Porsche revised the suspension in the 993 and got rid of that tail happy attitude that the earlier models possess.
I never owned a F355 or a 993... But I had a 360 spider F1, a 996 TT X50 and a 964T I don't think Ferrari and Porsche are playing in the same league here First of all, I'm a regular guy (to some extend), I don't have unlimited pocket for maintenance so it has a huge impact on how I drive the car 360 Spider: I took the Ferrari only for special occasion. You think where you are going advance and where you are going to be able to park the car. You think if the traffic is going to be fluid. You even think where you are going to put gas on the car Everything is expensive on the 360. Not really the regular maintenance, I was paying only $500 a year and even the belt service every 3 years is manageable (5000$) No, everything else was expensive. Once I try to jump start the car and I fried the clutch module. $5000 to repair but they gave me a free Ferrari mug ;-) They were not able to reprogram a new FOB for the key, they told me they have to change the alarm module for $2500 + $800 for the fob and so on But what a car, what a sound, what an engine. You need to experience once in your life driving a Ferrari. If you are a car guy, it'll be one of the best time in your life At the end of the day, I sold the car because I was not driving it so much and I was afraid to add miles on a low millage car and see the value going down too fast (it was a lot of money for me) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVdD3p00dP4 996TT X50: Sorry to say, but this car was a huge disappointment. Yes the car was fast and I didn't like the driving position and the interior and the car was too neutral/safe to drive. I didn't feel any emotion in the driving. Maybe too easy? Don't get me wrong, it's a fantastic car in term of performance but i was not in love with the car. It was just a (very) fast car http://www.oldspeed.net/images_voitures/DSCN0508.jpg 964T: Go back to emotion. It may be not the fastest car anymore but it's a pleasure to drive. Car has 145,000 miles but I'm not afraid just to drive it anywhere. Im less afraid to use my 964T with 145,000 miles than the 360 with 15,000 miles However the Ferrari feels much more special http://www.oldspeed.net/for%20sale%20bmw%20m3%20e30/bmwporsche.jpg just my 2 cents william
I've owned pretty much every generation 911 except for 997 and later. I respect and admire Porsche's driveability engineering and endurance race heritage. I'll likely own a Porsche race car again. It'll be alongside a Ferrari and it'll be mid-engined. I would've liked for Porsche to continue the mid-engine 911 past the 911GT1. There's a reason most successful race cars (even Porsche's) are mid-engined. Engine position alone pushes me towards the 355. Getting past the rear engine, the 993 is the best looking 911 outside the early RSRs in my opinion. But I think the 993 lost most of its original 911-like driving charms/idiosyncrasies. I prefer driving the 964 over a 993. When Singer decided to build an air-cooled 911 with the best of all eras, they start with a 964 and make it look most similar to an early 911. Styling-wise, the 355 wins over the 993 and other 911s. Back to the engine, I like most Ferraris engines' power delivery characteristics. Compared to such engines, most street Porsche 911s fade in the upper rpms. The 993 engine is the same. The closest Porsche engines to Ferrari engine power delivery are the early S MFI engines. The newer GT3 engines are getting there though. Anyway, the 993 engine and lack of early 911 driving charm is no match to the 355's overall driving experience.
I have a Ferrari and 3 Porsches and the ONE car that is totally bulletproof is my old Toyota 4x4 truck and my Sequioa. 150K miles isnt even broke in.
Some reasonable answers in here. Bravo. biased towards the fcar of course, but thats to be expected. My beef with the 355 and most ferraris is that at 300rpm, the car literally barely cracks 100lb ft of torque. Thats a bummer.
Ginger Vs. Mary Ann I've always wanted a 993, specifically a Carrera S (wide body). They are incredible cars, and the highest form of air cooled Porsche. The quote above is dead on; the 355 provides a sense of "occasion" on every drive. If I could only have one car (i.e. practicality) it would be the Porsche. But, I'm lucky and can afford a couple mistresses, and recently having picked up a 355, she is a keeper in the rotation. I'd go as far as to say the 355 is SO different than the Speciale, you know they are both Ferraris but the 355 has a bit more...soul.
I am shocked no one said that before. precisely, you are right on the dot. 993 like a tank, yes... but the 355 has a soul.
Torque seems fine when you keep it above 7k? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1W_axP-HckQ Really though, I love the high rpm nature of the engine. Torque is fun as well but personally I would change nothing about F355 power delivery.
Porsche 993=Ferrari F355 Porsche 996=Ferrari 360 The 993 is one of the prettiest Porsches ever made, just as the F355 is one of the prettiest Ferrari's ever made. Both are iconic 1990's examples.
There is no way a 996= a 360. 996TT doesn't even equal a 360. A 964 may be equivalent to a 348 though.
I'd generally prefer more torque than 275 lb ft, but yes, if you rev the nuts off of it, the power is likely adequate. Really just personal preference, one is not better than the other.
I had a 964 cab, 360 coupe and now 355 spider. Which is "better" is based on intended use/purpose. Once I had 3 kids, I knew I wouldn't have as much time to drive the weekend sports car, always wanted a Ferrari, and wanted to make each drive more special so we got the 360. Back when I was single/married with no kids the Porsche was the better car for me to own as we drove it more, used for weekend trips etc. Ideally I'd have an air cooled 911, 355 and 360- I love them all and wish I could have them all at once! I sold my 360 last fall, and last winter I was negotiating on a mint very low mileage 1998 993 cab...when my wife saw how much it was vs. a 355 spider she said why not just get another Ferrari for not much more money. I did before she changed her mind and it actually was the right choice in my situation. It is much more special to me- pure artwork with phenominal sound/driver involvement. I don't try to keep miles off intentionally, but annual mileage works out to maybe 1,500-2,000 a year just given the weather, family weekend schedules, etc. The 993s are built better, but if not driving 10K miles/year the Ferrari is more special.
Sure it does. They are both improved models after their predecessors. They have controversial styling. Their performance is improved over the 993 and the F355. Their performance specs are similar. You took that too literally. Of course it would be a TT and not just a regular 996.
Both the 360 and 996 were clean sheet of paper designs, but there the similarity ends for me. While I am making a relative comparison of respective models of Porsche and Ferrari models (not saying the cars are worth the same money), I feel the 360 went not only to a different level of performance and design, but also the quality of the materials (all aluminum chassis) and workmanship went up- new generation, better designed interior, and nice touches like the clear engine cover and headlamps (which the corvette then used), not a sharp angle anywhere in the design. Still remember the first time I hand washed my 360- smooth curves everywhere- I really appreciated the design looking at every square inch (like the 355, but the 355 has more angles). The 996, while a nice car, went in the other direction (in my opinion)- cheap plastic interior, no more bank vault build quality, more "disposable"/mass production type of car (lease, turn in, lease the next one etc). I don't mean to knock it, but it stepped down in presence to me vs the 993, whereas the 360 took it a big step forward. I dreamed of owning an aircooled 911 as a boy, dreamed of a 355 and 360...I never once dreamed of any 996, TT or not. Again, I don't mean to knock the 996- on it's own it is a very nice car. These are just misc. Saturday morning thoughts...
When I was comparing the two cars that is what was also meant was that they both went in different directions that the companies took in advancing the models. The 996 becoming water-cooled, the 360 building aluminum frames. Both models growing in size and becoming less intimate. Both designs being modernized. They are both fine cars, but I don't love either and for the most part take or leave them, although I wouldn't mind owning a 996 GT2. For newer models, I prefer the 997's which went back to the 993 look.
993 was my first real sports car. Sold it after 2 years because I wanted to try as many cars as possible and I only have 1 parking space. Mine had about 3k a year spent on maintenance/repairs over its whole history. Loved the car and with a Fister Stage 3 exhaust it sounded amazing. In my opinion the 993 and 355 stock exhausts suck...only way to go for 993 is Fister. 355 has a few more options. As far as feeling special goes, I'm sure the 355 takes that. Different types of cars but in a way the end of an era for both companies.
I hear where you are coming from- the 997 is more interesting to me than the 993 (I would be curious to experience a 996 GT2). The 360 definitely has it's own great/unique personality if you haven't driven one- still a very special experience, but yes the 360 lost the smaller intimate feel of the 355, same way the 911 has gotten bloated vs. the air cooled models.