Which Ferrari do I buy?
Discussion
Hi all.
Having been a fanatic of all things Ferrari since the age of around 3, now I'm a bit older I'm finding it hard to resist the temptation to buy one. The problem is that the lottery win still evades me.
Ideally an F355 GTB would be the one as it's such a pretty thing and gets such good reviews, but to be frank it's outside of my price range - well the car itself might not be but since I came across the running costs in a magazine recently it's definately off limits.
The 348 looks to me like the compromise - similar stunning looks, performance etc etc just less on the wallet due to being an older model. Or is this a misconception?
I've been looking on the net but I can't find any read-ups. Is the 348 nearly as good as a 355 or is it a turkey. How much will it cost to run? All the usual questions.
And of course the biggest question - I'm a petrol head like the rest of you so if I buy a supercar (sort of) I want to drive it like one. If I buy a Ferrari on my budget of around 30K will I be doomed to tootling around town in it because I can't afford to hurt it?
What say you all?
Having been a fanatic of all things Ferrari since the age of around 3, now I'm a bit older I'm finding it hard to resist the temptation to buy one. The problem is that the lottery win still evades me.
Ideally an F355 GTB would be the one as it's such a pretty thing and gets such good reviews, but to be frank it's outside of my price range - well the car itself might not be but since I came across the running costs in a magazine recently it's definately off limits.
The 348 looks to me like the compromise - similar stunning looks, performance etc etc just less on the wallet due to being an older model. Or is this a misconception?
I've been looking on the net but I can't find any read-ups. Is the 348 nearly as good as a 355 or is it a turkey. How much will it cost to run? All the usual questions.
And of course the biggest question - I'm a petrol head like the rest of you so if I buy a supercar (sort of) I want to drive it like one. If I buy a Ferrari on my budget of around 30K will I be doomed to tootling around town in it because I can't afford to hurt it?
What say you all?
I have not owned either a 348 or a 355, but am looking into a 348 later this year. I would think the running costs of the two to be roughly similar, given that the 348 could be looked upon as a 355 testbed. I will be budgeting £2-3K for annual running costs (excluding petrol and insurance).
im in a similar position.went to look at a 348 yesterday.performance is relative to what your already used to,but theyre a good drive and definately no turkey.the 348 is slower than my griff,but handling is much better,the 355 is faster than my griff,about the same as my 4 litre tuscan was possibly,but again better handling.so the 355 is quite a bit quicker,but the 348 i drove was an early one,apparently later ones and spiders are a little quicker?service costs at the indie i was at are the same for 355 and 348:-annual £400,6250 miles £560,18750 miles £750,belts £850,all plus vat.
Running costs between a 355 and a 348 will be roughly similar.
Depreciation wise there probably isn't much in it between the two now either, both (well early 355s anyway) are probably not likely to fall in value much more, and most 348's have bottomed out around 25-35k depending on LHD / RHD model etc.
If you're concerned about running costs why not look at a LHD 348 and bank some of your capital as an insurance fund against problems? You should be able to pick up a decent LHD tb/ts for under 30k.
There is a mass of 348 info on this board - search through the threads and you should find just about all the info you could ever need.
Depreciation wise there probably isn't much in it between the two now either, both (well early 355s anyway) are probably not likely to fall in value much more, and most 348's have bottomed out around 25-35k depending on LHD / RHD model etc.
If you're concerned about running costs why not look at a LHD 348 and bank some of your capital as an insurance fund against problems? You should be able to pick up a decent LHD tb/ts for under 30k.
There is a mass of 348 info on this board - search through the threads and you should find just about all the info you could ever need.
Have you considered the 328, or is that a bit too old? Relatively cheap to run and insure. Annual service £400, cambelts also about £400 becuase the engine does not have to come out like it does in both the 348/355. They are also very reliable. My specialist says he sees 328's just once per year for the service. If you get a late car, 87 onwards, you should be fine.
I'm also looking for a 348, but now I'm thinking of waiting until autumn/winter as I think prices will start to fall on all vehicles, especially 355's.
This weeks autocar has an article about 430's being sold at £25K premiums, but they reckon by the end of the year when there is more supply the prices will come down. Thereby pushing 360 prices down, with LHD 360's around £50K.
So I assume then than 355 prices will come down as well, as many potential 355 buyers may get a lhd 360 instead. I've seen 355's being sold privatly for £40K!
Also, I've seen a lot of 328's are going for £35K and there seems to be a lot of them around. Hard to shift maybe? I reckon they'll be dropping significantly too. Maybe to £30K?
Add to that the uncertainty of the econmy, high level of home repossessions and falling house prices.....somethings got to give.
The above is of course all speculative.
If however you are interested in a 348 now, I saw one at Verdi's yesterday. Excellent condition with only 19K miles and going for £32K. It's a red TB but I prefer a TS so I probably won't get it. Although I have'nt made a final decision yet.
Besides...for me it's either a Ferrari or a...............Boxster!
This weeks autocar has an article about 430's being sold at £25K premiums, but they reckon by the end of the year when there is more supply the prices will come down. Thereby pushing 360 prices down, with LHD 360's around £50K.
So I assume then than 355 prices will come down as well, as many potential 355 buyers may get a lhd 360 instead. I've seen 355's being sold privatly for £40K!
Also, I've seen a lot of 328's are going for £35K and there seems to be a lot of them around. Hard to shift maybe? I reckon they'll be dropping significantly too. Maybe to £30K?
Add to that the uncertainty of the econmy, high level of home repossessions and falling house prices.....somethings got to give.
The above is of course all speculative.
If however you are interested in a 348 now, I saw one at Verdi's yesterday. Excellent condition with only 19K miles and going for £32K. It's a red TB but I prefer a TS so I probably won't get it. Although I have'nt made a final decision yet.
Besides...for me it's either a Ferrari or a...............Boxster!
mongoose said:
.the 348 is slower than my griff,but handling is much better,
Odd, I had a pretty quick Griff 500 immediately before the 348 Spider and ok, if you can get the traction, off the block the Griff may be ever so slightly quicker due to the masses of low down torque, but you get the 348 up to 5000 revs and it flies a hell of a lot faster than the Griff...
On a motorway at 70mph, boot it and the 348 would leave the Griff.
Having said that, mine is the Spider with the higher powered GT spec engine in.
Get a LHD GTB or GTS for £25-30k or a RHD TB or TS for £23-28k.
Personally I would go for the LHD GT spec as these were the test bed for the 355, not the earlier TBs and TSs.
Thanks to all who have replied - this is the stuff I'm looking for!!
What are both (348 and 355) like in terms of durability and build quality?
Having purchased the dream I would like to think that the odd continental trip would be on the cards, not to mention many a Sunday on the bendy stuff in Wales.
Or is this inviting catastrophe?
What are both (348 and 355) like in terms of durability and build quality?
Having purchased the dream I would like to think that the odd continental trip would be on the cards, not to mention many a Sunday on the bendy stuff in Wales.
Or is this inviting catastrophe?
seasider said:
burriana said:
On a motorway at 70mph, boot it and the 348 would leave the Griff.
Nickster were you only using half throttle the other day
Edited to add I would have a 355 spider if i had the cash
yes.And I selected the wrong gear a couple of times because I was trying to get that girl to talk some sense instead of what not what not la de dah.
burriana said:
.the 348 is slower than my griff,but handling is much better,
Odd, I had a pretty quick Griff 500 immediately before the 348 Spider and ok, if you can get the traction, off the block the Griff may be ever so slightly quicker due to the masses of low down torque, but you get the 348 up to 5000 revs and it flies a hell of a lot faster than the Griff...
On a motorway at 70mph, boot it and the 348 would leave the Griff.
Having said that, mine is the Spider with the higher powered GT spec engine in.
Get a LHD GTB or GTS for £25-30k or a RHD TB or TS for £23-28k.
Personally I would go for the LHD GT spec as these were the test bed for the 355, not the earlier TBs and TSs.
not sure which griff's everyone seems to be driving, but i had a griff 500 and can safely say there isn't much in it between it and the 355 (upto 30 griff a bit quicker) upto 150mph not much in it.
around a track both being driven hard, there was also very little in it.
i have driven a 355 f1 and loved it, but you had to rev the nuts off it to get anywhere, very little torque. but it was a great drive. the 360 is much torquier.
all great cars. remember the griff did 0-60 in 4.7 and 100 in 11, so its no slouch.
Shnozz said:
s11eps said:
One of my friends has just paid £28k for an immaculate UK RHD 348 TS, Nero on Nero, 19k miles, private sale.
They are available, you just have to hunt them out.
that sounds like the one I spotted - divorce forces sale. Looked fantastic - I want nero/nero.
A man of fine taste
My tuppence worth. Wait till september and pick yourself up the 355 spider you wanted. I screwed my seller to the floor, as they won't want to be holding the car over the winter.
Performance wise, delivery is very different from my previous M12, loads of torque to no torque, but when she lifts her skirt she can really shift!
The car hasn't missed a beat in the first 7 months of ownership, build quality is fantastic, and to top it all off, the scream from the Capristo at 7000rpm+ makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up
>> Edited by stuh on Thursday 28th April 19:33
If you've got a 30k pot, I'd be inclined to look at a really good 308 or a 328. To my eyes, the 348 is the ugly sister (no offence meant to 348 owners, just how I see it ).
The older cars are not as quick, but that's not really the point.
355s will inevitably keep coming down in value, but (and I've said this before) I do not believe they will be as badly hit as many people think.
The 360 was a very different car in many respects, and I'm not convinced it holds the same attraction as the earlier stuff. And the numbers made of the 360 really took off. Owners became more of the "must have the next new thing" variety and as a result there are a *lot* for sale right now. When 430s get more sensible in money, 360 prices are going to plummet.
Be specific about the sort of 355 you want, and you're going to have to be patient or pay good money (a few are at early 40s now, but most are still late 40s or higher). I think most are owned by people who always wanted one, and prizing them away from owners is not going to be straight forward.
So if you have 30k, buy a good 308/328 and stick the rest in an interest bearing account for a rainy day. Kevin's estimates on running cost (for *any* performance car) are fair, and if you end up not needing it (after buying Tubis, tyres, insurance etc), you'll have a nice little pot to upgrade later.
PS Rubystone is an honorary Northerner. Tight as a gnat's chuff and if you listen to him, Enzo's will be free with a box of cornflakes next week
). The older cars are not as quick, but that's not really the point.
355s will inevitably keep coming down in value, but (and I've said this before) I do not believe they will be as badly hit as many people think.
The 360 was a very different car in many respects, and I'm not convinced it holds the same attraction as the earlier stuff. And the numbers made of the 360 really took off. Owners became more of the "must have the next new thing" variety and as a result there are a *lot* for sale right now. When 430s get more sensible in money, 360 prices are going to plummet.
Be specific about the sort of 355 you want, and you're going to have to be patient or pay good money (a few are at early 40s now, but most are still late 40s or higher). I think most are owned by people who always wanted one, and prizing them away from owners is not going to be straight forward.
So if you have 30k, buy a good 308/328 and stick the rest in an interest bearing account for a rainy day. Kevin's estimates on running cost (for *any* performance car) are fair, and if you end up not needing it (after buying Tubis, tyres, insurance etc), you'll have a nice little pot to upgrade later.
PS Rubystone is an honorary Northerner. Tight as a gnat's chuff and if you listen to him, Enzo's will be free with a box of cornflakes next week
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