How different is a 355 to a 348?
Discussion
I test drove a 348 spider yesterday and was somewhat underwelmed with the driving experience. How different is a 355 to drive than a 348? I understand they are somewhat similiar under the skin but the 355 seems to be viewed as probably one of the the best Ferraris ever and the 348 one of the worst.
Whilst a 355 is generally way out of my budget Ive seen these two:
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1840351
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1845042
One looks pretty scruffy and the others a Cat D hence the cheaper price than everything else on the market. Neither have had a belt change for 2 & 3 years,and not much info on the service history in the ads. Is anyone familiar with either of these cars. They are both a long way from where I live so I cant simply pop along to look over them.
Once again as a Ferrari newbie, thanks to anyone who can give me the benefit of thier experience.
Whilst a 355 is generally way out of my budget Ive seen these two:
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1840351
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1845042
One looks pretty scruffy and the others a Cat D hence the cheaper price than everything else on the market. Neither have had a belt change for 2 & 3 years,and not much info on the service history in the ads. Is anyone familiar with either of these cars. They are both a long way from where I live so I cant simply pop along to look over them.
Once again as a Ferrari newbie, thanks to anyone who can give me the benefit of thier experience.
DP400 said:
...but the 355 seems to be viewed as probably one of the the best Ferraris ever and the 348 one of the worst.
Although I'm sure they're great cars, a lot of the reputation of the 355 comes from its looks. I'd place it near the top of my list of best Ferrari's - and I've never driven one.348 has a better reputation than it used to have - but I think the poor reputation it used to have was partly the looks (an acquired taste for some), and partly because it supposedly had questionable handling, although most owners don't find that.
What underwhelmed you and what are you looking for from the driving experience?
I have owned a 355 since 2012 and it can still, to quote Saint Jeremy of Clarkson, electrocute every nerve ending in my body.
I wouldn't worry about a recent belt service unless you were planning to run it for a year then move it on. The cars can serve up far bigger bills than a belt service costs if you buy the wrong one.
I have owned a 355 since 2012 and it can still, to quote Saint Jeremy of Clarkson, electrocute every nerve ending in my body.
I wouldn't worry about a recent belt service unless you were planning to run it for a year then move it on. The cars can serve up far bigger bills than a belt service costs if you buy the wrong one.
HardtopManual said:
What underwhelmed you and what are you looking for from the driving experience?
I have owned a 355 since 2012 and it can still, to quote Saint Jeremy of Clarkson, electrocute every nerve ending in my body.
I wouldn't worry about a recent belt service unless you were planning to run it for a year then move it on. The cars can serve up far bigger bills than a belt service costs if you buy the wrong one.
I only had a short test drive, mainly suburban type roads and a short blast up up the A12. As I was driving someone ele's very expensive car with a dog leg box I wasnt used to I didint drive it anywhere near flat out but I was suprised at the lack of acceleration and the somewhat agricultural feel of it. It also didnt sound like I expected a V8 Ferrari would but to be fair I probably didnt even exceed 5k revs. Perhaps if Id had more time to get used to it and better roads my experience would haver been different and I kinda regret I didnt push the car a bit more that I did. I have owned a 355 since 2012 and it can still, to quote Saint Jeremy of Clarkson, electrocute every nerve ending in my body.
I wouldn't worry about a recent belt service unless you were planning to run it for a year then move it on. The cars can serve up far bigger bills than a belt service costs if you buy the wrong one.
Perhaps I need to drive one for a longer test drive and push it a bit more than I did to appreciate what they are all about.
I haven't driven a 348, but certainly in the 355, you need to be up above 5.5k revs for it to push you back in your seat (it still has 3k+ revs to go at that point)
If it was just a short drive, the gearbox oil wouldn't be warm enough to facilitate smooth shifts, which may account for the agricultural feel. My car is very grumpy until she's woken up, which can take a good 15-20 minutes.
I would see if there is anyone on here, f-chat or club scud who would take you out for a proper drive in their car so that you can see what they're like when driven hard by someone familiar with them.
I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
If it was just a short drive, the gearbox oil wouldn't be warm enough to facilitate smooth shifts, which may account for the agricultural feel. My car is very grumpy until she's woken up, which can take a good 15-20 minutes.
I would see if there is anyone on here, f-chat or club scud who would take you out for a proper drive in their car so that you can see what they're like when driven hard by someone familiar with them.
I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
HardtopManual said:
I haven't driven a 348, but certainly in the 355, you need to be up above 5.5k revs for it to push you back in your seat (it still has 3k+ revs to go at that point)
If it was just a short drive, the gearbox oil wouldn't be warm enough to facilitate smooth shifts, which may account for the agricultural feel. My car is very grumpy until she's woken up, which can take a good 15-20 minutes.
I would see if there is anyone on here, f-chat or club scud who would take you out for a proper drive in their car so that you can see what they're like when driven hard by someone familiar with them.
I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
yes, I usually shifted from 1st to 3rd for the first 10 minutes or so until everything warmed up and I could use 2nd gear If it was just a short drive, the gearbox oil wouldn't be warm enough to facilitate smooth shifts, which may account for the agricultural feel. My car is very grumpy until she's woken up, which can take a good 15-20 minutes.
I would see if there is anyone on here, f-chat or club scud who would take you out for a proper drive in their car so that you can see what they're like when driven hard by someone familiar with them.
I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
and below 5k rpm the engine was not doing much
I opted into a 348 Spider over a 355 .
I run a Bertone GT 4 from the 70 s and have had a 86 Testarossa for 10 yrs , a 360 M F1 for another 10 yrs before the current GT4 .
Wanted a F cab to do Europe and didn’t want anything with nannies . In other words rooted out the analog ( agricultural) feel .Last yr dong the alpine passes in a boxster it was a procession anyhow .
You just can’t find space to lay down 4 WD and 0-60 in 3 secs these days , assuming you walked into a F dealer with a open cheque book and drive the next best thing away circa £ 300-500k.
Nb - no shortage of punters and dreamers though .
Not too bothered about absolute performance, bar room stats etc bcz U.K. roads are pot holed , busy and speed camera laden . As Corol Shelby once said “ it’s not horse power it’s traction “
In my view about 300 Hp ( spider has 320 ) is enough in 1400 kgs . This means you can wring it out reach into the 5-7700 Rpm range without fear of loosing it .
All by yourself as there’s zero nannies on the 348 .Only ABS . Not even power steering .
As a ownership experience a 348 beats the 355 , it’s motronic 2.7 is far more reliable than the majority of 355 s 5.2 . ( 95 355# had the 2.7 ) .
The 4 valve heads guides are bomb proof the 5 valves ( Ferraris 1 st road pop ) in the 355 can be problematic and cost ££££ . The headers of the 355 are chocolate teapot like ….linked to the motronic 5.2 ability to send over rich cylinder fuel un noticed which overheats and cracks them .
On the spider the 355 s power hood is the most dreadful system man could manufacture.It’s the same as various Mercs of the era …..you end up in a electro - hydraulic mess = again big ££££ .
Adjustable shocks are a another money pit on a 355 . Absent on a 348 ( like the PAS system )
The steering feel if you are really interested ( a proper car guy ? ) is leap yr superior in a none assisted 348 to A N Other F car .
The 348 was the very last car Enzo signed off ….yes it analog buts that’s the simple appeal .
Style is subjective obviously.
The ones to get are the 320 hp run out modals . GTB GTS and Spiders ,
As far as handling the early ones were signed off at Fiorano by test drivers highly skilled inc the then F 1 team drivers . unfortunately the jurnos at the time were on a different skill set and didnt get it . As the yrs passed ( its was a mule for the 355 ) the run out modals suspension geo was altered , diff A arm points and lengths to make them more manageable to a wider customer ( thick Americans) base . The jurnos even could drive them now without miss hap .
Luca Montemezola softened the road cars widened the appeal chasing volumes and share prices .
Enter the 355 , 360 , 430 458 etc etc .
The 348 is the last of the Enzo era .
I run a Bertone GT 4 from the 70 s and have had a 86 Testarossa for 10 yrs , a 360 M F1 for another 10 yrs before the current GT4 .
Wanted a F cab to do Europe and didn’t want anything with nannies . In other words rooted out the analog ( agricultural) feel .Last yr dong the alpine passes in a boxster it was a procession anyhow .
You just can’t find space to lay down 4 WD and 0-60 in 3 secs these days , assuming you walked into a F dealer with a open cheque book and drive the next best thing away circa £ 300-500k.
Nb - no shortage of punters and dreamers though .
Not too bothered about absolute performance, bar room stats etc bcz U.K. roads are pot holed , busy and speed camera laden . As Corol Shelby once said “ it’s not horse power it’s traction “
In my view about 300 Hp ( spider has 320 ) is enough in 1400 kgs . This means you can wring it out reach into the 5-7700 Rpm range without fear of loosing it .
All by yourself as there’s zero nannies on the 348 .Only ABS . Not even power steering .
As a ownership experience a 348 beats the 355 , it’s motronic 2.7 is far more reliable than the majority of 355 s 5.2 . ( 95 355# had the 2.7 ) .
The 4 valve heads guides are bomb proof the 5 valves ( Ferraris 1 st road pop ) in the 355 can be problematic and cost ££££ . The headers of the 355 are chocolate teapot like ….linked to the motronic 5.2 ability to send over rich cylinder fuel un noticed which overheats and cracks them .
On the spider the 355 s power hood is the most dreadful system man could manufacture.It’s the same as various Mercs of the era …..you end up in a electro - hydraulic mess = again big ££££ .
Adjustable shocks are a another money pit on a 355 . Absent on a 348 ( like the PAS system )
The steering feel if you are really interested ( a proper car guy ? ) is leap yr superior in a none assisted 348 to A N Other F car .
The 348 was the very last car Enzo signed off ….yes it analog buts that’s the simple appeal .
Style is subjective obviously.
The ones to get are the 320 hp run out modals . GTB GTS and Spiders ,
As far as handling the early ones were signed off at Fiorano by test drivers highly skilled inc the then F 1 team drivers . unfortunately the jurnos at the time were on a different skill set and didnt get it . As the yrs passed ( its was a mule for the 355 ) the run out modals suspension geo was altered , diff A arm points and lengths to make them more manageable to a wider customer ( thick Americans) base . The jurnos even could drive them now without miss hap .
Luca Montemezola softened the road cars widened the appeal chasing volumes and share prices .
Enter the 355 , 360 , 430 458 etc etc .
The 348 is the last of the Enzo era .
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:24
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:26
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:28
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:29
HardtopManual said:
I would see if there is anyone on here, f-chat or club scud who would take you out for a proper drive in their car so that you can see what they're like when driven hard by someone familiar with them.
I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
I thought they were only American sites.I am in north London if you fancy a ride in a 355.
Thanks for the offer of a drive. Where about in North London are you, I’m in East Herts?
Fiammetta said:
...The steering feel if you are really interested ( a proper car guy ? ) is leap yr superior in a none assisted 348 to A N Other F car...
I think that's the one thing that is unarguable about the 348. The steering is wonderful. DP400 said:
...Whilst a 355 is generally way out of my budget Ive seen these two:
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1840351
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1845042
One looks pretty scruffy and the others a Cat D hence the cheaper price than everything else on the market. Neither have had a belt change for 2 & 3 years,and not much info on the service history in the ads. Is anyone familiar with either of these cars...
The first one was stolen and recovered circa 2005, hence the Cat D. It has been for sale since August 2023 which is a bit of a clue that you would likely struggle to move it on if/when you needed or wanted to. https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1840351
https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1845042
One looks pretty scruffy and the others a Cat D hence the cheaper price than everything else on the market. Neither have had a belt change for 2 & 3 years,and not much info on the service history in the ads. Is anyone familiar with either of these cars...
The second one was sold on Collecting Cars at the end of last year for £55,500 (see here https://collectingcars.com/for-sale/1996-ferrari-f... so someone appears to be trying to make a decent profit. I have seen it but not for ten years!
I don't claim to know either car but 355s are not cheap to run and will suck up your money if you get a bad one, so I would think very carefully before heading for the bottom end of the market and a car you aren't pretty confident has been well looked after.
I loved my 355. It looked ace, sounded fabulous and everyone and their dog was complimentary about it. Mine had a fantastic service history and wanted for nothing. However, any time it made an unusual noise or threw an unexpected engine code my heart sank at the thought of my wallet sinking faster. I was actually a bit relieved when I sold it without incurring any major expense other than servicing.
The 360 Spider I replaced it with in contrast always seemed a solid, reliable and dependable car. If I was going to get a Ferrari at the lower end of the price range I’d pass on a 355 and go for a 360.
The 360 Spider I replaced it with in contrast always seemed a solid, reliable and dependable car. If I was going to get a Ferrari at the lower end of the price range I’d pass on a 355 and go for a 360.
I have never driven a 348, but Fiammenta's post makes me really want to try one now. Need to drive a 328 and 348 to decide which one I would prefer.
My 355 cost a lot to run, loved it dearly, but it was not cheap to keep on the road. Both headers, cats, a couple of alternators, engine out service plus other stuff all added up to quite significant numbers. I think I once calculated that I spent the purchase price on it in servicing, repairs and fuel over the 2.5 years I owned it [I did do c. 20k miles in it though, which was about 2/3s of what it did over the first 15ish years of its existence].
My 355 cost a lot to run, loved it dearly, but it was not cheap to keep on the road. Both headers, cats, a couple of alternators, engine out service plus other stuff all added up to quite significant numbers. I think I once calculated that I spent the purchase price on it in servicing, repairs and fuel over the 2.5 years I owned it [I did do c. 20k miles in it though, which was about 2/3s of what it did over the first 15ish years of its existence].
A lot of what's mentioned above is "fix once" stuff now that the cars are out of dealer maintenance, and will likely already have been sorted by a previous owner now that the cars are 30 years old.
Reliability has nothing to do with the Motronic version. The valve guide issue is overdone by the US guys who seem to compete for who can manage the biggest servicing bill. Headers, you have them rebuilt in 304 or whatever once, or replaced with Tubi/Fabspeed/Larini or whoever. It is indeed a good idea to monitor fuel trims via OBD, but rich running is usually down to a duff lambda sensor (Bosch replacement £50), alternatively the issue can be due to knackered coil packs (again Bosch, £not much), but you'll feel the car running on less than 8 cylinders if a coil pack goes. Can't speak for the roof mech, spiders aren't my thing, but reading the forums, it seems most issues are resolved cheaply with new elastics or seat potentiometers. Shock actuators can be rebuilt for £25 of parts (or even less if you can 3D print them yourself)
The main thing to be worried about with either car is if you desperately need a part that's no longer available or is very, very expensive. The community has come up with better, cheaper fixes for all the common issues than Ferrari ever provided, but there's still the odd thing that can cost you whether you're in a 348 or a 355 - that's just the nature of older cars.
Personally, I love that last thousand revs of a 355's rev range and for that reason would never swap for a 348, but horses for courses - if you want manual steering, you'll get into a 348 (although there are early 355s with manual racks optioned at no cost). The solution for lack of steering feel in a 355 is a lighter, smaller wheel, and driving faster, as the steering really weights up when you are on it.
I'm near Enfield but have friends and family in Bishop's Stortford so often out your way. PM me if you want to arrange a trip out, I'd be happy to.
Reliability has nothing to do with the Motronic version. The valve guide issue is overdone by the US guys who seem to compete for who can manage the biggest servicing bill. Headers, you have them rebuilt in 304 or whatever once, or replaced with Tubi/Fabspeed/Larini or whoever. It is indeed a good idea to monitor fuel trims via OBD, but rich running is usually down to a duff lambda sensor (Bosch replacement £50), alternatively the issue can be due to knackered coil packs (again Bosch, £not much), but you'll feel the car running on less than 8 cylinders if a coil pack goes. Can't speak for the roof mech, spiders aren't my thing, but reading the forums, it seems most issues are resolved cheaply with new elastics or seat potentiometers. Shock actuators can be rebuilt for £25 of parts (or even less if you can 3D print them yourself)
The main thing to be worried about with either car is if you desperately need a part that's no longer available or is very, very expensive. The community has come up with better, cheaper fixes for all the common issues than Ferrari ever provided, but there's still the odd thing that can cost you whether you're in a 348 or a 355 - that's just the nature of older cars.
Personally, I love that last thousand revs of a 355's rev range and for that reason would never swap for a 348, but horses for courses - if you want manual steering, you'll get into a 348 (although there are early 355s with manual racks optioned at no cost). The solution for lack of steering feel in a 355 is a lighter, smaller wheel, and driving faster, as the steering really weights up when you are on it.
I'm near Enfield but have friends and family in Bishop's Stortford so often out your way. PM me if you want to arrange a trip out, I'd be happy to.
HardtopManual said:
A lot of what's mentioned above is "fix once" stuff now that the cars are out of dealer maintenance, and will likely already have been sorted by a previous owner now that the cars are 30 years old.
Reliability has nothing to do with the Motronic version. The valve guide issue is overdone by the US guys who seem to compete for who can manage the biggest servicing bill. Headers, you have them rebuilt in 304 or whatever once, or replaced with Tubi/Fabspeed/Larini or whoever. It is indeed a good idea to monitor fuel trims via OBD, but rich running is usually down to a duff lambda sensor (Bosch replacement £50), alternatively the issue can be due to knackered coil packs (again Bosch, £not much), but you'll feel the car running on less than 8 cylinders if a coil pack goes. Can't speak for the roof mech, spiders aren't my thing, but reading the forums, it seems most issues are resolved cheaply with new elastics or seat potentiometers. Shock actuators can be rebuilt for £25 of parts (or even less if you can 3D print them yourself)
The main thing to be worried about with either car is if you desperately need a part that's no longer available or is very, very expensive. The community has come up with better, cheaper fixes for all the common issues than Ferrari ever provided, but there's still the odd thing that can cost you whether you're in a 348 or a 355 - that's just the nature of older cars.
Personally, I love that last thousand revs of a 355's rev range and for that reason would never swap for a 348, but horses for courses - if you want manual steering, you'll get into a 348 (although there are early 355s with manual racks optioned at no cost). The solution for lack of steering feel in a 355 is a lighter, smaller wheel, and driving faster, as the steering really weights up when you are on it.
I'm near Enfield but have friends and family in Bishop's Stortford so often out your way. PM me if you want to arrange a trip out, I'd be happy to.
Top post :thumbsup: I'd just add the roof can be expensive to fix and needs to be tested repeatedly - 10 time plus before purchase. I'm not sure if it's still the case but the seat potentiometers (which are needed for the roof function) were NLA some years backReliability has nothing to do with the Motronic version. The valve guide issue is overdone by the US guys who seem to compete for who can manage the biggest servicing bill. Headers, you have them rebuilt in 304 or whatever once, or replaced with Tubi/Fabspeed/Larini or whoever. It is indeed a good idea to monitor fuel trims via OBD, but rich running is usually down to a duff lambda sensor (Bosch replacement £50), alternatively the issue can be due to knackered coil packs (again Bosch, £not much), but you'll feel the car running on less than 8 cylinders if a coil pack goes. Can't speak for the roof mech, spiders aren't my thing, but reading the forums, it seems most issues are resolved cheaply with new elastics or seat potentiometers. Shock actuators can be rebuilt for £25 of parts (or even less if you can 3D print them yourself)
The main thing to be worried about with either car is if you desperately need a part that's no longer available or is very, very expensive. The community has come up with better, cheaper fixes for all the common issues than Ferrari ever provided, but there's still the odd thing that can cost you whether you're in a 348 or a 355 - that's just the nature of older cars.
Personally, I love that last thousand revs of a 355's rev range and for that reason would never swap for a 348, but horses for courses - if you want manual steering, you'll get into a 348 (although there are early 355s with manual racks optioned at no cost). The solution for lack of steering feel in a 355 is a lighter, smaller wheel, and driving faster, as the steering really weights up when you are on it.
I'm near Enfield but have friends and family in Bishop's Stortford so often out your way. PM me if you want to arrange a trip out, I'd be happy to.
I had both GTS and Spider, I loved my Spider (F1) the sound is spine tingling and despite having had many Ferraris since I still hanker after another 355
Fiammetta said:
I opted into a 348 Spider over a 355 .
I run a Bertone GT 4 from the 70 s and have had a 86 Testarossa for 10 yrs , a 360 M F1 for another 10 yrs before the current GT4 .
Wanted a F cab to do Europe and didn’t want anything with nannies . In other words rooted out the analog ( agricultural) feel .Last yr dong the alpine passes in a boxster it was a procession anyhow .
You just can’t find space to lay down 4 WD and 0-60 in 3 secs these days , assuming you walked into a F dealer with a open cheque book and drive the next best thing away circa £ 300-500k.
Nb - no shortage of punters and dreamers though .
Not too bothered about absolute performance, bar room stats etc bcz U.K. roads are pot holed , busy and speed camera laden . As Corol Shelby once said “ it’s not horse power it’s traction “
In my view about 300 Hp ( spider has 320 ) is enough in 1400 kgs . This means you can wring it out reach into the 5-7700 Rpm range without fear of loosing it .
All by yourself as there’s zero nannies on the 348 .Only ABS . Not even power steering .
As a ownership experience a 348 beats the 355 , it’s motronic 2.7 is far more reliable than the majority of 355 s 5.2 . ( 95 355# had the 2.7 ) .
The 4 valve heads guides are bomb proof the 5 valves ( Ferraris 1 st road pop ) in the 355 can be problematic and cost ££££ . The headers of the 355 are chocolate teapot like ….linked to the motronic 5.2 ability to send over rich cylinder fuel un noticed which overheats and cracks them .
On the spider the 355 s power hood is the most dreadful system man could manufacture.It’s the same as various Mercs of the era …..you end up in a electro - hydraulic mess = again big ££££ .
Adjustable shocks are a another money pit on a 355 . Absent on a 348 ( like the PAS system )
The steering feel if you are really interested ( a proper car guy ? ) is leap yr superior in a none assisted 348 to A N Other F car .
The 348 was the very last car Enzo signed off ….yes it analog buts that’s the simple appeal .
Style is subjective obviously.
The ones to get are the 320 hp run out modals . GTB GTS and Spiders ,
As far as handling the early ones were signed off at Fiorano by test drivers highly skilled inc the then F 1 team drivers . unfortunately the jurnos at the time were on a different skill set and didnt get it . As the yrs passed ( its was a mule for the 355 ) the run out modals suspension geo was altered , diff A arm points and lengths to make them more manageable to a wider customer ( thick Americans) base . The jurnos even could drive them now without miss hap .
Luca Montemezola softened the road cars widened the appeal chasing volumes and share prices .
Enter the 355 , 360 , 430 458 etc etc .
The 348 is the last of the Enzo era .
Agreed and I have had multiple examples of both. Today a 348 Spider would be my pick and as you say not much in it in the real world with far more reliability. I run a Bertone GT 4 from the 70 s and have had a 86 Testarossa for 10 yrs , a 360 M F1 for another 10 yrs before the current GT4 .
Wanted a F cab to do Europe and didn’t want anything with nannies . In other words rooted out the analog ( agricultural) feel .Last yr dong the alpine passes in a boxster it was a procession anyhow .
You just can’t find space to lay down 4 WD and 0-60 in 3 secs these days , assuming you walked into a F dealer with a open cheque book and drive the next best thing away circa £ 300-500k.
Nb - no shortage of punters and dreamers though .
Not too bothered about absolute performance, bar room stats etc bcz U.K. roads are pot holed , busy and speed camera laden . As Corol Shelby once said “ it’s not horse power it’s traction “
In my view about 300 Hp ( spider has 320 ) is enough in 1400 kgs . This means you can wring it out reach into the 5-7700 Rpm range without fear of loosing it .
All by yourself as there’s zero nannies on the 348 .Only ABS . Not even power steering .
As a ownership experience a 348 beats the 355 , it’s motronic 2.7 is far more reliable than the majority of 355 s 5.2 . ( 95 355# had the 2.7 ) .
The 4 valve heads guides are bomb proof the 5 valves ( Ferraris 1 st road pop ) in the 355 can be problematic and cost ££££ . The headers of the 355 are chocolate teapot like ….linked to the motronic 5.2 ability to send over rich cylinder fuel un noticed which overheats and cracks them .
On the spider the 355 s power hood is the most dreadful system man could manufacture.It’s the same as various Mercs of the era …..you end up in a electro - hydraulic mess = again big ££££ .
Adjustable shocks are a another money pit on a 355 . Absent on a 348 ( like the PAS system )
The steering feel if you are really interested ( a proper car guy ? ) is leap yr superior in a none assisted 348 to A N Other F car .
The 348 was the very last car Enzo signed off ….yes it analog buts that’s the simple appeal .
Style is subjective obviously.
The ones to get are the 320 hp run out modals . GTB GTS and Spiders ,
As far as handling the early ones were signed off at Fiorano by test drivers highly skilled inc the then F 1 team drivers . unfortunately the jurnos at the time were on a different skill set and didnt get it . As the yrs passed ( its was a mule for the 355 ) the run out modals suspension geo was altered , diff A arm points and lengths to make them more manageable to a wider customer ( thick Americans) base . The jurnos even could drive them now without miss hap .
Luca Montemezola softened the road cars widened the appeal chasing volumes and share prices .
Enter the 355 , 360 , 430 458 etc etc .
The 348 is the last of the Enzo era .
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:24
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:26
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:28
Edited by Fiammetta on Wednesday 9th April 18:29
Had my 355 for serveral years now, had a 348 before that.
No question about it, 355 hands down.
The sound is fantastic ( I too was underwhelmed by the 348s noise) it also has the looks and drive over the 348.
My 348 was a 1993, my 355 a 1996 spider, so theirs only 3 years difference but it feels like a 10 year younger car, subtle changes here and there make it much less dated imo, and I was never fond of the 348 rear.
I’ve done about 20,000 miles in the 355, a good chunk of that has been without issue, although I’m currently battling an electrical fault.
No question about it, 355 hands down.
The sound is fantastic ( I too was underwhelmed by the 348s noise) it also has the looks and drive over the 348.
My 348 was a 1993, my 355 a 1996 spider, so theirs only 3 years difference but it feels like a 10 year younger car, subtle changes here and there make it much less dated imo, and I was never fond of the 348 rear.
I’ve done about 20,000 miles in the 355, a good chunk of that has been without issue, although I’m currently battling an electrical fault.
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