Yet another classic exotic owned by my father during the 80s/90s rolled into my local dealer. This time a Ferrari 348 convertible. Lately I have become more serious about moving away from the modern performance of the Porsche GT4 into something else that brings back the memories of growing up. Basically Italian, Gated Shifter, V8 or such. So I have been mulling where along the spectrum of "classic with no driver aids and limited electronics" to "somewhat newer but still memory with gated shifters" I want to be. AKA for example between Ferrari 308 to a 360 or Gallardo and everything in between do I truly want less modernity, or do I prefer A/C that works... or both...
Having previously test driven the 308s, 355 and a 360 as well as multiple Gallardos I have a pretty good feeling now for the lineage of both the Ferrari improvements and general progression of technology over time. Basically increased reliability versus older classic mechanical cars.
The Ferrari 348 slotted in right between the end of the old 328 series and the newer 355. As I was mulling the 355 my friend said he also had a 348 that I should check out. Meanwhile I called yet a different friend to discuss the 355 who owns a 348. Ends up it is his car that is potentially for sale. Small world.
F348 Views - Plus a Ferrari 308 and a Ferrari 308 GT4 behind!
Styling
The 348 represented a departure from the 308/328 look but blended in elements from the Testarossa with its side strakes and popup headlights. The car is still quintessentially 90s. Classic edge shape. Seeing it pull up brought up memories. I still remember laughing that the radio is hidden behind a center console cover you have to lift to gain access. This car red/tan is again what I grew up with although our car had been a targa or "TS" variant not a spider. Most people will say the the cleaner lines of the 355 and return the round headlights vs the rectangle and black stripes of the 348 make it more pretty. For me both are about the same, and I enjoy the retro feel of the 348, while also appreciating the 355 for its cleanliness. I think they are just different. I also think the front end of the 348 is more cohesive with the black center grill and rectangle fog lights vs the rounded look on the updated car.
Interior and Ergo
The interior of the 348 shares a lot in common with the F355 and is much roomier and more comfortable than the 308 era cars the predate it. Most of the controls are in a central console with the very old school toggle switch style. Two major gauges for Fuel and Oil temp also reside in the center above the gated shifter. This car also featured the automatic seat belts that slide forward and back automatically. Two issues I had here were those upper seat belts not retracting, so we just used the other lower set, and the side view mirrors not adjusting - probably a fuse somewhere. But beyond that ergo is pretty nice. Steering wheel can adjust up and down within limits. The A/C controls are a bit funky but seemed to at least turn on - though it was unclear if it was "cold" or just warm air coming out. The radio is stored behind a flap above the center gauges. Seats are manually adjustable with a level for rake and a pull handle for forward/back. Unlike the 355 which has automatic seats and issues that can come from that, this car is truly more old school. I asked about power top issues - oh right this car was manual release up and down for the top. No annoying hydraulics here to go bad. Way less interference.
Driving
Speaking of no interference this is one of the last Ferrari's with no power steering. Really amazing feel on the road cruising and at speed. Definitely a bit of a chore in the parking lot but I haven't worked out for a while...and taking turns at stop lights etc seemed easy. That is probably one of the coolest parts of this car. On the flip side I personally found myself wondering if I actually liked that vs having some assist. As much as I keep saying i want old feeling - it is more work and more to pay attention to. Which can good and bad...but cruising on the freeway felt totally comfortable and relaxing.
Similarly the gated shifter feel fit right between the experiences I have had with the 308 and 355. A bit temperamental about trying to spin the clutch too much while also not being too rough with the car. I sadly burned the clutch a little trying to get my brain around it... oops. But the clutch itself is easy to use and the gear level generally slotted in with a mechanical feel and some force. One or two shifts seemed a bit harder to do but overall just the older have to learn how to deal with it feel. I did pseudo-revmatch just doing blip while slowing down and it felt fine. The 348 uses a cable linkage shifter vs the newer F355 rod. So again differences and evolution.
This car had a stock exhaust so it sounded good but not like anything aftermarket would. People like the 355 for the sounds it makes but the 348 with a proper exhaust woud be near the same. Power felt good. Not modern car fast but unlike 308s where I felt like I had to floor it just to try to get to 35mph with traffic, this car felt usable. Was totally fine in traffic, taking on-ramps etc.
Braking similarly felt right between the generations. A fair bit improved over the 308s but I don't know that it was quite as good as the 355 felt. Like the 308s I found myself wanting to brake earlier to make sure I would safely stop. Not to the same level but not at all like a modern car. I was imagining what it would be like on a mountain road. Much more attentive and planned out. Whereas the F355 almost instantly had felt like a normal "car" to me this still felt a lot more "old school". If there was any upgrade to do on this car, brakes would be first I think.
Closing
The 348 was a bit of a curve ball for me. It was exactly what I expected as far as "better" than a 308. More usable. But also was surprisingly still classic from and interior build quality, driving management sort of way which I kept telling myself I wanted - but found myself questioning? Do I really want no power steering? Really? Do I really want older controls or A/C that may not work? Would I get used to the nature of the clutch and shifter or be happy with the brake performance from early 1990s? Maybe it is just more time with the car needed. But I found myself second guessing the desire for "classic" a lot more.
I think this would be about as old as I would ever want driving wise. And by comparison the F355 felt quite a bit more modern. Perhaps that is more the blend I am after. However both of these cars with maintenance costs and such are a concern, perhaps the F355 even more so. Both would require engine out work and have their own issues. So we will see. At this point I am starting to really consider something more usable and newer yet still memory "related" perhaps just by marque and shifter style. Not sure where I will end up.
To be honest in the "moment" out with the car I felt a bit like I was fighting the car or vice-versa. Steering in the parking lot to messing up shifting and wishing I knew how the brakes worked a bit better. It left me initially feeling like "nope this is too too old for me - something like F355 with power steering etc is better". On the other hand writing out the review perhaps that would actually be the draw longer term. The F355 by comparison actually felt near modern as an initial impression. Hop in, drive around, felt natural almost Porsche like. The 348 felt like something you would have to learn and get acquainted with. Plus dated electronics and the rest of it all that comes with classic car ownership. All of that against the backdrop of me mulling something as new as a Gallardo which is more usable and modern, probably lower maintenance and probably the most "numb" feeling out of any car. Any comments feel free to share below!
Thanks for reading!
