993 Cab vs F355 Spider, my ownership thoughts
Discussion
Mario, superb writing, interesting and fun.
I had my 993c2s 4 years. It is manual and has a loud exhaust too.
A great, great car.
I once test drove a black 355 spider and was instantly sold on the looks alone.
Like you, i went for a drive and thought something was wrong with the car. It felt *really* slow.
For me, it was a case of never meet your heros.
The interior and the smell coming out of the engine (the heat) were not inspiring confidence.
I gave it back and never dreamt about one again.
I had my 993c2s 4 years. It is manual and has a loud exhaust too.
A great, great car.
I once test drove a black 355 spider and was instantly sold on the looks alone.
Like you, i went for a drive and thought something was wrong with the car. It felt *really* slow.
For me, it was a case of never meet your heros.
The interior and the smell coming out of the engine (the heat) were not inspiring confidence.
I gave it back and never dreamt about one again.
Been thinking about selling my 355 for about six years now, in that time I have also had :
997 c2s cab x 2
993 c2 cab x2
996 GT2
Maserati MC Shift
Maserati 4.2 granturismo
Caterham
360 spider
SL amg
The 355’s still here !!! The rest are not !!!
Phib ( who may have got a bit of a car buying issue !!!)
997 c2s cab x 2
993 c2 cab x2
996 GT2
Maserati MC Shift
Maserati 4.2 granturismo
Caterham
360 spider
SL amg
The 355’s still here !!! The rest are not !!!
Phib ( who may have got a bit of a car buying issue !!!)
Great read, keep the articles coming.
I desperately wanted a 355 and looked at several but never could quite afford them or they needed a lot of money spending to put right again. I look at how the prices have gone now and wished i'd pushed the budget a bit more.
I ended up buying a 996 Turbo that has been great to own/drive. I know the 355 wouldn't be able to come close to the 996 dynamically but I think it would give a different sort of satisfaction.
Regards, DD
I desperately wanted a 355 and looked at several but never could quite afford them or they needed a lot of money spending to put right again. I look at how the prices have gone now and wished i'd pushed the budget a bit more.
I ended up buying a 996 Turbo that has been great to own/drive. I know the 355 wouldn't be able to come close to the 996 dynamically but I think it would give a different sort of satisfaction.
Regards, DD
Handling
Okay this is arguably going to be a bit controversial, so I will lay some cards on the table first so people understand where I'm coming from. I've owned a decent selection of performance cars over the last 8 years or so ranging from hot hatches to V12 Italians (they're all on my profile, there's also useful running cost info there, although some of it is out of date as I've been travelling for the last 5 months, half of which in the 993). I've done in the order of 10 track days or similar in a representative selection of the cars I've owned and while I do not consider myself "fast", I like to think I can get round at an entertaining pace safely and have a bit of an idea of lines, handling characteristics etc. I am certainly not however the Stig, or an Evo road tester on a spotted road for that matter. Where road driving his concerned I'm definitely of the slow in fast out mentality, whereas on track I might take a few more liberties. I like an enthusiastic drive on the road but I am fairly certain that either:
a) I am rather more timid than most appear to be on here/value my life more judging by what some people bang on about. At times i do think I'm literally the only person here not going sideways round every corner.
….or….
b) Most people are talking utter b
ks
To be fair, it's probably a bit of both, but when people bang on about "4wd in my 911 makes me quicker in the wet cross country", "keeping up with a 599 in my Cooper S" etc etc etc, I start to call bull Let's be clear, on an average interesting to drive UK road, a Clio 172 is going to cover ground at roughly the same pace as a Gallardo. Why?
1) there are cops about and we like our licenses,
and
2) there is traffic coming the other way and we're not suicidal.
It's great when people wax lyrical about passing Zondas in a Golf GTI on a track, but on the road, car performance has very little, if anything, to do with it once you're driving cars that appear in the Evo car data pages, it's all about how much risk you're willing to take on the road IMHO, not how fast the car is. Rant over
So, as ever starting with the 355. On the road it really is quite benign which shouldn't be a massive surprise. Given that there is no traction or stability control, it's actually quite a good thing that the engine is not a torque monster. No accidental throttle applications due to going over a bump are likely to end with you in a hedge and when she does slide at the back, it tends to be quite easily caught, although you will be going quite fast. I'll caveat that by saying I did have one spectacular brown trouser tank slapper moment on the A4 at all of 35 mph early one morning in Autumn a few years ago. Think looking down the road out the side window….repeatedly….from both sides. Never found out what caused it exactly and I did manage get it all back together, just, but suffice to say ever since if the conditions are anything but dry, I'm on uber alert when giving the remotest amount of loud pedal in a car with no computer to save me. In reality, I only really get my rocks off with some deliberate tail slidey action on hair pins. The 355 will do it at a pinch, but I always found that you had to be more aggressive by and large than I was willing to be on a road with traffic potentially coming the other way meaning that it did put a slight damper on enjoyment, but nothing terminal. I put it down to the 285 section rears and aforementioned lack of torque.
On track, the 355 was also great. With space to comfortably (for me) explore the limits at higher speed (i.e. not just hairpins!) I found that much the same as on the road, it's forgiving and the daft steering wheel is much less of an issue. I was never able to "play" with the car as you see journos doing on track, but I did get the distinct feeling that with a bit more confidence and/or tuition you could progress quite quickly to that stage. To be honest though, I probably spent a large amount of time just grinning like an idiot as I was driving a Ferrari on track, that's got to be a bucket list item right?
Onto the the 993. This is a little more complex as I have spent time on track twice in it, but on the standard suspension rather than the Bilsteins and Centre Gravity setup i have now on which I have only done road, so this is going to be a bit more convoluted. With regards to road driving, on both setups it has always gone well, the main obvious difference being the ride comfort. I've never had the floaty front end feeling that people go on about (indeed, the turn in feels comparable to the 355, and both are miles different from how my 550 points its nose) but then it could be that I tend to naturally trail brake slightly into corners on the road unconsciously as I know it's a 911. What the Bilsteins do provide however is a measure of confidence and control that the standard setup doesn't. It doesn't mean that on the road the standard setup won't perform as well for fast road, I just think you have to have more confidence in your abilities as you don't seem to be getting as much info from the car to tell you what's going on. The best way I can describe it is that the Bilsteins make me feel more like I'm in a go kart where sliding around is not scary because you feel intimately connected to the car, they seem to provide this measure of extra connection to a certain degree, even on their softest setting. Plus at RS+10mm ride height, the car looks the dogs danglies (sorry, had to get that one in there
). Funnily enough, and possibly unexpectedly, I think the 993 provides more instant jollies on the road than the 355. Although the back has more weight and seems to allow you to (at least psychologically) drive more out of the bend, it weirdly also seems a bit easier to get it moving around on the tighter corners as the tyres are only 255 section and you have more torque at sensible revs, seemingly the best of both worlds. Certainly when it does break away it's a bit scarier than the 355 (which virtually catches itself unless you're asleep or on the A4 apparently) as you do have to be paying attention, but dare i say it unless you have actually just stamped on the throttle or turned in far to fast under braking, you should be all right.
Ref the track I'm looking forward immensely to sampling the Bilsteins there, but suffice to say on standard suspension the car still feels great to drive. Strangely I feel like I'm able to take less liberties there than in the 355 as for me that normally involves braking later and actually into the corner. Speaking of braking, whereas on the road the 993 does not feel especially rear engined, the first time you drop the anchors hard on the track and the back starts squirming, you're left in no doubt where the ponies are sitting. The 355 on the other hand was always dead stable.
As a final note, it should be borne in mind that I tend to be exceptionally light on the brakes in all my cars, so unfortunately you're not going to get any good feedback ref brake fade etc. Suffice to say that they both broadly have the same stopping power, and if you're not happy with the feel/firmness i.e. too hard, don't be tight, get your callipers refurbed (preferably in a sexy colour))/pipes redone as it made a world of difference….I did it on my 993 and wish i had done it on my 355, best £500 I've spent. After 20 years, it doesn't matter how many times your brake fluid has been changed, there's got to be all sorts of crap in there making a mess of things.
So, who "out handles" the competition here? Another split result again I'm afraid
On the road, if you're less experienced/confident in car handling or simply like take it a bit easier because you're not 18 years old, 50% testosterone and/or driving above your talent level, I think you'll get more from the 993 as the limits on the 355 are higher and require a bit more dedication speed-wise. Conversely on track you'll have more fun in the 355 as if you push it it's more forgiving so you won't be nearly as worried about swapping ends.
At the other end of the spectrum, if your name is Stig or you are an Evo road tester, you'll probably get more out of the 355 on the road as you can play a bit more safely, but more out of the 993 on track as you'll be able to fully explore it rear engined quirks after the mid engined thing has got a little easy and "so last year daaaahling". With either car, you won't be disappointed with how it handles, the best 2 pieces of advice I can give are, whichever you might go for,
1) get the geo set up properly on it, factory settings by a monkey with the alignment machine at least, but preferably get it done by someone who knows the type of car who can talk to you about your driving style and tailor the setup for you, and almost more importantly, give your suspension a thorough going over to identify any parts that need replacing as it is not always obviously to a cursory inspection.
and
2) get the damn thing on a track…..to do otherwise is just criminal. PH police should be allowed to confiscate your car if you don't. So don't be pansy or give it the "but come resale…." argument, do it
Still to come:
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Okay this is arguably going to be a bit controversial, so I will lay some cards on the table first so people understand where I'm coming from. I've owned a decent selection of performance cars over the last 8 years or so ranging from hot hatches to V12 Italians (they're all on my profile, there's also useful running cost info there, although some of it is out of date as I've been travelling for the last 5 months, half of which in the 993). I've done in the order of 10 track days or similar in a representative selection of the cars I've owned and while I do not consider myself "fast", I like to think I can get round at an entertaining pace safely and have a bit of an idea of lines, handling characteristics etc. I am certainly not however the Stig, or an Evo road tester on a spotted road for that matter. Where road driving his concerned I'm definitely of the slow in fast out mentality, whereas on track I might take a few more liberties. I like an enthusiastic drive on the road but I am fairly certain that either:
a) I am rather more timid than most appear to be on here/value my life more judging by what some people bang on about. At times i do think I'm literally the only person here not going sideways round every corner.
….or….
b) Most people are talking utter b
ksTo be fair, it's probably a bit of both, but when people bang on about "4wd in my 911 makes me quicker in the wet cross country", "keeping up with a 599 in my Cooper S" etc etc etc, I start to call bull
Let's be clear, on an average interesting to drive UK road, a Clio 172 is going to cover ground at roughly the same pace as a Gallardo. Why? 1) there are cops about and we like our licenses,
and
2) there is traffic coming the other way and we're not suicidal.
It's great when people wax lyrical about passing Zondas in a Golf GTI on a track, but on the road, car performance has very little, if anything, to do with it once you're driving cars that appear in the Evo car data pages, it's all about how much risk you're willing to take on the road IMHO, not how fast the car is. Rant over
So, as ever starting with the 355. On the road it really is quite benign which shouldn't be a massive surprise. Given that there is no traction or stability control, it's actually quite a good thing that the engine is not a torque monster. No accidental throttle applications due to going over a bump are likely to end with you in a hedge and when she does slide at the back, it tends to be quite easily caught, although you will be going quite fast. I'll caveat that by saying I did have one spectacular brown trouser tank slapper moment on the A4 at all of 35 mph early one morning in Autumn a few years ago. Think looking down the road out the side window….repeatedly….from both sides. Never found out what caused it exactly and I did manage get it all back together, just, but suffice to say ever since if the conditions are anything but dry, I'm on uber alert when giving the remotest amount of loud pedal in a car with no computer to save me. In reality, I only really get my rocks off with some deliberate tail slidey action on hair pins. The 355 will do it at a pinch, but I always found that you had to be more aggressive by and large than I was willing to be on a road with traffic potentially coming the other way meaning that it did put a slight damper on enjoyment, but nothing terminal. I put it down to the 285 section rears and aforementioned lack of torque.
On track, the 355 was also great. With space to comfortably (for me) explore the limits at higher speed (i.e. not just hairpins!) I found that much the same as on the road, it's forgiving and the daft steering wheel is much less of an issue. I was never able to "play" with the car as you see journos doing on track, but I did get the distinct feeling that with a bit more confidence and/or tuition you could progress quite quickly to that stage. To be honest though, I probably spent a large amount of time just grinning like an idiot as I was driving a Ferrari on track, that's got to be a bucket list item right?
Onto the the 993. This is a little more complex as I have spent time on track twice in it, but on the standard suspension rather than the Bilsteins and Centre Gravity setup i have now on which I have only done road, so this is going to be a bit more convoluted. With regards to road driving, on both setups it has always gone well, the main obvious difference being the ride comfort. I've never had the floaty front end feeling that people go on about (indeed, the turn in feels comparable to the 355, and both are miles different from how my 550 points its nose) but then it could be that I tend to naturally trail brake slightly into corners on the road unconsciously as I know it's a 911. What the Bilsteins do provide however is a measure of confidence and control that the standard setup doesn't. It doesn't mean that on the road the standard setup won't perform as well for fast road, I just think you have to have more confidence in your abilities as you don't seem to be getting as much info from the car to tell you what's going on. The best way I can describe it is that the Bilsteins make me feel more like I'm in a go kart where sliding around is not scary because you feel intimately connected to the car, they seem to provide this measure of extra connection to a certain degree, even on their softest setting. Plus at RS+10mm ride height, the car looks the dogs danglies (sorry, had to get that one in there
). Funnily enough, and possibly unexpectedly, I think the 993 provides more instant jollies on the road than the 355. Although the back has more weight and seems to allow you to (at least psychologically) drive more out of the bend, it weirdly also seems a bit easier to get it moving around on the tighter corners as the tyres are only 255 section and you have more torque at sensible revs, seemingly the best of both worlds. Certainly when it does break away it's a bit scarier than the 355 (which virtually catches itself unless you're asleep or on the A4 apparently) as you do have to be paying attention, but dare i say it unless you have actually just stamped on the throttle or turned in far to fast under braking, you should be all right.Ref the track I'm looking forward immensely to sampling the Bilsteins there, but suffice to say on standard suspension the car still feels great to drive. Strangely I feel like I'm able to take less liberties there than in the 355 as for me that normally involves braking later and actually into the corner. Speaking of braking, whereas on the road the 993 does not feel especially rear engined, the first time you drop the anchors hard on the track and the back starts squirming, you're left in no doubt where the ponies are sitting. The 355 on the other hand was always dead stable.
As a final note, it should be borne in mind that I tend to be exceptionally light on the brakes in all my cars, so unfortunately you're not going to get any good feedback ref brake fade etc. Suffice to say that they both broadly have the same stopping power, and if you're not happy with the feel/firmness i.e. too hard, don't be tight, get your callipers refurbed (preferably in a sexy colour))/pipes redone as it made a world of difference….I did it on my 993 and wish i had done it on my 355, best £500 I've spent. After 20 years, it doesn't matter how many times your brake fluid has been changed, there's got to be all sorts of crap in there making a mess of things.
So, who "out handles" the competition here? Another split result again I'm afraid
On the road, if you're less experienced/confident in car handling or simply like take it a bit easier because you're not 18 years old, 50% testosterone and/or driving above your talent level, I think you'll get more from the 993 as the limits on the 355 are higher and require a bit more dedication speed-wise. Conversely on track you'll have more fun in the 355 as if you push it it's more forgiving so you won't be nearly as worried about swapping ends. At the other end of the spectrum, if your name is Stig or you are an Evo road tester, you'll probably get more out of the 355 on the road as you can play a bit more safely, but more out of the 993 on track as you'll be able to fully explore it rear engined quirks after the mid engined thing has got a little easy and "so last year daaaahling". With either car, you won't be disappointed with how it handles, the best 2 pieces of advice I can give are, whichever you might go for,
1) get the geo set up properly on it, factory settings by a monkey with the alignment machine at least, but preferably get it done by someone who knows the type of car who can talk to you about your driving style and tailor the setup for you, and almost more importantly, give your suspension a thorough going over to identify any parts that need replacing as it is not always obviously to a cursory inspection.
and
2) get the damn thing on a track…..to do otherwise is just criminal. PH police should be allowed to confiscate your car if you don't. So don't be pansy or give it the "but come resale…." argument, do it
Still to come:
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
erics said:
I once test drove a black 355 spider and was instantly sold on the looks alone.
Like you, i went for a drive and thought something was wrong with the car. It felt *really* slow.
For me, it was a case of never meet your heros.
The interior and the smell coming out of the engine (the heat) were not inspiring confidence.
I gave it back and never dreamt about one again.
Mmmm. First time I drove a 355 I was underwhelmed (and ended up buying a 996 GT3). Didn't feel that fast and I didn't like the steering. However, 355 continued to look fantastic to me and many years later went to see one for sale near some good roads I knew. Got to have a proper drive on decent roads at speed (perhaps helped that the weather was lovely too). Came away with a completely different view. Still took a few years and a number of other cars before I finally bought one. When I did I wasn't disappointed. Apart from the time it broke down when I was out driving with a group of early 911 enthusiasts...but that is another story. Perhaps you should give the 355 another chance.Like you, i went for a drive and thought something was wrong with the car. It felt *really* slow.
For me, it was a case of never meet your heros.
The interior and the smell coming out of the engine (the heat) were not inspiring confidence.
I gave it back and never dreamt about one again.
Was the same with the Ducati 916. Didn't get it the first time I rode one but went back for a second go and fell in love with it (was already smitten with the looks).
Sorry for delays for anyone who was waiting, last few weeks of the holiday were a bit manic so only been able to put a little time into writing!
Looks
Well, compared to the last section, this should be pretty straightforward! With the 355, let's be honest, it's probably the prettiest of any mass produced Ferrari. Anything built after really just pales in comparison, in my opinion, by generally being too big and somehow too fussy. It's not to say they're not good looking cars, they are, but I think the 355 just about bit the perfect sweet spot between modern and old. In 30 years, no one's going to be looking back at a 360/430/599/458/FF/F12 and thinking "phwoar! I have to have that car as it's so beautiful!". The 308/328 cars are definitely close on the scale, but I personally think while gorgeous, just lack that little hint of modern style that the 355 brings to the party.
[O/T]
While we're on the subject, I think the 348 might be a real sleeper car here: in 30 years time when all current ferraris are needing mega work to keep nice, whether initial build quality was good or not, I think the unusual rear lights never repeated and slightly more, dare I say it, "manly" front end of the 348 (compared to the 355) will do very well. Enhanced by the fact that a properly set up 348 is apparently a very rewarding drive, as well as that in 20 years time when entry level Ferraris have about 1000bhp, the difference between 320 in the 348 and 380 (*cough*) in the 355 are going to be a bit irrelevant. But I digress…
[/O/T]
I think the 355 also does very well in terms of the spider and targa comparing favourably with the berlinetta. I am a little biased, but I think a spider with tonneau cover actually bests the berlinetta - it looks generally lower and sleeker and one of the other posters mentions that removing the roof seems to make he rear end look a lot wider and sexier, and I totally agree.
This brings me neatly onto the 993 cab which, let's be honest, with the roof down and tonneau on looks like last night's regurgitated dogs dinner compared to the coupe. Funnily enough, removing the tonneau seems to improve matters, somehow less attention is drawn to the roof (which doesn't fold away nearly as discretely as the 355's, score a virtually unbelievable practicality bonus point for the Italian, although it almost loses it when you see how convoluted the mechanism/process is) and after a while I've found that your brain almost filters it out of the picture. The 993 cab does however benefit from the same roof down wider bum look as the 355 which a bonus as I think the 993 has one of the best 911 arses out there, can't beat a big reflector strip. At the front though where the 355 is sleek, elegant and dainty I think the 993 was smoothed over a tad too much compared to previous generations and almost looks a little chubby. I think the sweet sport for me had I designed it would have been keeping the 964 front (maybe tweaking the bumper) and combining it with the 993 rear. The one thing that really works in the 993's favour however is just how small they look on the road compared to other cars and also the 355 for the purposes of this comparison. Whenever I have one in my rear view mirror, it looks tiny but all the better for it. Even if the car is heavier than it's bigger 996 successor, the small looks give a really good feeling and I'm almost certain make me more confident to drive down narrower roads even if the reality is only an inch's difference.
So unsurprisingly, the 355 wins this one, but given that Porsche has always been the more "sensible" everyday brand it's hardly unexpected. My only criticism of the Porsche is that for my taste I think they dropped the ball slightly on the front end. Nothing dramatic, but like I said, I'd prefer it to look a bit more 964-like.
Still to come:
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Looks
Well, compared to the last section, this should be pretty straightforward! With the 355, let's be honest, it's probably the prettiest of any mass produced Ferrari. Anything built after really just pales in comparison, in my opinion, by generally being too big and somehow too fussy. It's not to say they're not good looking cars, they are, but I think the 355 just about bit the perfect sweet spot between modern and old. In 30 years, no one's going to be looking back at a 360/430/599/458/FF/F12 and thinking "phwoar! I have to have that car as it's so beautiful!". The 308/328 cars are definitely close on the scale, but I personally think while gorgeous, just lack that little hint of modern style that the 355 brings to the party.
[O/T]
While we're on the subject, I think the 348 might be a real sleeper car here: in 30 years time when all current ferraris are needing mega work to keep nice, whether initial build quality was good or not, I think the unusual rear lights never repeated and slightly more, dare I say it, "manly" front end of the 348 (compared to the 355) will do very well. Enhanced by the fact that a properly set up 348 is apparently a very rewarding drive, as well as that in 20 years time when entry level Ferraris have about 1000bhp, the difference between 320 in the 348 and 380 (*cough*) in the 355 are going to be a bit irrelevant. But I digress…
[/O/T]
I think the 355 also does very well in terms of the spider and targa comparing favourably with the berlinetta. I am a little biased, but I think a spider with tonneau cover actually bests the berlinetta - it looks generally lower and sleeker and one of the other posters mentions that removing the roof seems to make he rear end look a lot wider and sexier, and I totally agree.
This brings me neatly onto the 993 cab which, let's be honest, with the roof down and tonneau on looks like last night's regurgitated dogs dinner compared to the coupe. Funnily enough, removing the tonneau seems to improve matters, somehow less attention is drawn to the roof (which doesn't fold away nearly as discretely as the 355's, score a virtually unbelievable practicality bonus point for the Italian, although it almost loses it when you see how convoluted the mechanism/process is) and after a while I've found that your brain almost filters it out of the picture. The 993 cab does however benefit from the same roof down wider bum look as the 355 which a bonus as I think the 993 has one of the best 911 arses out there, can't beat a big reflector strip
. At the front though where the 355 is sleek, elegant and dainty I think the 993 was smoothed over a tad too much compared to previous generations and almost looks a little chubby. I think the sweet sport for me had I designed it would have been keeping the 964 front (maybe tweaking the bumper) and combining it with the 993 rear. The one thing that really works in the 993's favour however is just how small they look on the road compared to other cars and also the 355 for the purposes of this comparison. Whenever I have one in my rear view mirror, it looks tiny but all the better for it. Even if the car is heavier than it's bigger 996 successor, the small looks give a really good feeling and I'm almost certain make me more confident to drive down narrower roads even if the reality is only an inch's difference.So unsurprisingly, the 355 wins this one, but given that Porsche has always been the more "sensible" everyday brand it's hardly unexpected. My only criticism of the Porsche is that for my taste I think they dropped the ball slightly on the front end. Nothing dramatic, but like I said, I'd prefer it to look a bit more 964-like.
Still to come:
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Great thread. I have a 993 C2 VR and would love to add an F355B - my two favourite cars from the 90s.
Mario149 said:
Funnily enough though, just to put a fly in the 5W-40, I have heard it said that because the VR 993s have a more consistent torque curve, the lack of dramatic kick at 5k actually makes them feel a bit less impressive than their NVR counterparts…..
Post mid-96, VR cars had a longer-ratio gearbox than the earlier cars, which makes them feel a bit lazier. There was a short overlap where 993 VRs were fitted with the short-ratio box - that's the model to have (and the one I bought, naturally) Great write up, very much enjoyed reading this. I eventually got to purchase my dream car of the 90's, I adore my F355 spider, especially with a manual box and Capristo exhaust, every drive is an event! a keeper for life hopefully. My other favourite car of that era is the 993, I would love to buy a C2S one day (with no rear spoiler, love the lines without the whale tail). For me both the 993 and F355 are two of the very best cars of that time. Drove down to Classic LeMans in a mates 993 RS in Riviera Blue with Gold BBS split rims, one of the most best looking cars I've ever seen and properly quick, lots of torque and that classic flat 6 noise.
Agree re the speed of the F355, by modern standards it doesn't feel that quick (apart from at high revs it's got some poke), but what an amazing engine - super smooth at idle and it just loves to rev and no idea why but of all the V8 Ferrari's it has to be up there with sounding the best, I think it was the only 5V per cylinder V8, maybe that's the reason, the 360, 430 sound great but a harder note by comparison, the F355 just sounds epic with a proper F1 scream to it's engine note (with a Capristo!)....
Agree re the speed of the F355, by modern standards it doesn't feel that quick (apart from at high revs it's got some poke), but what an amazing engine - super smooth at idle and it just loves to rev and no idea why but of all the V8 Ferrari's it has to be up there with sounding the best, I think it was the only 5V per cylinder V8, maybe that's the reason, the 360, 430 sound great but a harder note by comparison, the F355 just sounds epic with a proper F1 scream to it's engine note (with a Capristo!)....
Hi kids, I never managed to finish my comparison - my sabbatical ended and real life kicked in again But, I will try and continue now and do the running costs section shortly In the meantime...
As an interesting aside, I had my 993 dyno-ed at surrey rolling road a couple of months ago. After 20 years and 129k miles, she showed 267.9 bhp (~271.9 PS), so down 0.1 on what she should have left the factory with, I think we'll forgive her that Interestingly max torque came at 5.25 - 5.5k rpm, so a bit higher than normal, suspect it might be the Carnewal exhaust on her. I'm happy to sacrifice a fraction of low end for the noise though
Also had her on track at bedford with instruction (also had the GT3 there as well) and she was brilliant with her PSS10s on. The instructor was mightily impressed with how she went and we kept a lot of higher powered, newer cars with engines in the "right" place honest GT3 was another level though, with a bit of egging on to be brave by my instructor, the phrase "turkey shoot" comes to mind - wish it was just my skill but those cars are *soooo* capable and I'm a little sad to say but they make Ferrari's second hand offerings at similar price look rather expensive in my mind in terms of driving involvement and ability.
But, I will try and continue now and do the running costs section shortly In the meantime...As an interesting aside, I had my 993 dyno-ed at surrey rolling road a couple of months ago. After 20 years and 129k miles, she showed 267.9 bhp (~271.9 PS), so down 0.1 on what she should have left the factory with, I think we'll forgive her that
Interestingly max torque came at 5.25 - 5.5k rpm, so a bit higher than normal, suspect it might be the Carnewal exhaust on her. I'm happy to sacrifice a fraction of low end for the noise though Also had her on track at bedford with instruction (also had the GT3 there as well) and she was brilliant with her PSS10s on. The instructor was mightily impressed with how she went and we kept a lot of higher powered, newer cars with engines in the "right" place honest
GT3 was another level though, with a bit of egging on to be brave by my instructor, the phrase "turkey shoot" comes to mind - wish it was just my skill but those cars are *soooo* capable and I'm a little sad to say but they make Ferrari's second hand offerings at similar price look rather expensive in my mind in terms of driving involvement and ability.Gassing Station | Porsche General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff