nsx vs 360 modena

L

llf51

Experienced Member
Joined
5 August 2005
Messages
271
Location
Stonewalled, Cali
Got a chance to drive a modena f1 today. My impression. The modena is a lot roomier inside than the nsx. The power feels a little faster than the nsx. The f1 took a bit to get use to though.

The car itself seems meant for driving and not luxury.

The inner lining of the visor is suede. the radio sucks. The seats are nice and comfy. The headliner is a nice soft padding. And the ceiling is very padded.

Haven't open the 360 yet but will let everyone knows how it feels compared to my 92 nsx with shortgears and 4.23.
 
NsXMas said:
I'm not sure I like the paddle shifters. I like having a clutch and a stick
Click to expand...

I like the clutch too but some of these SMG are very fun too. My friend has a 2002 360 coupe FI and its a blast. I also had a M3 SMG as a demo for a while and it shifted just as fast as I could manually do it.
 
I think my next ride will probably have paddle shifters. I really like the fact that if there is a lot of traffic, I can leave it in auto. If I want to shift myself, I can.

What I don't like is hearing that the pump on the F1 tranny on the 360 costs $16,000 to replace!:eek:
 
dainese51 said:
Haven't open the 360 yet but will let everyone knows how it feels compared to my 92 nsx with shortgears and 4.23.
Click to expand...


I am not sure they compare at all...... Just completely different cars and class.
 
NetViper said:
I think my next ride will probably have paddle shifters. I really like the fact that if there is a lot of traffic, I can leave it in auto. :
Click to expand...
I've only read that the Audit DSG box is a lot better but my experience with driving three separate BMW SMG's (2 M3's and a Z4) and riding in a 360 F1 is that SMG "paddle shift" boxes are horrible in traffic. Yes, they shift automatically but not without bucking and shuddering and they're not the least bit smooth. Think driving with someone who is trying to learn to drive stick.

I know a good semi-auto gearbox is going to be faster around a race track than an old school MT, but I'll take the clutch and the stick thank you. A good gearbox is part of the fun in driving a great car.
 
the bucking is caused by not giving the car gas. If you were to press the gas pedal and hold it at 40% throttle like you would any other car, it causes the buckling. If you give it 35% throttle and increase it by 5% slowly then you will not cause the the buckling.

I also was stuck in traffic because I didnt realize after you put the modena in neutral when you're park, you need to press the brake before you can put the damn thing into 1st gear.

reverse is a trip though...
 
nis350 said:
I am not sure they compare at all...... Just completely different cars and class.
Click to expand...


Some people on this forum think they're in the same class. But I agree with you, totally different cars. I rather have the prancing horse if I could afford the maintenance.
 
Well, they're both in the exotic sports car class...

I think a lot of people, including myself, would like to hear the difference between the two since an F360 may be in some of our futures.

BTW, all cars are comparable to each other on one level or another.
 
If other people said to me the Ferrari is faster than my car I would reply to them could they afford a Ferrari or even an NSX. Talk is easy.
 
Last edited:
nis350 said:
I am not sure they compare at all...... Just completely different cars and class.
Click to expand...

At least you didn't say, "Apples to oranges."

What exactly would be comparable to an NSX? what exactly would be comparable to a 360? 2 of the same car in different colors?

If you can't compare these two cars, you just can't compare cars.
 
I had an opportunity to drive a 360 Modena Spyder back to back with my Zanardi on a very large autocross course. The course was very fast with sweeping curves and gave me a good insight into how the 360 handles.

My observations:

- Driving the NSX is like piloting a flat, thin wedge around. You feel like the car is all below you. The reason for this is, of course, the very low cowl and beltline that Honda has been famous for in the late 80s and early 90s. The 360 is very different, feeling very "thick", with a more upright dash in front of you and rising higher around you.

- The 360 chassis is extremely rigid, despite my driving the convertible version. Just as rigid as the Zanardi, maybe more so. Ah, the marvels of modern finite element analysis!

- The 360's suspension is tuned in an interesting way. It seems to take more of the edge off sharp bumps and yet seems to be stiffer. I attribute this to very solid suspension mounting points and body structure, and stiffer damping. I was very impressed at the lack of body roll.

- The 360's steering is very quick, but I was really not accustomed to the power assist. The Zanardi's manual steering is slower, but you can feel exactly what is going on with the front contact patches.

- The F1 transmission is neat, but it's very hard to use when you are trying to shift during turns. Your hands are not hear the paddles, so you have to shift them around, while you are in the middle of a fast sweeping corner, to flick the upshift paddle. Being concerned with breaking traction on the shift, I would have to feather the throttle during the shift so I could feed the gas in gradually.

Overall, the 360 is an amazing machine, but I was very happy to find that I was having just as much fun in my NSX.
 
I've been meaning to post this for a while but I never really got a around to it. Thought about writing it for NSX Driver but didn't want to have a long Ferrari article in there. I don't really like posting too much private info about myself online but here is my story - it's a long read but I’ll split it up into two posts. If you just want to read the comparison, read the second post.

Some Background

A few months ago, I bought a 2002 F360 Modena as a 30th bday gift to myself. I've been working extremely hard for many years, worked my way through college, started the business before I graduated, and so forth.

Buying the Ferrari was as much about having something to show to myself that "I've made it this far at least..." as it was about owing a car that I lusted after ever since its introduction. I bought a model of a 360 in 1999 and put it in my office. I knew that some day, I would own that car.

So soon as my finances made it possible for me to do so, I started thinking about buying one. In 2005, I made the decision that this would be the year. The fact that I was turning 30 was the biggest motivator. I wanted to do something to celebrate and mark this point in my life. It wasn't about performance necessarily - I was having so much fun in my "SOS Stage II" NSX that I didn’t desire more performance... I just wanted to have something more special, more exclusive, more fun, and something that was newer and in pristine condition.

I mention pristine condition becuase I had owned my NSX for 6 years and in that time, the car had its share of rock chips, one or two dings, bumper that needed to be repainted etc. Most people didn’t believe that my car was a 92 model but still, it was as “perfect” as the day I had bought it. The car also had over 115,000 miles on it. I had stopped religiously washing and cleaning it. I still had fun with it but the "specialness" of the car had worn off for me.

The other factor that influenced my decision was the fact that I had spent $5,000 in service and upgrades just a year ago and only drove the NSX for 4000 miles. I drove the NSX as much as I wanted to – just didn’t have as many good opportunities to drive it.

I thought: “5k in service and only 4k miles in one year?” That sounded like Ferrari ownership to me.

The Search

It took about 5 months from the time I made the decision to buy the car to the time I actually took possession of it. Find the car was actually harder than I had anticipated.

My original budget allowed me to buy a 99 model only – preferably a Euro one – with over 20,000 miles from a private party. Euro models are cheaper but are also lighter and faster. 20,000 miles is high by Ferrari standards.

Basically, my strategy was to buy one that was pretty heavily depreciated so I wouldn’t take much of a depreciation hit when I sold the car. In short: I was the Walmart of Ferrari shoppers – the low end guy.

I even had one of those crappy Florida dealerships tell me on: “Hmm, so you’re a low-budget buyer.”

In terms of the color, I was initially looking for a titanium 360 until someone talked me into getting a red one. I never even considered a red car until someone said, “If it’s a Ferrari, it has to be red.” That got my wheels turning and as I looked closer at pictures of red 360s, I started falling in love with the color.

I started my search by just looking at online sale listings on a daily basis. To me, that’s “Stage 1”. Looking at car listings isn’t being too serious of a buyer. My first thought during my search was that most cars were higher priced than I had expected. On top of that, I couldn’t find Euro cars. When you look at the number of 360s listed for sale, you think that finding one should be easy. The reality is that if you want specific options or a specific color combo with all records from a private party – finding the right car isn’t that easy.

After four months of emails, phone calls, strong consideration of a low-cost Grigio Alloy (light blue silver) 360, and only one test drive - I finally found the car I wanted. The problem was that it was a 2002 model and cost much more than the max budget I had set for myself. But it had the sport seats (I think the standard seats are ugly), all the options, and being a 2002, it was less prone to having problems and had a better F1 system than the 99-01 models.

So instead of buying a “cheap” 360 and keeping the NSX, I bought this extremely clean example and sold the NSX (which I regret but I will get into that soon…)

As for my one test drive, I never drove the car I ended up with prior to purchasing it. It was on the other side of the country and so I had it inspected by someone else. The car I did test drive belonged to a lead singer of a fairly well known rock group. I didn’t know that until I was at his house and he was showing me the car. He was a really nice guy and it was a cool experience to meet someone you recognized.

Pulling the trigger

Looking for the car was taking so much effort that there was never the, “I’m buying a new car!” feeling. It actually became another "task" on my long lists of tasks that I had to complete. I started to get excited when I first confirmed with the seller over the phone that I accepted his counter offer. I hung up and thought, "wow, did I just buy a car?! Did I just buy that car..?!" It got way more exciting when I wired the deposit money to the Ferrari dealership (it was private party but through a Ferrari dealership). I was actually slightly shaking with excitement as I filled out the paperwork. “Wow, I’m sending money to a Ferrari dealership for MY Ferrari.” The teller started asking me questions about what I was buying and I had to explain to her what it was. At that point, I stopped feeling like a shopper and started to feel like an owner. Wiring the rest of the money was very satisfying - it felt good to be able to pay for the car outright.

Transportation and other experiences

I had to have the car shipped. That took two weeks and that was a LONG two weeks. When the car arrived – I felt like a kid on Christmas day. Then, it took me two weeks to square away all of the insurance. Finding insurance is a long and interesting story in and of itself. I got it all squared away about a month before my bday.

Finally, there was the trip to the DMV. I had to get the car registered. That required a 12K+ check for sales tax and registration. OUCH. The sad thing is that if I were to sell the car tomorrow, the next guy would also owe 12k in sales tax! What a scam.

It took me a few weeks to get used to the car but I've driven it enough now to know the car pretty well. I'll compare the NSX and the 360 in my next post.
 
Last edited:
OK, so I recently purchased a 360. I had an NSX for 6 years. Stage II (cams, headers, intake, ECU, exhaust, ported intake manifold, throttle body, short gears, 4.23RP, light flywheel, recaros, race sway bars).

Here is my comparo:

Acceleration:
My NSX was 280whp. When I first nailed it in 2nd gear on my 02 360 F1, I was dissapointed. I could tell it was faster but didn't feel significantly faster than the NSX. Now that I've owned for a few months and have gunned it on the freeway - I can feel the significant difference in acceleration. The 360 has much more urgency and flies through the higher gears extremely fast. I can't believe how short 6th gear feels on the 360. 6th gear feels like 4th gear on the NSX.

Sound:
I loved the sound of my Taitec exhaust. I had a Comptech originally and the sound was nothing compared to the Taitec GT LW. Initially, I thought the Ferrari sounded different - not really better but different. The funny thing is that all my car buddies comment on how the Ferrari sounds so much better than the NSX did. I have a Tubi on my 360 and the car actually seemed quieter than the NSX with the Taitec. Again, it's just how I am but it takes me a while to get used to a new car. I remember when I first put on the Taitec, I complained to Chris at SOS that it was way too loud. Now, the TUBI sounds absolutely wonderful to me and it's just loud enough. As I remember it, I like the 360 + Tubi sound better than the NSX + Taitec sound. Both sound AWESOME!

Handling:
My NSX actually felt dangerous until I put on the Dali race bars. The car leaned alot, the large ass steering wheel felt too big, and the car just didn't inspire confidence. With new shocks, the race bars, wide tires, Recaros, and a smaller steering wheel - the NSX felt fantastic. The steering was a bit numb compared to stock because of the wider front tires but the car still felt great. With the 285s I had in the back, my car never ran short on grip.

The Ferrari actually felt too loose. I guess it's the assist. However, at speed, the steering is amazing. The car is also very stiff but absorbs bumps at speed extremely well. I have the Challenge Stradale wheels on the car which are a bit wider than stock. There is tons of grip.

Seating position:
I prefer the NSX here actually. I really miss the cockpit feel of that car. With the stock seats, you do sit a bit too high and feel like the car is below you. With my Recaro seats, I sat lower and felt more like I was IN the car rather than ON it.

The Ferrari feels more like a regular car in this respect. The sport seats in my car don't have much cushion but the seats are very supportive. It's more roomy inside than the NSX.

I miss the cockpit feel of the NSX.

Interior:
My Ferrari has the leather roof and leather rear shelf option so the interior is just full of leather. The car smells like no other car I've ever smelled. It's an 02 and it smells brand new.

The NSX also had a leather smell but more of a traditional one. The leather in the Ferrari smells like no other leather I have ever smelled. The stitching on the leather is excellent and the tan/black interior combo is absolutely beautiful. The car feels much more "exotic" inside than the NSX does.

Brakes:
The NSX brakes were OK. I've worked the crap out of the Ferrari brakes already. Compared to the NSX... well, there is no comparison... the Ferrari stops RIGHT NOW.

F1:
The F1 tranny is fun when you go fast, boring when you don't. I miss having a stick shift. You can just drive a stick car moderately hard and have fun with it. In fact, I was shopping NSXs and S2000's after I sold my NSX just because I miss having a stick shift and miss having a really fun car I can drive around without having to worry about it so much.

Attention Magnet:
The Ferrari wins here of course. People like the NSX - it's another level with the 360. Even my friends' parents asked for rides in the car. That surprised me. Most strangers comment on how young I am when they see me next to the car. I'm 30 but I look 25 but still.. that never happened in the NSX.

Sound system:
Bose system in the NSX is better but I'm satisfied with the Ferrari sound system. It's loud enough and sounds OK. Putting a great sound system is a waste in that car - the exhaust can easily drown out the stereo. In the NSX, I think the interior was quieter.

Looks:
I love the shape of the NSX. A lowered NSX with the right wheels is absolutely beautiful. It has that class midengine look. The Ferrari is more modern of course and more beautiful but it doesn't have that classic mid engine appearance. Still, I greatly prefer the looks of the Ferrari.

Ownership experience:
Ferrari - hands down. It's not just a special car, it's a marque that's special in so many ways to so many people. I mean - the smell of the leather, the engine sound, the F1 Championship badge in my interior, the prancing horse, the stitching, the colors..... damn, I love my car.

Quality:
There were several issues with the NSX I had to fix. The car was reliable but since I owned a 92, I had the common failures to deal with. I had to fix the evap, ABS, master cylinder, Bose speakers, snap ring prevenative maint, etc. I spent thousands on the car. I also redid all the seals at 110k miles when I did the cams and other upgrades (Thanks to Jon Martin).

The Ferrari feels solid and I have no worries about the car. I couldn't say the same if I owned a 99 model. I go in for my 15k mile service soon and it's gonna cost me around $3k. I think modern Ferraris are reliable. If something does go wrong however, you'd better be ready to PAY.

Depreciation:
I bought my 92 NSX for 35k and could have sold it for 29k. Even without the mods, I would have only lost 10k on the car after 6 years of ownership! I sold it for less than that to a friend.

I plan on owning the 360 for 3 years and will probably lose about 30k in depreciation. Precentage-wise, that's less than I experienced with the NSX.

Final words:
Stock for stock, the Ferrari is in a completely different league and can't be compared. I think a stock 91 - 96 NSX is actually not a very fun car. However, the NSX can easily be tuned and modified to make the driving experience much better.
 
Last edited:
Perhaps but my thinking is that the F355 started really taking a hit after the 430 came out. In three years, the 430 will still be the current car and the 360 will only be one generation behind. If I wait longer and the next car comes out, the 360 will start taking a bigger hit as 430s become more accessible.

I do plan on being a Ferrari owner for life. I would only sell the 360 to get into a 430 Spider or 360CS. The other option is to keep the 360 and add something different like a Murci.
 
JChoice said:
Final words:
Stock for stock, the Ferrari is in a completely different league and can't be compared. I think a stock 91 - 96 NSX is actually not a very fun car. However, the NSX can easily be tuned and modified to make the driving experience much better.
Click to expand...


Well said. Owning a true exotic car is a lot more than just performance. The emotional factor is priceless.

Congratulation!!!
 
I was looking into buying a 360, did my homework and ended up with an NSX, like they say, the nsx is the smart mans ferrari
 
NsXMas said:
His post wasn't directed at you, so no need to take it so personally.

I like Ferrari's but I may get a Lambo before a prancing horse.
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand that. What I am pointing out is that it's a silly statement.
 
A MR2 is a smart man NSX?

It sound similar

and also

The NSX is the poor man Ferrari

The 360 is the poor man Enzo

and so on...

they are all silly, mostly excuses ;)

Very good choice JChoice! YOu bought a DREAM of a car for everybody!
 
JChoice said:
Perhaps but my thinking is that the F355 started really taking a hit after the 430 came out. In three years, the 430 will still be the current car and the 360 will only be one generation behind. If I wait longer and the next car comes out, the 360 will start taking a bigger hit as 430s become more accessible.
Click to expand...

The 420 looks worse, but that's only my opinion.

I also think that most modern/attractive Ferrari will bottom down around 85-90k in the long term: here in Europe the price difference between 355 and 360 is less than 10k! :eek:

Similarly to the NSX that bottoms down around 24k-28k (I am speaking about nice ones of course).

After you take the depreciation hit and you are around 100k then keep it as much as you want, it will be "free" at least in THAT aspect. :)
 

Similar threads

Track Addict
Quick Ratio Steering Rack Review
Replies
4
Views
971
bogle
bogle
Track Addict
NSX Giant For Sale Post ***NSX Garage Clearance sale!***
2
Replies
40
Views
6K
Jdbrill
J
EuroBoutique
Comparing our 2022 Type-S to a Ferrari SF90 on a recent test drive....
Replies
6
Views
2K
EuroBoutique
EuroBoutique
LooseNut
  • Locked
SOLD! 1994 NSX For Sale 66k miles 2 owners Comptech SC
Replies
2
Views
3K
LooseNut
LooseNut
M
No Sleep Til Brooklands - Slow Evolution of a Forever Car
2
Replies
45
Views
4K
rossphosphorous
R
Back
Top