Ferrari 355: lotus Content :o)

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:53 pm

Some pics of the F355. It arrived on transporter last night so I haven't driven it too far... yet! Better pics to follow if I can take any.

I have tried to give a bit of Lotus content

Jim

Stu160 · Post by **Stu160** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:15 pm

Cool

Stu

Victor Meldrew · Post by **Victor Meldrew** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:53 pm

Just waitin for the bonnet stripes....

... never seen bonnet stripes on a Ferrari.

cool car mate.

kenny · Post by **kenny** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:01 pm

Sweet collection.

r055 · Post by **r055** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:18 pm

GJ0B !

nice collection!

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:53 pm

Jim. Awesome.

Surprised to see it seems taller than the 111R (or that might be due to the roof being off!)

Sanjøy · Post by **Sanjøy** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 5:40 pm

When did you buy the horse ?

Post by ed » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:21 am

Nice one! Looking

!

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:24 pm

As Ed might say, "Lovin' your work!"

Post by ed » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:47 pm

The_Rossatron · Post by **The_Rossatron** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 8:11 pm

Looks brilliant! What a fleet!

Michael · Post by **Michael** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:38 pm

You're a privileged guy!!

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:09 pm

Thanks for all the positive comments.

I still havent driven it much since it is still pretty frosty out here in the middle of nowhere and (god.. I am turning into a Ferrari puff...) the roads are a bit muddy and dirty!!

1st impressions...
Greg, it is probably just over an inch higher than the elise but to look at front on seems lower and flatter if that makes sense.

John, only the really fast ones get stripes

Sanjoy, the horse came with the territory

Visibility is first class and there doesnt seem to be any blind spots. Even though it is the GTB it feels much less claustrophobic than the elise does with the roof on and certainly far less than the exige.

It is actually feels more like the elise than anything else I have owned. Driving the Esprit GT3 always felt like a "supercar event" with all the positive and negative things that go with it... great visibility if you are looking forwards, none any other direction, body-building clutch, body-building gear change, felt really wide on anything other than good roads but with real dramatic supercar looks (folk would look and say 'wow.. look at THAT car' etc.

With the 355 there is no intimidation about driving it. It is pleasant to be in, comfortable, easy to drive and see out of, fun to snick it into gear, sounds LOUD with the decat and Tubi and I think has really classic looks which stand out (folk seem to look and say 'wow.. a ferrari!')

Cant really comment on performance yet but it just seems to keep pulling and it will take a bit of time, and the road to dry out a bit, to get used to reving it up to 8500 as standard.

Jim

ryallm · Post by **ryallm** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 9:51 am

Stunning car

I still think the 355 is one of the best looking Ferraris ever. Just needs a nice Momo wheel to replace that ugly airbagged jobbie and it really would be perfect

Mark

renmure · Post by **renmure** » Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:29 pm

shooomer wrote:Aftering reading this thread I went to Pistonheads Classifieds

Have to say, I found the buying process really unenjoyable. Looking was fun but buying wasn't. Many/most of the cars advertised through the independant dealers are Sale or Return cars. Advertised prices on some are fixed, and on others have lots of negotiation room. Some dealers/traders advertise the car at a certain price then, when the discussions get real, the price goes up by a few k because they will have a full service and inspection done pre purchase because "you wouldnt want to buy a car that hadnt been inspected or serviced would you?"

I came across one 9mth old ad on the net for a private sale nice car at 40k and the same car on SOR at a reputable dealer for 48k. Some of the private sellers I contacted directed me to the dealer/trader who was handling the sale. The most common thing private sellers said was that their car was one of the few which had genuine milage! (On one of the Ferrari forums the members did a Poll and the result was that 45% of them did not believe that the milage readings on cars were true)

Also, anything longer than a 3 mth Warranty seemed to be along the lines of a 'shake of the hand, trust us' type thing rather than in writting. Even the written ones had lots of wiggle room about maximum limits to any claim etc.

Its also 'odd' spending a fair bit of money on a car and still being so far down the food chain in relation to prices/value. On one of the "Lotus elise equivalent" Ferrari Forums there was a guy specing his new F430 and was up to 30k in 'options' before deciding he would add another 10k on Carbon ceramic brake thingys just because "well... why not!" gulp!

Anyhow.... roll on muddyless roads

Jim
(paranoid car buyer and polishing faction)