RE: Ferrari F355: PH Heroes
Discussion
jay-kay-em said:
Everytime I see one out & about, I always have to play the "is it a converted MR2?" game. Kind of tarnishes the occasion of a spot.
First question anyone asks me when I get out of mine. Which is rather confusing, as the replicas, even the really expensive ones, are so far away from the real car's proportions that they stick out like a sore thumb.I'm sure most have seen it but every time a 355 is mentioned I have to listen to this vid 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAC6vaJHxU
My favourite "attainable" Ferrari.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvAC6vaJHxU
My favourite "attainable" Ferrari.
subirg said:
I had one for 5 years. It was, and still is, one of the finest pieces of automotive art ever created. Fact. It was, and still is, one of the best sounding cars of all time. Fact. It was, and still is, the most expensive car to run I have ever owned. Fact.
What went wrong with it?I spent £6k in the first year, but once things are fixed properly (i.e. by a knowledgeable indie using parts that will last, not by a Ferrari dealer using parts that won't), they shouldn't be too bad. Mine's over 50k miles and therefore worthless, so I DIY, which obviously reduces costs substantially.
Had a plan about 6 years ago to scratch my Ferrari itch by buying one of these, running it for a year, do a road trip to Italy in it, then sell it. They were £40-50k at the time. Moved house instead and they were too expensive when I was back in funds.
This story hasn't helped my itch!
This story hasn't helped my itch!
Jasandjules said:
DoubleTime said:
Such a fine looking Ferrari - hard to believe how cheap these could be had for 10 years ago.
What was it, £30>£40K???
Exactly what I was just thinking.. A few years ago I was hoping the missus would let me get a yellow convertible one that was up for that kind of money. What was it, £30>£40K???
This car was always a supercar. Yet, to look at it objectively today, it's really a sports car, and a fabulous one at that. What's my point? Mainly that the line between supercar and sports car was much more blurred than it is today.
Aside from the Lotus Evora, I can't think of a car on sale today that blurs that line in the same way.
Aside from the Lotus Evora, I can't think of a car on sale today that blurs that line in the same way.
Loved these when they first came out, proportions look so right. That engine, what a sound, there was nothing else like it at the time. There was one local to me and one Sunday morning I heard him giving it the beans some distance away but it could only have been him, fabulous sound.
Interesting that this article is on the same page as the new 488 Pista Spider.
Astonishing as the figures of the 488 are for the same 'type' of Ferrari, evolved obviously, the 488 is certainly no looker compared to the 355 which, along with others I note, is still regarded as a sublime and beautiful looking bit of kit.
Progress isn't always about bigger numbers.
Astonishing as the figures of the 488 are for the same 'type' of Ferrari, evolved obviously, the 488 is certainly no looker compared to the 355 which, along with others I note, is still regarded as a sublime and beautiful looking bit of kit.
Progress isn't always about bigger numbers.
IMI A said:
Lovely. What are running costs like if you say cover 5000 miles a year with a couple of track days? Can they stand up to a track session - they're old cars now?
It depends entirely on how the car was looked after by its previous owners. At 5k miles a year, you're probably looking at £1.5k to £2k on fuel and, if you buy a good one, probably about the same on maintenance and tyres over a three-year period including an engine-out service.If you buy a cheap one knowing that it needs work, you can spend five figures putting things right.
They will easily stand a track session - these cars run better when regularly used and driven hard (when the oil's warm, obviously). Caveat - you might want to look at a brake upgrade if you spend a lot of time at the track.
HardtopManual said:
IMI A said:
Lovely. What are running costs like if you say cover 5000 miles a year with a couple of track days? Can they stand up to a track session - they're old cars now?
It depends entirely on how the car was looked after by its previous owners. At 5k miles a year, you're probably looking at £1.5k to £2k on fuel and, if you buy a good one, probably about the same on maintenance and tyres over a three-year period including an engine-out service.If you buy a cheap one knowing that it needs work, you can spend five figures putting things right.
They will easily stand a track session - these cars run better when regularly used and driven hard (when the oil's warm, obviously). Caveat - you might want to look at a brake upgrade if you spend a lot of time at the track.
HardtopManual said:
IMI A said:
Lovely. What are running costs like if you say cover 5000 miles a year with a couple of track days? Can they stand up to a track session - they're old cars now?
It depends entirely on how the car was looked after by its previous owners. At 5k miles a year, you're probably looking at £1.5k to £2k on fuel and, if you buy a good one, probably about the same on maintenance and tyres over a three-year period including an engine-out service.If you buy a cheap one knowing that it needs work, you can spend five figures putting things right.
They will easily stand a track session - these cars run better when regularly used and driven hard (when the oil's warm, obviously). Caveat - you might want to look at a brake upgrade if you spend a lot of time at the track.
On road it’s a lovely thing when pushing on. On track, it’s a bit rubbish compared to modern stuff due to too much understeer.
Agree with the comment re brake upgrade. Definitely worth doing.
Harry_523 said:
As someone who was only 6 when these went out of production, and grew up with 360's, 430's etc as the "dream car", Im a little surprised at the seeming lack of progress between them and this one. A 50hp gain in ~15 years, same weight, same size, still option of manual or crap "F1" gearbox. I suppose the big gains where in reliability and build quality over the period before the 458 came along and redefined the super-sports car.
Id be interested to know why the 355 is considered so highly when manual 430's are about the same money these days (or were when I last checked...)
50hp gain? The 430 (depending on what website/magazine you read) is ~483 so 100 more than the 355.Id be interested to know why the 355 is considered so highly when manual 430's are about the same money these days (or were when I last checked...)
355 is still a lovely looking car.
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