I love them all but I’ve always preferred berlinettas. I love the pure lines.
indeed all three variants of the 355 are very nice in their own ways.. but for me im 100% coupe.. never owned an open top or convertible car. that said I wouldn't be against a GTS.. as it still retains the coupe shape. however for me, imo the spider.. looks correct only with the top down, presenting the 355 in a new appealing shape.. I especially like a black/tan spider with the top down and a tan cover. but with the top up.. it splits the car, and ruins the shape of the car to my eye.. as does the same with the 360 and 430 spiders. in all 3 cases this is due to the soft top. however with the hard tops now... 458, 488 etc.. I would be indifferent between coupe/spider as even with spider the coupe shape is retained..
GTB has the best lines, AND GTB is the stiffest when you are actually bothering to use the car for what it was intended.
Having owned both the noticeable difference is initial turn in is more direct feeling in the Berlinetta. The car feels notably more pointy. Both the cars however have very flexible chassis compared to anything modern so I think the B VS GTS choice for track purposes or rigidity alone is a mute point now. The B is the cleanest shape, but I love my GTS so much more when the top is off and I can hear the roar of the capristo exhaust so unfiltered. I have driven a spider only with roof on and I can only imagine how good of a sensory experience that would be with the roof off.
There is no perfect choice, eh? The spider is truly open like nothing modern, but the lines do suffer some. I liked the GTS for a bit of best of both worlds in terms of experience and beauty. Wondering if the combo of added rigidity - I will appreciate it more than most - with windows down will be the sweat spot. We will have to see.
The Berlinetta and GTS with the roof on have the best lines as far as aesthetics. I prefer the Berlinetta over the GTS, one less area for a potential of leaks or squeaks.
Not sure how accurate it is or how it applies to 355 vs 348 but here is a quote I found in a book.. "Ferrari 308 328 and 348: The complete story". It states- (in reference to 348) "The resulting body shell in berlinetta form was an impressive 59 percent more resistant to torsional loadings than it's predecessor, though the 348ts could improve on the 328 GTS shell's stiffness by only 5 percent" In regards to the spider, it states- "The fully open bodywork exhibited the same level of torsional rigidity as the ts and there was little of the typical convertible's defining dynamic weakness of scuttle shake. Strengthening had been applied to the cars windscreen frame and to the side members to restore the rigidity lost with the amputation of the ts's b pillar roll structure" A bit of a difference if the above is correct. As for how much it matters it really comes down to how sensitive you are to such things. GTS feels pretty damn good for a car that has a removable roof. A new Camaro convertible for example -feels- to me 1000 times more flexible. That being said I can feel the difference in rigidity between gts and b, I would bet many would not even notice.
I might have some bias to a couple variants Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I can understand a GTB for those who track and for those who don't own one of the best sculpted cars ever built by Ferrari, the 308 GTB, Image Unavailable, Please Login but for cruising the highways and back roads, I'll stick with what may be the most beautiful spider every to grace the automotive world. The sun on your face, the sound in your ears, the freedom and fresh air. Image Unavailable, Please Login And w/o those flying buttasses and rear window the spider is a lot easier to work on.
GTB for its purity of line, then GTS as a close second for its identical silhouette, and ability to go topless, enhancing the open cockpit Ferrari experience and sound. However black GTS over both, because it hides the cut lines of the Targa, and because black is best, making it the best of all world. Spider is its own category in my book. Reason enough for a garage pairing of both GTB and Spider.
I agree with that. The different between any closed and open car, IMO, is that with a close car you take it out and enjoy the experience of driving car. With a drop top you get all that plus you get to enjoy the day. Back in January I swapped my 07 Boxster for a 014 Cayman S. I love the Cayman, and it's a lot more convenient as a daily driver, but out on the back twisties, on a nice day, I do miss the openness of the Boxster. And by the way, the worst feature of any 355 is the god awful front bumper and excessive front end overhang. To me it looks like the designer got to the front of the car and said "What do I do here?" And he looked around and saw a picture of the 456 and said, "Wonder if that would fit."
I think a lot of people agree with me. Look at these DIY attempts to customize. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Customization is not everyones Cup of tea. Some of us like the Original look. Nothing against those cars but They apear to have parked them after all that work.
Actually, while I'm not a big fan of the 348 styling, I prefer the 348 front end treatment. Image Unavailable, Please Login even just a mod to the fog lights would help. Image Unavailable, Please Login
