[Erhan]

Originally Posted by dark_knight

Hallelujah!




A fellow enthusiast! Funny how that's such a rarity nowadays.

[Chris M4CS]

Tough choice! I would have a hard time with this one as well, but I say go with the R8. Maintenance is my reason, yes a Ferrari is well...a Ferrari, but the R8 is quite exotic also and cheaper I think to maintain.

My M3 is my garage queen and before I bought it, it came down to this or a 3-year old Aston V8 Vantage. The Vantage is an exotic and the insurance is too. So I went with the M.

[Aquariu///M]

Yes, my next car would be a Ferrari but has to be at least 430 or 458
I really dont understand when people ask these questions, because it's all about personal preference. I hate both those cars to be honest, if I had $90k cash I would save it

[jra85]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

Only 360 I'd own would be the Challenge Stradale. Otherwise, the R8 would make for a better DD.

The market is priced a bit higher than a regular 360 or R8, but as somebody who has a Challenge Stradale at their disposal, I will say that if you like the M3, you will love the CS. Similar horsepower and torque in a package that's about 1000 lbs lighter, with outstanding brakes and handling. It's stripped down (no floor mats, no sound insulation, manual seats, maybe no radio if that option wasn't selected), and the ride is pretty hard, but overall the package is not as "harsh" as some reviews may come off as portraying. Several aspects of the body paneling are also slightly different from a normal 360, and keeps it looking modern. And you can't beat the sound (unless maybe if you installed a Capristo Level 3 exhaust on it ).

The M3 is the quick, comfortable, technology-laden touring car. The CS is the special "race car for the street" (as its name implies) that you don't drive as frequently as the M3, but when you do, you realize it's the kind of car that made Ferrari so great.

[Echo M3]

Originally Posted by username11

You completely miss the point here. Why the obsession with "performance" as defined by metrics? The 360 is a bit slower in some aspects than our M3s. Does anyone care?

Which do you think is more fun to drive? The Ferrari is an experience -- a sublime driving experience every time you drive that begins when you look at it. The sound that envelops you, the throttle response, the way the car feels and the immediacy of the entire sensation. Just driving to the end of your street puts you in a good mood. A 360/430 at around town speeds is as visceral and exciting an experience as the M3 in the last 500rpm to redline, and you can do it all the time.

There are plenty of good, modern cars with incredible performance figures. GT-R, 911 Turbo, R8 V10, M3.. None of these come close to the experience of driving a Ferrari, no matter how much faster they are in the quarter mile.

. At last, an enthusiast has spoken.

[IFX]

Ferrari. You're paying for the experience. Simple.


Who cares if it's old.. or not as fast as the R8

[swartzentruber]

Really surprised at all the R8 V10 love? R8 V8 is a decent enough supercar at it's price point, particularly with the right bits (carbon fiber side blade), but if stepping up to R8 V10 money, there are way more desireable cars like an Aston or Maserati. It's still just an Audi. Kind of like back when the GTR was in the 70-80 range, it was a decent enough supercar bargain, but I'm not paying 100k (which they are closer to now) for a Nissan.

And, I still can't get over dropping 95 on a 4 year old car, when you could probably get a brand new R8 6mt for probably very little more. But, if I had to choose one of these, Ferrari.

[AbuArije5]

hmmm don't really like both

[DDS2015]

Originally Posted by M3PO

I just bought an M3, it's 4 years old and I saved a bunch of money getting it used. I must be a douche. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

Not how I meant it, but it's not the first time I've said something that's been taken the wrong way. I guess to clarify what I mean by that, was simply that I wouldn't buy a car that was 10 years old just because it was a certain brand. To further back up my point, I wouldn't buy a car that was 10 years old, and 2 generations old unless I were to be using it as a track toy. Buying a used car that's still in the same generation as what's currently available is a different story. If it were me buying, I'd want to order new because I'd want it to be spec'd my way, etc. Also, I like virgins therefore I don't know how I'd feel buying a used exotic

[Blindside_137]

Originally Posted by Rob@StrasseForged

I would say the R8 as the 360 is already 3 generations behind...

I agree, and I've heard maintenance on the 360 is brutal, the 430 is great however (from what I hear)

[klammer]

I've driven the 360 fairly extensively and loved the car and that's what got me into this love of cars. Have to agree with others here that the 360 isn't any faster but it "felt" awesome. The connection with the pavement, the sound from right behind you and it's a fucking FERRARI. That being said the R8 is an awesome car but the v8 is a bit weak in that ride and would think of it as more of a lateral move, especially if you've got the e92. Looks like a quarterback controversy i'd love to have

[DDS2015]

Originally Posted by username11

No one is suggesting buying a car only because it is a certain brand. People are suggesting buying the car because it is fuckin' awesome. See the above 360 CS . OP already has a current, reliable, and in warranty M3 as a daily driver so he can assume more risk for his weekend car.

True. Except I much prefer the 355 over the 360. That 360 cs is pure sex though I'll admit. Op asked for people's opinions, so I gave mine along with my reasoning. Also, I'm much more of a Lambo guy than Ferrari, they just don't do it for me.

[luis_m3]

I would say the Ferrari; it's all about the excitement once you get behind the wheel; the "driving experience".

[Terraforce1]

Go with the R8, the 360 is 7 years older and a bit outdated.

But at the end of the day, go with your gut and what you would like to drive.

[SANguru]

skip both and pay a little more for a Challenge Stradale. One of the best Ferraris I've ever owned.

[KJ]

Originally Posted by Alex07M3

R8 VERY overated !!?
Maybe for you it's the base model 911 that compare with the R8 but in my book , the equivalent of the AWD 420hp R8 is a lot more the AWD 385hp 4S then the 350hp RWD base model ! Also SUPER cheap interior is not really how I would describe this :
Attachment 655282

That's a beautiful PICTURE, now go sit in the car in person and give me your thoughts again.

Those beautiful knobs you see aren't aluminum, they are cheap and thin plastic. The whole interior doesn't feel "solid" and "expensive".

You have to remember that these are photoshopped "Glamour" shots of the car, not what it looks and FEELS like in reality.

For that kind of money, I'd rather get a 911 Turbo, which is what I did.

Ultimately I sold it because the back seats and the "trunk" were too impractical for me and I found myself driving my SUV all the time to run errands instead of enjoying a car I could do everything with!

- KJ

[Desert_Fox]

My dad owned a F430 and it was a maintenance nightmare. A bigger nightmare is the 360, the dealer had them overfilled in the shop with problems galore.

[///Montreal3]

If this was my choice, I'd buy a 6spd 360.

There's really nothing quite like driving a Ferrari, especially the late greats, preferably with gated manual transmissions (348,355,360/CS, 550). These cars really stir the senses; the smells, the sound of the transmission clicking against the metal gate, the ungodly metallic shriek from the motor and resulting goosebumps, the feeling of the steering, clutch, transmission. It's a very immersive driving experience.

Yes, there are faster cars for the cash, but the OP wants one of these two. I'm also fairly certain there are faster cars available for equal or less cash than an M3, yet here we all are with M3s. So clearly we all understand there's more to it than raw performance.

OP: Drive both cars if possible and the answer will be clear. I'm really confident that if you're dead set on one of these two and you drive both, you'll come away favoring the 360.
PM me if you'd like an idea on foreseeable service costs.

[SANguru]

Originally Posted by Desert_Fox

My dad owned a F430 and it was a maintenance nightmare. A bigger nightmare is the 360, the dealer had them overfilled in the shop with problems galore.

why? It's chain driven. The only things that break are the exhaust brackets. I have 30,000 miles on my F430, 10+ track days and my 30k service was $1600..

[M4GTS]

If this is to be a weekend toy you really need to get a GT3!

[FVM3]

Originally Posted by SANguru

why? It's chain driven. The only things that break are the exhaust brackets. I have 30,000 miles on my F430, 10+ track days and my 30k service was $1600..

How about the clutch? My dad's F430 clutch is gone every 10k-15k miles

[IFX]

Originally Posted by christopherchenm

How about the clutch? My dad's F430 clutch is gone every 10k-15k miles

Aren't there ceramic clutches available?

I know they are for the Gallardo.

Life expectancy is almost triple, if not more.