Ade

 

Ade

we both seem to have a similar problem.. what do you think it is? ... a 355 is surely the best looking car ever but it doesn't 'look' overly large or intimidating like say a Diablo might?

 

The 355 is easy to drive, with relatively light controls and good visibility. Only the width of the car is intimidating at first.

I have not been able to get my wife covered on the 355 under my insurance as she is under 30- something to bear in mind when you are getting cover...

Robert.

 

my wife drove the 355 more than me and she also drives the f512m when ever i leave it out

 

Or when you are picking a wife!

My ex didn't like the door handles as she was afraid of breaking a nail! If you are wanting to be chauffeured though this shouldn't be an issue. Also, if the gate is a problem you can probably change for her.

 

I think id rather stay sober than letting a bird drive my pride and joy!!

 

My wife is 5'-1"

She drives it with no prob. (F1)

 

Excellent, this is what I want to hear, positive affirmation acompanied by relevant statistics. Cheer M8.

Occaisionally I am tempted capitulate (pocket the 10k difference between a 996 & f355) and cop for less aggravation... then sayings like ' don't be the richest corpse in the graveyard' and 'you only live once' come to mind.

 

No problems.. My Mother drove my car with no problems and she is 60. Fair play to her too....135 on the local bypass and grinning like a cheshire cat....I was happy to get the car back, but she had no problems! Thank god!

Ed

 

I agree, a Diablo or Murci is twice as more intimidating.

I reckon the real issue is maybe some Girlfriends/Wifes are afraid of damaging the car because it is essentially their blokes pride and joy, and hes going to be upset and be all grumpy, then she won't get her 'handbag & shoes' money on quite such a regular basis..
Ade

 

I find handbag and shoe money is an essential and regular payment, a bit like mafia 'protection' money, to ensure unquestioned enjoyment of the Ferrari. I made the mistake of recently questioning a shoe purchase "just how many pairs of shoes like that can you actually wear at once??" and came the reply "errr, remind me how much that exhaust was for your car?". Now, we just live and let live...

Fair comment.

Robert.

 

"Mummy, where do babies come from?"

"From within mummy's tummy."

"How do they get there Mummy?"

"Some of Daddy's 'sperm' is placed within Mummy's tummy."

"Do you swallow it then Mummy?"

"No darling, that's only if you want a new dress - or wish to drive the Ferrari."


512 Tea Are - Tea Arse - Tear Arse

 

I'm 5' 1" too, and find it a little bit uncomfy!

I have the seat as far forward as it'll go and the backrest upright - to push me a little further forward.

You can do it, and once you're comfy you're ok.

She'll love it. The steering is beautiful, so smooth and "direct" (if that's the right word to use!)and it really is easy to drive (parking is another matter, though ).

Let her have a little play and see how she get's on. She may not be too keen on long journeys, as it can become a little uncomfy - but that just means you get longer behind the wheel!

Foxy x

 

The steering column adjusts up and down but not by a whole lot and you can tighten or loosen the side bolster on the drivers side.

 

Quote:

'I reckon the real issue is maybe some Girlfriends/Wifes are afraid of damaging the car because it is essentially their blokes pride and joy, and hes going to be upset and be all grumpy, then she won't get her 'handbag & shoes' money on quite such a regular basis..'


Quality Ade...real quality and my experiences exactly


cooooooollllblue

 

When I first went to look at My 355 My Wife test drove and loved but has never driven it since,no other reason as than She says it is My car and has need or desire to drive it(and She is insured for it)
Dave Mc

 

I let the GF give me a lift to the station a few weeks ago. When I met her in the evening she was very quiet and then started crying - she had kerbed one of the wheels of the car!

Thank god I wasn't in a F-car at the time!!!

Don't think she'll be driving for a while.....

 

LOL! Poor girl!

I still remember one of the first times I took it out, went to change from 2nd to 3rd while flooring it, and went into 1st instead Oops.

Foxy x