Jaye Bass

They sound great. A neighbor had one a few years ago. He also had an IS F. After about a year he traded both on a perfect Bentley Continental GTC...2008 I believe. Twin turbo W12, weighs about 10 kilotons but sure is purty. Has a tune from Renntech.

I'd rather have an F355 but that ship has sailed plus Prancing Horses are too ostentatious for me...maybe a 456 with a manual.

SpeedyD

F355 is one of the greats and imho is the bargain right now.

You get decent performance in a very pretty classic Ferrari look, with fantastic sound (and clearly only the MT would work). If I was going to use the car only for Sunday morning blasts around back country roads, I think that would be the car I'd get. The 360 is actually the better value, given it is light years better in reliability, at only a slight premium in price, but for some reason my brain just always jumps up to the F430 (or CS) when I start considering the 360.

I actually do think the 911 / 360 pairing makes a bunch of sense, but I would almost want to go more analog with the F car at that point... since the 911 will already realistically outperform either.

Para82

Ford completely lost me with the new bodystyle, I can't stand it. If Ford kept the classic Mustang look (and headlights) integrated with the new tech and flat crank engine I would of been all over it. I'll have a look when it's out (Shelby is supposed to be wider) but i'm not holding my breath.

Para82

F355 is legendary but engine out service for belts etc. isn't worth it. F360 doesn't require this - much more reliable car too.

RobinO

I had a 355 for a lengthy period of time and put a significant amount of miles on it. Definitely worth the experience but to echo Fred's post, something you might want to do for for a short period of time just to get it out of your system. If I had to do it over again I'd buy a freshly serviced 360, drive it regularly, and sell it in less than 2 years. The belts are much easier on them but the clutch is much more difficult and costly than a 355, and they still have melting interiors, exploding exhaust manifolds, dodgy electrics, etc. They're all pretty reliable, but standard maintenance and minor repairs will cost a boatload for no reason other than the yellow box with horsies on it that the parts come in.

Ericson38

Just could not resist. BTW, water pump and associated timing cover....a couple of days since this car has AC and PS, and the HD 4 core desert radiator and shroud. The 997.1 water pump looks to be easier.

We have had this car since 1985.

Para82

You pretty much described my exact ownership plan if I do find a nice clean 360 freshly serviced.

Para82

What a beautiful car, must be a pleasure to own..

66mustang

That is a great looking car. I have had this one since 1992. I was blessed to get it as a 15th B day gift and first car.

Ericson38

Thanks much, your is very nice. Glad you like the Porsches also.

Here's a link to a pretty good duke out between the Modena 360 (red) and a couple of 997 models. Also NSX and 350 Z and 996 Turbo.

Lvt19672

Don't forget to post pics when you pick up the prancing horse.

johnireland

I think a lot of the comments are giving the Ferrari...any Ferrari...a bad rap. Buying a new Porsche isn't exactly an act of frugality. Used Ferrari and used Porsche prices are up because they're usually still cheaper than a new one. Not always but usually. I went through my Ferrari days about twenty years ago...so prices of everything have gone up...what cost 3k then is 10k now whether it is a Ferrari or Porsche or Honda. I can't speak for shrinking interiors but I found the interior quality of my 1980 Ferrari 308 better than my 93 RS America and 95 C2 993. I bought the Ferrari with 88k on it, used it as a daily driver and sold it two and half years later with 124k on it...and sold it for only 2k less than I paid for it. Gave it a major service at a Ferrari dealer for three thousand, otherwise just oil changes and a windshield replacement. Car was great fun...drove it anywhere and everywhere...the supermarket, jury duty, take the animals to the vets. Today I'm driving the begger man's Porsche...a 2003 996. Dropped 4k into it just making sure everything was up to snuff. I stop telling myself "this one's a keeper"...but the 996 is a great car and I'll be thrilled if I can do as well when I sell it as I did with the 308. For those considering a Ferrari...if the cost of the service is too much for you then just say so and walk away...but there's no need to **** on the car to justify it. And for those want to know what a Ferrari is about...just get one and drive it every chance you get.

BSU

Amen Brother

The **** and vinegar gets old.

Quadcammer

oh bull****, as usual.

Ferraris are nice to drive. No argument (unless you don't like to rev over 4k to get any power).

They are temperamental. Your anecdotal experience with a 30 year old 308 has precisely dick to do with modern ownership.

360s have expensive issues ON TOP of the expensive maintenance. Cracking headers (can lead to major engine repairs), cam variators, sticky interiors, F1 pumps/actuators, short lived clutches, etc.

Obviously the cost of these repairs is one thing, but for me personally, these are items that should not fail so quickly. Back in the 80s, a ferrari blew away most other cars in performance so you at least had justification for the silly repairs. In 2001, a stone reliable corvette Z06 was right next to a 360 in performance and requires none of that crap. You may get lucky and have a reliable 360 or you may get one that asks for $10k or more per year in repairs.

Btw, your comment about the interior quality of a 308 compared to a 964 and 993 is so laughable I don't even know what to say.

SpeedyD

Agree w/most of this, but Porsches are cheaper to maintain.

The question becomes, is "cheaper" to maintain more economical? Arguably, no, at least not over the past few years... this isn't apples to apples, but buying a used Ferrari of almost any generation was cheaper than buying a new Porsche of almost any model, because there would be limited depreciation.

Even then, it becomes a bit apples to oranges because Ferrari owners are even more laser focused on mileage for resale values than Porsche owners. It isn't so much passage of time but rather documentation of maintenance and the number of miles put on that matter.

So, in the end, if you are driving low miles / weekend runs, have the funds for the maintenance costs, and are okay with not owning the newest, then in many cases the used Ferrari is actually "cheaper" overall, at least once you sell, vs. the new Porsche.

If you are putting on more miles, need the greater reliability, and don't have the stomach for shelling out thousands on a higher frequency, then the Porsche looks the better deal because it's a bit less sensitive to normal mileage, going to cost you less for maintenance, and will be more reliable overall.

It is a spectrum, however, not binary... relatively speaking, Porsches aren't cheap to buy or own, compared to most cars out there. So it's a bit strange to throw too much hate towards Ferrari.