I forgot... 5 years of ownership with no problems and 45k miles of pure italian pleasure! Have fun with your "v-tach"
I think it's wrong of you to call me a hater. You bash the NSX first and when you get a reply you obviously can't take it. I don't own a NSX but I will always defend the cars that deserve it. I do defend Ferrari on other boards like I'm defending this car and like I would defend any other car that has done their part in the car-world. I'm out of this thread. Happy "Entry-level Ferrari'ying".
ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. If you are even asking whether to compare a rice burner of ANY vintage with a Ferrari, then you don't understand Ferraris.
The hater bid was a joke... sorry you did not understood it I did not bash the NSX i only stated the obvious... best of one brand\the begining of another... The "V-tach" joke is to all honda owners that like to bash the 348 you have got to start from something right? why not the begining?
the bottom line is that the majority of ferrari owners mistake brand snobbery for passion. to them, the ferrari emblem is everything regardless of what's behind it. many entry level ferrari owners try to "buy" into wealth and status with their purchase (if this doesn't apply to you, no need to defend yourself.... as it doesn't apply to you). if knocking other cars with merit helps you to justify your not-so-sane purchase... so be it. hope you sleep better at night. btw... i'm a 355 owner. i love it. but i think the nsx is still a better car in almost every aspect (from the perspective of a weekend cruiser). i will return to it one day... after a 993, z8, 997, 360, etc.
You own a 355 with a screenname of nsxnick,nsx,nsx?? How funny. You'd think someone coming to this board would choose a name like "355joe" or "joeloves348's" or "I_love_my_Ferrari" or something like that. Go back to your NSX board and tell them you have an NSX, but you think the F355 is a better car.
Quit the pansy comparisons.... Although the NSX is a very well made car - fast and reliable with none of the passioneeeeeee B.S. , the 348 is embarrassing by today's true sport car standards. The last thing you want is Biff in a 2 seat sissy benz with his propped up wife blowing you off the line - - worse yet even many of the modern day sedans 330's, etc. driven by women while eating a Yoplait (with added calcium and fiber) will embarrass you. Just wait until the next backyard bbq when Biff in his latest Tommy Bahama shirt and strap sandles brags about his new C-class schmaltzy sedan with magnesium paddle shifters and how it can blow away your 348 while reading his blackberry (sadly he's correct). I've owned a 360 for the last two years (6 speed).. absolutely love the car (and no Biff car can touch it yet)..... but to this day simply don't understand the fragility aspect of Ferraris. Yes, they are getting better, but there was no need for it even in the mid 90's. Let's face it they were selling a marquee. They didn't have to last, or were never meant for every day use - In fact until recent Ferrari didn't have a lot of money for R&D. They took their racing knowledge of lighter = faster and built cars with components that had to be replaced over relatively short periods of time. If you buy one you are buying racing heritage and "art" on wheels - plain and simple. Try explaining to your wife as you go out for a drive on a Sunday and can only pull into certain gas stations, wineries etc. for fear of ripping off the front end or bottoming out. She won't have patience or even want to begin to understand - trust me. The response I once got was ... Lexus and Porsches are so "pretty" WAAAAAAAAAAAH. There's a reason why EBAY and other sites have hundreds of cars listed with very low miles. Guys buy them, get them out of their system - or discover that they are an expensive hobby. I constantly remind my wife that I don't golf, don't smoke cigars, don't collect wine, but have always been into cars. If you can live with something that can't be compared to every day transportation - get a 348, but don't be disapointed when something breaks, or when the kid in the EVO waltzes on you at the red light. Now.. if you want ultra macho and a much heavier duty engineered super car get the Gallardo...... IMHO. I'd rather switch than fight after a recent test drive.
I sleep like shiit - garage floor isn't very comfy. It's true Ferrari has status, more than Porsche, more than Lotus and more than Acura. However, it's also the ultimate rush to drive, something real gearheads dream about and an homage to motorsports. I guess you can try to rationalize away the dream, but good luck. My last real drive was last weekend, on backroads, by myself pretty early in the day. Not sure how snobbery fits into that equation, but a wound-up V8 and a Tubi certainly did. I've owned and/or driven a lot of sports cars, and the two that stand out are the Porsche 993 (distinctive song and balance) and the Ferrari 328. The others (including the newer 911s) were "nice" cars, but the Italians know how to get the adrenalin going. Is the adrenalin rush worth stupid Ferrari parts costs? To me, yeah. But taking more of a cost accounting view of life, I can see where a Ferrari wouldn't be a sane purchase. OK, so we know one marque you've never owned. Sweet. The thread's done now!
Only if life were measured in 0-60 times. A friend of mine bought a 2004 Gallardo with less than 3000 miles. He invited me to the dealer track day with my lowly out dated slow '94 348 challenge. Two laps the Gallardo was up in smoke having completely detonated the clutch (he found out this is quite common on Gallardo's). I continued the rest of the day lapping around the track while he waited for a ride home. I had no problem keeping up with a C5 Corvette Z06 and we left everything else behind (from late mode Audi RS4, BMW Z3 rodster, and late model corvette's). Keep your 0-60 stop light queens. Ferrari was made for the track!
Obviously you have never owned -- much less driven -- a Ferrari. Get back on your honda and peddle it back to your wet bed -- mommy hasn't changed the sheets yet.
You make a very good point.. Ferraris are meant to be driven hard.. just be prepared to pay the price. BTW I've been at the track and have seen Ferraris in similar state.. fused brakes. Smoked clutches. Dropped valves... Again very alarming for low mileage, modern cars. I've also been chased by Cobra kits pushing far more horsepower... I can smoke them in the curves and braking, but they wave bye bye to me in the straights.... good old overhead valve, plus displacement = torque which you can't beat. Also you can put a brick on the gas pedal and pull donuts all day and still get 100K miles out of them. Part of the mystique or weakness of Ferrari. I have also heard from race mechanics the Lambo engines are far more durable ie chain driven vs belt driven, etc. Ferrari may be the balerina while Lambo is the hooker. I made a point on a different board where technology is giving effeminate males the ability to drive very fast sedans in what was once exotic territory. Nothing worse than some goof bragging about his auto sedan that anyones aged mother can drive just as competently. On a different note - - should be interesting what the whole real estate mess does to the used market. I'm already seeing cars of "desparation" being sold for less than they would have 6 months ago. Perhaps anyone in the market for a 348 should wait for a 355 or even +25K miles 360?
NSX: although its a very fine sports car but will not get the respect your looking for, yes much more on the reliablity and parts and the cross ref of parts is very easy, but as for prices it may vary, Ferrari348 comes with a price but I think there is enough info out there to keep the car running well with out costing to much, when it comes down to it go Ferrari if you have the $ but if you want to own a Mid-engine RWD car start out with the NSX it all really depends how much $ you have to spend.
Hey guys... Let's settle with with this then; As long as you're happy with your choice of car there is no need for acceptance by others. I believe a 348 owner can be the happiest man on earth but so can the guy who picked something else. This is a personal reference matter and as we say in my language; Some like the mother, others like the daughter. I guess this is one of those matters.
I have nevered own an NSX so really cant say but I actually heard replacement parts were very expensive for them, so if they do go wrong and lets face it early ones are getting on for 17 years old then they too can be expensive....