993 Cab vs F355 Spider, my ownership thoughts
Discussion
Having now covered the same miles (actually more, but motorway miles don't really count) in my manual 993 C2 Cabriolet as I did in my manual F355 Spider, I thought it might be fun to do a side by side comparison/review based on my experiences for a few reasons:
- I'm on holiday with too much time on my hands, so why not thrill(!) the PH masses with my odd ponderings
- Prices have been rising for both in real terms (especially the 993) for the last couple of years no longer making them a "cheap" entry option for their marque
- They were both engineered in the same generation (mid-90s)
- They are both the "impure" body style version, although both do have the correct number of driven wheels and a manual gearbox
- Both were high mileage (for their make/model) when purchased, both saw/see much larger annual mileages under my stewardship than most others and finally both saw/see more unusual usage such as multiple track days/month long (or longer) euro camping trips/commuting/DIY runs from B&Q etc etc.
I'll put them up in separate sections for different aspects of the cars as they'll likely have a bit of length to them (oo err).
So, here goes (I suspect Chris Harris has little to worry about here competition-wise
):
Practicality
Let's get the "boring" bit out the way first
Actually in all truth, I think practicality in a mainstream supercar (or high end sports car) is vitally important as I think the vast majority of owners do (or should do) more than just take them out for a spin on a weekend and only having storage for a handkerchief hasn't cut it for a long time, if ever. In fact, week or longer road trips to Europe should be mandatory or the PH police should confiscate it 
I spent 3 weeks camping and touring in the 355 and it was awesome, coping surprisingly well. If you make an effort, the amount of kit it can swallow is really rather surprising. The biggest issues are twofold:
1) the front hinged boot - sounds like a minor thing, but if you're trying to get heavy stuff in and out from the bottom (boot is surprisingly deep) it rapidly becomes a ball ache as you bang your head on it (if the wind hasn't blown it onto you already, an amazing feat since it seems to have the same weight as its equivalent part in depleted uranium) and trying not to scratch paint as you heave things out over the high bodywork above the wheel, and
2) loading up the front with say, 3 cases of wine (1st world problem alert), kills the steering and front suspension giving you something akin to F1 ground clearance and the feeling your power steering has died.....not good.
The 993 C2 unsurprisingly copes better, partly because of the extra rear space but mainly because the 2 issues above do not occur - the boot hinge is not goofy and even with my car on Bilstein PSS10s/Eibachs at RS+10mm, ride height seems less negatively affected than one would expect, and on standard shocks and springs it was fine. Also, brucey bonus of the Cab over a Carrera: you can lower the roof to help get luggage on/off the back seat
So take your chassis stiffness and stow it (if you can) Carrera fanboys
A top tip here btw: planning on going touring? Remove the boot carpet and spare wheel and cut off the spare wheel mounting bracket, not only have you gone RS lightweight spec, but you've also doubled your boot capacity and hence quantities of Chateau Collapseau than can be purchased.
Range wise, the Porsche pips the Ferrari, on a reasonably high speed run (say 85mph or so) you should see 400+miles (from 85 litres) in the Italian before spluttering to a stop but more like 450+miles (from 75 litres) in the German. It's worth noting that the 993 mileage suffers quite badly
1) when running 95 rather than 98 fuel (about 7% reduction based on my current 8 week euro trip notes), and
2) at higher speeds with the roof down when compared to the 355. Conversely, the 355 engine seems happiest and most frugal when cruising at 85-90, roof up or down.
As a daily drive/commuter, both are in principle fine (we'll deal with running costs later), although the 355 feels (and I believe is) noticeably wider so town driving is a tad more tricky. Ride is better on the 993 (with standard suspension, harsher on the Bilsteins though), but again the 355 is not uncomfortable if kept out of Sport. So far so good. But, if you have a Capristo or similar on the Ferrari, you do feel like a massive tool quite often when you temporarily forget what vehicle you're in and put your foot down in 6th at 60mph to overtake: the valve opens, Satan screams as if the world is ending, only it doesn't but you wish it would as you crawl past your hapless "victim" at 62....63....64mph - more on performance and powertrain later.
The 993 doesn't get away scott free though, primarily due to it having the turning circle of an Ultra Large Crude Carrier, but we'll forgive it as it can, when strictly necessary take the extra 2 people for short journeys - I'm still trying to persuade my gf that the 10 hours she spent in the back over 3 days the other week counts as short....
So for Practicality (financials aside), the 993 comes out on top, but not by as much as you'd think.
Still to come....
Powertrain/performance
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
- I'm on holiday with too much time on my hands, so why not thrill(!) the PH masses with my odd ponderings
- Prices have been rising for both in real terms (especially the 993) for the last couple of years no longer making them a "cheap" entry option for their marque
- They were both engineered in the same generation (mid-90s)
- They are both the "impure" body style version, although both do have the correct number of driven wheels and a manual gearbox
- Both were high mileage (for their make/model) when purchased, both saw/see much larger annual mileages under my stewardship than most others and finally both saw/see more unusual usage such as multiple track days/month long (or longer) euro camping trips/commuting/DIY runs from B&Q etc etc.
I'll put them up in separate sections for different aspects of the cars as they'll likely have a bit of length to them (oo err).
So, here goes (I suspect Chris Harris has little to worry about here competition-wise
):Practicality
Let's get the "boring" bit out the way first
Actually in all truth, I think practicality in a mainstream supercar (or high end sports car) is vitally important as I think the vast majority of owners do (or should do) more than just take them out for a spin on a weekend and only having storage for a handkerchief hasn't cut it for a long time, if ever. In fact, week or longer road trips to Europe should be mandatory or the PH police should confiscate it I spent 3 weeks camping and touring in the 355 and it was awesome, coping surprisingly well. If you make an effort, the amount of kit it can swallow is really rather surprising. The biggest issues are twofold: 1) the front hinged boot - sounds like a minor thing, but if you're trying to get heavy stuff in and out from the bottom (boot is surprisingly deep) it rapidly becomes a ball ache as you bang your head on it (if the wind hasn't blown it onto you already, an amazing feat since it seems to have the same weight as its equivalent part in depleted uranium) and trying not to scratch paint as you heave things out over the high bodywork above the wheel, and
2) loading up the front with say, 3 cases of wine (1st world problem alert), kills the steering and front suspension giving you something akin to F1 ground clearance and the feeling your power steering has died.....not good.
The 993 C2 unsurprisingly copes better, partly because of the extra rear space but mainly because the 2 issues above do not occur - the boot hinge is not goofy and even with my car on Bilstein PSS10s/Eibachs at RS+10mm, ride height seems less negatively affected than one would expect, and on standard shocks and springs it was fine. Also, brucey bonus of the Cab over a Carrera: you can lower the roof to help get luggage on/off the back seat
So take your chassis stiffness and stow it (if you can) Carrera fanboys A top tip here btw: planning on going touring? Remove the boot carpet and spare wheel and cut off the spare wheel mounting bracket, not only have you gone RS lightweight spec, but you've also doubled your boot capacity and hence quantities of Chateau Collapseau than can be purchased.
Range wise, the Porsche pips the Ferrari, on a reasonably high speed run (say 85mph or so) you should see 400+miles (from 85 litres) in the Italian before spluttering to a stop but more like 450+miles (from 75 litres) in the German. It's worth noting that the 993 mileage suffers quite badly
1) when running 95 rather than 98 fuel (about 7% reduction based on my current 8 week euro trip notes), and
2) at higher speeds with the roof down when compared to the 355. Conversely, the 355 engine seems happiest and most frugal when cruising at 85-90, roof up or down.
As a daily drive/commuter, both are in principle fine (we'll deal with running costs later), although the 355 feels (and I believe is) noticeably wider so town driving is a tad more tricky. Ride is better on the 993 (with standard suspension, harsher on the Bilsteins though), but again the 355 is not uncomfortable if kept out of Sport. So far so good. But, if you have a Capristo or similar on the Ferrari, you do feel like a massive tool quite often when you temporarily forget what vehicle you're in and put your foot down in 6th at 60mph to overtake: the valve opens, Satan screams as if the world is ending, only it doesn't but you wish it would as you crawl past your hapless "victim" at 62....63....64mph - more on performance and powertrain later.
The 993 doesn't get away scott free though, primarily due to it having the turning circle of an Ultra Large Crude Carrier, but we'll forgive it as it can, when strictly necessary take the extra 2 people for short journeys - I'm still trying to persuade my gf that the 10 hours she spent in the back over 3 days the other week counts as short....
So for Practicality (financials aside), the 993 comes out on top, but not by as much as you'd think.
Still to come....
Powertrain/performance
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
jw01 said:
IMHO 2 totally different cars so hard (if not impossible)to make a meaningful and realistic comparison. I, too have owned both.
My main reason for comparing them is that as part of my stable they both get/got the same sort of use over my ownership, namely at different stages they've both been the primary daily drive and secondary weekend/tour car.Powertrain/Performance
Engines first.
355: For those who have somehow slept through the last 20 years, here are the pertinent numbers. It's a 3.5 litre V8, revs to 8.25k rpm and delivers 380bhp at 8.25k rpm and 268 ftlb at 6k rpm. Legend has it that the early 2.7 Motronic cars (the one I bought naturally) go slightly better/faster/harder/stronger, but I'd give £1000 to charity if anyone could drive a mix of them back to back and tell me which was which. The 2.7 is however, for the record, better (duh it's the one I bought) as it has 2 intake pipes that don't link in the middle which looks cooler. It also requires 2 MAFs so there is twice as much to go expensively wrong, therefore mega extra man points available there. Anyway….
Believe it or not, the engine, IMO, does have some issues (performance, not reliability in this case, the latter being a separate topic), so let's get them out the way first.
If you've driven any naturally aspirated performance car with remotely the same power output from the last 20 years, you're going to get a shock the first time you try and accelerate below 5k rpm in any gear but first. I had a Maser 4200 that went like the clappers all the way from what seemed like idle onwards, I traded into a 996 C4S with 70 bhp less and acknowledged that I was getting a car with less straight line acceleration but that was lighter, better handling and required more revving to get the best. The first time I test drove a 355 after driving to the garage in the C4S, I genuinely thought there was something wrong with the car, but since the dealer wasn't making any sort of fuss I was too embarrassed to say anything. The second test drive in a different car went much as the first and it started to dawn on me that maybe, despite what ferrari say on paper, they're not that quick. The 3rd test drive in jdw1234's (
) old beautiful banana special went much the same again until on the run home he took over and gave it a good squirt up to the redline. Finally! It went more like i expected! As people have obviously guessed, I'd been a bit coy about redlining other people's dancing donkeys so had probably accessed a max of about 250bhp. And therein lies my issue, at anything that I'd class as driving up to 7/10ths, it's not a quick car by any stretch. You have to metaphorically rip the arse out of it to get your power. Fun? Ohmygodyes when you're in the mood and/or on track. When you just want to go for a fairly spirited drive, there's always a nagging feeling that you'd rather they'd given it a few more cc, 500 less revs and a tad more drivability. Truth be told, it does not feel like 380bhp and if you are expecting it to I think you'll be disappointed. 350, yeah, go on then, why not even accounting for the extra weight of the Spider, but not 380. Maybe it's the delivery that fools the senses, maybe Italian horses are a bit skinny, I don't know.
However, all that said, those "complaints" are in the context of modern(ish) performance cars, which clearly it is not. Seen in the context of the power of the model it replaced and its contemporaries, to create a 40 valve absolute screamer of an engine with more than 100bhp/litre because they could must have been too much for Ferrari to resist, I don't blame them for a second and the car enthusiasts' world would be a vastly poorer place if they'd taken my advice above. And if anyone from the Honda S2000 engine development team is reading, you get a massive thumbs up too.
So, onto the good bits
With the standard factory fit exhaust it's great (just make sure your exhaust valve is opening properly as otherwise you'll be missing out, possibly for several months….ask me how I know….), with any respected aftermarket exhaust (for extra lairiness and the opportunity for some hints of flame, a bit of decat action is also in order) there is but one thing to say: the noise dear god the noise!! Did I mention the noise? It's not a stretch to say it's likely the best sounding (Ferrari) V8 ever which luckily, given its power delivery, means you want to rev it far more than you would a regular performance engine. It is silky smooth and there's no grumpiness at low revs. The pick up is whip-like (my 550 feels like it's gone to sleep in comparison when I rev it) and if you keep it cooking above 6k rpm it's a masterpiece and feels like it wants to live there all the time. Thrash it round a track for an afternoon and you'll swear it feels perkier and generally more pleased with itself on the drive home. All this with the added bonus that because it's not modern-day powerful a la F430/458 etc, you get to enjoy revving it out more and you're not going ridiculously fast between corners, which is useful as plod will hear you coming from somewhere on the far side of the next county even after he's put his earplugs in to take the edge off the racket. Like I said, dear god the noise 
The non-Varioram 993 lump in my Cab at first glance would seem to be positively agricultural by comparison. 100cc up on the 355 at 3.6 litres in a flat 6 configuration, but only a meagre 272bhp at 6.25k rpm with 243ftlb at 5k rpm and a redline of 6.5k. And only 2 valves per cylinder….where the hell are the other 3? But as usual with Porsche that's not the whole story. Where Italian thoroughbreds seem to have been nibbling at the Parma Ham and Melon antipasto, the German carthorses have been chowing down on Pork Knuckle with Extra Dumplings. In the mid range, despite the 355's shorter gearing, the 993 still feels meatier. Not by a lot, and maybe part of it is psychological as you're only seeing 6.5k revs available and you know it's *supposed* to be the thick end of 110 bhp down on the 355, but it just feels like it pulls that bit harder nonetheless. And here's the great bit: at low revs with a suitable exhaust (I *highly recommend* Carnewal's RSR mufflers, an absolute steal at €400) you get this lovely rough, gruff throat clearing-esque tone with burbling, pops and bangs on the overrun virtually on demand. At about 4.3k rpm, you get a nice extra shove as the needle takes off and what was a pleasing gruff base note lifts to a lovely singing tenor. As you reach 5k rpm and fly past it's as if 2 extra artists have joined in to bellow out the tune. And all this with not an exhaust valve in sight. That said, the finish, while awesome, is just not in the same league at the 355, with only 1.5k to play with once the engine really lifts off, the 993 is always going to be playing catch up compared to the V8's 2.25k rpm on song. I've not had experience of a Varioram 993, but I would imagine having eyed up several VR and NVR dyno graphs done on the same day and machine on the PCGB forum, the VR car would claw a little ground back from the 355 in the high rev excitement stakes, but possibly even more tellingly, yet more from the low/mid range. 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…..
Onto gearboxes. This one is simple but since I rambled on about engines for so long, I should probably make at least a little effort here as well The 993 'box is good, the only issue I can think of is that 1st could do with being a few percent longer as if you change on the redline you end up *just* below the first kick in the low 4ks mentioned above meaning there's a slight pause before you're off again in 2nd. Nothing major, but since we're being harsh it deserves a mention. Truth be told I prefer the feel of a 996 'box, but that's off topic. The 355 'box, however, is fabulous and exciting (can you even call a gearbox exciting?!) - with the caveat of "once it's up to temperature", or preferably as toasty as you can get it. The 2nd gear myth is real, but the good news is that if you get the gearbox oil changed for Redline (I think that's the name, can go and confirm details if people are interested) stuff, you get to use 2nd gear after 1 minute rather than 5. After that, it's a joy. Clickety clack through the gate up and down, wonderful. It sounds great, the action is positive, not too heavy or light and just the feel of the knob in your hand is magic. Even better than the other knob in your hand feeling. Yes that good. Being hyper-critical, in my ideal world, it would somehow be a dogleg 'box. There's just something inherently cool about them and it would make those alpine hairpins even more glorious. For the record, and I know this is harsh but I have had a couple of beers, if you knowingly chose a 355 F1 over a manual for your purchase and you don't have a disability that limits you to driving flappy paddles, I will literally never understand you, I hope you understand
So, who wins round 2? I think that the 355 has to take it. As much as I adore the 993 engine as it does such an epic job in all circumstances with so much character and is genuinely obscenely joyful to use, the V8 pips it - simply and only because it does its one thing of screaming back and forth between 6k and the redline unashamedly well and little else. By the time you add the open gate 'box to it, the 993 simply has to, with absolutely nothing to apologise for, bow gracefully into second place.
Still to come:
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Edited for: Emoticon muppetry
Engines first.
355: For those who have somehow slept through the last 20 years, here are the pertinent numbers. It's a 3.5 litre V8, revs to 8.25k rpm and delivers 380bhp at 8.25k rpm and 268 ftlb at 6k rpm. Legend has it that the early 2.7 Motronic cars (the one I bought naturally) go slightly better/faster/harder/stronger, but I'd give £1000 to charity if anyone could drive a mix of them back to back and tell me which was which. The 2.7 is however, for the record, better (duh it's the one I bought) as it has 2 intake pipes that don't link in the middle which looks cooler. It also requires 2 MAFs so there is twice as much to go expensively wrong, therefore mega extra man points available there. Anyway….
Believe it or not, the engine, IMO, does have some issues (performance, not reliability in this case, the latter being a separate topic), so let's get them out the way first.
If you've driven any naturally aspirated performance car with remotely the same power output from the last 20 years, you're going to get a shock the first time you try and accelerate below 5k rpm in any gear but first. I had a Maser 4200 that went like the clappers all the way from what seemed like idle onwards, I traded into a 996 C4S with 70 bhp less and acknowledged that I was getting a car with less straight line acceleration but that was lighter, better handling and required more revving to get the best. The first time I test drove a 355 after driving to the garage in the C4S, I genuinely thought there was something wrong with the car, but since the dealer wasn't making any sort of fuss I was too embarrassed to say anything. The second test drive in a different car went much as the first and it started to dawn on me that maybe, despite what ferrari say on paper, they're not that quick. The 3rd test drive in jdw1234's (
) old beautiful banana special went much the same again until on the run home he took over and gave it a good squirt up to the redline. Finally! It went more like i expected! As people have obviously guessed, I'd been a bit coy about redlining other people's dancing donkeys so had probably accessed a max of about 250bhp. And therein lies my issue, at anything that I'd class as driving up to 7/10ths, it's not a quick car by any stretch. You have to metaphorically rip the arse out of it to get your power. Fun? Ohmygodyes when you're in the mood and/or on track. When you just want to go for a fairly spirited drive, there's always a nagging feeling that you'd rather they'd given it a few more cc, 500 less revs and a tad more drivability. Truth be told, it does not feel like 380bhp and if you are expecting it to I think you'll be disappointed. 350, yeah, go on then, why not even accounting for the extra weight of the Spider, but not 380. Maybe it's the delivery that fools the senses, maybe Italian horses are a bit skinny, I don't know. However, all that said, those "complaints" are in the context of modern(ish) performance cars, which clearly it is not. Seen in the context of the power of the model it replaced and its contemporaries, to create a 40 valve absolute screamer of an engine with more than 100bhp/litre because they could must have been too much for Ferrari to resist, I don't blame them for a second and the car enthusiasts' world would be a vastly poorer place if they'd taken my advice above. And if anyone from the Honda S2000 engine development team is reading, you get a massive thumbs up too.
So, onto the good bits
With the standard factory fit exhaust it's great (just make sure your exhaust valve is opening properly as otherwise you'll be missing out, possibly for several months….ask me how I know….), with any respected aftermarket exhaust (for extra lairiness and the opportunity for some hints of flame, a bit of decat action is also in order) there is but one thing to say: the noise dear god the noise!! Did I mention the noise? It's not a stretch to say it's likely the best sounding (Ferrari) V8 ever which luckily, given its power delivery, means you want to rev it far more than you would a regular performance engine. It is silky smooth and there's no grumpiness at low revs. The pick up is whip-like (my 550 feels like it's gone to sleep in comparison when I rev it) and if you keep it cooking above 6k rpm it's a masterpiece and feels like it wants to live there all the time. Thrash it round a track for an afternoon and you'll swear it feels perkier and generally more pleased with itself on the drive home. All this with the added bonus that because it's not modern-day powerful a la F430/458 etc, you get to enjoy revving it out more and you're not going ridiculously fast between corners, which is useful as plod will hear you coming from somewhere on the far side of the next county even after he's put his earplugs in to take the edge off the racket. Like I said, dear god the noise The non-Varioram 993 lump in my Cab at first glance would seem to be positively agricultural by comparison. 100cc up on the 355 at 3.6 litres in a flat 6 configuration, but only a meagre 272bhp at 6.25k rpm with 243ftlb at 5k rpm and a redline of 6.5k. And only 2 valves per cylinder….where the hell are the other 3? But as usual with Porsche that's not the whole story. Where Italian thoroughbreds seem to have been nibbling at the Parma Ham and Melon antipasto, the German carthorses have been chowing down on Pork Knuckle with Extra Dumplings. In the mid range, despite the 355's shorter gearing, the 993 still feels meatier. Not by a lot, and maybe part of it is psychological as you're only seeing 6.5k revs available and you know it's *supposed* to be the thick end of 110 bhp down on the 355, but it just feels like it pulls that bit harder nonetheless. And here's the great bit: at low revs with a suitable exhaust (I *highly recommend* Carnewal's RSR mufflers, an absolute steal at €400) you get this lovely rough, gruff throat clearing-esque tone with burbling, pops and bangs on the overrun virtually on demand. At about 4.3k rpm, you get a nice extra shove as the needle takes off and what was a pleasing gruff base note lifts to a lovely singing tenor. As you reach 5k rpm and fly past it's as if 2 extra artists have joined in to bellow out the tune. And all this with not an exhaust valve in sight. That said, the finish, while awesome, is just not in the same league at the 355, with only 1.5k to play with once the engine really lifts off, the 993 is always going to be playing catch up compared to the V8's 2.25k rpm on song. I've not had experience of a Varioram 993, but I would imagine having eyed up several VR and NVR dyno graphs done on the same day and machine on the PCGB forum, the VR car would claw a little ground back from the 355 in the high rev excitement stakes, but possibly even more tellingly, yet more from the low/mid range. 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…..
Onto gearboxes. This one is simple but since I rambled on about engines for so long, I should probably make at least a little effort here as well
The 993 'box is good, the only issue I can think of is that 1st could do with being a few percent longer as if you change on the redline you end up *just* below the first kick in the low 4ks mentioned above meaning there's a slight pause before you're off again in 2nd. Nothing major, but since we're being harsh it deserves a mention. Truth be told I prefer the feel of a 996 'box, but that's off topic. The 355 'box, however, is fabulous and exciting (can you even call a gearbox exciting?!) - with the caveat of "once it's up to temperature", or preferably as toasty as you can get it. The 2nd gear myth is real, but the good news is that if you get the gearbox oil changed for Redline (I think that's the name, can go and confirm details if people are interested) stuff, you get to use 2nd gear after 1 minute rather than 5. After that, it's a joy. Clickety clack through the gate up and down, wonderful. It sounds great, the action is positive, not too heavy or light and just the feel of the knob in your hand is magic. Even better than the other knob in your hand feeling. Yes that good. Being hyper-critical, in my ideal world, it would somehow be a dogleg 'box. There's just something inherently cool about them and it would make those alpine hairpins even more glorious. For the record, and I know this is harsh but I have had a couple of beers, if you knowingly chose a 355 F1 over a manual for your purchase and you don't have a disability that limits you to driving flappy paddles, I will literally never understand you, I hope you understand So, who wins round 2? I think that the 355 has to take it. As much as I adore the 993 engine as it does such an epic job in all circumstances with so much character and is genuinely obscenely joyful to use, the V8 pips it - simply and only because it does its one thing of screaming back and forth between 6k and the redline unashamedly well and little else. By the time you add the open gate 'box to it, the 993 simply has to, with absolutely nothing to apologise for, bow gracefully into second place.
Still to come:
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Edited for: Emoticon muppetry
Edited by Mario149 on Monday 4th August 22:52
Koln-RS said:
Very interesting.
I wonder, would a Varioram have pipped the 355?
In all honesty I think not but obviously I've never owned/driven one. I have a feeling that once you've sampled the 6-8.25k on the 355, that's it, it's so addictive that logic goes out the window. But from what I understand from research into serious 993 tuning (new heads, cams, valves etc) that I did a few weeks ago before deciding to go a different direction, even from a NVR car (happy to be corrected), a real 300bhp is available with just a remap if you take it to the right individual who comes recommended. If that increase was a good progressive one across the range on an NVR car, I imagine it would feel very nice and is definitely something I'm personally going to look at when I get home.I wonder, would a Varioram have pipped the 355?
Conversely I don't know anyone that's got any significant verified power increase out of a 355.
Oh, and I kid you not, I actually *dreamt* about revving my old 355 last night!
Interior & Comfort
I was going to go onto Handling but realised that Interior & Comfort needed to be added to the list of sections so thought I'd get straight into it
Get into a 355 (especially for the first time) and the first thing that will go through your head is "Oooo! Ferrari! Awesome!" as their interiors, old or modern, tend to be pretty unmistakeable style wise for anything else. The second thing that will most likely go through your head about 1 second later will be something along the lines of "Christ on a bicycle that steering wheel is horrible"….unless you've been lucky enough to get an early car (1994 only seems to ring a bell) with an airbagless one. This is an improvement but still not ideal. I'm 5'11" and am fairly normally proportioned in the arms and legs department, but for the life of me that wheel still ended up pressing on my knees every which way I adjusted the driving position and you could forget about heel and toeing. The reality is that unless by pure luck you happen to fit, it's best IME to bite the bullet and get an after market wheel and boss with a spacer, the latter to help a little with the long arms/short legs driving position - it really has to be experienced to be believed. You'll also need to order a Testarossa/348 horn push. I went down the Momo Race wheel route and it was fab. The other advantage is that a Momo wheel weighs a fraction of the original item…seriously, forget about Titanium wheel bolts for weight saving, this is a lot cheaper. And, you seem to get a lot more "chatter" vibes through the lighter wheel which I quite liked. Right, enough modification advice.
Unfortunately, while ameliorating it slightly with a new wheel, there's no way to sugar coat it, the driving position is still pants (or mutande if you will in Italian, although it doesn't directly translate....!) at least in a RHD car, I'm informed that LHD is a little better. With the wheel canted so much away from you, I personally found that it actually quite difficult to pilot at times when "on it". The offset pedals you just get used to. The good news is, that apart from that, I think the rest of the interior is pretty damn good. Yes there are parts bin items (switchgear namely) which is a little disappointing, but then half the car is probably near enough identical to a 348 so you can't really complain. Having spent time in one with black, cream and tan interiors, I have to say the latter 2 seem to suit it best if we take out exterior colour for a moment. That said, if you have a yellow car, if you ever want to sell it the interior would need to be black. Don't get me wrong, black is fine, but cream and tan seem to work better. While we're on the subject of leather, you'll see wear even on a car with only 40k miles or so. Ferrari leather is painfully delicate and it's a real shame as when it looks tatty it seems to have a disproportionate effect on how the car feels. Dials etc are all broadly readable and par for the course for 90s standards and seat comfort is pretty good on the standard items. Wind buffeting is also pretty minimal with the roof down so happy days. Overall it's really a rather nice place to be.
The 993 not surprisingly is a whole different kettle of fish. Driving position still has offset pedals (which are floor hinged and quirky but don't cause any probs), but the wheel (also slightly offset) is actually orientated at a sensible angle thank god. As for the layout, well as far as I can tell 911 interiors up to the 993 didn't actually change at all for the previous 20 years (I may be exaggerating….but only slightly) so it all works if looking rather old fashioned even for the 90s. I won't say sensible as in that time you'd have expected them to make some effort to improve. However there are 2 highlights:
1) I have regular seats in my car as best I can tell and they are *amazing*. So soft and comfy for long journeys but with seat bolsters that hold you like you wish Scarlett Johansson would while cornering.
2) After the nuclear holocaust, the last identifiable thing will not be a cockroach, it will be a 993 interior. The sheer durability is amazing. My car has 125k miles on it and looks better than my 355 did at 41k, by a loooooong way. In fact it's only in recent weeks after being repeatedly cooked in direct sunlight at 30+ degs for days at a time that some of it is looking like it could do with some reconnolisation. Amazing.
Other than that, in the interest of fairness and since the 355 looks quite upmarket inside for the most part, it must be said that there is too much textured plastic/soft grainy stuff/whatever-it-is-that's-not-leather for my liking, namely the whole of the dash. I'm sure there were full leather options for some models (Turbo? Widebodies?), but I am not lucky enough to have it and it is noticeable. So come eventual retrim time, there will be many cows sacrificed at the altar of luxury for me.
So, which comes out on top here? In terms of feeling like your money is well spent when you pitch up at the dealer to drive off and making small kids smile when they get in for the first time, the 355. It's pretty and great right up until you actually have to drive the car, then you experience a significant let down. The 993 on the other hand feels like an ergonomic masterpiece in comparison while on the move but a bit dull while stood still, apart from the the buxom blonde bolsters of course which are always fab. We'll just call them "Scarletts" from now on I think....
So overall it's a score draw.
Still to come:
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
I was going to go onto Handling but realised that Interior & Comfort needed to be added to the list of sections so thought I'd get straight into it
Get into a 355 (especially for the first time) and the first thing that will go through your head is "Oooo! Ferrari! Awesome!" as their interiors, old or modern, tend to be pretty unmistakeable style wise for anything else. The second thing that will most likely go through your head about 1 second later will be something along the lines of "Christ on a bicycle that steering wheel is horrible"….unless you've been lucky enough to get an early car (1994 only seems to ring a bell) with an airbagless one. This is an improvement but still not ideal. I'm 5'11" and am fairly normally proportioned in the arms and legs department, but for the life of me that wheel still ended up pressing on my knees every which way I adjusted the driving position and you could forget about heel and toeing. The reality is that unless by pure luck you happen to fit, it's best IME to bite the bullet and get an after market wheel and boss with a spacer, the latter to help a little with the long arms/short legs driving position - it really has to be experienced to be believed. You'll also need to order a Testarossa/348 horn push. I went down the Momo Race wheel route and it was fab. The other advantage is that a Momo wheel weighs a fraction of the original item…seriously, forget about Titanium wheel bolts for weight saving, this is a lot cheaper. And, you seem to get a lot more "chatter" vibes through the lighter wheel which I quite liked. Right, enough modification advice.
Unfortunately, while ameliorating it slightly with a new wheel, there's no way to sugar coat it, the driving position is still pants (or mutande if you will in Italian, although it doesn't directly translate....!) at least in a RHD car, I'm informed that LHD is a little better. With the wheel canted so much away from you, I personally found that it actually quite difficult to pilot at times when "on it". The offset pedals you just get used to. The good news is, that apart from that, I think the rest of the interior is pretty damn good. Yes there are parts bin items (switchgear namely) which is a little disappointing, but then half the car is probably near enough identical to a 348 so you can't really complain. Having spent time in one with black, cream and tan interiors, I have to say the latter 2 seem to suit it best if we take out exterior colour for a moment. That said, if you have a yellow car, if you ever want to sell it the interior would need to be black. Don't get me wrong, black is fine, but cream and tan seem to work better. While we're on the subject of leather, you'll see wear even on a car with only 40k miles or so. Ferrari leather is painfully delicate and it's a real shame as when it looks tatty it seems to have a disproportionate effect on how the car feels. Dials etc are all broadly readable and par for the course for 90s standards and seat comfort is pretty good on the standard items. Wind buffeting is also pretty minimal with the roof down so happy days. Overall it's really a rather nice place to be.
The 993 not surprisingly is a whole different kettle of fish. Driving position still has offset pedals (which are floor hinged and quirky but don't cause any probs), but the wheel (also slightly offset) is actually orientated at a sensible angle thank god. As for the layout, well as far as I can tell 911 interiors up to the 993 didn't actually change at all for the previous 20 years (I may be exaggerating….but only slightly) so it all works if looking rather old fashioned even for the 90s. I won't say sensible as in that time you'd have expected them to make some effort to improve. However there are 2 highlights:
1) I have regular seats in my car as best I can tell and they are *amazing*. So soft and comfy for long journeys but with seat bolsters that hold you like you wish Scarlett Johansson would while cornering.
2) After the nuclear holocaust, the last identifiable thing will not be a cockroach, it will be a 993 interior. The sheer durability is amazing. My car has 125k miles on it and looks better than my 355 did at 41k, by a loooooong way. In fact it's only in recent weeks after being repeatedly cooked in direct sunlight at 30+ degs for days at a time that some of it is looking like it could do with some reconnolisation. Amazing.
Other than that, in the interest of fairness and since the 355 looks quite upmarket inside for the most part, it must be said that there is too much textured plastic/soft grainy stuff/whatever-it-is-that's-not-leather for my liking, namely the whole of the dash. I'm sure there were full leather options for some models (Turbo? Widebodies?), but I am not lucky enough to have it and it is noticeable. So come eventual retrim time, there will be many cows sacrificed at the altar of luxury for me.
So, which comes out on top here? In terms of feeling like your money is well spent when you pitch up at the dealer to drive off and making small kids smile when they get in for the first time, the 355. It's pretty and great right up until you actually have to drive the car, then you experience a significant let down. The 993 on the other hand feels like an ergonomic masterpiece in comparison while on the move but a bit dull while stood still, apart from the the buxom blonde bolsters of course which are always fab. We'll just call them "Scarletts" from now on I think....
So overall it's a score draw.
Still to come:
Handling
Looks
Running costs
Value for money
X Factor
Edited by Mario149 on Tuesday 5th August 19:50
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
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…
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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
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