996TT or 355F1?

I know this is blasphemy asking such a thing on a porsche website, but here goes... Later this year i'll hopefully be looking for a new car for around 45K, initially I was just looking at early 996TT's but I have now started looking at early 355's. I just wanted to see if anyone on here has or does own a 355 and can offer any advice or experience. I drive about 4k mls per year and would be expecting to put aside about 3 to 4K per year for cost of running the car. I have owned a 996C2 for 2 years now (my first porsche) and have nothing but great things to say about it. I realize that these are very different cars but owning a Ferrari has always been a dream... will it turn into a nightmare? Any advice or words or warning would be most appreciated Cheers Paul

Hey Paul As I see it, and although I do not own any of the Italian thoroughbreds but my friends collectively own the whole stable of them, it is purely a question of "more money than sense". Based purely on performance and reliability, my car outperforms all of them but based on price and cost of keeping their cars outperform mine. As such, the Italian cars carry that aura and self propagaded myth of wealth and luxury and hence they are the perfect posing and image projection tools. I can afford only one supercar, if I could afford two I would buy a Ferrari to go with my Porsche...[ ]

I have owned a couple of Fs, a 328GTS and an F355 GTS manual. At around £45k, an F355 is a very tempting prospect. £45k will get you into quite a late one (98 R, S?). They have simply stunning engines, the sound at 4-8.5k rpm when the exhaust bypass valves open up is fabulous, and they look fantastic. They feel very special, and you will feel like a superstar driving it. Judging by my C4S, the TT will be a better car to drive on every objective measure, faster too, but will not feel as much of an event as the Ferrari. However, the 2+2 seating gives a lot of extra versatility, and you will worry far more about leaving the 355 parked up which for me limited the usage. I would question the F1 box though- mine was a manual, and it is a great box- tactile, you get the open gate which to me, if you've not owned a Ferrari before, is part of the mystique. F1 boxes chew through clutches too. As ferraris go, the quality is very good. They don't rattle, the trim is strong, the electrics are good. Your cost estimate is about right- some years it will cost a few hundred, but the belts service (every three years with that mileage) will set you back at least £3k. In terms of issues... you get problems with the catalysts, the manifolds (1.5k per side), and if you are going for a GTB/GTS, check where the buttresses meet the rear wings- you get corrosion there. The radiators sometimes fail. You also hear some horror stories about early cars having valve guide probs, necessitating an engine rebuild (an engine leak-down test is an essential part of the PPI for an early car), and I know of a couple of people who have shelled out over £20k in repairs in very short order. The gearstick in mine buzzed too which was really annoying, but was a simple case of adjustment. Don't get talked into a Tubi exhaust as the low rev boom is a nightmare- consider instead a Capristo or maybe Quicksilver. Some owners wire the bypass valves open to enjoy the sound at all revs, but this can cause the smaller cats to overheat. Check the interior trim- wear to drivers side bolster, tatty climate control trim (they sometimes bubble up). You want to buy a car that has been loved. I certainly would not put anyone off owning a Ferrari, esp if it is a car that is tucked in the garage for fun, which judging by your miles, it probably is. If you have petrol in your blood, then it is worth pursuing. Personally, I did the Ferraris, they were great, but am pleased on balance to be back with Porsche, but I would own a 355 again if my numbers came up. If you are still open to ideas, how about a GT3, or a lhd 993 RS?

Hi Guys, Thanks for your comments, I agree with you both that objectively the 996TT will be the better car than the 355, but as I said, it has always been a dream to own a Ferrari, so I think it will come down to whether I go with my head or my heart. If I do get one, im sure once ive got it out of my system i'll be back in a porsche in a few years (I wish I had the money for both) Robert, your comments have been very helpfull, I take your point about the Manual vs the F1 box, I wondered if it would chew up the clutch or if it was more prone to failure. Do you know of any good online resources forums/articles that are worth reading - I won't be getting the car until later in the year but I want to read up on it first to make sure I know what im getting into Thanks again Cheers Paul

I got a "sportscar guide" buyers guide for the F355 off the web which was useless. I've not seen anything in particular on line. There are a couple of good forums- ferrarichat.com and fcars.co.uk (this was a UK splinter group which fell out with the admin at fchat!) which will have some useful stuff on. There is also a lovely book in the "great cars" series about the F355- let me know if you are interested and I'll dig out the copy for publisher details etc.

I last drove a friend's pristine, ex-UK, 1998 F355 Spyder manual a few months ago here in Cyprus from Larnaca to Limassol, both in town as well as on the motorway. Compared to my turbo 3,6 it was (or at least felt) very slow and not as refined. Drove up to an indicated 165 mph for a short burst, found it was too noisy (it's got a sports exhaust and no cats) and too 'nervous / twitchy' at high speed. Acceleration / in-gear flexibility/torque was nothing to write home about (again compared to the porsche) and ventilation / AC was hopeless. I am not a big fan of Ferrari V8 engine noise either so I thought it was a bit too loud, flashy and provocative. .What I did like though was the handling and the roadholding on twisty B-roads which I found predictable and very re-assuring, the steering was very communicative and turn-in was indeed very sharp and precise. I do appreciate and respect the brand's heritage and history, the rarity value, the purity and those gorgeous flowing lines of the design -which I personally think it's one of the most beautiful cars ever to come out of Maranello- however, I would never buy one.

The spyders are heavier than the GTBs, and certainly more flexy. The GTS was better, but the GTB is the best drivers version. I bet that car you drove had the decat and Tubi conversion which sounds good for a bit, but in the end I took the Tubi off mine and sold it as it said, as you say, a bit too much! I must confess I never felt the 355 disappointing from an acceleration point of view, but it does need to be revved- it is not an especially torquey engine. By any objective measure, an F355 is not as good as a 996 TT, but they do get under your skin. Emilios - Cyprus is a great island! My folks have an appt in Limassol- many happy days there.

Thanks for the forum links Robert... I think im going to book up a 355 track day in the summer, it will give me a good chance to see what it drives like. As I said earlier it will be a while before make the switch but i'll let you guys know how I get on cheers Paul

I have both - an '04 996TT and a '95 355 GTB, pre-F1. The differences are very much as you'd expect. The 911 is bullet proof, reasonable servicing costs and a practical everyday car. The 355 is the more thrilling car to drive, not as quick and has that oh-my-God-the-steering-feels-very-light-on-this-wet-road feeling, where the 911 feels very sure footed. My 355 has been fine from a reliability point of view but anything - anything - is expensive. Those little triangles at the back of the window glasses which corrode? £250 + fitting + VAT. Per side. Rusty sill plates - £400+ per side. I replaced mine with carbon fibre. They are both great cars and even now after 12 years, the 355 still feels very special every time I get in it.

Question is if you were to have a long blast around Scotland with other "supercars" and last one back buys the round, which one would you take?[8|]

Greedy! I'm green with envy, of course. [8D][8D]

I remember being quoted £300 for a toggle switch... oddly though, I got a new gearshift/switch panel surround for only £19 which made the inside look much tidier. I did the carbon fibre sills too- look much better than the steel ones, and half the price!