Since the 355 was so successful, lets get some impressions from some 348 owners. Likes , dislikes, vs. other cars. Thanks.

 

I like that model very well.
You can rent one here. > http://www.greatcarboatrentals.com/f348.htm
They aren't cheap though.

 

Anybody here to share their experience?

 

is there any place like that in the United States??? That rents out exotic cars like that...Just wondering :)

 

Three issues ago, FORZA magazine did an article on the 348.

The chassis of the 355 is 99% of the chassis of the 348 with a most of the body pannels different. The body pannels are (actually) replaceable between the 348 and 355. The 348 has a under body that looks remarkedly like the current C5, while the underbody of the 355 is covered with underpannels than channel air and create actual dwonforce at high speed. Styling of the 348 follows the Testarossa,...

Differences between 348 and 355:

Rear track was widened a little on the F355. Some claim that this gave/gives the 348 sweeter stearing sensitivity. I find the 355 steering to be too light in feel at speed.

5 speed transmission operated by cables versus 6 speed transmission operated by shaft linkage. Early 348s had some teathing problems with the cable actuated shifter, later models were better sorted. 355s have a very sweet shifter.

3.4 Litre 300 HP 4 valves per cyclinder versus 3.3 litre 380 HP 5 valves per cylinder (with help from Yamaha)
360 degree crank (like a vette) versus 180 degree crank (like Cosworth DFV)
major service interval 15K miles on 348 versus 30 K miles makes the 355 less expensive than the 348 to maintain (And you can say that with a straight face).

5 years of advancement in engine/FI computers and management.

high-160's top end versus low 180's top end
low 5's 0-60 versus 4.5 0-60 6 speed and 4.2 0-60 F1
low-mid 13's 1/4 mile versus 12.6 1/4 mile

The first 348 was a leap forward from the 328 in terms of chassis dynamics (lower center of gravity, longer wheelbase), but it must be confessed that it was the Acura NSX that made Ferrari convert the 348 into the 355. In short the NSX handed the Ferrari its butt, both in performance and in utility (really).

The 355 was the first 8 cylinder Ferrari which could hand any of the 12 cylinder Ferraris their butt around the Fiorana test track (several seconds if I recall correctly). The Testarossa had a center of gravity problen and a weight problem and no downforce.

The 348 is a wonderful car, good-to-excellent copies can be found hovering the the high $50Ks and low $60Ks.

 

Actually the F355 had a 3.5L V8. (Hence the 355.....3.5L V8, 5 valves per cylinder) :)

I've always seen the 355 F1 being significantly slower than the 6-spd F355. When I drove a 99 model F1, it was like "where'd the power go?". You can feel a big difference. It's a sweet setup for the turns, but not for straight line performance. The F1's are low 13 second cars (12.9 is the best I've ever seen one run, and that was once) at about 109mph, while the 6-spds are 12.6-12.7 @ 112-113mph. Big difference in mph. I don't see why 0-60 would be any different.

That's exactly right! :) I heard the same thing.

I've really always wanted to drive one of these just to feel the difference. I've never really heard anything bad about them (as far as performance goes).

 

Beginning to sound more like a 355 thread than a 348 thread--oh well:

3.3 litres was a typo--I should read the entire post before posting--whoops.

The 1995 (and maybe the early 1996) 355's had an engine controller with 5 more HP than the later models. Don't remember what happened to the torque figures. Some of the performance loss may be in here.

The F1 Transmission uses electronically controled hydraulic actuators to shift the transmission. It is rumored that these take 5 HP to run the hydraulics. Some of the rest of the performance loss may be here also. It would be easy to see these actuators taking upwards of 10 HP under the right conditions. Mabe a little more loss here.

0-60 was better with the F1 (as shown in the magazines--and we all know how magazines never lie/distort performance figures) because you didn't lift the throttle, and the tranny just shifted flat footed, whereas the hand shifter had to lift to shift properly. The 355 F1 tranny was reputed to shift in 0.2 seconds, I would be surprised if I could shift my 355 in less than 0.6 sec. So the flat footed shift and the quicker shift should have just about compensated for the hydraulic losses and engine electronics. But who really knows.

 

Ok,

I had a 91 348ts for about a year and a half. I sold it this summer. While owning it I did manage to take it to a track a few times and I did put about 9000 miles on the car while I owned it (it was a pleasure vehicle and not a daily driver). It never left me stranded and ran solidly in the Texas summer (made the local PCA guys look bad when they had 6 cars (three 911 turbos) down from the heat and I was driving home :)). They stopped teasing me about Ferrari reliability after that.

Compared to my Z06:

It handles about as good and has much better feel. It is quirky and keeping the rear end planted is key in a 348. It doesn't accellerate nearly as quickly. The brakes don't stop quite as well as the Vettes but last much longer. On the track a 348 is about equal in performance to a 996 911 C2 or C4. It is slightly better than a Boxster S, an M3 or an NSX.

Things to know about the 348:

Generally avoid earlier MY on any Ferrari. Ferrari does running upgrades on all their cars. Typically a 92 is better than a 90 which is better than an 89 etc... The 89-91 were earlier versions. Moving upgrades on the 348 from 92 on include (some of these upgrades appeared in earlier cars): New Throwout bearing design, single plate clutch, revised rear halfshafts and hubs, Battery moved from rear to front of car (like in a 355). In 93 revised rear wheels with an additional 1" offset were added to improve handling(put on Series Speciale and Spider cars). Also new exhaust and engine software to give an extra 20 hp (320 hp), and shorter gearing to give better low end accelleration. If I was buying a 348 again I would have gotten a 92-94 ts or tb. The spider's are know to have problems with the tops.

Not sure what 0-60 or 1/4 times are (5.5 and 14 seem about right), that's not what a Ferrari is all about.

My 348 made 250 RWHP and 217 lb-ft on a Dyno at Norwoods. It also ran to 168 mph on a top speed test before the guy at the wheel chickened out about 300 rpm shy of its 7800 rpm redline. Probably could have done 175. With the Borla exhaust it sounded awesome.

Compared to a 355: the 348 feels better and communicates the road better. The 355 feels (and is) softer than a 348. The 355 has a less stiff suspension and power steering. The 348 has no power steering and has very few turns lock to lock so it is very responsive. The clutch peddle and brake peddle are very solid, and the brake and throttle are perfect for heel and toe downshifts. The 355 has a far superior shifter to the 348 (which is cable actuated and largely considered one of the car's major faults). The 355 motor sounds better (IMHO) and the 355 is generally a more reliable car. Overall the 355 is an evolution of the 348 with a revolutionary motor.

If you want a 355 expect to be able to get one for around $70k for a 95 and go up to about $120k for the latest greatest. Prices are steadily declining. A 348 you could get for about $40k to $65k. But a well sorted one should be around $50k with all the maintenance up to date.

Mike

 

True true. Also, if you look at 1996-1999 model F355s, they have a different airbox setup than the 95s. It looks *way* more restrictive, but supposedly it wasn't. Damn OBD-II. hahaha.

 

I don't have a 348, but I do love them since Tom Selleck drove one on my favorite show of all time (Magnum) :)

I believe he had an 80-81ish model GTB, which I'm sure is slower than the newer 90's models but I still really like them. Anybody know the stats on the older 348's? Any other changes?

 

Actually I think that was 308 or 328 (I think actually it was the latter) that Magnum drove. Anyone know for sure?

 

Yeah, I think your right about the 308. (must have been a typo)
:confused:

I knew it was the GTB though :yesnod:

 

It was a 308. I have an 85 GTSi. Ive had the car since 1993, fun to drive but not extremely quick.

 

The first several years of Magnum P.I., Magnum drove the 308. After the episode where his Navy intelegence friend was blown up in the 308, they replaced it with a 328. You can tell from a distance by the air outlet ducts on the front fo the car. The 308's had outlets above the wheels, while the 328 had outlets in the bonnet.

 

Mitch, you know your stuff!! :flag

 

To set the record straight, ZERO 328's were used in Magnum pi(not really feasible either since last season aired in 85-86) Also, there were no GTB's either. Special provisions were done to make Selleck capable of fitting in the GTS such as removing padding. The following cars were used:

* 1979 308 GTS
* 1981 308 GTSi
* 1984 308 GTS QV

Also, its really easy to tell a 308 apart from a 328. US 308's all have large, ugly black bumpers while bumpers on 328's were body colored and looked very integrated.