What’s more is the insane 80’s style side streaks. Even the rear taillights had a similar design. All of this were echoeing design cues from the iconic Testarossa. The 348 was often called, “The baby Testarossa” as it was similar in design in a lot of ways, but just smaller. Let’s dive deeper into the design.

Cars preceding this like the 308 and 328 had round headlamps mostly enclosed in a square or rectangular pop-up case. The 348 had wider rectangular headlamps, which I personally believe give the car an exotic touch in the business of presence. The interior had also changed quite a bit over previous cars. It was much more spacious and less claustrophobic than before. Something I really like about the interior is the go-kart inspired thin, no nonsense 3 spoke steering wheel also found in the Testarossa. I can see Ferrari bring back this design in the 360 and the 812 Superfast as well.

Let’s talk about the engine. It is a 3.4l V8 making about 300 Bhp. That was a lot for its time and the car was also pretty light because of its compact size and rather simple mechanical nature.It was an era before sophisticated electronics. The 348 did 0-62 in about 5.4 seconds and topped out at 170 Mph. A characteristic feature of the engine is the sound it makes. Now, say the word, ‘V8’ out loud. What comes first to your mind? Big, lazy, low revving, but highly tourquey engines rumbling with an extremely low pitch in an American muscle car booming down the highway? Well, the Italians thought otherwise. This specific V8 is the exact opposite of everything I just said. Its a small block which is highly excited and revvy in nature, and you really need to wind it and take it to a really high Rpm count to get the max performance. Say 7200? Oh, did I mention the sound it makes as it gets there? This was another department the 348 shined in, unlike its V8 predecessors which sadly sounded like, a 4 cylinder. This V8 starts with a rumble and screams with a surprisingly higher pitched tone as it gets revved to its redline. this engine is also quite refined, strong and reliable mainly due to its mechanical simplicity, which also makes it easier to work on.

The 348 came in 3 forms.  The Tb or the Gtb, The Ts or the Gts and the Spider. The Tb stands for ”Trasversale Berlinetta’ and it is the slick coupe version which is the best looking out of the bunch. The spider was of course, the fun open top and the Ts and the Gts were the Targa top versions with a detachable hard targa roof which lets you have the best of both worlds. The looks of the Berlinetta and the fun factor of the spider. The spider was not as good looking as the coupe as the beautiful lines were taken away. The 348 came with a 5 speed manual transmission with the iconic Italian gated housing. Also, dog leg first gear, check.

Now, this brings us to the last part of the equation. Why is this car even hated in the first place? Why did people call it, ”The worst Ferrari ever made”? Competition. And rather strong ones in fact. you see, the 90s gave rise to the Honda NSX. That car, with its V6 outshined the Ferrari in terms of ride, ease to live with, and even performance in some aspects. Also, the media glorified the NSX, claiming it to be a ”humiliation” for Ferrari.This was the main reason why, despite being an excellent car on its own, the flagship Testarossa outsold it. It was definitely a first timer for Ferrari when that happened. But that doesn’t justify the situation. I’m pretty sure the 348 owners had the last laugh. After all, think about it. Ferrari would never allow anything they feel, less than perfect exit Maranello.

Now, let’s talk about the second hand market. The Testarossa has skyrocketed, but thankfully, the 348 values have only slightly risen up. It remains one of the cheapest V8 Ferraris other than the Mondial. Expect to pay somewhere around 45,000 Pounds in the Uk for a good one. Maintaining a classic Ferrari is an important affair. Parts are becoming rarer and more expensive. But with a car like this, you always have to look on the bright side. Buy one, take good care of it, and this little Italian sports car will reward you immensely with its personality of ”Flamboyance”. I must say. 

   – Abhyjith. K. Ashokan

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