1997 Ferrari F355 Coupe from UK and Ireland - Comments

The roof leaking, repaired on warranty F.O.C. The roof also failed to open properly via the normal method. This was repaired F.O.C. on warranty.

Also, the exhaust bypass valve failed. Very annoying, and relatively expensive for such a silly small thing. Would have cost £850 or so, but it was done for much cheaper.

This car is seriously quick. Early in the rev range it is pathetically slow though, so keep it above 4000 rpm if you don't want civics to beat you to a gap in slow moving traffic. My Maserati is on par with this car below 80 mph or so, but after that the 355 pulls a gap and just keeps moving away.

Handling wise this car is amazing. The more you push it the more you appreciate its performance. Really and truly like its on rails.

Cabin is old style and not really up there in terms of toys etc. But styling wise it has character, and is very well put together. In black it can be a bit gloomy. Cream leather with red carpets looks really good. Seats are fantastically comfortable. Generally very very comfortable.

The pedals are a little offset which is not the best, but it's never intolerable.

Looks wise it is certainly a very pretty car, not as aggressive looking as a 360, but still very pretty. Very feminine shape, and the alloys suit it very well. Silver, yellow and red suit the car best. But a true Ferrari is always blood red.

Running costs wise it loves petrol, and will consume a lot of oil (about a litre every 3,000 miles depending on how hard driven), but otherwise not too bad. Just heard from Ferrari dealers that cambelts are down to £1500, which is a massive saving. Now is the time to own one, there are very accessible cars. Some parts are dear, such as a wing mirror, others are reasonable (brake pads etc). The most expensive cost will be the depreciation, and believe me they do depreciate!

But aside anything else, its the engine sound that gets me. Its why I bought one and it really is worth the money. Sounds amazing, stick a tubi exhaust on it and you can really pretend you are in an F1 car. I am seriously addicted to the sound and will forgive all and any costs. There is nothing like a V8 roar as an accompaniment to the soundtrack you are enjoying on the (inadequate) sound system. Lovely, fantastic engine. Hear the bypass valve change gas outlets and you will be in love with this car too.

I heard something before I bought mine, which I can now agree wholeheartly with... Ask yourself if you can afford NOT to have one? The number of girls that just want to get into this car... simply makes me laugh (hyterically!!)

One major expense that many of you may not be subject to - STORAGE. I live slap bang in the middle of central London - where I have only street parking. My daily mode of transport means a choice between a cosmos black 7-series Sport (M-spec) and a classic metallic green Mercedez Benz E220 Coupe. These are parked on the street (my heart aches). However the Ferrari sits proudly along with a Maserati Coupe housed under ground somewhere near Kings Cross at the princely sum of £6000 per year. The cost is a sting, but the visit to the facility in the small hours of the morning to unleash one of the beasts (when there are no cops about) is almost a pilgrimage. And they are better out of sight because "gold diggers" get attracted to these Italian Supercars like bees to a hive. For some of you this may be good news... as long as you don't fall for one of them.

The sound that an F355 makes at 8000 rpm is something that one has to actually experience to believe. It makes your blood boil and your adrenaline surge like some kind of pseudo-legal natural high. These cars are nervous in heavy city traffic. Everything is taller than this low-slung chariot. Small dips in the pavement cause the beautiful Rosso Corsa Red front end to scrape on anything taller than a paint line. If you have the windows or the top down you choke on rich exhaust that smells like a Stage 3 smog alert. But when the Ferrari finally reaches the outskirts of this Florida town and the traffic and the paparazzi clear, all is well. Broaaa! Waaaaaa! Eeeeeee! Ah, the wonderful sonorous scream of that engine! One realizes what this car is all about as every gear is taken to full extent and the 100dB wail of the motor becomes a kind of primal scream therapy for one's soul. Like sex, or a guitar solo at 120dB, these are brief moments that are at the pinnacle of the human experience.