Drove a Ferrari 360 today...

[Evoking]

So I finally decided to drive a modern Ferrari. I've had every thing in between and have been reading more about the Gallardo and DB9 and other supposed "Supercars" lately. While I've always read about these cars in EVO and all the American mags for entertainment, I've never looked at them with an intent to buy. Also, my wife told me a long time ago that I shouldn't get a Ferrari until I was 30 so I can have something to look forward.

Well, although I'm 28, I began to seriously consider what it would be like to own a supercar. Today I decided to sracth the itch and go take a serious look. Low and behold I was offered a drive in a 6 spd 01 360. I've driven a 348 which I was looking at around the time I bought my first NSX. But I've never drivne a 355, 360, 550, or any Lambo. So this was my first "modern" Ferrari drive. While the car was very tight (compared to my targa) I have to say it was a bit of a let down. Perhaps because I was expecting some unearthly experience probably reserved for cars like GT's, Enzo and McLaren's. It didn't feel super fast. And the sound, while good wasn't this complete formula screaming that I was expecting. The car rolled a bit more than I expected also. I imagined it to be like an NSX on super-steroids yet it didn't feel obliteratingly fast. Perhaps I've been tainted by having owned a Viper GTS. But even back to back to the NSX I wasn't blown away.

The steering wasn't better then the NSX either. Again I was expecting EVERYTHING to be a little if not a lot better. To my surprise it may me appreciate the NSX that much more. I used to never consider paying $10k for a superchager but now it looks different. The 360 is twice the price of the NSX and yet doesn't come close to twice the fun. I can add an SC and still save $70k. I'm sure I may need to drive the 360 on a track to really make it come alive and assert itself. Perhaps is the better experience... (Can someone comment on the two). While ar Ferrari they had a 911 GT2. The rep told me this car is more of a dirvers car than the 360. So now I'm thinking that for pure fun the GT2 for $90k used is a better way to go. Of course they look a little bland and the fenders don't flare like the Turbo or GT3 Turbo.

I also went to look at a Gallardo. While I will have to come back during the week to drive it, at this point I think I would get a Gallardo if I do the Supercar thing. Yes I will miss the tail out fun of an NSX or a 360 but the Gallardo seems to play the supercar role a little better. While I have not driven one yet I have read it may be even a little more refined than a 360. But believe it or not I like the sound better and it actually looks better. More aggressive and exotic. The sound a refined expensive sound but with more base.

Before I do either of these I will relish the NSX a little longer. I'm going to start with an exhaust as I did on my first 2. Then I may consider some other goodies to make it even more raw. At the end of the day the NSX has shown me that there aren't too many ther cars that can make it feel like a piece of junk. To me it is incredible that a car this old and supposedly underpowered is just that good.!

 

[TRM04]

Wow, very interesting, thanks for sharing. One question on your Porsche observation. How is it that you think the GT2 fenders aren't as flaired as much as the GT3 or Turbo? I thought the GT2 was the king of the three?

Ahad

 

[SCS2k]

Wow, very interesting, thanks for sharing. One question on your Porsche observation. How is it that you think the GT2 fenders aren't as flaired as much as the GT3 or Turbo? I thought the GT2 was the king of the three?

Ahad

I think he confused the two. The GT2 is wide bodied and the GT3 is the standard 996 body (width anyway). There is also no way one could buy a GT2 for $90k with a sticker of close to $200k. With a sticker of $99k, the GT3 could easily be found for that price though. The GT3 is also not available as a turbo.

I had a similar feeling when I went for a ride in a 355 spider. The car sounded beautiful but the acceleration seemed (and was) much slower than my Porsche and even the NSX (supercharged). I would still love to own one though.

 

[isellpower]

Um, GT2 is a turbo, rear wheel drive instead of all wheel. 90K? Don't think so. I've seen some for 110k, and that is very rare. The GT2 will not seem slow. I also have a GTS, a TNT 650 as a matter of fact, and the GT2 feels very fast.

 

[Evoking]

Yes, I meant GT3. With the normally aspirated motor its the better dirvers car from what I've heard and read. And judging from when I drove a turbo and all the praise they shower on the GT3 it must me be the best drivers car Porsche has next to the GT. Turbos almost always seem to somehow detach the driver from the motor. The shifter in the turbo was also rubbery and with long throws. THe car to drive is the GT3.

 

[Deuce B]

I think you should also drive a 355. I like them much better than the 360. The 355 exhaust note makes the 360 sound very dull. That F1 note you mention is found in the 355. I really like that car. All around, I had more fun driving the 355 than the 360 hands down.

 

[drew]

The 360 is very nice, the fit and finish is Honda quality. My test drive only lasted about 7 miles, very nice.

Feels too similar to the NSX and soon after the drive I bought a CTSC.

I'm in the market for a 360F1, but the costs of maintenance scares me ($1K oil changes, for example) and Ferrari's insistance that all work be done at a dealer--it will void your warranty and later they will refuse to trade or consign your car. Also, the 360 is being upped to the 430 at about $190K each.

Enter the Ford GT (GT40) at $140K and with any luck the actual purchase price will soon be around MSRP. This car will suit me better than a 360, with the exception of paddle shifters. I plan on driving this car 15K-35K miles a year and I doubt the Ferrari could hold up that or the TCO.

If the price does not drop on the GT, my garage will be seeing one of these soon, though it will have to be good at going out to dinner and plays too.

Drew

 

[5inchfatlip]

We all love the NSX, and although maybe the 360 may not give the same enjoyment for some...we are OUT of our league comparing to this car....

 

[drew]

we are OUT of our league comparing to this car....

I respectfully disagree: other than the badges and extra HP, the 360 has little over the NSX.

The NSX is better built, more reliable and fuel efficient. Any F car with more than 25,000 miles is rare....a 100,000 mile NSX is common place. And with a HP increase for the NSX: it is very difficult to tell which car you are driving.

The NSX makes one heck of a daily driver, I plan on keeping it until parts are no longer available.

Drew

/Too bad the NSX didn't keep its all leather dash, it is a nice touch on the 360.

 

[ibDursty]

I thought Honda tried the all leather dash but found that over time it just didn't hold up that well. If the 360 has an all leather dash will they hold and look good after ten or 15 years?

 

[mikec]

Porsche 928's offered all leather interiors including the dash. They held up for a few short years. They are very undesirable cars today because the leather on the dashes and other interior trim has perished. Honda knew that real leather is unsuitable for this application. The NSX was made with the best materials suited for the job at hand. That makes it pretty special in my book.

 

[NetViper]

Porsche 928's offered all leather interiors including the dash. They held up for a few short years. They are very undesirable cars today because the leather on the dashes and other interior trim has perished. Honda knew that real leather is unsuitable for this application. The NSX was made with the best materials suited for the job at hand. That makes it pretty special in my book.

The 360 CS uses suede all inside. It looks incredible. Does it hold up as well as the vinyl does over time? I would love to see a nsx with a suede dash.

As far as the 360, I dont see why you cannot compare it to the nsx. It is faster no question, but does it really deliver a much better driving experience than a SC NSX? I don't think so. It is definetly a better than my stock NSX. But I paid 30K for mine and a 360 is still at least 120. There is no way it is worth that much more to me.

 

[Doc C]

Ferrari dealer in Denver told me that the leather on the dash is very nice, but it does deteriorate and the only way they can replace it is to remove the entire dashboard. He said it cost almost $10,000 to have that done. Then, he said they had a college kid that was there that cleaned the shop and did odd jobs. He saw them replacing the leather on a dash of a 355 I believe. He pointed out it might be a lot easier to do that by just taking out the windshield rather than removing the entire dash. The mechanics couldn't believe they hadn't thought of that!!! So, he said it's still several thousand dollars to replace the leather on the dash, but it's cheaper than it used to be. I don't know if he was giving me an urban legend or not, but it was interesting nonetheless.
On topic, I like money too much to pay close to $1k for an oil change. I wish Acura would hurry up and build a newer NSX. I love mine, don't get me wrong. I just think it's way past due. Acura needs the image improvement a car like the new NSX would bring them. Even Lexus is building a supercar. Ugly or not, at least they're going ahead with it and giving customers a ballpark time frame when it will be built.

 

[Ben]

The 360 CS uses suede all inside. It looks incredible. Does it hold up as well as the vinyl does over time? I would love to see a nsx with a suede dash.

Actually, if you ever have the chance to goto Japan and see an NA1 NSX-R, I know those had suede dashes. Can't remember if the NA2 R had it or not, but it probably does.

 

[nsxxxtc]

NSX's
These cars have a bad rap for not being fast. My stock one is close to taking my right to drive away and the twin turbo is quick and fast. I think the NSX is top of the heap of super cars. Ask anyone who has owned others and ask them about reliabulity and repairs. Who needs to go faster than 170, except for me and my friends who are also sick. I still have to own a Ferrari cus the chicks dig it!!

 

[nsxxxtc]

There was a purple Diablo that had custom tan suede interior. It was really sweet. It was the one they had on the Leno show, I think Mario drove it when they were doing a special on the running of the bulls. I saw it last week in Seattle.I have a nice pic but cant figure how to post it.
Thanks
Slow lerner/ Bad typest

 

[kgb_agent]

I had the opportunity to ride in a 2001 360 F1 this past weekend. Although I did not drive (maybe next time) I will give you my impressions from the passenger seat. This was not my first ride in an F-car, nor a 360. I've driven a 308 and ridden in everything from a 355 to an F40 on the track.

At first glance the 360 is more attention-grabbing than the NSX, and it's clear that its lines are newer and more modern. The Ferrari is bigger--width and length--and this becomes more apparent the closer the two cars are. The 360 paint is deep red and glossy, but not so much that I wasn't proud how well my 10-year-old Japanese baby has held up. One thing that stuck with me while playing some high speed "follow the leader" with the 360 on my tail through the countryside was how friggin' bright its headlights are. Those projector beams are like two little white lasers pointed at you.

The tan leather without a doubt drapes the interior of the 360 in far more luxury than that of the NSX; it looks and feels expensive (it should!) whereas my black interior, by contrast, seemed more racy and purposeful, yet older as well. The 360's doors do not close with that solid, reassurring "thump" like an NSX or, say, a 911; it was a little more rattly. That surprised me. I also couldn't get the seat to feel right either. It was as if the seat fit me like a glove up to the shoulder blades and then curved back; the NSX seats swallow you and allow your entire spine to make solid contact with the seat.

The F1 tranny is cool and I cannot wait to blip through those upshifts without moving my foot. The power seems to come on a lot like the NSX above 4K rpm......there's just more of it. The Torque from 70-100mph was clearly more evident that the NSX. The sound from the interior of the stock 360 (no Tubi) is very good, but not that much better than my 1995 NSX-T. These cars needs Tubis. The 360 seemed flatter, wider, more rigid and yet oddly scarier on the same undulating backroads at the same speeds compared to my car. Perhaps this was because I was not driving, but I don't think so. A very experienced 355 Challenge racer I know, along with many magazines, state the 360 can be twitchy or nervous in the rear. This was particularly evident on one hilltop sweeper and, although it was controllable, the rear didn't seem to step out as gracefully as the NSX.

All in all I will have more info to share once I drive it, but I know I can still hold my head high as an NSX. Of course I'd rather own the 360. But is it 3-4 times more car than my '95? Not in my opinion.

 

[NsXMas]

beautiful cars. both of them.

 

[MvM]

Out of curiosity, I was comparing the 360 Modena to the NSX Type R in the comparison-section of www.track-challenge.com.
I noticed just how close the two cars are in their performance (on the track).
Of course, the NSX Type R is very performance-oriented compared with the standards NSX. But, at the same time, the Modena has on paper at least an pretty big performance advantage with its 400 HP.

 

[Jetpilot2112]

.. the 360 can be twitchy or nervous in the rear. This was particularly evident on one hilltop sweeper and, although it was controllable, the rear didn't seem to step out as gracefully as the NSX.

A difference in tires maybe? But ya gotta hand it to the NSX for controllability and ease of handling... great review, thanks!! :biggrin:

 

[kgb_agent]

A difference in tires maybe? But ya gotta hand it to the NSX for controllability and ease of handling... great review, thanks!! :biggrin:

Perhaps. The Ferrari was on Michelin Pilot Sports and I run Bridgestone RE010's.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[KingsCourt]

I think honest, objective, and thorough reports like this makes every NSX owner hold his head up just a little higher. We truly have a special ride. If Honda took the time to give us a bigger, supercharged engine, done properly, we wouldn't take a back seat to anyone.

 

[qirex]

I think you should also drive a 355. I like them much better than the 360. The 355 exhaust note makes the 360 sound very dull. That F1 note you mention is found in the 355. I really like that car. All around, I had more fun driving the 355 than the 360 hands down.

I agree with you completely re being let down by the 360.

However, IMO the 360 is head and shoulders superior to the 355. The simple issue of a 30k mile svc requiring an engine drop on the 355 vs 360 brings to light the realities of ownership. Expect $12k vs $1.2K for svc.

The 360 is also MUCH better put together than a 355 as well as offering better ergonomics for us tall folks (6'2")

I personally drove a 355 and 02 nsx the same day and preferred the nsx more (it had a comptech exhaust btw).

 

[kgb_agent]

The simple issue of a 30k mile svc requiring an engine drop on the 355 vs 360 brings to light the realities of ownership. Expect $12k vs $1.2K for svc.

Where are you getting your numbers? A major service on the 355 should run $5-7K and closer to $3K for the 360. Most of this price disparity is a result of not having to drop the engine in the 360 since the belts are accessible from the cockpit.

 

[Steve T]

Evoking - Are you shopping for the Gallardo at Lamborghini Dallas?


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2004 NSX Black/Camel 6spd
Our other cars: 2005 SL65 Pewter / 2005 G55 Graphite / 2005 SRT-10 Viper Yellow / 2004 Gallardo Yellow / 2004 Z06 Machine Silver / 2004 H2 White / 2002 Candy Red Prowler + 2001 Orange Prowler + 2001 Silver Prowler / 2002 35th Anniversary Camaro SS Convertible / 1970 Black Chevy SWB Pick up / 1969 Garnet Red Camaro SS 350 / 1969 Chevelle SS 396 / 1969 Impala SS 427 / 1968 Chevy Step Side Truck L98/700r4 / 1967 Hugger Orange Camaro 400 / 1955 Yellow Chevrolet Truck / 1934 Ford Sedan / 1930 Ford Hiboy Coupe 302 5spd