EBRINK said:
Easy question, easy question,..............328GTS
348 is a small version look alike of the testa rossa, tail lights, doors etc :x
328 is the most beautiful ferrari ever been built! :wink:
Not biased at all... :wink:
Actually - I'm sure there would be a number of people who would agree with EBRINK on the beauty of the 328 series. Although, the reality is slightly different, in that it's quite an unfortuntely fat and ugly evolution of the genuinely beautiful original 308 design. In fact, the ultimate evolution of the 308 series, the 288 GTO was the look most sane people hoped the 328 would have been - alas it wasn't to be, so we have to listen to people desperately hype the 328 to make up for it's shortcomings.
(Note - I'm
laughing as I write this. EBRINK baiting is my new 2004 hobby!!)
Anyway - all of that reality aside - whether or not it's a beautiful car is totally irrelevant to the question of what's the best first ferrari, so lets get on to that.
It's quite an interesting question in one respect - you wouldn't ask what's the best first Ford, or the best first BMW, so why ask it for Ferrari?
I guess it comes down to affordability. It you were a multi millionaire, you'd just buy whichever model you wanted - no need to worry about what the best 1st one would be!!
Most people, including most Ferrari owners, are not in such an enviable position - so the question is really, which model will provide the best "Ferrari experience" out of the ones I can afford. I honestly believe the answer to that, for the models you've mentioned, is - either of them.
But - they are different cars, so I'll try to be helpful rather than just pontificating!!!
I can't really comment on the 328 series - if you can get EBRINK or one of the other 328 chaps to be a little more forthcoming about the model and the ownership experience, then they'll be your best reference. There's no substitute for talking to an owner.
Equally - if you're focussed only on the 348 spider, Justyn's the best reference for that - as his is a spider - and a bloody gorgeous looking one at that!!!
As you're looking at the 328 GTS have you considered the 348TS/GTS?
You mentioned the 348 series not being that popular - which is an interesting point as there were more 348 series cars produced than almost any other Ferrari.
The 348 series was launched at a time when Ferrari was producing both the Testarossa, and the F40 - 2 of the 3 definitive sports cars of the 80s - so it was never going to be seen as the greatest Ferrari ever. No question there were reliability problems with the early cars. No question, the 355 that replaced it was a great leap forwards in terms of both handling an performance, eclipsing the 348 (and most of the other Ferrari models in truth!!). Some say they don't think it looked good - but look at this page (
http://www.hyperwerks.se/f348/photogallery.html) and tell me honestly that it's not bloody gorgeous!!!
But I personally think you have to take it as a stand alone model. You can easily make both the 328 and 348 look poor by comparing them to other cars.
My 348 is a fabulous car - just like EBRINK, I am biased.
Personally, I think the Testarossa/348 models are gorgeous - I love the look of the slatted sides.
It makes a fantastic noise. It's so much more raw than a Porche.
The interior is one of the most classic interiors you will find anywhere - I
honestly believe this is the one cosmetic area in which the 348 totally outclasses the 328.
In terms of handling - it's unbelievable. You'll probably read lots of articles which say the 348 doesn't handle perfectly. At 105% of the capability of a professional racing driver, on the track, that may be true. But if you're going to reach that point on the road, you're going to need to be certifiable!! For us mortals - and I'm no monkey behind the wheel - it's staggering.
But, all that said you
are right; they're not looked upon as fondly as some models, and this is
exactly what makes them such fantastic value today, and an excellent first Ferrari.
