...or would it be the "red" side?

It was a little over a year ago when I had to sell my beloved 993 to relocate to Singapore for a career move. No regrets since but I am still readjusting to the climate and culture (after growing up in neighboring M'sia half my life).

The biggest readjustment, however, was the lack of a fun car to go driving around with. Second would be the PCA commeraderie esp with many whom I had enjoyed drives and trackdays with (Mark in Baltimore, Steve C4S, Jamie, etc.) . It sounds cheesy to quote the Mastercard ad but those moments were truly priceless.

Well, my itch for something fast was driving my nuts and a month ago, I pulled the trigger on a '91 348tb, Rosso exterior with Crema leather and Rosso carpets, with barely 16k miles on the odo. Why not back into a 993? Several reasons actually:

For one, I wanted something different and as much as I loved the 993, the siren call of the prancing horse was strong (as is the scream of the V-8 that, sorry to say, no flat-6 can quite match).

Secondly, I travel a lot and have the car stored in neighboring Malaysia where I get to drive it only for 1-2 weekends a month (cars in S'pore are more expensive to buy and maintain and the island is the size of your mom's closet where 300 ft hills are called "Mountains") so I wanted each drive to have a sense of occasion. And as rare as Porsches are over here, nothing gets the locals going more than a red Ferrari (you should see the sea of Tifosis during the recent Sepang F1 race - you would've thought you were in Italy). And to prove a point, I saw someone talking a phone camera picture of my 348 BEFORE he took the picture of a brand new DB9.

Third, car prices here are a little screwed up where Porsches seem to be overpriced relative to the US market. Cars in general are very expensive due to import taxes (a brand new Cayman = USD 130k, new 997S around USD 250k) but I can't figure out the following: In the US, a '91 348 goes for around USD 45k, a '95 993 around USD 30-35k. In Malaysia, a '91 348 is USD 55k, a '95 993 is USD 65k (10k more!). Same screwed up logic for 996 vs F355 - In Malaysia, a used '99 996 is around USD 100k but a '95 F355 is also USD 100k. Yeah, go figure. So as ridiculous as it sounds, used Ferraris are better value than Porsches in Malaysia!

Lastly, the dreaded maintenance cost of the Ferrari is reduced by the fact that I don't drive it often and more significantly, the cost of labor that eats a lot of the Ferrari maintenance cost (cambelt changes are engine out affairs) are but a fraction of US labor rates (try USD 25 per hour or less!). Not to say that Ferrari parts are cheap but there are third party suppliers and many parts are shared with other cars (Fiat and Alfa parts bins).

The driving sensation is definitely very different. You sit closer to the ground, the non-power steering has more feel but requires more heft too, the OEM suspension appears competent (vs the 993 which needs upgrading to at least Bilstein HDs and H&Rs), while you are definitely aware of the snarling V8 behind you. Clutch is stiffer and the dogleg first takes getting used to. The legendary cold 2nd gear shifting problem was solved by replacing the OEM Agip fluid with Redline 75W90NS gear oil. Turn in appears similar to the 993 where the front end would wash out and understeer unless you lift slightly to get it tucked in. I installed spacers in the rear and dropped the spring perches to address the twitchy handling that earlier 348s had.

In a perfect world, I would have a Ferrari for the weekend (preferably an F355 but I couldn't just justify the price gap in Malaysia) and a 993 for my daily drive (sorry, still haven't warmed to the 997 although the GT3 is starting to hit the right buttons). And as for track work, I still prefer the handling of a 993 - perhaps because I'm more used to it. Ferrari wins in design both exterior (even with the 80s kitsch side-strakes) and interior (esp with my crema leather and red carpet combo) as well as the engine sound - departure from any toll booth or driving in any tunnel is an excuse to hit the rev limiter. Also trumps the pcar for street presence!

I hope to eventually return to 993 ownership but having bitten the Ferrari bug, I think I'll also always have a Cavallino Rampante in the garage as well. To those who have both, you know how lucky you are. I consider myself fortunate too to have at least owned both, if not at the same time, or brand new.

 

Looks very nice.

The picture of your 993 reminds me of all the copy-cat eBay posts selling your car ~again~ over the past year.

 

Very nice car!!! and yes I can hear the horse galloping at full speed!!! P-Cars are awesome and lots of fun, but the Ferrari is in a class all of it's own.

Good Luck to you and your horse!!!!

 

Very nice Ferrari. Hate to say, but its sharp, taut lines kind of make the 993 look a little doughy - no more pics here!

 

Rezal!

Good to hear from you. I was wondering how you were faring. Still a Rennlist member, I see! You'll be back.

Your F car looks sweet! I haven't done too many of the drives since I often work on the weekends (real estate) but I'm still involved in DE's and races. You'll have to keep us posted on the upkeep of the 348.

So, what kind of work are you doing out there?

 

Hi Rezal - or should I say Apa Kahbar!
Having lived in Brunei and having been in Singapore and most of Malaysia too (I was born in Ipoh, Perak btw) I feel your pain wrt the over-pricing of cars and even the fandango one has to go thru' to even *own* one there.
Enjoy your move to the dark-red side!
Gerry

 

Congrats on the new car... although having just returned from Singapore last month - my comiserations on the move! That place gives me the *******....

 

348/355 are far superior than 360. Great choice!

 

Rezal,

Awesome ride! Glad to see you surface and with such aplomb! (sp.) For some reason I thought you were in KL, I was in Sing. this Jan. for dinner on my way back from Bali...I would have looked you up. I will transit through Sing. next Jan for sure.

How long will you be in SE Asia?

I'll PM you with Doug's latest stories...new (to him) 951 currentley in transit from Cal. Keep the fingers crossed.

Great to hear from you...keep us updated.

Jamie

 

You guys really now how to welcome back an old friend. Makes me feel like coming home again. I was ready with the flame-retardent suit but I didn't even get the "steering wheel's on the wrong side" comment!

Still? Maybe I should be a photographer given how popular those pics are. At least I'll make some money out of it.

993 will always be a classic - they tried to go back with the 997 but it's not completely there. 348s have the 80s side strakes - some like 'em, some don't. I used to dislike them but they've grown on me and the car looks better in the metal. F355 is more inline with the organic 993 look and both were designed about the same time.

Once a rennlister, always a rennlister. I haven't done a single DE yet (been dying to try out the Sepang F1 circuit) as I just got the car and have been travelling a lot (was in Bangkok last week, Manila the week before).

I manage the South East Asia region for a US chemical company (same company I was at in Philly) but am getting bored and seeing so many opportunities pop up around in Asia. Toying with the idea of moving to private equity or back to management consulting.

Khabar baik! Hah - looks like you still remember your Malay. The trick to "affordable" car ownership in Malaysia is buy them used. Asians are obsessed with having the latest and greatest be it mobile phones or cars so if you're willing to go for the "classics", the price curve starts approaching that in the US or UK.

Still, you won't have the same enthusiast following (Porsches and Ferraris are mostly owned by VIPs or poseurs - they're not mutually exclusive - who wouldn't know what a torque wrench is if it smacked him in the face). I miss the DIY, get-your-hands-dirty community that older p-car and f-car owners stateside enjoy.

Btw, Ipoh is also where M'sian's own Hollywood star, Michelle Yeoh, was born. But you knew that already, didn't you?


Heaven for the expat wife with 24x7 shopping, 1-2 live-in maids, international schools for the kids, and hundreds of other expat wives to gossip with.

Hell for the car enthusiast. A used 360 will set you back at over USD 300k. A new Gallardo is USD 500k. You can drive from the western tip to the eastern tip in an hour at the speed limit! If you can ever find a used 993 (most of them got exported as the gov't gives rebates to encourage people switching cars), it'll cost you USD 100k at least. Fongster has the only 993RS in town and his price is probably unobtanium! (and no, you can't import the old ones back in)

I'd take the 348/355 series over the 360/430 series just like I would take a 993 over a 996/997. I guess I'm one of those that got fixated growing up in the 80s and 90s. Also, like it better when cars were designed by artists instead of windtunnels and made by engineers rather than accountants.

For you my friend, I'll even fly to Bali to meet up, let alone drive down from KL. You should've e-mailed me! Maybe next year then.

You're always have a place to stay in Singapore. As they say down here, mi casa su casa! Same invitation goes to the DC/Philly gang.

Not sure how long to be out here. Maybe indefinitely, maybe next year. Hard to tell the future is, as Yoda says.

Hahaha - guess Doug is still on his turbo-craze in search of power that would make Saddam bow to him. I'll have to read up on his exploits when you post it on rennlist.

 

Reza!

Great write up and the best argument yet to dance with the prancing pony. You make a sound case for making the move and have reignited my interest in the beasts from Maranello. Best of luck with your new beauty and report back on occasion to let us know how its going.