1988 Ferrari 328 GTB from UK and Ireland - Comments

Nothing broke on the track!

Now 39, I have been a petrolhead since long before I could drive. One car has always stirred my heart more than any other: the Ferrari 328 GTB. Its the greatest of the 308-style 'raris bar the unattainable 288 GTO.

My wife bought me a Ferrari trackday and I managed to enjoy 15 laps of Oulton park in a 328 GTB. Here are my thoughts:

On approaching I was struck by how small the car was - seemingly half the size of a 360. also very VERY beautiful, the flanks and curves have such an enduring rightness to me that they may never be bettered. Tiny wheels compared to modern sports cars, but not out of place on this 1988 model.

Interior: cream leather and, well, pretty awful looking, but what the hell, it's a ferrari 328!. On getting in I had to take off my right shoe to operate the throttle properly, and remove the targa top to fit in with a helmet on. This is a seriously cramped interior for a big-ish feller.

Driving position started off as horrible, and did not improve over the drive, the leather seats were slippery and did not provide enough support.

Start her up and blap the throttle, the engine sounded lovely: with bass, midle AND treble: snick into first gear around that obstructive open gate and move off using the heavy clutch and stiff throttle.

Took a while to get used to the heavy unassisted steering, even longer to trust the unservoed brakes; I know this car is all about driving purity, but this detracted from the driving experience rather than adding to it, as in the Elise.

After 2 warp up laps, my instructor exhorts me to go for it, so I oblige!. The car's attitude snaps into focus under application of power, the steering lightens up and the rear responds laterally to every power blip. First bend, down a cog... roll around...hold a line... (the steering weight sup uncomfortably, but it chats constantly, then POWER out into the straight. Snap of oversteer (easily controlled) but the car just doesn't seem as fast as I was expecting. OK, OK, brake hard, down 2 cogs and turn in for the next bend, this time I apply teh poer earlier - BIG mistake! result: 720 degree spin and a laughing instructor!

Move off again and its all getting smother..there's no rushing this car, and no overwhelming the limited grip. Fun though and by the last 3 laps I am cornering confidently and bouncing the engine off the limiter in the first 4 gears at least twice per lap!

Laps over, I slow and trundle down the pit lane to consider my drive. The 328 is a fast and charismatic drive, and is very tactile, but, well, just not 'super' enough. It felt little quicker than my own Integra Type R, and was much harder to hold a line in. The legendary steering and chassis feel was no better than any Elise I have ever driven, and noticeably bettered by the VX220 we also drove on the day The VX in fact would probably have lapped faster and was a more enjoyable and capable drive, if not so charismatic.

In summary I wasn't disappointed: the 328 GTB is a legend and it was great to drive it, and I'd have one in a heartbeat if I ever got rich, but I think it is maybe testament to how car design has moved on that humble sportsters like the VX220 and S2000 Honda make a better fist of handling twisty circuits than the old 'rari.

The 328 is still a legend, but the Elise and VX220 better it as delicate road tools.

If it is a GTB... then there is no "Targa" to come off.

After owning a 328 gtb for several years now I can agree in part with this reveiw, heavy steering etc.

The review however does not appear to allow for the fact that the 328 is now approximatly 17 years old and that comparisons to the Lotus Elise and Vx 220 should effectivly be invalid for this reason, obviously cars are going to advance technologically over time.

You have got to drive the car hard. it will top 158mph. your track car was not in shape. this ferrari can fly. if you know how. how can you compare modern Japanese cars to this art work. it also has 270hp and v8.and small. all this translates to fast. but what about the shape. the inside is classic. to say otherwise is stupid. thay just don't make cars like this anymore.

He knows the score. the guy with the track car is a prat. stick to your Japanese car son. and good luck in life. you will need it. j. rossi.ferrari fan.

Sorry for my very subjective opinion: a Ferrari, any Ferrari, is a form of art, both aesthetically and dynamically. As an inveterate Ferraritisti, I can accept the fact that a 308/328, like a Porsche 911, is a car from a different time and is not suitable for drivers who are not able/willing to participate heavily in the sports car driving experience. They can choose a S2000, which will be far more forgiving with their mistakes and will most certainly allow them to go faster with less effort.

Now you are talking. you have to forgive me. I was hard on you.

Surely the prettiest Ferrari ever is the 208/308/328 in either GTS or GTB version, so pretty and classic, unlike a 360 which looks so Japanese. I've nothing against Japanese cars, in fact I think they are quite excellent, but a Ferrari is created, a Japanese car is assembled. The 328's maybe the last of they're kind, but they still look so good. They don't possess a single bad angle. Pre-cat they sound so good, like a Ferrari should. Old fashioned, definitely. Old, definitely not. I'm sure the 348/355/360 et al are more sophisticated, but they're just not the same. They lack the occasion.

I own a 1988 Ferrari 328 GTS (22,000) miles. The car is a blast to drive and likes to be driven hard. The lines on the automobile are beautiful from every angle. My 1997 Porsche 911 is a nice car and has many more options than the Ferrari, but still lacks that "Tiger" instinct. The Porsche is the car I drive to the office. The Ferrari is the car I just drive...

I drive a 328GTS, and have driven the other cars two talked about at the track. Basically it might be 18yrs old, but it needs to be driven 'properly'. In the right hands it will leave those Japanese cars for dead. I have done it...regular!

24th Oct

5.38pm.

I have just read everybody's comment's with great interest and I happen to be a very lucky bloke in the fact that me and my father happen to own a 328 and a Elise' and to be honest its hard to compare the two cars. It's a fact that the Elise is the pure driving machine and you can push it hard all day on the track with tire and brake wear kept low as to a heavy sports car like the 328. We had one track day in the 328 and tires and brakes started to boil to say the least! If anybody knows that it is a fact that you should change the brake pads for a track day in a 328 then it would be great to hear your comment's. At the end of the day though the 328 is one of the best looking cars on the road and the fact that it is a little dated only makes it more exotic and a pleasure to own as a result. A Ferrari is a Ferrari and for me this changes everything.

I have had my 89 328 gts now for 8 years. it just gets better. when I look at the 355 360.OK thay are nice, but thay are a bit on the japanese side for me. the 328 looks and fells like a sports car. it will take over from the dino as a ferrari classic. p.s. the dino was never a ferrari..

A work mate's dad had one of these and I was privileged to be taken out for a ride in it. I remember the outright performance being a little disappointing, but the noise, handling and styling were to die for. It also had a good dose of that "Ferrari magic", a phrase I had never understood until that day. Somehow the car encapsulated all the legends and secrecy surrounding the Maranello factory, and of course Mr. Enzo Ferrari himself.

Dramatic, capable and technically impressive as the more recent Ferraris are, they've lost the beauty and delicacy, and in an effort to civilise them and make them "everyday useable", they've just lost some of the raw passion that gives the whole brand its raison d'etre.

I can't explain why, but somehow the new models seem to have a more "mass produced" look and feel about them. If I am ever in the position to buy a Ferrari, I will be walking past the 360's, 430's and 575's of this world, and looking for a nice 328. They have so much more of the Ferrari spirit about them. Ferraris should not be everyday cars, but something special, slightly temperamental, and brought out on sunny days, and driven nowhere in particular, as long as they are driven as the designer intended.

They should not run EU compliant silencers and power sapping emission gear, and start in all weathers. I can go and buy a Ford Fiesta for a tenth of the price that will do that. That's not what I want from a Ferrari.

"They should not run EU compliant silencers and power sapping emission gear, and start in all weathers. I can go and buy a Ford Fiesta for a tenth of the price that will do that. That's not what I want from a Ferrari."

Believe me, if you were ever in a position to buy a Ferrari, you would want it to start in all weathers.

To state otherwise is absurd.

I really appreciate this thread as I'm considering importing a 328, but it's not easy to get to test drive one around here. The comparison to modern cars is helpful to me.

Interesting thread. I've had a 328 GTB for about 18 months and still cannot believe the luck I have. The combination of looks, comfort and performance are in my view unbeatable, especially when considering that a 328 is relatively cheap to buy and maintain compared to most other Ferraris. With 122,000 Km on the clock she still feels like a new car... a tribute to craftsmanship since she is 19 years old. IMHO this is a very reliable car once you understand it needs to be used, most Ferraris just don't get used enough to keep oil seals etc. in good shape. However it has taken me until now to get the car to start everytime... for two simple reasons, on the front left there is a bayonet connector which takes the earth from battery to chassis... it gets dirty really quickly. The fusebox is really weak, the circuit board can overheat and burn, I had to rebuild mine. Not a simple task since it consists of 5 flexible PCB layers, I held my breath when I re-installed it and started the car. The reason I re-built it is that there are no spares available.

Barring unforseen circumstances the 328 and my Ginetta G33 will be handed down to my kids.

What I don't like about modern cars is the electronics which fail regularly (my S-Type for example)... modern ferraris are so loaded with electronics they'll never achieve classic status in my view.