Tuesday 19th April 2011

Spotted: Ferrari F355 GTS

Ferrari 'bargain hunting'? This one's not yellow, or left hand drive...

---

Despite the popularity of the 360 and 430 Ferraris, the 355 is considered by many to be one of the very best V8 Ferraris to drive. This one appeared in our classifieds recently, and at a price we thought warranted 'further enquiries'.

A whisker under thirty grand seems keen. So keen in fact, that at first glance we thought we'd be looking at left hand drive non-UK 'import' car lacking a proper service history and/or showing eight owners - we've all seen them. But it turns out that this isn't the case at all.

The vendor PHer ferrari-nut tells us; "I have been fortunate to have owned several Ferraris over the last 30 years including a 355 Berlinetta, a 355 Spyder and a 355 GTS. This one's not a garage queen.

"It is a good car that has been looked after and used as a Ferrari should be. The Berlinetta was good, but I felt that I needed a roof-down car for the short summers. So the Berlinetta was sold and replaced with the 355 Spider, but I did not get on with the electric roof. So the Spyder went and it was replaced with this 355 GTS."

The arrival of a PH-sourced 360 has prompted the sale of the 355, but he still doesn't seem totally sold on the idea. "Some of my friends told me that I was crazy' he explained. 'I know of a few guys that went from a 355 to a 360 and then back to a 355. The 360 has raw power, but I feel the car is a little twitchy compared to the 355. Also it is a big car and I can't get on with the front. The 355 is a driver's car and perfectly balanced."

Despite ferrari-nut's claim that the car isn't a 'garage queen', it doesn't exactly look shed-worthy to us, and the service history is bang up to date.

The mileage is slightly high compared to other 355s, and the correct Ferrari servicing is never cheap, but then again how many more miles would you be planning to put on it in the next few years?

UK-supplied 355s in Rossa Corsa don't come much cheaper than this. The question is, would you..?

[rix]

Oh yes!

But then again, £30k would almost stretch to a nice new mondeo....

Unless there are any mechanical worries I'd guess that won't be around for long!

[Flipatron]

Nice but I'd always feel like I was driving an MR2.

I'll take a nice 348 GTS please.

[richard300]

If you were actually driving a 355 there is no way you would feel like you were driving an MR2.
As for any dick that thought it might be funny to start gobbing off at you, that it looks like an MR2........... Well F**K them, they probably invariably drive some bag of s**t and if they can't regognise the proportions of the 355 against those of an MR2 (even a replica 355 one) then they dont know their cars very well.

355GTS (ideally fitted with level 2 Capristo) = Epic

Edited by richard300 on Tuesday 19th April 08:19

[richard300]

If you were actually driving a 355 there is no way you would feel like you were driving an MR2.
As for any dick that thought it might be funny to start gobbing off at you, that it looks like an MR2........... Well F**K them, they probably invariably drive some bag of s**t and if they can't regognise the proportions of the 355 against those of an MR2 (even a replica 355 one) then they dont know their cars very well.

355GTS (ideally fitted with level 2 Capristo) = Epic

Edited by richard300 on Tuesday 19th April 08:19

[Fat Albert]

A gearbox rebuild at 51k miles!? Blimey!

the fact that £8k has been spent in the past 2 years at that mileage is a tad scary, but they do say to allow £4k/year in maint on a Fezza, so about on the money...

[xkrGiles]

Love it......i would be tempted

[sjmoore]

When the 355 came out I loved the looks and read everything I could on it. A few years later when I could afford a secondhand one I went for a drive...and was a bit underwhelmed. Which was a real shock as I was expecting to love it. It didn't feel brilliant. Perhaps problem my was that I had driven a 360 (it is a few years back and the 360 had only just come out) not long before driving the 355 and by comparison the 355 felt a bit slow (although I wasn't sold on the looks of the 360) and the steering of the 355 was not special. In the end I bought a first gen GT3. As a driving tool the GT3 was amazing and for me better than the 355...but every time I see a 355 it still strikes me what an amazing looking car it is. Makes me wonder whether I was too harsh and should give the 355 another chance.

[mister.t]

One the list of cars to own one day, that has brightened up my morning!

[JuniorJet]

mister.t said:

One the list of cars to own one day, that has brightened up my morning!

+1

lovely stuff

[F.C.]

Why do the mileometers on these always look like they've been messed with?
The numbers never seem to line up, I've seen a few and at first ran a mile but it seems the norm.
I had an F430 and found it a fantastic drive on big roads but far too wide to have real back lane fun in.
I still have a look at 355's now and then got the itch now funnily enough.

[LuS1fer]

He'd need to knock £20 off to replace the dodgy plates.

[Ari]

Last of the real proper looking Ferraris (308/328/348/355 series).

[Corsair7]

No need to service for 4 years....????

Evans Halshaw 28/04/2000 37,500
Shiltech 10/03/2004 44,853



Um, is this 'normal'....?



Nice for PH to showcase this advert.

[AyBee]

No, I wouldn't, I want a spider, in TDF with a capristo Absolutely gorgeous car

[mattman]

one of my ultimate dream garage cars - stunning! although can't see a day when i'll be able to afford one - yet!

[Lord Flathead]

I had a 355GTS for a month. Bought on instinct, I just wanted to live the Ferrari dream for a couple of months. Paid £35,700 which was down on book because it required a cam belt service. Had it serviced and a few other bits required changing too, namely the tensioner assembly, and while we were in there, I did the water pump as advised. The bill? £3700. Sold one month later for £37,500. So I have owned one, but would not want to own another because you're always wondering what's going to break. Just because they're affordable to buy doesn't mean they're affordable to run.

Oh and if anyone does buy a 355, speak to PHer Manu at Scuderia Systems. Mine had their after market Tubi exhaust system and it was the best sounding car I've ever owned bar none

[hornetrider]

Corsair7 said:

Nice for PH to showcase this advert.

Quite! Jolly nice of PH really.

[rob.e]

I like that.

Ok, so you have to budget for some maintenance but so what? You could have a diesel mondeo and have big repair bills ffs!

This would be pretty cast-iron depreciation free motoring i think..

[British Beef]

3rd Best looking Ferrari ever made (behind the F40 & 288GTO).

[mooseracer]

Corsair7 said:

No need to service for 4 years....????

Evans Halshaw 28/04/2000 37,500
Shiltech 10/03/2004 44,853



Um, is this 'normal'....?



Nice for PH to showcase this advert.

And again nothing between 2006 and 2009. I still would though