The Ferrari 348 was the final V8 model that was managed by the iconic Enzo Ferrari.

<p>The Ferrari 348 was created to replace the 328, and naturally, progress Ferrari&rsquo;s entry level V8. Later in 1995, it overshadowed by the F355, where it was fell from grace. </p>
<p>At the time of the 348&rsquo;s release, it was compared to the Acura NSX, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Lotus Espirit. In an Autocar magazine article where the aforementioned were compared, the 348 was praised for it&rsquo;s control and balance over the NSX. Quoting that it carried Honda&rsquo;s body feel, except it delivered better control and positive steering.</p>
<p>It wasn&rsquo;t much of a technological marvel, but it served it&rsquo;s purpose as an engaging and arguable attractive V8 sports car. Powered by an iconic V8 Dino engine, it had the bones of a classic Ferrari. Weighing in at 3,300 it was certainly on the beefier sides but it made up in retro styling that resembled something of a Frankenstein&rsquo;d Testarossa/F355. </p>
<p>A good way to look at it is that it doesn&rsquo;t cost as much as a Testarossa or 355, has the least issues of the three, and is somewhat of a noteworthy car due to being Enzo&rsquo;s last car. We expect the Ferrari 348 to emerge as a collectible car, and we advise buying before it&rsquo;s too late. Even if the F355 is a better car, you don&rsquo;t want to pull the engine just to service it!</p>
<p>If you do get one - make sure to part with the ugly black ground effects on the later models and paint match them to the car. This waas a move that Ferrari themselves did with the newer model year cars.</p>

Enzo's Final V8 Powered Ferrari

<div>A lightweight, track-focused, twin-turbocharged V8 monster... for a fraction of the price of a P1.</div>

<p>Announced back in 2015, and based on the 650S, the 675LT is one of the most absurd production cars that came out of McLaren’s facilities in the mid 2010s. In it’s heyday, it was easy to overlook the 675LT at the time due to the release of the very limited production P1 throughout 2013-2015. Many collectors and enthusiasts were eager to get their hands on the P1 even though a much more analog vehicle was available.</p><p>Sure, the P1 is a true supercar with it’s F1 technology transmission and insane hybrid and twin turbocharged powered V8. However, it enters the realm of limited reach in cost. If we’re really going to get picky, nearly 1,000 combined horsepower is not easy to control or use. </p><p>So what does this have to do with the 675LT? The 675LT delivers a near similar experience at 666 horsepower and a kerb weight lower than that of the P1 - for a literal fraction of the price. Marginally less power, no hybrid, and over 100lbs of weight savings. The MSRP of the 675LT in 2015 was $375,000, compare that to the P1 of the time of $1,300,000 and you’ve got enough leftover to buy a Range Rover for the wife, and an M3 for your kid. In today’s reality, the 675LT trades under MSRP while the P1 trades for over double it’s MSRP.</p><p>You might also be thinking about the 720S, which came about in 2017. To that I say… no thanks. While prices have fallen and made these cars much more available, they suffer from an analog standpoint. In our personal driving experiences, the 675LT is bittersweet to the 720S - even if the 720S is faster. Besides, most owners aren’t racing these cars, they just want an engaging and collectible street legal sports car. Trust us when we say, it’s better to cough up the extra $100k, especially for something that is soon to become collectible.</p><p>Based on our market analysises, we think the 675LT is bound to be a future classic for McLaren. With prices floating just under MSRP, and P1 prices having doubled, who is to say the 675LT won’t?</p>

McLaren 675LT... Or A Budget P1?

<p>Rarely do we ever consider the leap from the 993 to the 996 and it's major differences, especially when it comes to value.</p>

<h2>We often compare the 964 to the 993, and the 996 to the 997.</h2><p>The 993 marked the end of the Porsche built air-cooled engines, moving to the better performing water cooled engines. Although some will argue Porsche took away beauty and grace in the 996, they also welcomed performance and accessibility in sheer volume. The 996 brought their GT cars to the mainstream market. The GT3 and GT3RS are still hard (and expensive) to obtain, but their production numbers went up overall.</p><p>If you consider the Porsche 993 generation’s highly sought C2S wide body, only 3,714 units were built worldwide. In comparison, the 996 had nearly 4,457 cars built, or just 20% more than the C2S. Debate the 996 headlights all you want, a Metzger GT3 racing motor in the 996 is quite phenomenal. Performance wise, it is certainly more exciting than the 993’s M64 engine. </p><h3>993 C2S: </h3><ul><li>Horsepower: 282hp</li><li>Weight 3,064lbs</li></ul><h3>996 GT3: </h3><ul><li>Horsepower: 381hp</li><li>Weight: 3,043lbs</li></ul><p>Both cars are very analog, with near identical width and length in dimensions, only the 996 has improved aerodynamics. Minimal electronics, insulation, and input made these cars very enjoyable. <a href="https://findmecars.com"><u>Test link</u></a> It is worth noting that the 996 GT3 did not come with traction control.</p><p>Now, let’s look at some statistics for both of these cars. </p><p>Comparing the MSRP prices for both cars, compared to today:</p><ul><li>993 C2S cost $110,645 in 2004 ($186,860 adjusted for inflation)</li><li>996 GT3 cost $70,085 in 1998 ($135,700 adjusted for inflation)</li></ul><p>In the past year on Bring-A-Trailer, these averages can be observed:</p><ul><li>42k mile 993 C2S sold for $160k</li><li>28k mile 996 GT3 sold for $130k</li></ul><p>In summary, we can say that 996 GT3 cars are trading for -30% under their original MSRP, while the 993s C2S trades for over +19% of it’s original MSRP. Additionally, average mileage will be -30% lower on the 996 due to its later production. </p><p>The 993 might be the last air-cooled 911, but you can get a Metzger GT3 racing motor for much less. Both vehicles are great investments and driving experiences, but one is the better value. Don’t expect either of these cars to get any cheaper either.</p><div><br><br></div>

Why Buy A 996 Over A 993?

Reader beware: This might be one of the best kept secrets in the Mercedes world.

<h2>If you know cars, you’re no stranger to AMG.</h2>
<p>In the late 1990s, Mercedes-Benz began a merger with AMG and with it came the first ever C-class performance model. In efforts to keep up with BMW’s E36 M3, they created the C36 AMG. The car was nimble and could accelerate 0-60 in 5.8 seconds with its 3.6L 6-cylinder engine, but it only matched the E36 M3 in the 0-60 straight and certainly not in the corners. </p>
<p>To up the ante and stay true to their heritage, AMG later fitted a 4.3L V8 in the C-class and named it the C43 AMG in 1998. This marked the first time an AMG car was completely assembled at a Mercedes-Benz factory. The new engine featured a little over 300 horsepower and weighed in at approximately 3,600lbs. </p>
<p>While some records indicate that the car could accelerate from 0-60 in 5.7s, we’ve found this number to be a lower 5.4s. Now you’re thinking, why do I care about this clumsy automatic sedan when I can get a clapped out E36 M3 for the same money? That’s the thing, for less money and headache you can get a very reliable C43 AMG. </p>
<p>Maintenance costs are relatively low for a German car, and parts are obtainable for an older car. You might have coolant and engine concerns with an E36 M3, but not here. In 20,000 miles, I’ve only done oil changes on my C43 AMG. Coming from someone who has driven both the E36 M3 and C43 AMG, from a performance perspective the buttery smooth gearbox of the M3 is great and the car is tight in corners but if you favor speed there isn’t much available. The C43 AMG will gleefully take the quarter mile in 12 seconds while the E36 M3 will do it in almost 15 seconds.</p>
<p>If you’re new to Mercedes-Benz and AMG classics, this is one you don’t want to miss. Get one while they’re cheap, because it won’t be long.</p>