Ferrari 360 or 355?

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=63&t=297134

Following the very useful info on the thread above, I have been poking around the 360 classifieds as well. Spoken to a few owners too.

My questions are:

1. Running costs: I seem to be getting the impression that 360 costs are lower than 355's. Could I get some more details please?

2. Soul: The 360, while a superior machine seems to lack the "feel" the 355 has.

3. Depreciation: which car is going to depreciate faster?

4. Weak points: 355 weak points are pretty well covered in the thread above, what about the 360?

Look forward to getting the answer. In less than a year, I will be buying one of the two cars!

[turbobloke]

What a great choice to have to make, a no lose situation really.

If the choice were mine it would be no contest as using many of the criteria you list points the way of a decent 355 - and criteria or not I'd go that way as I buy a make or model using emotion but choose a particular car using reason.

[Murph7355]

AdvocatusDiaboli said:

1. Running costs: I seem to be getting the impression that 360 costs are lower than 355's. Could I get some more details please?

2. Soul: The 360, while a superior machine seems to lack the "feel" the 355 has.

3. Depreciation: which car is going to depreciate faster?

4. Weak points: 355 weak points are pretty well covered in the thread above, what about the 360?

Look forward to getting the answer. In less than a year, I will be buying one of the two cars!

Don't want to sound rude, but you really need to do a search - both here and on www.clubscuderia.co.uk/forum/ (formerly fcars.co.uk). These topics have been covered at length so many times that you'll have a year's worth of reading to do before buying.

In brief:

1) As the 360 gets older, I suspect running costs will be similar to a 355 overall. TBH, I'd suspect they are anyway.
2) I'm biased. But outright speed isn't everything. If it is, save yourself some cash and but a Caterham 7. Or a sorted M5 or something if you like motorways.
3) Check out the values over the next 12mths! A 360 will still be on a steeper curve as it's a newer car and there were more made. But anyone that can tell you with 100% certainty is telling fibs.
4) Search, search and search again. 360s have plenty of weak points. And a good few of the ones attributed to the 355 may also apply.

Much is also likely to depend on your budget.

I believe clubscud will give you much more detailed info than you'll typically find on here. Though you will have to wade through a lot of posts by the "characters" on there. That said, if you're serious about ownership, there's no better place to look IMO.

Note that there's a lot of rubbish spoken about both cars. I'd suggest you spend a lot of time reading the archives, speak to the specilaists and make your own mind up. And try not to let your heart rule your head as many do - self included when I bought mine. Lately I've been thinking through things logically and come to very different conclusions - they are just cars .

Good luck.

[ferrarispider]

Dude just get the car that says yes to ya.

[BobM]

AdvocatusDiaboli said:

1. Running costs: I seem to be getting the impression that 360 costs are lower than 355's. Could I get some more details please?

They're all expensive, one difference is that a belt change on a 355 is supposed to be engine out (but have a look through the threads on fcars.co.uk on independents doing it with engine in situ).

AdvocatusDiaboli said:

2. Soul: The 360, while a superior machine seems to lack the "feel" the 355 has.

I'd suggest getting a drive in a 360 before concluding this. It's a point made by those who own 355's so far as I can see. I recently switched from a 911 GT3 to a 360 Spider and have been hugely impressed with the feel and sound of the 360. There's always a bit of nostalgia with model changes in any marque - look at the Porsche 993 v 996 shenanigans

AdvocatusDiaboli said:

3. Depreciation: which car is going to depreciate faster?

This one's easy, the more expensive car is always going to depreciate more.

AdvocatusDiaboli said:

4. Weak points: 355 weak points are pretty well covered in the thread above, what about the 360?

People say they're twitchy on the limit, but I've yet to see any sign of twitchiness, I suspect it's partly subjective, and in any case is unlikely to be encountered at real world road speeds. Also front ball joints are reckoned to be a weak spot. Other than that in my research I found nothing much in the way of systematic weaknesses.

Other points I'd add are that the interior in the 355 looks really dated next to a 360. Also far more room in the cabin in a 360 - I'm 6' 5" and simply didn't have enough headroom/legroom in a 355 whereas the 360 is absolutely fine.

Like I said, go and drive them both.

[Murph7355]

BobM said:

[quote=AdvocatusDiaboli]...look at the Porsche 993 v 996 shenanigans ...I'm 6' 5" and simply didn't have enough headroom/legroom in a 355 whereas the 360 is absolutely fine....

The 993 v 996 comparison is an interesting one and spot on between with the 355/360 IMO.

Also, I'm 6'4" and find the 355 fine. Then again, I squeeze myself into a Caterham

The key thing with all these questions is to go and try them for yourself and don't give a fig for what anyone else thinks. If you like Zanzibar coloured 996 Carreras with baby's nappy coloured interior and standard wheels, buy one - you'll get a bargain

[AdvocatusDiaboli]

Guys, thank you. Excellent posts all. I would like to say that I did do a search (not rude at all Murph!) but I thought didn't find everything I needed.

I completely agree that both cars needs to be put under the micro and driven. However, as someone here said, am going in with head not heart (well, in equal measures then!) and knowedlge is power. Need to know what I am looking for when I step in.

[burriana]

ferrarispider said:

Dude just get the car that says yes to ya.

The big man sums it up perfectly