Faults:

Short in electrical caused battery to die.

Front spoiler lip was very low and needed to be repaired twice.

The timing belt needed replacing - watch out for this service cost, the engine needs to be removed!!

Passenger seat locked up and would not adjust anymore.

General Comments:

This was a very impulsive purchase as my cousin had just bought his dream car a 328 gts at the beginning of summer. While at the dealership, I found myself looking at the 348 and not being able to take my eyes off of it. The lines are so exotic, yet not so macho like the Testarossa. I must admit, the test drive was more about "wow, I am driving a Ferrari" than how amazing it was as a sports car.

Let's say this for the record... you do not buy this car because you want to overtake every other car on the road. It will not. I have been passed by many an M Roadster (my previous car).

This car is about "Ferrari Feeling", which is indescribable. I had a TS, which means it was a Targa. You will definitely prefer the sound of the engine while driving to the radio.

Be careful at high speeds, as the front end tends to get a little light.

Every time I could get into this car, I fell in love all over again. If it were not for the expensive maintenance costs and the frequency of the repairs, I would have kept this car. But here in Switzerland, it cost about $9,000 to replace the timing belt as the engine must be removed. By the way, you should do this every 30,000 kilometers. I have since heard that a new belt is available that let's you go much longer, but I have not verified this.

One Tip: If you are looking to buy one, make sure that it has just had this service with the belts, and preferably the clutch at the same time.

Since selling the car, I have come back to earth and only have owned Porsches, which in my view are fantastic sports cars. The 348 is a real looker, but the German tractor is much more reliable.