Do you want a car to look at or do you want a car to look at and to drive? Easy choice: Porsche

 

Never having owned a Ferrari but having gotten my 992 thanks to Ferrari I'll chime in. Ferrari defies logic as if any vehicle in excess of $200k is logical. It isn't.

For me my 992 was a return to the beginning, past my drag racing days and into a different style and type of driving from a monster blown 383 to a little 356SC and then a 911T... But I want to work on my cars, I want to modify them. I've been doing this for over 55 years and the mere thought of having to marry a dealer because anything I do on it will void any warranty or they'll refuse to work on something is to me an anathema. Having lived in Europe for near 20 years I know what dealing with monopoly dealers is; a nightmare when you try and do your own work.

I don't know where in Europe @pman3 lives but if you want to do your own work or tinker, then a Porsche is definitely easier. It's also easier to find parts and distributors. Both cars will turn heads, but one will turn just slightly more than the other if that's important to you. Ferrari is the heart, it's ... but when the 917s won at Le Mans my heart fell silent and the joy of seeing those monsters roll by the Ferrari was deafening.

Whatever you chose will be right.

siberian

 

i don't think these two have much in common other than the tiny/limited use backseat

 

296gtb is open to order but with a loooong list as anything in demand these days.

 

Gut feeling is that a 911 will turn more of the right kinds of heads than a Ferrari.

 

Car guys will judge you in two camps when you roll up in a Roma.

1.) So what other car do you have coming (from Ferrari)
2.) Couldn’t afford a real Ferrari eh?

Just kidding, kind of…

 

Hard to shake the feeling that the Roma is a bit entry level for a Ferrari.

That said, if this is a weekend plaything and I had a local dealer, I’d go with the Roma between it and the Targa.

 

The very same sentiment applies to the Cayman/Boxster.

 

And the 924/8 in those days...

siberian

 

I get ur point, but not sure I agree. Maybe amongst people who’s ONLY measure is cost?

I know more than a handful of serious trackers who, when not driving their GT3’s, prefer the mid-engine handling of the Cayman (their 2nd track car). What the cayman lacks in HP, more than makes up in handling…IMO.

 

Agree. For some time, the Cayman’s performance was held back as to not outshine flagship 911s’ performance.

Lots of history and older discussion on this internally to Porsche and real world on-the-street regarding this fact.

 

I was in the same boat so I looked at BOTH CARS on the same day. A 911 (Turbo S) came into my local dealer's store for a customer in Virginia that has like 19 car dealerships and my sales guy said I could come out and look at it before they prep it for delivery.

On that same day I looked at a Ferrari Roma in Sterling VA at the Ferrari dealership. I knew instantly which car I should buy after seeing them both back to back and sitting in them both. I didn't need to drive them, I simply needed to sit in them. It wasn't even close. I had to have the Porsche. I didn't care about the fact that the Roma had more storage capacity for groceries and stuff. It was about the look of the car, the seats, the steering wheel, the interior, the exterior lines... I had to have the Porsche. Done deal.

Once you do the same, you'll just know. Everything written above is interesting, but it's just mishmash. What you see and feel when you see both cars back to back is the only thing that counts, even if you see the cars a week apart, the other will still be in your head. Good luck, fun times.

 

It’s not even a close call. Porsche sells $50k Macans and is now a SUV company that charges $X ADM for the “special” cars. Ferrari sells $280k Romas and no ADM and every car they make is special. Spend some time in the Roma. It’s stunningly beautiful. The interior is on another level. And it’s at the bottom of the Ferrari lineup, not the top.

If you want to configure a Roma, you spend time with people and with actual materials so you can see what they look and feel like - not in an online configurator.

Just my $.02. But I’m also tired of dealing with Porsche B.S. so I might be jaded. Probably really jaded.

 

IDK man; I guess if you automatically love anything called Ferrari maybe. I get sleepy looking at pictures of a Roma. Zzzzzzz

 

Go look at one in person. It’s the best looking front engine modern car I’ve ever seen. When it comes to looks, Italians >>>> Germans. And your local Ferrari dealer will treat you like a person.