atb

Okay, the comparison is ridiculous, but not totally invalid. This evening, I got to spend about half an hour behind the wheel of an immaculate F355 Spyder, bright yellow.

First off, to a guy of my stature, getting the opportunity to drive any Ferrari is a once in a lifetime event, one that I will truly remember forever. But now that I've laid the appropriate "PC" preamble for any Ferrari-owner lurkers on this list, let's get down to it.

There is a reason why I choose to drive a 928, and my time in the 355 reinforced those reasons considerably.

Walking up to the door, immediately I noticed that the door handles were shaved. I reached into the door scoop, and sure enough, there was the latch. I climbed in and took a minute to asess the interior. Seats are very firm, firmer than sports seats. The steering wheel is angled upward, giving me a feeling of sitting over it more, as opposed to sitting behind it like in the shark. Pedals are very cramped together. Twist of the key, and the engine fires up immediately. Watching the gauges, I see that redline is at 8500 rpms. This should be fun. I take off down the road and come to the first stop sign. The brakes don't have the initial feel like my big reds, which for city driving just require the lightest touch. The Ferrari takes a lot of pressure to get into the meat of the brakes, and then you kind of get them all at once. Rounding the corner, whoa, nowhere near the sharpness of the 928. Takes a lot more cranking to get the car around the slow corners. Off down the first straight and I take it up to redline in first and second, than putt around in third. No bottom end. The car didn't really like being below 3500 rpms at all, and comfortable cruising seemed to sit around 5000 rpms. Not exactly a cruiser. I found myself shifting back in forth between gears just to get rid of the 5K rpm droning. After about 5500 rpm the power comes on and the thing really starts to pull at 7000rpm. The transmission shifts nicely, but not as succinctly as the 928 (one with good synchros that is). People rave about the Ferrari exhaust tone, it must be the V12's that warrant this praise. Mind you, there is no way any V8 turning 8500 rpms isn't going to sound good, but in the Ferrari, 8500 sounded like 4000, just higher pitched and louder. By contrast, every 928 I've driven or ridden in, which has been basically every model, becomes transformed at 4K rpms and provides a truly awe inspiring exhaust note up to red line. Its as if the 928 becomes possesed by some teutonic demon howling up to the heavens as it charges to redline. The Ferrari V8 sounded like a sewing machine on steroids.

As I drove the car more it started to make a little more sense. The cramped pedals and no initial brake feel made heel/toe a breeze. This from a diehard 928 A/T owner that hasn't owned a manual shift car in over five years. I never quite got over the slow steering, but maybe at the limit you don't want as sharp a steering as what the 928 provides. I didn't get a chance to throw the car around, just drive it through some rural county roads. The car felt light, but not planted. I think the firmly planted feel is something unique to the 928, a combination of it's weight and suspension.

The Ferrari is a purpose-built car. It's purpose is to be driven, in a particular manner, and for a limited time. This is not a car that you would bring back groceries in, take the kids (actually kid, as it's only a two seater, and then probably not as it has an air bag) to the movies. or drive cross country. It is really made for a two hour drive somewhere on rural or mountain roads, in nice weather.

As I stated earlier, this comparison isn't fair. Not fair to the Ferrari that is. My 928 brings back a hatch load of groceries several times a month, carts kids to movies, karate lessons, and baseball games, and has taken me many times up and down the west coast, but most importantly, the 928 also takes me on the same kinds of drives that I would take the Ferrari on, and I get at least the same level of exhilaration from the shark, if not more, than with the Ferrari.

The F355 Spyder was exquisite, no question about it. I'm sure you could buy a small fleet of S4's for the cost of this drop top. But if any of you shark owners ever wondered "what if?", you can stop wondering. The 928 does it all, does it all well, and does it all well with utility.

Ispeed

I've driven a few comparable cars lately as well.
1997 C-5 Corvette: engine was disappointing, cramped interior, nothing memorable about the experience.
2003 M3 manual convertible: not as much room for the driver as I would like, but nice seats, power, awesome brakes, some good exhaust sound. Very nice car, but I'm not in love. A fair comparison would be to an '89 M3.
I've driven some others as well, but I have the car I want. I have no "car envy". I feel lucky to have what I have, and if I had unlimited money, I would have 2 928s: a garage queen, and a "road burner"- with interior gutted, stiff suspension, sc set-up, roll bar, racing seats/5 pt belts.
I'm still remembering the return drive from SITM: RMB @4000 rpm for hours; like music.
The 928 is the only supercar that the average guy can afford, and it's function and looks are timeless.

James-man

You lucky dog! I'd love to take a spin in one of those.

18 years ago my dream-car was the 928S. I am currently eyeing the Ferrari 355s and 360s as my newest dream cars. F355 being the obtainable one, the 360 being the unobtainable for the moment.

Did the F355 that you drove have a Tubi exhaust? Also note that the engine has to sound like a highly sprung sewing machine because it isn't much bigger than one (much less displacement than the 928). For that I am not surprised about the low end issues and the horses obtained only up top.

Don't forget the $10,000 timing belt changes at 30k intervals! 928 maintenance seems bargain-priced, eh?

Thank you for sharing you experience and perspective!

J Berk

Very interesting.....the owner of the company I work for used to have a beautiful S4.....which he sold a few years ago ( with an agreement from the buyer that he be given the option to buy it back if ever the new owner wants to sell).....he just got a late model 355 cabriolet....black....real pretty.

I asked what he liked driving better ( the 928 or the 355)....and after a pause...he said that the italians are known for art...and the 355 is surely art....but it's no porsche!

fst951

Hi Adam.

Shouldn't you be running down to FedEx and bolting those torque plates one instead of screwing around with the f-cars? A more appropriate comparison of that priced car to a 928 is the 993 Twin Turbo. They are lovely and handle nicely like the 928's. Give one a try and you will be driving it almost as often as your 928!

Hope the machine work goes well.

Shane

Once again we find there is really no substitute! The 928 has carved its' own niche and nothing else will do!!!!!!

Thanks for the write-up Adam!

Jim_H

Adam,

Hopefully you're done slumming

Concerning exhaust music, I am not sure I have ever heard a better exhaust note than that of a 928. At 4500 with the Ott exhaust it is awesome.
I was sitting at a light near Lake Oswego about 4 months ago when I heard what I thought was 2 badass hipro bikes racing, what appeared from behind the trees floored me, an Enzo. I was able to sit beside this car 2 lights later and what a treat. "But", for me the 928 just flat out has the sound I want. Add a long drive to the equation and there is no comparison.

atb

928andRC51 wrote:

I got to drive a friend's '00 M5 awhile back. The engine pulled like a mother and screamed its way all the way up to its 7500rpm redline. Excellent power delivery, like a refined muscle car. The only problem was the rest of the car. Like drive around in a brick house with walnut burle accents. Now if we could stuff the M5 mill into the F355, THAT would be a ride.

James-man wrote:

I'm pretty sure the exhaust was all stock. I looked up the specs after the drive, and found 3.5L \ 380hp. I guess with the small displacement, and the 8500 rpm redline, it's expecting a little much for the car to pull from down low like a 928. The powerband reminded me a lot of my two stroke dirt bike.

fst951 wrote:

Hey, those showed up at 9am sharp friday morning, and were at the machine shop before noon. Thanks for the ultra-quick shipping, you guys taking lessons from 928 International? Wicked packing job too, each plate wrapped in packing paper and packed in its own wooden crate, complete with spacers. Very nice. I was all set to go without them, but the machinest was pretty insistent that if I could get them, I should. My feeling is, make the machinest happy, keep the machinest happy. I think the block is going under the mill on Wednesday. I'll know for sure on Monday. Thanks again!

Jim_H wrote:

Mark

<<The Ferrari V8 sounded like a sewing machine on steroids.>>

When I had to run against a 308 last year in an SCCA AX (I beat him by about 2 seconds on a ~60 second course!) I described the sound as more akin to a Singer Sewing Machine then a beast...

Don't take it the wrong way...I am not dissing the car. It was "art"...Magnum P.I. DID always get the girl!

MileHighRush

ATB,

My first post here. Have you considered writing for a magazine, etc.? Your summation was fair, informative and concise. Wunderbar!

heinrich

Funny you should say that.

Kaz

I drove a 355Spyder with F1 shifter last fall. Jumped onto the 405 in third gear nailed the throttle and....nothing, for a long time while the revs came up. My stock Audi S4 with 250hp pulls better than that.

atb

Hey Milehigh,

Know any magazines that are looking for writers?

From my past record, I have a pretty reasonable rate.

www.928forum.com

Cameron

I drove my neighbor's 360 modena a couple of years back. Before they were so prevalent here in South Florida. It was a hoot to drive, like being in a go cart. Really quick turn-in, what you would expect from a mid engined 3000 lb car. The paddle shifter was kind of cool, but I didn't like the snow mobile type of feeling of the tranny as it engages in first gear from a standing start. (If you have driven a snow mobile, you know what I am talking about). I also prefer the sound of the 928's V8 with an RMB.

I left saying to myself that it would be cool to have as a toy, but that I prefer the 928.

.....Cameron
'91 Euro GT

nicobel

Ferrarisa re really expensive toys...
928's are real cars, mine goes to trader joe's every week, and it can handle the grocery shopping with a smile and lots of style, the pet shopping with a smile, and the pleasure driving with a ..

I've driven a 355, F360 (with F1 shift pads), and the 308. Pick car? the 360(surprisingly big inside), now, try to take the 360 grocery shopping...