As you all know, we at InstacarHK are huge fans of the classic Ferrari V8 line up, and today we are proud to finally track down the elusive 348 GTB. Elusive not because they made very little of them, quite the contrary in fact, as Ferrari made a total of 8,844 348’s in different variants. But elusive because, and there is no polite way to say this, they have always been unpopular.
There are a number of reasons for this. First, it was released right after the 308 and 328 models, which were hands down the most popular Ferrari’s in Ferrari history (the 308 was the first model to ever exceed 10,000 production units). The 348 therefore had large shoes to fill right off the bat. At the same time, Honda’s mighty NSX was released at the same time, and Honda made it clear at the time that the sole purpose of the NSX was to outshine the Ferrari V8 line up, and outshine it did. The NSX was technologically and materially advanced compared to the 348, and it also showed the world that a super car can be both fast and easy to live with. To complete the circle, the Ferrari that came after the 348 was the ever-popular F355, which was an instant hit and to this day still loved by many.
Of course, the 348’s subpar reputation cannot only be blamed on the timing of its birth, that would be irresponsible. The earliest models (known as the 348 TB and 348 TS for the hardtop and targa versions, respectively) were apparently subpar indeed. They were heavy, slow, and had unpredictable handling. Car magazine’s Richard Bremner revealed in an issue of Enzo magazine that back in 1989 when he was at Fiorano for the 348’s media launch event, even legendary Ferrari test driver Dario Benuzzi lost control at the very first corner when giving Richard a media ride.
However, one must not forget some of the significant developments that were introduced in the 348. These included the engine being placed in a longitudinal direction instead of traversal – a first for a 2 seater V8 Ferrari (as always, Ferrari tested this change with their 4-seater Mondial T first) – and the introduction of the 348 spider, the first convertible 2-seater V8 Ferrari. Furthermore, the 348 was the first model that had its own one-make Challenge race series, which also resulted in the first road going lightweight version V8 Ferrari, being the 348 GT Competizione (only 50 ever made). The Challenge series was important because Ferrari was able to use the data generated from the one-make race series to better develop their road cars, something they are still doing today. All these groundbreaking changes introduced by the 348 are historically significant as they are all still being used today (longitudinal engines, V8 spider models, Challenge series, and lightweight road versions).
The 348 we have today is the ‘facelift’ version, the GTB, which Ferrari introduced in 1993 in order to address the aforementioned shortcomings of the earlier models. The facelift versions were improved with an increased power output, from the earlier version’s 300HP to 320HP, thanks to an enhanced engine management system and a new exhaust system. The suspension setup was revised and the rear track was also widened by one inch in order to address the handling issues. Exterior-wise, very minor tweaks were made to the frontend and most notably the underskirts of the car are now color-coded as opposed to the default black colour in the earlier models. Of the 8,844 348’s Ferrari made from 1989-1995, only 252 are the GTB’s (and 137 GTS models), making this a very rare car especially in RHD.
Getting into the car, the first thing I noticed was how solid and refined it is compared to my 328 GTS. Visually, the two cars always looked reasonably close in terms of their design and development language. It is easy to forget that the 328 was an 80’s car developed on the platform of a 70’s car whereas the 348 was a proper 90’s car. The entire interior feels a lot more comfortable and well made compared to the 328. Slotting into the dogleg first gear, even the gear change is more first class like, with what feels like a spring-assisted gear selection compared to the sheer force needed in the 328. The clutch has weight to it but nothing obstructive. Setting off, the car feels more GT-like than the 328. This car has the Capristo exhaust which sounds superb, as the owner told me the original exhaust was rather tame. The ambience of the interior and the exhaust note are actually closer to the 360 Modena than the 328, which I was surprised by. But perhaps I shouldn’t be, because as mentioned, the 328 was largely based on the 308, which was developed in the mid-70’s and therefore the 308/328 line should indeed feel like a dinosaur when compared to the 348.
Performance-wise, the car does feel heavy and not particularly fast. In fact, one thing that does feel closer to the 328 is the 348’s straight line speed. It didn’t feel particularly quicker than the 328, although it gets up to speed in a more comfortable fashion, due to the increased torque, whereas the 328 gets to similar speeds more dramatically.
People always say the 360 Modena, at the direction of then Ferrari President Luca di Montezemolo, was the first useable Ferrari. I must disagree with that now that I have driven the 348 GTB. It is really quite an easy car to drive and I can see it being a daily driver back in period. Maintenance of the 348, however, would be a lot less friendly than the 360 Modena because like other Ferrari’s with a longitudinally fitted engine in that era, the entire engine has to come out for the regular cambelt change. As the 348 was still made of steel, rust can also be a problem for its chassis.
All in all, I can understand why the 348 was criticized when it was released. Its performance and speed were a little underwhelming. This is especially true when its German and Japanese rivals were already making some pretty quick cars in the 90’s. However, like many classics, this no longer matters as you buy a classic like this today to enjoy its analogue feel, its simple technology from yesteryears, and history. You certainly do not buy one for the sheer speed. I have therefore genuinely enjoyed my drive in the 348 GTB today, and I thank the generous owner for lending us his pride and joy to review.
As always, big thanks to the team for their hard work!
Alex W. (http://www.taipanmedia.com)
Dave (Email: david@lemonadeandgiggles.com)
Alex C.: (IG: @nofishshark)
Berton: (IG: @bertonchangphoto)
Martin: (IG: @visualspassport)
Cord: (IG: @cord_k)
Please see our review video here: