Who cares about the numbers when a car looks and sounds that good.

Sounds like a lot of Smiles per Gallon!

You can keep all your 0-60 in 3 seconds supercars...gated shifted, screaming naturally aspirated motor, usable ride, good looks...WINNING!

"Eww, you have a three-forty-eight?" "Yeah, bitch......yeah, bitch I do!" Favorite line from the entirety of The Smoking Tire.

To this day, the F355 is still one of my favourite Ferraris. It carries over the old school styling of this, while being mechanically so much improved.

I think this would be a lot of fun to drive. Fast enough. You don’t need 700hp 0-60 in 2.7 seconds. It handles well and sounds great. No modern electronics. I’d love to have one if I could afford it.

More people are starting to appreciate the 348... But don't write off the earlier cars, drive one - make sure it's a well looked after car, they are very sensitive to geometry setup, 92 & 93 cars had alot of the suspension and weight distribution modifications, the 94 cars got the power uplift. I have a '93 Chiaro Blue 348 tb and I love it!

That looks about 5x as enjoyable as the majority of modern, hyper fast cars he drives. I am getting old...

Great vid. And great to see someone who really ‘gets’ the 348. Sure, they’re not as quick as a modern car but they’re a blast to drive which is surely the point of a sports car. They’re also very easy to work on as they’re pretty simple machines. Had my ‘93 TS (which has the suspension and handling updates - they aren’t on the very early cars but not just the ‘94 cars) for a little over 10 years. If you want a fun car with a raw classic Ferrari feel but maybe a bit more punch than the earlier cars go try one out. You might be surprised at just how engaging and fun they are.

I have a F355 and modern cars like M5 F10, E63 AMG, it's not about the power, it's all about the feeling, if there is no feeling, no horsepower will ever replace that and that's the problem with all modern cars today, they lack soul, i don't care about all bells and whistles and power of modern cars, the feeling is not there and the manufacturers does not have a clue today.

Matt starting off 2021 right with a canyon rip in a 348.

I remember seeing 348tbs in magazines when I was younger. Loved the shape, the side strakes, the interior. Great vlog. Also - would love weather like that on New Year’s day. The UK was a little wetter and colder..

Once it gets up to speed it becomes a Ferrari it just takes a bit longer to get there

I mean, just LISTEN to that thing. Ignore the past and the present, just enjoy it for what it is. A delightfully beautiful drop-top pony.

Someone's Turo about to be poppin 💰💰

This used to get sooo much hate - I love to see it get some praise. I’ve always been a 355 guy but as I get older and with modern styling I’m kind of preferring 348s now..

These are the one takes I like, useable and fun. Not a number game car.

Ive owned a 348. It was a really awesome car. Without having any electrical driving tech, it had a great raw driving experience, that i dont think you can get in a 355. With the right exhaust, it sounds almost as good as a 355 too.

Speed stats on paper do not guarantee how much fun a car is. The best cars are 1. reliable and 2. the ones that make YOU feel good

In 2021 the 348 gets lots of love and for good reasons. Matt only barely touched on a few. I bought a 91TS a year and a half ago and the grins just keep coming. Opinions are more numerous than even the internet can contain, but with 100% subjectivity in this statement, the 348 is an advancement after the 328, and I love the 328 too! There are also people that love the 348 X times more than there are 348 's available.

Thanks Matt for confirming my thoughts about this car: who cares about numbers/or absolute speed, at the end of the day you are rowing gears in a gated shifter with a lovely flatplane V8 behind you...seriously, what's not to love about this recipe? Also: pop-ups headlights ❤️

I nearly bought a '93 Serie Special back in the early '00s, but the legendary engine-out services scared me away. When I drove it though, it was fantastic.

I’ve driven this exact car, it’s a great driving car. Making me want one now!! Damnit

The vast majority of changes including changes to improve handling (suspension and weight distribution) were made on the line in about Nov ‘91 so cars registered late ‘92 and ‘93 have them, not just the ‘94 cars. Cars with the battery up front and six bolts on the top of the rear suspension towers rather than 4 have most of the updates.

I would never tire of that noise. Call me crazy, but I think these sorts of cars feel just as engaging and exhilarating as the F8. Maybe it's the lack of power steering, the lack of braking power, or the gated manual and heavy clutch, but you have to really work for the speed in these things. 10 miles at 7/10ths in a 348 is going to be considerably more fatiguing than the same distance in an F8. And, unlike in the F8, you actually get to savor the roads instead of being finished before you realize that you started.

My guys dad had one in high school; a black targa. It was the mini testarossa. I was smitten.

I always liked the 348 better than the 355. Yeah the performance is definitely not as good, but I personally LOVE the strakes and the tail lights. The 355 still looks fantastic but it's just a bit bland next to the 348. I just wish everyone was still saying 348s are garbage so that they would stay cheap. Oh, and I also really really like the Mondial.

Great video, thanks for sharing. As a former 348 owner, I thought i should let you know that car does not have the later 316 bhp engine. It has the early 296 bhp engine. You can easily tell just by looking at the plenum chambers - the 316 bhp cars have bigger plenum's with a different fin design on the top.

Your review is really precise and honest, hard to find one like yours these days when everyhing is about standardized parameters, numbers and statistics, people miss what really matters about cars imho, which is the connection to your driving style, the sounds, the vibrations, the engine screams and how the car responds to your commands overall...how it keeps up with the revs when turning and how it responds when you push deep into it, I felt I was driving it too...maybe one day I'll have a 348 too!

I'd take a 348 over a 355 any day. The last Ferrari to be overseen by Enzo, the last Ferrari to NOT have power steering, way more rev happy and flickable than a Testarossa, way more reliable and easy to maintain than the 355. While it wasn't the fastest in its day, it was still fast - and even today it is fast enough to actually enjoy on modern roads. Easy choice for any realistic potential owner.

Matt getting slick with the ads lol. It's all good, I watch them anyway

All the 348's are good. It's the most kart-like in transitions that I've ever experienced. All the negativity is rumor and overblown fluff. I have an '89, opposite end of the spectrum (I even run the narrow track in the back). Glad you changed your tune from repeating the internet rumors from that one STP you had (I think it was the Donnie Callaway episode).

Had to come back & check this beauty out. I will never forget driving this car. Growing up working as a doorman a friend of mine bought the exact car and let me drive it. It’s crazy to think how far up they’ve brought the HP but this looked so good and was so damn fun for a 20 year old to own. Love this car ! Styling and the size was so slick on the 90’s sports cars.

That's a nice one. Waiting for off-road review, especially Ram TRX

Holy shit I enjoyed that! Thank you TheSmokingTire for all you've done. Way to express yourself dude!

Nice review, these hv been a sleeper for so long but as more and more ppl revisit them, prices are rising to where 355s used to be. Re yr Built bar ad, you should come live here in France where 2 hour lunch is mandatory 😁

I sold a very nice Porsche 930 two years ago to buy a '94 348 Spider and never looked back. The Porsche was way fun on boost, but the 348 is fun ALWAYS. Except in parking lots.

That sound!! 😍 But Matt - please- a polarizer for your forward facing in-car camera, because in this car the reflection of the vents & dash in the windshield is diabolical.

Old school tst vibes on this video

3:15 Holy shit the sound of that engine gave me goosebumps

Am I crazy to prefer driving 348 to the 355 .... and I own a Berlinetta as well as a 328 GTS! I never really connected with the F355 which for me is a Ferrari engine in a great body with the steering of my ex R129 SL500 and "weird" suspensions that don't really give you the confidence to push it hard. The 348 is a Caterham with a Ferrari engine and I have fallen in love with it the first time I drove it and fallen out of love of my F355 Berlinetta ever since. Am I the only one to think this. (And just like Matt Farah, I am far more of a Porsche guy than a Ferrari guy ... especially the modern Ferraris with god awful door handles F488/F8 and ridiculously fast for any road in the world!!!)

Matt, just puttin' out the word as it is. Once again. Nothing but respect for your true honesty man! The 348s...the 94s :D are a truely well put together and sorted cars. I am working at a high end bodyshop, just recently we finiahed one of those. Black on tan, and hold up... Around 210000km O_O, man that bitch was aaight... Well kept I guess... But the sound, the shifter, the green house... It is all there...

My brother owns a 348 Tubi. He left it for me to care for for a few years when he worked up north. It's a fun car to drive with not many frills. Cheaper to repair and maintain compared to the 355 or higher up models. You can get into one nowadays for as low as $40K. Stearing is a bit stiff and the gear box isn't super smooth. Not really a good city daily driver, however on the highway it is a joy. Tubi exhaust sounds fantastic when the targa is off.

Nice review man!! As a 348 owner, I concur with everything!! Its nice to see some real world reviews on the actual driving experience these cars offer......I have driven a very nice 355, and at no time did I feel my 1993 348TB was inferior, or that I wanted to move the 348 along to get a 355, in their own rights they are both fantastic cars, to me the 348 feels less compliant on the road at cruising speeds, but when you're hustling either a 355 or 348, they offer very similar driving experiences. I prefer the 348 steering, but the 355 steering is amazing as far as power steering goes. I like the feedback you get from the 348 steering. Great stuff!!

Someone in my school's dad just pulled up with this car, let's just say it got the attention it truly deserves

Honestly sizing up to be one of my favourite Ferraris. The lack of power steering, lack of modern assists, usable amount of power but plenty to have fun. I've had enough of 5 and a bit seconds to 60 being deemed not fast, that's definitely plenty quick for the public roads. Currently holding a top position of my realistic owners list!

That’s the classic Ferrari sound!

Passed on one for 28k years ago. Price trends tend to tell me people aren’t looking over these beauty’s anymore.

Nice car thats done depreciating and glad its a fun drive. If you dont mind a mistress level of maintenance this 348/355 duo are awesome considerations.

I did a video of driving one as a daily, those looks & sound make you put up with a lot!

All 348s are great, they all drive well and have the old school ferrari charm In 1992 (or in late 1991) they changed rear dampers and a piece that connects the suspension to the chassis, they also moved the battery to the front. These changes were made due to the fact that the car was nervous when driven at the limit, and was pretty uncomfortable. The setup was too stiff, and it couldn't absorb bumps like the others, so it was riskier on public street and many tracks. The battery positions was changed to be easier to reach. As car magazine said, you can feel that this car was entirely tested at fiorano, with not that much street tests. I remember a owner too talking about how stiff the default setup is. He previously had a 964, which was a lot less stiff. In fact, ferrari released some datas to re-do the setup, and after this works the car was easier. Also, the right tires make a big difference, and ferrari made confusion. Some cars had pirelli p zero, other bridgestone re 71, and the suggested tires from ferrari were the bridgestone s01 And on cars like this, the tires are usually very old and hard as rocks I remember ivan capelli talking about this car in a 1990 article, he really enjoyed it even though the rear was twitchy and pretty hard to catch when it slides, because the wheelbase is very short, there is a lot of weight at the rear, and the car's reaction were super quick. But this was the con of having a small, agile car, at the time. He also said that to reach its very high potential, you have to be patient, know the car very well and be an experienced driver. This was also confirmed by every magazine. You have to know exactly what you're going to do Steve sutcliffe enjoyed it too, and drove 2 of them. He said that when going fast you can feel the changes done to the rear Harry metcalfe was surprised by how well they drive, and henry catchpole too, he liked it Dario benuzzi said that it is a great step forward from the 328, and that with the 355 they improved just a little bit the handling, and that ferrari focused more on making it easier, less nervous, rather than giving it more grip. He was the ferrari tester at the time, he knows what their goals were At fiorano it was 5 seconds faster than the 328 and a gave a bit more than a second per lap to the testarossa In 1993 the g series came out, with a few tweaks to the chassis, a shorter final drive ratio (they did this in 1990 or in 1993, i can't remeber), a bit more power and a bit less weight Overall it was the favourite/best car to drive, and, according to many magazines, it was the fastest along with the nsx (way easier to drive on the limit, but less exciting. Even though, from an objective stand point, it was the best. It had the best package at a good price). The ferrari had the best steering and the least understeer of the group Try earlier models too, find one in good shape and enjoy it. The changes ferrari made weren't to improve the grip, rather to make it simpler to drive. Every magazine stated that the car was nervous, it suffered snap oversteer and that finding the limit wasn't easy because the car is very planted and rather easy up to a point. Then, you either know very well how to drive this car, or soon or later (more soon) you'll crash. It's like a mr2, but bigger and way more expensive. Both are great but risky toys. You have to know what you're facing against If you really want to, you could change rear suspensions, and feel safer

I've got a '91 348ts and for non track not super long distance use, it's more useable fun than my 991 GT3.

I don't know what year 348 I drove, but it sounded identical to this and I quite liked it. Still prefer a hard top though.

Hey that watch do you have on? Are you wearing the blue face oris pointer date in 39mm?

a simple port and polish, bored out throttle body, irridum spark plugs, K&N filters, and a full stainless open bowel racing exhaust with a re-map and your at 400BHP, And imo the 348 looks so much better than the 355, I would take the 348 any day, and it steers better

I saw this car on Turo too

I owned a yellow 92 348 for 17 years. I loved that car. Gave me extremely little trouble. I finally traded it in 2020 for a manual 360 spider, the car I originally wanted but couldn’t afford at the time. Although I like the 360 overall more than the 348, I must admit, that 348 sounded better than the 360 I traded it for. I did two major services during my ownership. The first was at the car’s 11 year old mark, the second was 9 years after that. The thing ran beautifully the entire time. I never did the clutch and was at 58,000 kilometres when I traded it, with no sign of any diminished clutch performance. If you’re thinking of buying one, find a good one and do it. They are NOT bad Ferrari’s.

Always had a thing for the 348, then I drove a few, was told the'94 was the one to get, Oh yeah baby, & yes the way it makes you tingle all over when you drive it hard is awesome,oh I've had electric power steering added to mine, thanks Matt, Rj in Oz

Great video 🙏🏼

The sound makes everything else irrelevant. Glorious

Make a video on the LFA if you can find one. Such a unique car.

I've absolutely eaten one of these alive in my speed 6 (some kid driving his dad's car probably) but was definitely jealous of how much more fun he was having winding that thing out

Seems like the perfect dirver's Ferrari. Wish it did not require an engine out service however. But reading a little its like a 355 but with far fewer things to break. That's good.

Does anyone know how to contact the owner outside of Turo? I’m under 30 (27) looking to rent this in La.. but it’s limited to 30+ to book and contact

Great video to be sure! I'm getting my '91 TB back from the belt service tomorrow... can't wait to take her out on the open autostrada! (I'm in Italy). And... according to the Italian Blue Book (Ruoteclassiche) the TB appreciated 14.8% in pandemic 2020... not complaining!

Lovely review and I love the road, what a beauty! Go the '94 cars whoo-hoo!

Congratulations on 1 Million

This is nice, i have a model of this in red from when i was kid. I was in ACH on New Years day too

Thanks for posting! Regarding your comment on the transmission being the limiting factor in 0-60 and drag times, what would you speculate the performance would be if you just manifested into it a DCT of modern times such as the PDK?

Lol i literally watched the tuned 348 Challenge vid on purpose earlier today and now this. Shoutout to Zach as always :D

So you didn't just stage that on-coming convoy that included an early 90s MR2 Turbo and two NSXs that would have been comparable (if down-market) to the 348 in-period?

I really liked that dash! I wished you'd have shown it more. It had that 90s look. Flat black and simple. BMWs of the day, maybe 80s, kinda had that look. I really liked it. Don't go for glitzy trim.

That was a box standard car I had one I put the sports pipe on it it was a different beasts extra 20 hp straight through no cats amazing car I’m going to get another

my dad had a 348 TB, he got a deal on it because the previous owner decided to trade it for an F40 (only had 200 miles on it)......he didn’t really drive it much over the years but i ended up putting about 3,000 miles on it and I thought it was a great car....didn’t handle nearly as well as a 328 GTB but was much more comfortable/easier to drive. He traded it for a 430 years ago (obviously lightyears better car) but I still miss the 348. It recently sold again for near 6 figures (nearly double what he got for trade in 5 years ago) so they are beginning to appreciate, and rightfully so IMO. NSX is objectively a better car, no denying it......but there is always something to be said for a mid engined, gated Ferrari....even if it’s the “worst” one.

Lovely video. Lovely car.

The turbo one Matt drove was sweet

Looks great in yellow Must be quicker than my 328gts at 320hp v 270hp. Reliably read a 5.5 time 0 to 60 in mine. Seems odd. Will keep my 328. Near enough for me.

I've had my '94 spider for 17 years, it's got almost 70K miles on it. I hope Thaddeus gets one too.

the acceleration numbers are about the same as a GTI of today lol. but the top speed is impressive for that power level!

I love the 348!!

That watch is 🔥

I love this channel

Cars like this always get me thinking, I currently have a built E92 M3. (4.4L Stroker, supercharger, brembos, etc). but have been itching for something older. Would I be insane to sell it and buy a 348, 993/964, other 80's/90's machine?

Matt singly driving up the value on unloved budget F cars.

Might have to Toro that!

Overall is a great classic and is underappreciated

Amazing roads!

wow! a Hoovie special

This car was in a recent music video, "Lost Kings - Oops (I'm Sorry) (Official Video) ft. Ty Dolla $ign, GASHI" They also light a fox body on fire. Haha

Very good review and nice driving videos! All good and bad things mentioned. I'd liked to know if you preferred a F430 spider to a 348 spider which are at the same price level now? How intense is your passion to the more classic Ferrari considering the higher maintenance costs of the 348?

A Ferrari that looks and sounds good that won't threaten your licence as fast? Mighty tempting...🤔

"Quite good" started to become questionable when the NSX came out and did essentially the same thing at half the price and a fraction of the operating costs, and also when the 355 and particularly the 360 came out and those were so much better all-around cars than the 348 it started to look like Ferrari had been resting on its laurels. Maybe the NSX gave them the wake-up call they needed.

@thesmokingtire How does this one compare to the TT Challenge car you drive in tuned some years back?

Bravo, Matteo! 👏🦾

"I would bet good money that if you bought one of these...[sic]...it would be a very wise investment. Not because it's gonna go up..." Oh it's going up. Way up. Just 10 years ago these cost $35k for a Berlinetta. Now it's hard to get one for less than $70k and they are often closing for $90k on BaT. All because the F355 has become unobtanium in the same time period, going from $55k to $155k. Get one now, folks, they are the last attainable Ferrari worth a damn.

0-60 is overrated in 2023 when a KIA GT electric goes faster than a lambo. Now its all about returning back to the manual stick shift, and rumble of an engine.

Whatdoyouknow...Onetake is back. Where have I been?

It's not slow for human enjoyment. It's only slow if you compare it to the latest fast cars.

Almost forgot how good V8 Ferraris used to sound. Just something else.

348/355 are my favorite ferraris, and the mondial becuase its like the 914 of prancing horses for 986 money