1993 Ferrari 348 GTB

The Ferrari 348 was in production from 1989 until 1995. Styled by Pininfarina, it is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive sports car range seating two adults.

The 348 was a replacement for the 328 series, utilising a derivation of the floorpan which sat under the Mondial T. It was the final V8 model to be developed under Enzo Ferrari. With styling drawn from the Testarossa and F40 models, it was the final design to be overseen at Pininfarina by Leonardo Fioravanti – the man behind the Daytona, F40, 512BB and other historic models. The subsequent F355 would imbue the shape with more classical touched in place of the Testarossa inspired rear lights and side strakes.

Launched as a tb (Coupe) and ts (Targa), a full Spider joined the range for 1993 as Ferrari’s first full convertible since the Daytona Spider. The same year, the tb and ts were thoroughly revised and renamed the GTB and GTS. These cars had a new grille, chromed prancing horse to the rear, more power courtesy of revised engine management and a new exhaust. Additionally, the engine cover and sills were body coloured and the rear track was increased. To reduce weight the fuel tank capacity was decreased.

8844 Ferrari 348s were produced across a five year lifespan, and across three body styles. Its successor, the F355, would see a greater production run using an evolution of the same theme. These included 100 Serie Speciale models for the US based on the tb and ts in 1992, and a number of cars intended for the Ferrari Challenge competition series.

The Porsche 911 and Honda NS-X were both considered as rivals to the Ferrari 348 when new, and they stand up well as rivals today. If you like the 348 but want to drive an evolution of the theme, the later and more popular F355 would be the ideal choice. A budget alternative with similar looks would be the French MVS Venturi, which used a derivative of the PRV engine and thus is relatively easy to maintain. If you like the look but lack the money, maybe even try a MK2 Toyota MR-2.