Test drove a F348. What did I miss?

Hi Rezal,

Your comments are similar to what i felt when I first drove my 348. I had a 944 S2 at teh time which was easy to drive. Gear changes will get far easier, it just experience, as will the handling characteristics. i was so nervous when i first drove it that i could not control clutch,accelerator steering etc. took a few weeks before we became accustomed to each other - but when you do - WOW. - confidence makes life a whole lots easier and this is a very lively car, if your in the right rev range.

and Yes - you will have to build up your leg muscles. The clutch is either on or off.

I do not regret getting one at all

 

Welcome to Fchat mate.

The 2nd cold gear shift can be rectified with some Redline gearbox oil.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=101885

I love my 348. Drive a 355 and see which you like better.
I hope you make the right decision.

 

I am very new to the 348 but I did own a 328. I can say that I like the 348
better than the 328.
I know exactly what you're talking about though. I sold a 993 and bought a 348. different animals. But you're right, you can toss those 993s around and man handle them with confidence. 993 is easy to drive. I guess it's what you get use to.
one thing I do notice is the build quality fit and finish on the Porsche seems to
be better. it also always worked perfectly but you had to plug leaks in it periodically.
Ask me in a year about the 348 to soon to tell.

 

I have not driven a 348 but a 355 is 250lbs lighter and has a stiffer chassis as well, lots of power avail due to the 6 speed and 380 hp, I have a 930 as well the 355 drives just as tossable and nimble as it does which is suprising for a Ferrari even though it weighs more than the 930 thesuspension,handling and power make up for the added weight of the 355, neither my old 328 or BB are as tossable as the 355.

 

Buy a Porsche if you don't like the Ferrari. It's personal taste and experience.

I had a '95 993 and it did not have power steering. When did they come out with power steering on the 993? The 993 to me was much more "tossable" almost jittery handling. The 348 takes some finesse, but is equally as fast. As far as the 355 it does have more hp, power steering and adjustable shocks. It is the same chasis basically as the later 348. With proper set up the 348 can be a tremendous car. I don't want to affend my 355 brother's, but the 348 can be as fast as a 355 on the track if set up properly.

The exhaust sound has to do more with the muffler. I noticed the same when I test drove the 348. It's more of a rumble or growl compared to my old 308. I did test drive a 348 with a tubi and you get much more high pitch note.

The car you drove may have a dual plate clutch. I noticed that as well when I was looking for my 348. The later models (I think '93 and on) had a single plate clutch like mine. It's much easier to use.

Maybe look for a GTS/GTB model in the 348. They were the Euro version in late '93 and '94. They will have more hp and all the suspension updates.

 

My early 92' has a single plate clutch which is suprisingly light (recent plate), not much different to my 46kmile Golf. In my experience they get much heavier when the plate is nearly worn out.

 

Thank god it's not similar to a 911 that's all I can say IMHO bland, bland, bland.. Sorry. As for the 348 you have to grab it by the scruff of the neck it's an old school sports car dressed in a "modern" looking body. The 355 breached that point and took Ferrari more into the modern era and it is much easier to drive. You can't really relax in a 348 like you can in a modern car.

The 348 is definitely hands on 100% concentrated effort car and you have to drive it like ya stole it to get the best out of it. When you do it is very rewarding. You won't get this feeling on a test drive. Also, to get power out of the car you need to be north of 5000rpm.

The 348 is not a car that's immediately impressive, because you have to work for it. When you do, boy is it worth it.

 

What you missed? The essence of a Ferrari! The engine screaming at 7500 rpm behind your head. Both yer eyeballs in the same socket as you accelerated out of a turn! Your eyeballs on the windshield in a panic stop! Sex! Violence! Adrenaline!

 

1. You definetly need a tubi or x-ost exhaust to get the most pleasure out of it.

2. I have a 1994 GTB and my clutch is really light. No problems in traffic and being in London I'm usually in one.

3. I've spent more than 2 hours in teh car and the seats are'nt much of a problem. I'm driving across Europe next year so i'll confirm it then.

It takes a while to get used to driving it. When I first got it, I used to concentrate when driving it, but with familiarity comes confidence. I used to ahve a 944S2 and loved it, but my favourite is still the 348. Preferred it to even a 360 that I drove recently.

 

You do have to take charge in a 348, and you're not likely to immediately master the car on a test drive.

My clutch isn't too bad - I potter around in LA traffic in my car. My second gear is pretty good as well even when cold so gear oil and adjustments to the cables make a difference. You do have to be deliberate when shifting as well.

Once you've got a well sorted car you can really cane it - I'll run mine through twisties in 3rd gear between 3K and 7K rpms, point and squirt, hard on the brakes, repeat ad nauseaum. Car loves it.

I have a Tubi and Hyperflow cats on my spider which certainly makes a difference.

And I've spent 6-8 hours in the car very comfortably.

Cheers
Kevin

 

That doesn´t look like my 93 car. I miss the power - battery connections at the right rear side near the spring as the battery is in the front behind the left wheel... Must be older, but who cares..

Hey, I have had 5 porsches. Don´t ask me about build quality but about charisma...

 

I thought '93 Euro's were GTS/GTB with larger plenium on the motor. I think you are right it may be a '92.

 

In my opinion, one of the most satisfying experiences in my life has been learning to master this car. There are many very forgiving sports cars out there; the Ferrari 348 is not one of them. But when you click with the car, there are very few things I remember being as pleasurable. My 348 has a stock exhaust has a low rumbling sound as you described. One last thing, if you master driving this car, you will feel right at home in a 288, F-40, or F-50. It may not be one of the fastest Ferrari’s But it is still a genuine F car.

I would be careful, in considering the opinions of F355 Owners, about the 348. Even though us 348 brothers love and cherish our 355 brothers, they tend to be a little pretentious at times, (as us), and don’t ever seem like to realize, or just accept the fact, that the 348’s were in fact the humble beginnings of there great cars. You might find it interesting that the new Enzo’s employ manual steering, much like the 348. Just my opinnion

 

348's are slow, thats what you miss.................speed.

 

And then you get a post like the one above to prove the point

 

I went from a 348 to a 996TT so I can imagine how it would be to go the other way, clutch-wise. Porsche clutches are just plain weird in feel. The 1st gear shift is different that the other gears, so it take some thinking to keep from stalling or over reving.

I came to the 348 via BMW's and Corvettes so the shifting wasn't too different. Be committed and deliberate in your shift. Red Line makes ur life easier.

As for balance, the 348 to any Porsche is night-day IMO. Ferraris have it, Porsches do not. You have to learn to drive them with that in mind. If your are used to Porsches, then I do not recommend u try to relearn how to drive a car like a Ferrari. If u drive other cars that are better balanced, then maybe u can cross the line. I cannot. The Porsche has to go.

As for driving experience, the Ferrari is more fulfilling on several levels. At speed it is much easier to toss around a track or your own private set of twisties. It feels better planted to the road (maybe read as heavier even though it is not). One thinkg I noticed was that getting rid of the Pirellis made a positive dif. I went to Yokohamas - I know it was sacralige, but the car drove better. And the Yokes don't flat spot as easily as the Pirellis so u can leave ur car sit longer between drives.

 

Apparently Alot! Go test drive another one. for a longer period of time.

Then get back to us.

I too came from Porsche's.....

 

Go for the 348 - you won't regret it.

 

Thats right mate. 2 thumbs up from pap.

 

The first time I had the chance to drive a 348, I had a similar reaction. I was used to more civilized cars. I kind of left saying to myself "That's what I've been dreaming about." (I think I posted that about 2 years ago on this site)

The car was so damn good-looking I bought one anyway. It did take me about 6 months to click with the car. It takes about 3 months to be comfortable with it, then about another 3 to really master it. But like others have said in this thread..it's like nothing else. Smile from ear to ear. I do have a Tubi, and it's sounds perfect.

Go for it. Take the time to learn the behavior of the car. It seems to have great power when driving through twisty roads in 3rd/4th gear @ 5000+ RPMs. You won't stomp cars stop light to stop light, but honestly who cares about that.

The gearbox is the car's worst attribute. It's much better when warmed up, but it can be a b*tch. The car is getting old to. So be sure to have someone close by that can fix it (if you're not able to do it yourself). Sensors may fail, and other odd-ball stuff may go, but all in all no big deal...it would really happen to any 15-year old car.

I guess it's all opinion, but the 348 screams Ferrari and is a perfect design. The car is stunning from any angle.

Good luck.