[javadog]

Owned both, for many, many years.

90% of the 328's are GTS models. I wouldn't own one of those if you gave it to me. As bad as a 911 targa is, in terms of torsional stiffness, an open 308 or 328 Ferrari is far worse. Drive one over a set of railroad tracks at speed with the top off and be prepared to be disappointed. So, my comments will refer to the closed version of the car, the GTB. I'll compare it to a 911 coupe, as I tend to think targas aren't serious driver's cars (and I have owned 2 of them, so no *****ing...)

The build quality of the 911 is much better. If you like the sound a 911 door makes when it shuts, you won't like the Ferrari. If you like the solid feel of the steering wheel in a 911, you won't like the Ferrari. If you like to drive your 911 on real roads at speed (assuming you haven't screwed it up by lowering it to "look better") you won't like the Ferrari. If you like the driving position and visibility of a 911, you won't like the Ferrari.

A 911, for all of it's simplicity and hand-built nature is a car that is, and feels, far more sorted out than the Ferrari. A 328 was the pinnacle of development of the early small Ferraris (the 348 and later cars were completely different) and had more than 1400 changes from the 308. Well, it needed 1400 more... Most here are familiar with the 911, so here's what a 328 is like:

The driving position sucks. The relationship between the steering wheel, pedals and seat is wrong. The steering wheel is adjustable (if you do some disassembly) but can't be put into a good position. It's tilted too much. It's also way too small and also blocks most of the gauge where you most want to see them. The seats suck. They are as unsupportive as a base 911 seat, but also uncomfortable for any distance. There was no sport seat option. Headroom is limited, try to be shorter than 5-9, 5-10.

The gated shifter is no big deal. I don't know why people mention it. If you don't like the way a 911 shifts, it's because you have lousy technique. A 328 won't help you. As a bonus, you get to hear a clacking noise with every shift. Yippee. You should know that 2nd gear will be unavailable until the gearbox is warm, so plan on using 3rd in place of second until the gearbox is happy. A 328, like any of the little Ferraris, is geared really low. You will be shifting, a lot, even in town driving. When warming the car up, and keeping the revs down, you'll be shifting every couple seconds. 1, 3, 4, 5... about that quick. At highway speeds, you'll turn a million revs. Where you might be turning in the vicinity of 3,000 revs in a highway cruise in a 911, in a 328 you'll be closer to 4,000. This makes for lots of noise. You'll seldom hear the exhaust, as it will be drowned out by the mechanical cacophony generated a few inches behind you. At first, you might think it's neat. Later, you won't.

Which brings up the radio. Radios were dealer installed items, so you'll get an aftermarket installation in every 328. The speakers were factory installed, and they are crap, maybe as bad or worse as those in a 911. There are front speakers only, there were never any in the rear, and you can't turn them up loud enough to drown out the engine noise. The low frequency drivers were installed behind the carpet in the doors, so imagine what clarity that provides. If you want to listen to the radio, first you must raise the electric antenna, with a switch. It doesn't do it for you when you turn the radio on, nor does it lower it when the cars turned off. It's electric, but it's up to you to run it up and down. Every time.

There are bad reflections in the gauges. I tended to wear a black shirt when I drove mine, to minimize this problem. The gauges are poorly lit (red) and difficult to see at night. There are bad reflections in the windshield from the dash. The inside mirror (of a coupe) gives you a view out the back that's about completely blocked by the 3rd brake light in the roof. You have to move your head around to see if anything is behind you.

The A/C sucks. It doesn't blow enough air to do any good on a sunny day, or one where the temperature is above the low 70's. Roll the windows down and you'll get a lot of noise but very little airflow. You'll also notice that you can feel some of the heat coming off of the radiator, as it exits out of the vents and around the sides of the windshield. Interior ventilation is even more complicated to operate than a 911, in that the fresh air and heated air are separate from the A/C and also separate for the two sides of the car. The controls are a mix of manual levers and electric switches which open and close the ventilation ducts and the flow of heated air. The switches have rows of little idiot lights to indicate how far open the vents are, which are hard to see in daylight. If the switches fail, you'll not be able to adjust anything. I doubt there's a long term supply of the switches, either, so beware. The fresh air intake is close to the road, so it will ingest all manner of small rocks and sand particles, which the system will dutifully deliver into the car.

There is no glovebox, just a storage box in between the seats that's hard to reach when driving. The latch operates with on the the keys on the keychain, which is inconvenient when actually driving the car. You don't just need the key to lock the thing, you need it to open the damn latch to open the box.

On the plus side, the interior is trimmed fairly nicely, although the leather quality is less than the more expensive Ferraris. Carpets are nice, the interior smells more expensive than a 911.

As for performance, if you rev it to the redline, it will probably outrun a 911SC and be comparable to a Carrera 3.2. The redline is around 7700 and it sounds a little strained at those revs. You will be working harder than the guy in the 911.

Steering is slow, which is made worse by the steering wheel position and how you have to use the wheel, Watch a bus driver, to get an idea of the technique. You can't toss it around like a 911. If you crank the wheel too hard, too fast, you'll break the front tires loose and plow straight on. This is something that won't come up if you're a good driver but it might catch out the occasional idiot. A 328 wants the front end to be loaded progressively. Steering feel is less than a 911. It's adequate. A 328 has decent brakes but it won't like greasy or sandy surfaces, especially downhill, much like a 911. They don't corner as flat as some people claim and you have to watch how quickly you hustle one through a fast left-right transition, like a chicane. The engine is heavier than a 911 and the weight of it is higher in the chassis and it can be a problem if you are not ahead of it and a good driver. You can spin one of these without getting off the throttle, although I doubt there'd be an instance on a public road where you'd run into that. I know a few tracks where that might bite the unskilled.

A 328 will bottom on frost heaves and dips at highway speeds. The part that hits first will be the cover shroud under the radiator, followed by the radiator once you wear a hole in the shroud.

The only real luggage space is in the rear trunk, which is vastly smaller than the 911 trunk. Soft bags only, unless you have a set of the nice looking, very expensive and fairly useless Ferrari fitted luggage. Anything you put in the trunk will get warm. Passengers are useful for holding drinks, food and anything you want to stow in the cockpit.

DIY service is more difficult, some repairs are a real pain in the ass. Some things, like suspension bushings, are not the "lifetime" items taken for granted by most 911 owners but
definitely more frequently replaced. Timing belts are an added item every 5-9 years, valve adjustments are more expensive because there's nearly 3 times as many valves and half of them are a huge pain to get to. Maintenance costs aren't as bad as people like to claim but they will be higher on a 328. Parts are also harder to find and I wouldn't take it for granted that you can always find them.

If you break certain things, like the stupid little stalks on the steering wheel for operating the lights, or a front fog light lens, I wish you luck in finding a replacement. You used to be able to wave a thousand dollar bill under someone's nose and be rewarded with your new part but I think those days are gone.

Ferrari drivers are worse than Porsche drivers, so caveat emptor when it comes to finding one that hasn't had an absolute idiot in the ownership chain. There will also be more owners/mile in a Ferrari.

Washing and waxing one is more work than a 911. More nooks and crannies. The engine cover slats are a huge nuisance to keep looking nice.

Etc.