So after about 18 months of excellent and enjoyable Porsche 911 turbo ownership I am thinking about my next step. I have been nothing but happy with the Porsche and it has been dead on reliable and fast.

The issue is that it just doesnt seem to "do it" for me. The only time I get a real thrill is when I am pushing the car and to do that, I am WELL over the speed limit even in Germany. I keep thinking I will do some upgrades but then I quickly realized that those upgrades will only increase the ability to break the law quicker.

I only have driven the car about 800-1000 miles in the 18 months I have owned it.

I was in Maranello a few months ago and got the chance to drive a 458 Italia and it was amazing. The looks and the sound were simply outstanding.

While I cant afford a 458, I can afford a 360/430 which I also love the looks and sound of. So I know I am on a Porsche site and I am going to post this same question to the Ferrari forums:

Mileage and excessive use arent an issue. For how little I use the Porsche I want it to be more of an experience.

The 911 has reached probably close to the bottom of its depreciation curve as has the 360. The 430 still has a while to go but it is probably getting in the ballpark.

Should I make the switch?

If you have owned both or all three, which is your choice for a car that wont ever be anything more than the occasional weekend toy?

 

Hi,

I had an F430 spider F1 for about 2 years.

It was my first Ferrari and actually used it when ever i could for the first 4-5 months of ownership, After that it sat in the garage. I think the problem was for me, I didn't like the attention it got and i was always worried about parking it and speed bumps etc.

Once the novelty wore off and i used it to commute, i found the gearbox a bit of a pain as i always manual shifting to preserve the clutch, after a while it also felt abit under powered and as a commuter it wasn't the most comfortable. But for you this wouldn't be an issue.

Spirited driving was very fun and completely different to the 997tt, with the top down it was like a big gokart, it always left a smile on my face, also i still think it has one of the best sounding exhaust notes ever! Once you get used to it, its a very fun car to drive fast (oversteers when you want it to etc).

Maintenance was pretty low, the only issues i had over ownership was a faulty O2 sensor and the driver side window seal going. It was actually pretty well put together. The clutch was change just before i bought it and i never changed it over 15k worth of miles.

If you look at my introductory thread, you see how its life ended lol.

I have driven the 360 a lot, i think it is very very underpowered. You should drive both first to see the big difference. Coming from a 997tt to a 360 i think you'll be disappointed.

Also, bear in mind both cars lack the porsches refinements, the F430 may have SAT/NAV but it is very different to any newer car.

I have managed to work my way back to into the seat of the 997tt as for me it ticks all the boxes. But if i were to buy a car for the odd sunny weekend, i probably would consider a Ferrari again.

Hope this helps and if you have any other questions shoot me a pm.

 

I honestly think you cant go wrong with the f430.. that is and probably will be my next car after my TT. ****... IF a clean 6speed f430 pops up with the right mileage, ill dump my TT right away@!

 

Agree with previous comments, if you make the switch go to the F430 because the 360 is very underpowered vs a 997TT and you will be disappointed (e.g. the torque difference is monumental)

IMO you will also feel that the 430 is low on torque vs your 997TT, but if you're driving 1000 miles a year then you're going to be enjoying this as a weekend toy and the F430 exhaust note makes up for the difference in power

Alternatively wait a few more years and find a 458 in the $150K range, there are some already priced in the $180Ks so prices are coming down. The 458 is not only a gorgeous car but power and performance will be superior to a stock 997TT. I'm holding on to my 997TT until the 458s come down into my price range

 

I'm going to be honest..after driving my turbo I'm so ruined to blast off performance that I wouldn't trade unless I get sick of the car....then after I'm sock of it I would mod to my liking....just got back from napa Cali...we're i was visiting....I drove some 400- 500 hp cars....boy did they feel slow...like you said you have to beat the crap out of the turbo to enjoy but it's addicting how fast this car is....

 

Considered an F430 coupe (not spyder) before I picked up my '13 TTS and frankly the only upside (if you can call it that) was the styling and badge...it's a Ferrari! In terms of stock performance, reliability, drivability, multi-purpose functionality etc the TTS had the F430 beat by a mile. Spoke to an F430 owner at my local central Jersey Ferrari/Maserati dealership and he mentioned that honestly, he spends most of his time admiring the car in his garage! According to him, actually driving the car had adverse consequences (1) racking up miles on a Ferrari REALLY depreciates the value quickly (2) the attention it garners gets old quickly and annoying shortly thereafter and (3) while nice to drive, according to him, it wasn't a car you take out for your Saturday morning coffee run! don't get me wrong, the F430 is a blast when driven hard but at your 1,000 miles/yr at street legal speeds, you won't enjoy it anymore than your TT, apart from the "feeling" you have while in it.

If the look & feel of a Ferrari is what you are after, then by all means make the switch but if its about "real thrills" as you put it, I would suggest looking into "track days" or other sponsored events that would allow you to really enjoy your TT in a relatively safe/legal environment! While I always knew my TTS was fast, I really didn't fully appreciate it until I ran it on a track/road course, pushing gently at first but gradually seeking the limits of both the car's ability and mine as a driver! If its available to you, I say give it a shot first.

 

Agree. I was looking at F430's when I pulled the trigger on the TTS as well. I feel the same way...would have probably just looked at it and not driven it. In the end it made no sense as I like to drive my cars hard!

Good luck with your search OP.

 

If illegal speeds are what you are trying to avoid then i think the 430 is not the answer. It will be just as fast as a 997tt. Well close enough it makes no different. If you want more exhaust/fun driving without huge speed here are my recommends:

Cayman GTS/S/GT4 (soon hopefully)
Alfa 4c
Audi R8 with v8/v10 (budget depending)
Aston martin in V8 variety (might be a little boring)
Jag F-type

All will be slower and still fun to drive imo. Personally i would go R8 or cayman.

Fwiw i heard 430 is much cheaper on maint and better built than 360

 

I drove a 458 in Maranello earlier this year and it was amazing because of the sound and the redline (and the transmission). There were a ton of pictures being taken and that is a concern.

The positive is I am not a huge fan of red Ferraris, I prefer the dark grey versions so that will help a little bit with the "look at me" factor.

I might have to consider holding out for a year or two to see what happens to 458 prices....

 

Would you mind sharing the link you posted to the ferrari board? I'm curious as to how the Fcar community responds to your question.

 

I have done 1300 miles in the last 10 days in my Porsche.

Sell your 997TT and get EXACTLY WHAT U WANT, something you will want to drive a lot.

I owned an F360 and I loved it.. best looking car IMHO from F cars... but the belts are a pain and maintenance is F grade.

F430 sounds better and is quicker but slow compared to a 997.1TT but the chain drive is much better than the belt driven 360.

F430 looks the dogs bollocks as well.

I owned a 997.1 for all of one month and flicked it to my neighbour and bought a 996TTS because I thought it would be too hard to up the power on the 997TT... big mistake because COBB etc came out the next month with tuning products... we live and learn

If you have the spondoolies buy the F430 if that is what you really want.

 

I will add I would personally rather own a 997.1 TT (tune it) over any F car not named F458S or F12 so would keep your car if it were MOI, there is nothing like the feeling of a 600 whp TT shoving you back in the seat melting your face as you pull near 1g in 3rd gear.. this is not possible in a 430 or 360

Good luck OP

 

I've heard from some Ferrari owners that compare it to driving a nice Alfa Romeo.

 

I posted it to Ferrari chat today but there moderators have to approve the posts.

 

I didn't know Ferrari manipulated their forum threads like they manipulate their car reviews.