550 Marranello vs. 360 Modena

[Aedo]

Originally Posted by wantanelise

I'm just glad Elise's are FINALLY going into their 5th year. Thats the time to buy, 5th yr in.

The Elise has been in production since 1996 with the current shape produced since 2001 - my Elise is 6 year old. You must be thinking only Toyota powered ones!

[apexdc]

I've been lucky enough to be a volunteer driving instructor since the mid seventies starting with the SoCal Ferrari Owner's Club. I say lucky, because it has given me the chance to drive most modern Ferraris on a track. Personally, I started ownership with a 275 GTB/4 that I kept for 13 years.

None of the modern cars are any fun in town, which is one reason I am in an Elise. Having said that, the appeal of a Ferrari can be strong. Sadly, lots of that is ego, but the cars can still be fun to drive.

My humble opinion: The 348 was a POS. Then Montezemolo took over running Ferrari and the 355 was the first major car to come out under his direction. It was a big improvement in almost all ways. The 360 was another step forward, as well. A superior car to the 355. The 430 is a rocket ship, but I don't like the looks. Also, IMO, it is too fast to be fun. Don't get me wrong, I have raced much faster cars and can drive the car hard, it is just that any car is entertaining when you are near its limits and when the limits are so high, it is boring to drive the car slowly. Again, I am in an Elise, not a 240 Exige and, for me, this is perfect. I love the fact I ahve to wring its neck to get anywhere!

The Maranello is great in Europe. I have video as a passenger at 195 mph in Italy. But, that is there, not here. They are somewhat heavy, still handle nicely, have lots of power and are actually pretty good value. Most Ferraris are about the same speed on the road to Starbucks.

Any car guy should own a Ferrari once in his life if possible. If I bought another, it would be a Fly Yellow 360 Coupe with a six speed. Most of the F1's are sold to people that would really like an automatic and think that is what they are getting. The 355 F1 sucks. The 360 is a bit better and the 430 works great, but who cares??? Too lazy to shift for yourself? And all that BS about saving micro seconds per lap is usually coming from someone who is 15 seconds off the car's pace, so what difference does it make?

In the final analysis, you should buy the one that makes your insides go a little weak and that you find impossible to walk away from without looking back just one more time. They aren't supposed to be rational purchases. Go with your heart.

Oh, and I did almost all the work on my four cam. The key to keeping the older car going was to be sure all the liquids were warm and then drive the crap out of 'em. Repeat as needed for preventative maintenance and improved mental health.

[PhlypSide]

^^^ Very cool F360 6spd is what I'd want too!

[wantanelise]

Originally Posted by Aedo

The Elise has been in production since 1996 with the current shape produced since 2001 - my Elise is 6 year old. You must be thinking only Toyota powered ones!

right, the ones that are in the country that 99% of us are in...

[wantanelise]

Originally Posted by apexdc

I've been lucky enough to be a volunteer driving instructor since the mid seventies starting with the SoCal Ferrari Owner's Club. I say lucky, because it has given me the chance to drive most modern Ferraris on a track. Personally, I started ownership with a 275 GTB/4 that I kept for 13 years.

None of the modern cars are any fun in town, which is one reason I am in an Elise. Having said that, the appeal of a Ferrari can be strong. Sadly, lots of that is ego, but the cars can still be fun to drive.

My humble opinion: The 348 was a POS. Then Montezemolo took over running Ferrari and the 355 was the first major car to come out under his direction. It was a big improvement in almost all ways. The 360 was another step forward, as well. A superior car to the 355. The 430 is a rocket ship, but I don't like the looks. Also, IMO, it is too fast to be fun. Don't get me wrong, I have raced much faster cars and can drive the car hard, it is just that any car is entertaining when you are near its limits and when the limits are so high, it is boring to drive the car slowly. Again, I am in an Elise, not a 240 Exige and, for me, this is perfect. I love the fact I ahve to wring its neck to get anywhere!

The Maranello is great in Europe. I have video as a passenger at 195 mph in Italy. But, that is there, not here. They are somewhat heavy, still handle nicely, have lots of power and are actually pretty good value. Most Ferraris are about the same speed on the road to Starbucks.

Any car guy should own a Ferrari once in his life if possible. If I bought another, it would be a Fly Yellow 360 Coupe with a six speed. Most of the F1's are sold to people that would really like an automatic and think that is what they are getting. The 355 F1 sucks. The 360 is a bit better and the 430 works great, but who cares??? Too lazy to shift for yourself? And all that BS about saving micro seconds per lap is usually coming from someone who is 15 seconds off the car's pace, so what difference does it make?

In the final analysis, you should buy the one that makes your insides go a little weak and that you find impossible to walk away from without looking back just one more time. They aren't supposed to be rational purchases. Go with your heart.

Oh, and I did almost all the work on my four cam. The key to keeping the older car going was to be sure all the liquids were warm and then drive the crap out of 'em. Repeat as needed for preventative maintenance and improved mental health.

great post! Ive heard that before, that its better if you drive em hard. Why is that?

[def]

Are all 360s non-engine out for belt service? All (99 and up) have the access panel behind the seats?

Somewhere I may have heard they didn't put that panel in until later?

[wantanelise]

good question, dunno

[DragonRider1]

As odd as it sounds I'd love to have an F355 Spyder with the manual for playing around, the sound, the overall experiance, etc, and then the F430 Scuderia F1 for getting out and running harder. I have no problem with the idea of F1 or paddle shifting AS LONG as it's done right. To my knowledge, Ferrari is the only one that does it right. Most of the 'manumatics' seem to take a few seconds between shifts (even if they don't they SEEM to) and that kills the entire purpose of having the fingertip shifting.

The worst offender absolutely has to be the new Smart cars. The one I drove left me extremely disappointed. As one editor summed it up later, "I think I could read the first chapter of War & Peace...in the original Russian, between the shift to first and second!"

There is a gent near me that owns a pair of Maranello's, one is the silver 550, the second is the red 575. I see him most often in the silver but never got a chance to really talk to him. They DO sound incredible when he's merging onto the freeway.

[XPcarguy]

Originally Posted by Spudboy

Until it's time for service, then the front engine cars are way cheaper to have serviced.

That's obviously the first thing on one's mind when shopping for a Ferrari... a car that has the cheapest maintenance costs.

[Simba]

Originally Posted by def

Are all 360s non-engine out for belt service?

Yes. There's a service panel behind the rear seats and all the computers that facilitates changing the belts. The belt service is somewhat cheaper as a result, but not really that much. All the time saved pulling the engine is lost on mechanics cursing and swearing as they try to manipulate things through the access hole.

I actually prefer having the engine out of the car, as it ensures all the oil and coolant fittings are inspected on a routine basis.

The real fun with the 360 belts is that there aren't any timing marks on the cam pulleys or crank. Move the engine or cams in the process and you're in a world of suck.

[mkiv808]

Originally Posted by DragonRider1

As odd as it sounds I'd love to have an F355 Spyder with the manual for playing around, the sound, the overall experiance, etc, and then the F430 Scuderia F1 for getting out and running harder. I have no problem with the idea of F1 or paddle shifting AS LONG as it's done right. To my knowledge, Ferrari is the only one that does it right. Most of the 'manumatics' seem to take a few seconds between shifts (even if they don't they SEEM to) and that kills the entire purpose of having the fingertip shifting.

I dunno, my GTI shifts almost instantly. I could never shift that fast in a manual.

That said, it's still nowhere near as fun as the real deal. I don't give a **** if I'm slower.

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by XPcarguy

That's obviously the first thing on one's mind when shopping for a Ferrari... a car that has the cheapest maintenance costs.

It's more of a concern than you may think. Why do some guys think Ferrari buyers have limitless funds and just enjoy spending money on maintenance? Nobody wants to pay for excess maintenance. It's a hassle if nothing else.

[Monsi]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

It's more of a concern than you may think. Why do some guys think Ferrari buyers have limitless funds and just enjoy spending money on maintenance? Nobody wants to pay for excess maintenance. It's a hassle if nothing else.

I think his point was all ferraris cost alot to maintain so you are boned no matter what model you choose

[Bavarian Motorist]

Originally Posted by Monsi

I think his point was all ferraris cost alot to maintain so you are boned no matter what model you choose

That's true.



Gallardos on the other hand.....

[FIRME]

I used to buy, retail and wholesale these vehicles and I can tell you that the 550 maranello's would come in at around $80K depending on condition and miles (wholesale). As far as maintenance, obviously you'll pay more because of the name but if you take it to a reputable ferrari shop (non-dealer), you can save yourself a lot of money. I had a '95 355 spider with only 4K miles that needed a timing belt service done in order to sell it and a VERY reputable shop who was actually referred to me by the buyer, charged me $3600 where a Ferrari dealer would charge me $10K+. Ferrari owners with money to burn will always go through the dealer for service but Ferrari owners who can afford it but are a bit frugal with their money will take it to a reputable shop...and these are shops with decades of experience in Ferrari's and also sponsors on FChat.

[Chris D.]

Originally Posted by Bavarian Motorist

It's more of a concern than you may think. Why do some guys think Ferrari buyers have limitless funds and just enjoy spending money on maintenance? Nobody wants to pay for excess maintenance. It's a hassle if nothing else.

Good point and there is more to it than that. Who wants to spend a $100K+ on the car that requires a lot of time and TLC at the dealership? That's a pain in the arse and it's why there's a Lamborghini parked in my garage instead of a Ferrari.

[newguy]

lambos rule

[Bane]

Originally Posted by wantanelise

great post! Ive heard that before, that its better if you drive em hard. Why is that?

Italian tune-up