355 vs 360 vs testarossa

This should be "355 vs 360 vs 512TR".

 

All of them are the funnistist.

Seriously! All will leave you with the biggest smile on your face. In fact a 308 will leave you smiling after driving it because all Ferrari's are so much fun. It all boils down to which one a person prefers on looks and feel and sound.

Now, when it comes time to pay for repair bills... THAT's when the smile is wiped clean. 12 cylinder engines as on the Testarossa can be pricer to maintain.

 

Can't speak to funnest but imo in the looks dept. It is 512TR>355>360

 

Get all three.

 

'best' for what : polishing, tracking, touring, posing. drag racing etc etc etc

 

The 355/360 and the Testarossa have so little in common that it is really an apples and oranges thing.

The Testarossa is a GT, lots of HP, lots of torque. It goes like stink, but can't hide its weight or the fact that its engine sits above the transmission when you swing it into corners. It handles great for what it is, but it was never designed to be a pure sports car, you need to understand that if you are really going to appreciate it for what it is. On the highway and on sweepers, it is an absolute riot. As for living with, a 512 or a Testarossa sits very low with a long front overhang---so it wants to smash its nose into everything. Its also significantly wider in the rear, so placing it with pinpoint precision in a narrow parking lot or on a backroad requires real concentration. Asthetically, it is a rolling party. If you like to draw attention to yourself, you would be hard pressed to do better than a Testarossa. The downside is that you can't leave it in most places without worrying about what it going to happen while you are away. As for cost of ownership, it is probably the most expensive modern Ferrari to maintain, except maybe a needy 355.

The 355 is IMHO, bar none, the most fun Ferrari V8 to drive. It has an old school feel, but is a dragon slayer on the back roads. It is so compact you can really navigate it on tight roads and the engine sound is G&ds own trumpet. However, if you get out of a Testarossa and into a 355, or a 360 for that matter, the relative lack of torque will be instantly noticeable. They are both faster than a Testarossa, but they don't feel anywhere close to it.

As for the 360, it is a modern Ferrari. It is easy to own, makes very little demands of you, and will probably not bite you very badly unless you lose a variator. That being said, it is an entirely different driving experience than a 355 or TR. If you enjoy the feel of a modern sports car, the 360 is for you, if you like the old school feel, you will find, as I have, that the driving experience is lacking. That is not a slight on the 360. It's just a distinction worth noting.

Good luck whatever you choose. But unless this is a theoretical question, I would strongly suggest you drive each model before making a decision, your personal taste will dictate which model appeals to you as they are very different.

 

Here is some useful info.

Testarossa or 512TR (essentially the same things): much bigger cars with much bigger engines. Lots more torque. Much more of a cruiser - a GT car - than the V8s you mention. They loaf down the road at highway + speeds (about 100 mph) while the V8s are taching near 5,000 rpm. On the other hand, much less nimble, feel far heavier. These cars are fully depreciated and are at the bottom of their desirability curve. They are very cheap for what they are - real bargains with the potential for appreciation in the near future (5 years?). Expensive to service.

355 or 360 (again, essentially the same cars): smaller, more nimble, more fun to drive. True sports cars. Great for a 1-2 hour run in th hills, not so great for a 500 mile trip on the highway. Better looking and more modern. Almost as fast as the bigger, older cars - but you really have to work them to get the acceleration. 355s need engine out belt services, 360s do not...significant $ savings. Styling is a matter of taste - I prefer the 360. These cars are still depreciating, but not for long. They are near the bottom.

 

I have driven and have experience with all three. My choices would be as follows:

1) 355: Which I own so I am bias. Not only maybe the best looking Ferrari ever made but one of the best looking cars ever. Pros: incredible sound, timeless looks, prices have bottomed out. Cons: The belt service is costly, it has an ugly steering wheel and the steering is too light.

2) Testarossa (512TR): Pros: Incredible to look at and a real mans car to drive (none of that girly auto mode crap), seen all the depreciation that it will see. Cons: major expensive to service, tiring to drive after a while.

3) 360: Pros: Much more modern especially the interior if modern is what you are after, less money to service, first with an air bag that has a decent looking steering wheel. Cons: I personally do not like the look of them especially from the rear, no real big perfomance increase from a 355, I personally think that they there is still room for more depreciation as a 430 is such a better car and their prices have been dropping especially with the introduction of the 458.

To each their own IMHO.

 

I was looking at all of these cars when i wanted to buy. Went with the 360 because best performance, best looks, cheapest to service, modern look (most people think its new). Was a no brainer for me.

355 has the best sound
512tr would have best performance(though not by much over a 360) but way more expensive

 

LMAO, another school teacher!

 

A 12 cylinder Ferrari is a 12 cylinder.

The thread to see which is the most fun, is silly. The question really being asked is " if you have 75k which car is the most fun to have "

You cannot compare a 200k brand new Testarossa with a brand new v8 355 which was less money.

Why is there never a thread comparing 275 4 cam with the Porsche 911 turbo ?

Silly thread discussion.

Buy the best one you can afford and love....don't buy based on price like the 99% of people that regret their purchase.

 

Well if the question was 355 vs. 360 vs. 250 Testarossa the responses would have been vastly different, now wouldn't they.

 

If the 512TR is in the running, why not a 348? Similar great looks, compact V8, etc...

All the best,
Andrew.

 

A 348 doesn't compare to the models mentioned. Way underpowered and not a classic like a 308/328.

 

Depends on your criteria, I suppose.

All the best,
Andrew.

 

On topic, what do you dream about?

Go with your most common and vivid dream!

No matter which Ferrari you mention, my 512TR is the one I choose.

It can still feel like a dream to me. My wife asked me about other Ferraris and which others would I want. My answer came out so quickly that I heard myself say it. "The one I have." I thought to myself, I must have really meant it.

La Passione

 

In what performance test does the 348 demonstrate that it was "way underpowered" compared with a testarossa?

 

If you've driven a Gallardo and loved it, then neither the 355 or TR are for you. I own a TR and have driven every other car you mentioned, some quite extensively. The Gallardo is an AWD car that has a very germanic and modern feel. It does not drive like a Ferrari at all.

The only modern Ferrari to compare it to would be the 360. However, the 360 will feel like a gymnast by comparison. I get the feeling you are more in love with the looks and exotic aspect of owning a Ferrari or Lamborghini than the actual drive itself.

You don't buy a Ferrari because a particular model is comparatively cheaper than a specific Lamborghini. The Delta can be made up quite quickly if a few things go wrong.

Also, a Ferrari requires a commitment and a mentality. If you are not thoroughly enamored with the breed, there are so many other sports cars that will float your boat. There is Ferrari and then there is everything else. You can't do a true objective analysis because a lot of what attracts us to a Ferrari are the intangibles.

I get the feeling you are a "Lambo" guy at heart.

 

512TR is slower around Fiorano than either of the other two. Only place it wins is in top speed...

I was debating 512TR vs. 355. Tough decision, but I went 355. 360 was never in the running as I just don't like the styling as much so would never pay more for it than a 355.

I ended up with a 355 as it has the same to slightly better all around performance than a 512TR for $20k less. I also like the clean and compact styling a little bit more, though it's very close. The 12 cylinder in the TR was calling after me quite strongly, though.

 

To your point, the Testarossa is not a track car and definitely should not be anyone's first choice for a back roads rally. However, while the 355 may be quicker on paper, it's relative lack of torque, and the RPMs at which it achieves its torque figures make it feel much slower than the Testarossa.

You can accelerate off an incline in a Testarossa simply by releasing the clutch. It also pulls very strongly at any speed in almost any gear, with a rocket launch above 4500 rpm. It is an absolute blast in its element. However, it is never going to win any stat games against just about any contemporary V8 Ferrari in anything except top speed.

However, who really buys a Ferrari for the numbers...that's what Porsche is for

The Testarossa is an icon and a monster in its own right, its really more about feel. A Testarossa is George Foreman to the 355's Ali. What car is a better fit really depends on the intended use.

Just my. 02

 

If a 355 feels slower, you're driving it wrong. It, in actuality, feels faster than it is (at least to me) due to the peaky nature of the engine. It's more 'dramatic' than the lower rpm, larger engine of the TR and despite making around the same HP, it does so in a different manner and with a lot more drama while pushing around a lighter car. This is half the fun of it, rowing the gears and keeping it wound up over 5k rpm. It does not feel slower unless you keep the rpms down, which is defeating the point of it. I always wonder at those that like a lot of low end grunt, it seems pointless to me as they put these cool things in the cars called 'transmissions' that allow you to put the engine in it's sweet spot whenever you want to go fast. If you have proper gearing and a decent transmission, torque numbers are pretty much meaningless as you'll always be able to get the engine in it's sweet spot where it's making the most HP by moving that chrome lever with the ball on it.

It boils down to whether you want a race-car like feel in a road car. If you do, the 355 delivers on that much better than the TR. If you are more after a cruiser that can cover massive amounts of distance in comfort at a high rate of speed, the TR is the better choice (imo). Since I like going to the track and already have a nice cruising car, the 355 was the better choice - though the allure of a 12 cylinder car is pretty strong. So the question is, are you more after a cruiser or a performer? If both, maybe the 360 is the best choice as it is more comfortable and has a nicer interior than the 355 but with many of the same sporting characteristics. It just doesn't look as good as either the 355 or 512TR (imo) and costs more for similar performance.

 

I agree and disagree. The 355 makes the same HP but almost 100 ft/lbs less of Torque. There is an old saying to the effect of, torque is what you feel, HP is what the stopwatch shows. When you wind up a Testarossa, you also get an amazing push as the engine breaks 4500RPM, the difference is what is happening up and until that point. The massive torque advantage of the Testarossa makes it always feel fast, regardless of where you are in the rev range, it just gets better from there. The 355 by comparison only does not feel the same. I've driven the 355 in absolute anger and very recently as I was interested in acquiring one, it is just a very different experience. The Testarossa is also a car that you want to keep on full boil, its just that it has the flexibility to allow you to drive it less frenetically when circumstances require it.

I completely agree that the 355 feels very "racy" due to the manner in which it makes its HP, but on the road there will be times where it will feel comparatively slow regardless of what the empirical data shows.

Again, the 355 is faster on the track and infinitely more enjoyable on the backroads, but just to emphasize this small point, the Testarossa clearly feels faster and in most driving situations, it will be. Its hard to catch a Testarossa flat footed, but if you are not in the right gear with a 355, its game over.

Many people who are turned off by Ferrari V8's don't understand the rev happy nature of the engine. I get it, but a potential purchaser needs to understand that the difference in how these cars make there horsepower, where they make their horsepower, their torque differences and torque output, directly effect the driving experience.

If you are going from an American Sports car, as the OP is, he is going to find that the 355 and 360 feels slower than what he is used to, regardless of what the stopwatch shows.

FWIW, not that you would care to, but if you ever read my posts you will know that I hold the 355 in the highest regard. It is one of my favorite Ferraris of all time and undoubtedly the best sounding. I'm just making a distinction, not a judgement...