YA911Fan

Are you planning to use the 360 for that 16 mile roundtrip? If so, it's not going to be much fun on an 8-mile drive. It won't even reach operating temp.

frayed

My drive into work is fun actually. Opposite traffic and on a twisty canyon road.

My point is that I don't rack a lot of miles on my cars.

Eggplant Cab

I'd say go for it. A 360 is an awesome car and worse comes to worse, if you get fed up with the "nuances" of F-car ownership, you can pick up a 997 GT3 or TT for replacement.
For 16-20miles a day, it's a no brainer. F-1 sound and excellent car dynamics.

Modoc

Not driven the 360 but a few years ago had a couple 328' and then 512tr and I agree that the sound and looks are second to none. They certainly attract a lot of attention and before I got old gray and fat some of that attention was enjoyable. Now having had exposure to Porsche, there's no question in my mind that Porsche is the car I would choose today.

allegretto

Frayed my Man. you and I are sick Dudes. Both have deosits on GT-3's

I SC'ed my C4S and it is nice (an understatement). I also just scored a yellow 04 360 F1 Spyder. Had it on the track just today as well for some hard driving. Was like a beautiful woman in bed and everytime I ask her to change position, she smiles and complies. (I know, some here are sensitive lately,please don't allow my metaphor to offend you)

Every day, the C4S feels like a luxury car. Heavy and powerful now that I have the SC. That strange dude wasted money on seats and got no POP. The SC is full of POP!!!

But, for a Sportscar (with a capital S). The 360 is out of sight. I'm not much for sound (has a Tubi though), but it does sound more exotic than any Porsche I've driven ( and I've driven a few). I'm a feel guy and, you will giggle if you like a car that you can make do anything you want. Understeer, oversteer, drift or plant. Steer with the wheel, throttle or brakes. Whatever you want. It is about 3-400 lbs lighter than my C4S but feels even lighter.

I see some say they think it didn't feel torquey. My derriere! Pulls like a champ. If I hadn't SC'ed my 997 it would be nolo contendere. No matter what intake or exhaust. It doesn't feel too much like anything in the Porsche lineup I've driven. It's a different experience.

FWIW, I was going to trade my Porsche, but decided to keep it as a daily driver. It's vodka, the 360 is cognac. If you have a line on one, get it, you won't regret it. My commute is twice yours and with traffic so I would not drive it daily. Plus, if I took it to the office my employees might think they need a raise.

I honestly went to buy a 430,and I'm sure the 430 is better from the cockpit as far as performance. But I put a new 430 Spyder next to my 360 and the 360 just looked sooooo much prettier to me. I drove it and it had me in less than a mile. I HAD TO BUY IT!!!!

They had a CS and it had charm, but like you, I didn't need a track car, just an overall fun toy. The CS is said to be good on the track but wears thin on the street. The thing is, it's 300lbs lighter than a GT-3, so again, weight is a factor.

I know this has been debated before, and some guys have said a 360 isn't better as a sports car. I have NO idea what they are talking about. But it's only my $.02

Let me know via PM if you want more info. I know where a couple of really clean examples are available. Very low miles. But it's funny, I 've owned it a week and my dealer says the inquires are going up and he is moving some iron fast just recently. I think some folks are agreeing with me that the 430 is a great car, but not prettier.

icon

good to see ya post gretto!
i agree with ya on looks the 360 hands down over the 430.
the front end is much prettier!
nice purchase!
they let you take spyders on the track at the country club?

jeff

cr2000

Interesting topic as I was just over at the Ferrari dealer this morning. Ferrari of New England temporarily relocated to RTE1 in Foxboro, so I took a ride over to check out what they had. Had quite a long chat with a salesman. Bottom line, if you want a F430, new, at MSRP, good luck. You first build a "realtionship with the dealer" and when they "deam you worthy" then they'll consider putting you on the list for a new car.

Now if it's a used 360 you had in mind? They had three. 1 spyder, 1 coupe, and 1 challenge edition. I sat in the challenge edition, to raw for my liking. No carpeting, raw metal exposed, not for me. Then I sat in the coupe. Ya, I could get used to it.

But I really wanted to see an F430. So, the salesman offered me a peek at one out in the garage that was covered waiting to be delivered when the customer gets back from vacation. It was parked aside a red 360 in for service. Wow, I love the look of the F430, but would easily consider a red 360.

Also got to see a 348 with the engine out, and a couple 355's in for service. A car lovers playground. Had I know I'd was going to get the grand tour I'd have brought my camera before heading over to the dealership. I wonder if the fact that I had a brand new 997 had anything to do with it? Something tells me if I stopped by on the way home in my Honda Accord, things might have been different.

Well, that was as close as I've been to that many Ferrari's ever. And if my wife has anything to say, that'll be as close as I'll ever get.

I left my name and number with the saleman and told him to give me a call if they get a Red 360 in, or if he finds himself with a new F430 he can't sell.

allegretto

Thanks Bro. I dig the dancing cat. Another fun thing to do is put a screen over a tub of water and place a non-declawed cat on it. (just kidding!!!)

No problem with Spyders at the CC. Porsches too. As an aside. When I went to trade the C4s the GM of the Ferrari dealer took a look at the car and said, "I see you track a bit". I asked how he knew, and he showed me my tires. Scary!!! The track is hard on PS2's.

icon

that would really only be fair!
you have look at it from their perspective.
if i was going to gift someone $100k, i would want to have a
business relationship and make some profit off them first as well.
at the very least you would need to wait your turn in a long line.
if they sell you and f430 spyder at retail right now you could turn
around and sell it for $100k profit.
i think the new 599gtb sold out it's first years
production b/f they shipped the first unit!

jeff

cr2000

Oh I understand, the guy was very open about the reason why. I already new it going in, but wanted to hear it from them. My issue though, is that I like my cars new with no one else having driven them, so that'd make it difficult to ever own a Ferrari...

Eggplant Cab

Tell me about it. I'm slotted for 2007 'sometime' using my neighbor's relationship. I refuse to pay dealer mark up. No car is worth it to me. My wife says just pay market and be done with it. She probably wants the car more than me since she thinks I'll finally sell my beloved 964 cab when the spider arrives (not going to happen!).
I also like the 360 front end... but the 430 overall shape plus that 490hp and improved F1 shifter moved me more than the 360. But like everything else, it's a personal thing.

allegretto

Here's the lowdown on that issue.

As you know the market in near new Ferraris is white-hot. Ferrari NA has declared that dealers cannot sell above MSRP for new.

Dealers themselves had taken to having friends buy a new one and immediately sell it back. The "buyer " would be paid some minimal fee and the dealer was now free to sell at $80-100K over..

Ethical dealers want to play by the rules and have tried to stay on the right side of F-NA. Therefore they establish a qualified list of real guys who want them. They exclude flippers.

Didn't work well enough for FNA so as of 8/1 if a car with low miles turns up on the seondary market it's noted by them. If there are too many from a given dealer, his allotment will be reduced.

My Porsche dealer is the same about the GT-3 RS I've put a deposit on. He told me in no uncertain terms he doesn't want me to flip it.

Two real world effects;
1) Expect low mile versions to be even more rare, and prices to be higher
2) dealers will be even more picky about the list

FWIW, I put a deposit on a 599. Delivery expected id 2.5-3 yrs!

frayed

Great post allegretto. It's great to hear that the driving feel of the car hangs with its intense sex appeal of its body. That's the info I was looking for, from somebody coming from a 911.

allegretto

I agree Eggpalnt, I might have convinced my self to buy the 430 on technical superiority alone even though I liked the looks of the 360 better. But the guy wanted $85K over and was willing to "make a new friend" as he put it with taking $10K off. Believe me, the offer did nothing for friendship.

Hence the deposit on the 599 at MSRP at the dealer where I bought the 360. You and your friend be very careful about this substitute buyer thing, with the new rules, the dealer may balk it he gets wind of it.

icon

gretto,

that stuff is nothing but lip service for the customers that don't like paying a premium.
if ferrari gets a higher percentage of cars to the end user at a cheaper price then what will happen to resale? it will drop relative to purchase price.
how will that benefit ferrari's bottom line? how will that benefit ferrari's image?
what kind of goodwill will that create with previous owners who paid premiums?
how will that benefit dealers? a lot of ferrari's status is based on their resale value relative to msrp.
which looks real good until you consider what the average end user actually paid, relative to msrp.
if they dropped the allocations of a u.s. dealer precipitously, then the dealer would just haul them into u.s. court.
ferrari's known about the secondary market practices for years.
now they're going to plead ignorance in a u.s. court room? wonder who would win? in the end nothing will change.
if you want a new ferrari you will have to wait and pay msrp, or pay a premium, or wait and pay a premium.
and there will still be plenty of low mileage "used ferrari's" on the sencondary market.
btw, it's nice having you back to debate with! 599 deposit for a spyder?

jeff