By Chris Tropea
Aug 22, 2020
Many have said that the Ferrari 328 GTS, even with its sharp "Magnum, P.I." looks, is one of the easier-to-live-with models from Ferrari.
To test those claims, we got ourselves a genuine 328 GTS and drove it around the streets of Daytona Beach to see how it holds up in modern times. Presented by CRC Industries.
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8/20/20 2:32 p.m.
This was a really fun video to shoot and a really great car to drive. Was it fast? Not really but it drove great and feels special.
8/20/20 3:06 p.m.
The entire reason there's MR2 content on the site right now is because I babysat this car for a month. It made me fall in love with my car all over again.
8/20/20 5:10 p.m.
You fell in love with your MR2 all over again because it is similar to the Ferrari or because it is different? Oooh, high school comparison/contrast paper! :-) Given the price disparity you could increase boost or do an engine update to a MR2 and then how would they compare? I love the 308/328 but I also love the second gen MR2. In fact, when that MR2 came out I opined that Toyota out-Ferrari'ed the 348.
8/20/20 5:52 p.m.
There was a lady who owned a dress shop beachside in Ormond Beach who drove one of these (maybe this one?) everyday like a Corolla. I would cringe as she bashed the front end turning into the parking lot and left it sitting in the salt air.
8/20/20 6:43 p.m.
Both?
The Ferrari and the Toyota both weigh around 2900lbs and have around 265hp. The MR2 actually feels faster because it hits harder with the turbo and has slightly shorter gears.
I'm writing an actual story, but the short version is the MR2 doesn't feel quite as "special" as the Ferrari, which makes it both better and worse. Its greatest strength is how unremarkable and usable it is. It's so easy to live with you kind of forget how cool it is.
8/21/20 10:31 a.m.
In reply to JG Pasterjak :
I commented on the video, but a friend has a 328 GTS that he used to commute to work in. He bought his wife an 88 supercharged MR2 (which she never drove, but that's a long story). He had me shuttle the MR2 to the mechanic's shop once, which was a fun blast following him in the 328 and me in the MR2. I always felt the 1st gen MR2 was just awkward looking compared to the next gen or the X-1/9 they cribbed the design from. It was still a blast to drive though.
Driving the 328 was a very special experience compared to nearly anything else I've driven and if I could, I'd snap one up in a heartbeat. In fact, I poke around occasionally for a 308 GT4 so I could carry the family. That said, the 328 wasn't fast, but the noise, smell, view, etc all add up to more than just performance. I did get to ride in it on some hotlaps around PIR with the owner (a Formula Ford racer) which really showed what the car was capable of and you can't beat the sound of that engine at full song.
8/21/20 10:54 a.m.
Sure you can! You can put it in your living room so you can admire it while watching MCM, RK, Cleetus, GRM Videos...
8/22/20 9:53 a.m.
Nice, very nice.
Now off to CL to find a cheap one.
(Yeah, right...)
8/24/20 3:25 p.m.
Nice! I had the fortune to track test a Ferrari 308 QV. FUN CAR!
https://youtu.be/PZiovqM_3KU
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