Totally different cars no question, I do like both for diff reasons.
GT3 - I cant warm up to the white and dark blue that are available at MSRP in the last 10 days. If I could get red or a better blue, I'd be in.
360 S - looks stunning, nice weekend show car. I worry about maintenance, something I take for granted with Porsche's much better quality.

Just thinknig out loud today...I'm sure some of you have thought about both cars too. (or should I throw down for the $235k F430...right.).

 

No you should look at a Gallardo Spyder... hot looks, awesome reliability, what else could you want.

 

The service bills w/Italian exotics are outrageous. GT3 for me.

 

Arling once said I would not be happy in the 360 (coupe at time) as I was used to the power/handling of my 04 TT Lucent transformed for me. But, as important as power and handling are, I cant get over the stunning looks of the 360 S.

 

If you dont go GT3 point the MSRP ones my way please via pm!

 

360 IMO---Italian, sounds like hell, and 1000000 Miles of headroom. Cant get a better Ferrari experience for the price.

 

Get em both and start livin a little!

 

If you can afford a Ferrari, you can afford the service! Its as simple as that. Service comes once a year if you DD the car, and much less if its a garage queen. Go with the Ferrari if you want the "weekend showcar"! And especially if you want attention, go with the spyder, hands down I know that you wont be dissaspointed with the attention that you would be getting.

 

Wow! What a great choice to have to make!

They are two completely different cars, if you want to track it...GT3. If you want to go out to dinner, have a great sounding/looking car that gets a lot of attention, go with the F car. I have a GT2 and and 360 Spider, they both satisfy different needs. I disagree with some who say that newer F cars are expensive to maintain. As long as it's driven you'll be fine. The major services are ALOT less than they were pre 360. The 430 won't satisfy the need that the GT3 does, my Dad has one and it's not a great deal differenr from the 360 as far as driving experience. If you can go with both instead of just the 430!

just my 2 cents

 

i would go for the GT3. the lambo g spyder is hot, but only when the top is down. when its up, its disgusting, and lambo maintenance is about the same as porsche. my dad has always liked the 360 spyder and thought about buying one a while back and even thought about buying a gallardo coupe but is happy with his P car cabrios. he just cant live with the idea of not having a p car.

 

owning a Ferrari is an experience. i will say the same thing again but u will buy a Ferrari at some point to realize what i meant urself. it's just a matter of time. just remember the GT3 is a always a better driver's car while the Ferrari gets all attention u'd even want. oh frankly, i see more spiders than GT3 in LA.

 

360's = all show and no go. I know, I bought one and sold it for my GT3. I've had an assorted range of hardware over the last four years and the the GT3 is an astonishing car. A fundamentally superior car to the ferrari in every way except sex appeal and badge.

I couldn't get over the feeling that my ferrari was a poseur's car.

So I'm back in pcar land and couldn't be happier.

Oh yeah, Arling is right. Actually couldn't be more right.

 

I think you should get both....

Think of the GT3 as the girl you would marry for the long haul.....

Think of the Ferrai 360 as the blonde cheerleader with big ***** who is also very high maintenance and lots of trouble!

 

Classic.
Yes Arling, I'm going to have to find out about the F car myself...have to get it out of my system. I'm ok (finally after how many decades) not having the fastest car around. Question Arling is F1 or 6sp if I dont care about speed? (I'm decent with a clutch).

 

We all seem to enjoy these comparo threads, so I'll chip in. I've had a Challenge Stradale, and I have a 430 spider now, plus a 997 S coupe and a 997 GT3RS incoming as a July build. And I've had a Gallardo. I've tracked them all in addition to plenty of street miles (obviously not the RS...yet).

So, IMHO:
1) The 430 is a big step up from the 360 in handling, torque, spaciousness, sound and is very predictable at the limit on the track.
2) Maintenance is really no big deal on the F-cars. Big difference 360 to 430 is that the 360 engine uses cam belts that should be changed out every 3 years/5k miles or risk your valves having a close encounter with your pistons if your belt goes. That was the only attention area on my Stradale. The 430 uses cam chains (hello 21st century), comes with a 4 year + 1 year warranty, I drive mine all the time, no worries.
3) 360's are getting to be pretty much 90's technology whereas the GT3 is 1970's technology pushed to the very edge of 2007 refinement. It's a classic, the 360 is whatever...
4) And as one of the posters said, if in doubt, figure out a way to have both. Owning these cars is not based on rational thinking anyway, so what the heck.
5) The Gallardo looks cool, drives like a truck, heavy steering, vague brakes, unreadable gauges, Audi A4 center stack, boomy exhaust...but sticks like a mother in the twisties and on the track. I dumped mine after a year and went back to Porsches.