Ferrari 355
Spyder
[CM]
The F355 was a much lighter car [than the 512 TR]. It has power
steering, and all the creature comforts that the NSX has. This car was
mostly fun because of it's top downability. It has 6 speeds which is nice
on the highway. Again, exhaust is very pleasant to hear! Speed was very
nice. About equal to the NSX. If there is one car that I would trade my
NSX for, this is it!!
I have had a '94 NSX since August, 1995, and a '95 355 coupe since '96
which I traded on a 355 spider in June of '97. My advice is to keep them
both if you possibly can. They are entirely different cars for different
purposes.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Ferrari. The social aspects are
staggering. There are a lot of nice people who love to share their Ferrari
enthusiasm with you. You will meet so many people at the Ferrari club
events and just in general. I founded the Nashville Ferrari club a few
months ago. On some pretty weekends we get together with others
with
Ferraris and even a few NSX's and a Countach and do tours of the
beautiful countryside in this area. Our organizational meeting was
February 19th at a local country club and we had thirteen Ferraris parked
outside the clubhouse. Later that night we visited a local bar and
restaurant and had almost that many parked curbside in a reserved
area.
The Ferrari is not a daily driver. I repeat, not a daily driver. You
can keep the NSX for that. Cruising Beverly Hills in the Ferrari is fun
but you can hardly run to the grocery store or to a movie in it. I kind of
have a rule that the Ferrari usually doesn't leave the house unless it has
a passenger. There are other conditions -- pretty weather, somewhere safe
to park it, etc. Of course, there are exceptions to all the foregoing.
The Ferrari is not a car to let a friend borrow. It's too twitchy.
Parking and opening the doors is a nightmare. Right now my girlfriend
drives the NSX on a daily basis. That's only because my 91 Jag convertible
is in the shop for an extended ($5,000) visit. I drive a '95 Lexus LS400
as a daily driver.
I noticed your comment about all the Ferraris being serviced, etc. I
think you will be pleasantly surprised to find that it is adequate in the
reliability department. At least you live near a dealer and don't have to
send it to Atlanta $500 each way to have it serviced. I have finally found
a great mechanic here in Nashville but you won't have that transportation
problem.
Ferrari
355 F1
[DH] - March
31, 1998
Do you ever have flashbacks of a memory that you know you will never
forget? Maybe that first babette? The day you made the
shot/pass/run/hit/defensive play that won the big game? The first time you
set eyes on your wife/husband (hey, Dagmar might read this, and I don't
want her to kick my ass....)
Tonight, I got to drive a Ferrari F355 with the F1 paddle shifter. It
is uh.....shall we say.....extremely, extremely,extremely impressive.
It sounds absolutely bitching, shrieking at 8500 RPMs. After you
slam shifts at the redline, the "fuzzy logic" kicks in, and your shifts
get faster. After buzzing it at the redline for a bunch of shifts, when
you come to a stop sign, you blast off in 1st gear to redline, shift into
2nd instantly and chirp the tires. Not sure exactly what the gearing is,
but these are some really short gears. Seems like when you shift at 8500
RPMs, you drop to about 6500(maybe even higher??) RPMs and start over
again ripping to 8500 RPMs, then repeat experience over and over again.
(note: you must shift at redline to get those neck jerking, 15/100ths of a
second upshift, other wise it shifts slower)
I only drove it for about 20 minutes, buzzed it to about 100 mph or so
down some relatively uncrowded roads. I didn't thrash it handling wise, as
I didn't want to even come close to breaking the rear end loose,. but the
owner of the car says it is scary good at the race track at high speeds
due to aerodynamics of the car. My friend buzzed it to 130 mph down the
same uncrowded road, and when you have the gas pedal firmly planted to the
floor (no need to lift when shifting) and you blip the paddle at the
redline through the gears, 130 mph comes up FAST, and I mean REAL
FAST. He slammed on the brakes at 130 and the car came to a crushing
halt... really great brakes.
The car had the special seats, very comfortable, and the 355 Challenge
rear grill. Looks exquisite close up in silver/titanium, or whatever the
Italians call that color.
Only thing I didn't like about the car was that it had power steering,
I prefer the non-assisted steering of my 92 NSX.
Comparisons? I have driven a Viper Roadster for about an hour,
Lamborgini Diablo for about 100 miles, 1997 911 TT for 5 miles, and the
F355 F1 is WAY more exciting and desirable.
Compared to the NSX? I would have to say the F355 is way cooler. But is
it twice the price of a new 1998 NSX? Depends on how much credit you have
left on your credit cards, and whether or not you want to retire in
comfort or retire poor and penniless on the streets when you are 65 years
old.
Doug "Gotta get that 8500 RPM sound out of my head" Hayashi
P.S. Yo Honda. Before you finalize specifications of the next
generation NSX, BUY THE F355 F1, PARK IT AT MOTEGI, AND MAKE ALL YOUR
ENGINEERS ON THE NSX TEAM DRIVE THE F355 F1 EVERYDAY ON THE RACE TRACK TO
LET THEM KNOW WHO THE ENEMY IS, AND CRUSH THOSE ITALIAN BASTARDS. (no
racial slur intended, but you know what I mean.... the F355 F1 means WAR
AND WE NSXERs DON'T WANNA LOSE TO THOSE ITALIAN BASTARDS, SO GET MEAN AND
SHOW THOSE ITALIANS WHAT HONDA IS MADE OF) And of course, make it less
expensive and more reliable THAN THOSE ITALIAN SOBs! (again, no racial
slur intended, but we gotta say SOMETHING TO LIGHT A FIRE UNDER YOUR BUTTS
TO BEAT THE ITALIANS).
FRAME OF REFERENCE: The Italians are
winning.
1992 - NSX=270 hp, 8000 RPM redline. Ferrari 348 = 296 hp,
7700 RPM redline
1998 - NSX=290 hp, 8000 RPM redline. Ferrari 355 = 380
HP, 8500 RPM redline
[email protected]
www.nsxfiles.com
92 Red NSX
116,000
miles
RM Exhaust
Comptech Headers
Comptech R&P
Comptech
Street/Competition Clutch
Eibach Springs
Koni
Adjustibles
K&N
stock 92 wheels with A032R 255x50x16, 225x50x15
for street
stock 92 wheels with BFG R1 255x50x16, 225x50x15 for DRY
track events
OMP Seats
Simpson 5 point harness
Dali Racing
Harness Bar
Porterfield R4S pads, stock rotors, Motul 600
Alpine
Stereo
And yes, the flame decals are still on the car
[PG] - 19
Aug 1998
Everyone's doing test rides in 355's these days. I test drove last
weekend and agree with the comments so far - it just didn't seem that much
faster. But it is Ferrari and I think I've been blinded by the name - the
deposit might be paid next week! I can always sell it and come back into
the fold after a couple of years.
Ferrari 355
[BK] - 19
Aug 1998
I used to own a 95 NSX-T, and I'm currently a vintage Ferrari owner.
I've driven 355's (and NSX's and other Ferraris) extensively on the road
and on the track. Before I get flamed for this post, I must say that I
loved my NSX and will buy it back someday. In the meantime, though, I'm
completely hooked on Ferraris...I don't dare say one is better than the
other without my Nomex on.
Regarding maintenance and other practical aspects of Ferrari ownership,
the Ferrari will be much more trouble and much more expensive to maintain.
The current generation of Ferraris is much improved in this area, but it
still is not Honda. Preventative maintenance is VITAL. Oil at least as
often as prescribed by the factory. Interim and major services MUST be
performed on schedule. A major service (I believe the interval is every 2
yrs or 15K miles) on the 355 will be about $3-4K at a authorized dealer,
maybe $2K if you have a good independent Ferrari shop. (The major service
on the V-12 in my 400i was $12K...ouch!)
But, in my opinion (and this is just my opinion), the pleasure derived
from a 355 is well worth the pain as you pay the bill.
[KS] - 18
Aug 1998
When I reported on my last test drive, of the Porsche 993, I described
what I liked about it and what I didn’t. What struck me most about it,
though, was how different its overall approach was from that of the NSX,
with most of the differences like night and day. What struck me most about
the Ferrari 355 is that it really is quite similar in many respects to the
NSX. Here are my impressions, using the NSX as a basis for comparison.
This 355 is a stock ’95 coupe.
First impression: this sucker is L - O - U - D ! The sound is very
different from the NSX, though. With the NSX, what you hear is the engine.
From outside the NSX is very quiet, though, because the exhaust isn’t all
that loud. Whereas with the Ferrari, most of what you hear is the roar of
the exhaust. Sure, it sounds great, but do you REALLY want everyone (yes,
EVERYONE) to get advance warning that you’re coming, and your neighbors to
know when you’re getting home late?
The seating position, and in particular, the relationship of the seat,
steering wheel and pedals, is somewhat tricky. I found a comfortable
setting but only when the seat was moved (forward and aft) to just exactly
the right spot; otherwise it was uncomfortable. The pedals are offset
somewhat to the right, although this was fairly easy to adjust to. The
dead pedal is much more definite than in the NSX, much easier to find and
get comfortable in. However, the three operational pedals are very, very
close together, so you have to be very careful in order to be stepping on
the one you want.
The ergonomics are generally nowhere near as good as those of the NSX,
but at least the controls were mostly laid out logically. I’m not a big
fan of symbols on the controls, and these were somewhat cryptic, although
not as bad as the hieroglyphics of the 993. One thing I absolutely hated
is that the speedometer and tachometer are difficult to tell apart at a
glance, because some idiot decided that the tachometer should have
two-digit markings (10, 20, 30, 40, etc) just like the speedometer.
Okay, let’s go for a drive. The famous gated shifter really isn’t all
that difficult to get used to; if you operate it by feel, rather than by
sight, it wouldn’t be any different if it had a shift boot on it. It
wasn’t as silky smooth as the shifter on the NSX or the 993, but it was
only slightly clicky, not bigtime notchy like on some cars. Reverse
requires a surprising amount of downward pressure (down onto the end of
the stick) in order to move the shifter into the reverse gate.
Acceleration (you know, what you were waiting to hear about)... The
horsepower curve seemed similar in shape to that of the NSX. If you’re
under 3500 rpm, the 355 is a dog. Woof! But once you start spooling up the
revs, you feel some nice power behind you. However, the power onset
doesn’t seem to continue as you approach redline (8500) the way it does in
the NSX. The 355 should be faster than my ’91 NSX, a half second quicker
to 60 according to the magazines (but about the same as a ’97-98 NSX) but
it never felt any quicker at all. Compared with the ’91 NSX, the 355 has
40 percent more horsepower and about 10 percent more weight, yet it just
didn’t SEEM any faster.
I was quite surprised by the steering. I felt it was slightly
unresponsive compared with the NSX. I find that the NSX steering changes
direction about as soon as you make the decision to do so - instant,
immediate response. You’ll recall that I thought the 993 really was
unresponsive, taking about half a second before turning the wheel would
have any effect at all. The 355 has the same kind of lag as the 993 -
maybe not quite as slow to respond as the 993, but without the instant
slot-car feel of the NSX. This was a big disappointment, as it prevented
the 355 from feeling connected to the road.
I didn’t really get on the brakes HARD but from looking at those
double-piston calipers, I can only believe that they are awesome.
So what’s the bottom line here? The 355 is certainly a nice package,
but $128,000 is a lot of money. I guess I was expecting the 355 to be a
car that would really knock my socks off, that would be demonstrably
better than the NSX. And it just isn’t. The power doesn’t feel all that
different. The steering just isn’t up to NSX standards. The brakes may be
awesome, and that's commendable, but you can get the same awesome braking
performance by putting Comptech’s big Brembo kit onto your NSX for a
fraction of the price difference of the 355. The more I think about it,
the best description I can come up with for the 355 is that it’s an NSX
with a $50,000 logo added onto it. No more "Ferrari lust" for me!
Ferrari F50,
F355 F1
[BT], Thu,
06 Aug 1998
While in Greenwich, CT last week I got the opportunity to drive a 1996
Ferrari F-50 down the streets of Western Connecticut. This $695,000 car
made one great taxi.
First thing I noticed upon getting into the car was that there is no
radio. Good thing, too. It would need about a 2,000 watt system just to
overcome the engine noise. This thing is loud!
I pulled out onto Route 1, and in what must have been a quarter to half
mile, I had the thing up to 70...screaming as I pushed it into 2nd gear. I
took it onto I-95 the fun way: jumped on the entrance ramp at about 65,
lept to just over 100 and entered the freeway. I punched it and it flew up
to 130 in what I would guess is about 4 seconds. Dang fast! Unbelievabley
fast! I don't think it corners as nicely as the NSX, but boy does it
scoot!
But loud.
Anybody want to start an Internet company, take it public, make
millions and buy a couple of these?
Oh, yeah, I also drove a new 355 F1 with the paddle shifter. Man is
that sweet! I hope Bill P. buys one soon so I can drive it.
Testarossa
[BK] - 27
Aug 1998
I've driven a few TRs of various vintages on the track and on the
street. My impressions:
1) 86-87 Euro-spec TR, and 87 US spec TR. I drove these on a tight
little track with two straights no longer than a quarter mile. Very big
and heavy through the twisties, but a blast on the straights. The rear end
is huge and heavy and snaps into oversteer very easily without much
warning. After driving a nimble little 84 308 Quattrovalvole and a 97 355
on the same track, I felt like I had to wrestle the TR. Very weak brakes.
Both TRs toasted their brakes. It's simply too much car for the stock
(early vintage) brakes. The shifter on one car was very easy to shift,
whereas the other was a bear, so I think it was a problem that was
specific to the second car. But then again, there was so much torque
everywhere I could leave it in 2nd or 3rd all the way around without
losing too much on my lap times.
2) 92 512 TR. What an improvement! A far more attractive package, with
wheels better suited for high performance use, more torque, more power
across all rpms (400hp peak vs. 375 for the TR), updated exterior and
interior, and better brakes (cross drilled, vented, larger swept area,
bigger calipers). Very fast on and off the track (umm...I mean on the
road, not the grass...) Still a big car, but noticeably easier to throw
through the twisties, and much faster overall.
Never had the pleasure of a 512M, but from what I've heard, it's
another step up from the 512TR, though less of a jump than from the mid
80s TR to the 512TR.
My overall impression of the TR series is that it is more of a high
performance super-tourer, not a nimble track race car. For that reason,
I'd rather have a 328 or 348 rather than the series 1 TRs, or a 355 over
the 512TR/512M. Of course, for the same money, I could buy my old NSX-T
back and install all of the goodies and then....
512 TR
[CM]
The 512TR was very heavy feeling. The non power steering was tough to
turn when going slow, but does well at speed. It doesn't seem too much
faster than the NSX, but the exhaust is like a symphony! The visibility
was excellent. I expected it to be horrible, but was very pleased to find
it easy to see out of in all directions. The whole car felt incredibly
solid to me. Suspension was stiff, but not bone jarring.
