ringmeister

Well, I really love normally aspirated cars, the smooth power delivery and the scream at high revs really makes you melt and I enjoy being involved in having to shift down a couple gears in order to get into the powerband to really accellerate, but the Noble is a sick machine. The push it gives into the seat is incredible and it will easily spin the tires 1st thru 3rd gears. No downshifting required to pass with this sucker. The funny thing is that the Noble actually rides better and handles bumps better than the CS yet still manages to outhandle it. Just proves that you can't beat lightweight no matter how much power you put into a car or how much engineering. The 360 and Noble are kind of at the opposite ends of the spectrum in exotics. The 360 will be the attention getter but the Noble will have people giving you the thumbs up and feeling they can just come right up and ask questions about the car. People love the Noble and constantly want to know what it is and what it can do. People can't stop looking at the Ferrari but they are usually standoffish to the point of me thinking they probably think I am a snob and would just dis them if they asked about it. Of course this isn't the case but I think a Ferrari gives off both good and bad vibes to people.

I guess I'm rambling, to get to the point, yes the Torque/Power to weight of the Noble is addictive but I really don't think a Noble is a good candidate as a daily driver, for one thing, there's no storage.

frayed

thanks meister

AnthonySp

Yes from FoH. Great people over there and a really fantastic dealership... all sorts of fun stuff in the back lot.

tstafford

Currently own a 997S which I sold a 360 Spider to buy. I also have owned a 355 in the past.

IMHO - I would not consider a 360 as a daily driver for work commuting. Car is not particularly reliable, brings baggage in terms of parking etc., and will depreciate badly if you run up the miles. Owning a 360 is an amazing experience but I would caution against it as a daily. Best bet would be to have something else for commuting and the 360 for fun.

To your question about the 997S vs. the 360 - They are totally different. I find the 997S to be much more enjoyable because I feel more comfortable driving it. The 360 worried me although it should not have (just my mental issues). I like having a warranty, more dealerships, etc. I honestly don't regret having sold the 360. That said, it sounds awesome, looks awesome and grabs attention at every stoplight.

If you are strong of will and don't mind repair issues and bills, get the car. Don't expect a similar ownership experience in an F-car to a P-car. Although the 360 is far superior to a 355, it still is a Ferrari. Note: I would avoid a convertible for sure.

Hope that helps from someone who has owned both.

frayed

That does help quite a bit.

Your comments echo what others have advised me.

I'm curious though, from a driving engagement/enjoyment experience, what did you find the porsche to do better? I love the fat midrange of the 3.8L. . . I'm sure I'll miss that in the Ferrari, but hope that the other attributes lessen the impact.

tstafford

It's all about preferences. I enjoy the Porsche more because I feel more comfortable driving it. I feel I get more out of it than I did in the Ferrari. I stongly prefer coupe to spider. I do miss the sound and the shifter.

One thing - you should definitely drive one before you buy. The drive by wire aspect of the 360 is a little unusual. You'll really notice it in second gear. Takes very precise application of throttle to drive smoothly. You'll learn quickly how to adjust to it, but you should experience it before you buy.

Enjoy the 360. On a separate note, I assume you have watched the market conditions. I expect you will see declining prices for the rest of the year. Ferrari market is very seasonal (more than P-car) and there are now 430s available. Both will push 360 numbers down between now and March '07. Buy in winter.

frayed

Probably true. If I were sane I'd wait. But purchase of ferraris is certainly not at all guided by an sort of logic.

Eggplant Cab

LOL, it's only a car. So did you splurge?

frayed

yeah mang, picking it up tomorrow. ****it. go big or go home.

icon

cool jeff/frayed!
what color?

jeff

frayed

oh hell it's my first fiat. gotta go rosso. not my car in this pic, but you get the idea.

the prior interior shot is my car.

Putt-Putt

Man, I like your attitude! I love buying cars! I actually jump up and down when I know I'm getting a new car. But a Modena? Wow, careful you don't hit your head on the ceiling.

Eggplant Cab

You know what's next will be the "I wish I had 490hp instead of 400hp" LOL

Congrats on the new car. May you have many 000s of miles of joy.

Putt Putt
Personally I detest buying cars. It's at least a 2 hour ordeal at the dealership to get the deal thru, the papers done etc. The best experience was the recent BMW experience I had. All mostly done by email except for the paper signing. Then just show up in Munich to pick up the car. No sitting around talk to a sales guy while he waits for his manager to decide if the deal is good blah blah. If I often think the salesman just needs the exercise and really the minimum price is already set.

Putt-Putt

I hear you, but I've been lucky. In 01 I bought a 3 series BMW for cash. The deal went real smooth and it was fun. In 02 I traded it on 9000 rpm readline S2000, also a cash deal, that was ez 2003, I leased a red/black 2003 NSX. Acura of Modena did all the heavy lifting (all I did was fly in, sign and drive her back to Scottsdale, where, upon arrival it was all broken in). My 05 C2S was purchased from a dude in Chicago with 1800 miles. I flew there, verified that it was perfect, went to his bank and paid him, then drove the car to dependable auto shippers. No bad experiences so far, knock on wood.

allegretto

Gentlemen, welcome to the club. While I did keep my 997 for daily driving, it just isn't lke these puppies. Enjoy!