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Top 5 Best and Worst Ferraris Ever Made

Sep 26, 2012

Written by Andrew O. (andrewo)

Not all Ferraris are created equal.  Yes, they have made some of the world's best looking and driving cars, but some fail to live up to their badge.  Below are what I consider to be the top 5 best and worst Ferraris ever made.  Please feel free to tell me what you think in the comments.  

 

Top 5 Best Ferraris

 

1.  Ferrari 250 SWB California Spyder

Ferrari 250

 

This is definitely one of the prettiest cars ever made my Ferrari.  The 250 Cabriolet was a nice car, but the weekend racer wanted more.  The SWB California was based on the race car chassis of the 250 SWB GT.  This combination of style and race car performance ended up creating the most celebrated open Ferrari ever.  The 250 SWB California is everything a Ferrari should be.  It is pretty, muscular, fast, and elegant all at the same time.

 

2.  Ferrari F40

Ferrari F40

 

When Ferrari came out with the F40, people expected a lot.  It was supposed to be the best supercar, it was the last car Enzo was directly involved with, and it was made to celebrate Ferrari's 40th Anniversary.   Even though a Bentley Continental SS has a higher top speed than the F40, for the time period, the specifications of the F40 were unbelievable.  The Lamborghini Countach could barely get to 180 mph while the F40 could go 201.  The looks and performance of the F40 have made it a legend that is starting to shoot up in value.  I can only hope the F70 can be as good as the F40.

 

3.  Ferrari 575 Superamerica

Ferrari 575M

 

The 575 was a fantastic car and the Superamerica version was even better.  The glass targa top was genius - and practical idea.  It looked good with the top up and it did not compromise the trunk space when it was down because it folded over the trunk.  The 575 was one of the best GT cars in the world.  A 575 Superamerica with a stick shift is one of my dream cars.

 

4.  Ferrari 275

Ferrari 275

 

The 275 is basically a Daytona that looks even better.  The lines of the 275 are stunning.  It is not just one of the prettiest Ferraris; it is one of the prettiest cars ever.  The later 275 GTB/4s with the long nose (for more stability at top speed) are the most desirable models.  It might not be as fast as the Daytona that replaced it, but the looks of the 275 make up for it's lack of performance.

 

5.  Ferrari 355

Ferrari F355

 

Another one of the best looking Ferraris is the 355.  The 5 valve V8 makes the thing absolutely scream at speed.  It has classic Ferrari lines with a flipped up tail spoiler reminiscent of the 288 GTO.  Dropping the engine to change the belts might get annoying (and very expensive) but it's a small price to pay for what you get.  At $50,000 to $60,000, it is one of the best deals on the market.

 

 

 

5 Cars Ferrari Never Should Have Built

 

1.  Ferrari FF

Ferrari FF

 

It might be fast, but it looks god awful.  The grinning face (with teeth) makes it look like a jack O'lantern that I would have made in second grade.  The shooting brake design can look nice but it was not well executed with the FF.  Ferrari has the best team of designers in the world and I was very disappointed when they came out with the FF.

 

2.  Ferrari 208

Ferrari 288 GTO

 

It looks nice but come on!  A Ferrari should at least be somewhat quick.  The 308 was slow enough and the 208 was just down right embarrassing.  The car was only made so owners could get around the over 2.0 Litre tax on cars in Europe.  Interestingly, the 2 litre V8 is the smallest V8 ever put into production.

 

3.  Ferrari 400i/412

Ferrari 412

 

These are just horrible.  The untrained eye could easily mistake one of these for an 80's Mustang!  It is really boring and most of them were ordered with full automatics.

 

4.  Ferrari 308 GT4

Ferrari 308 GT4

 

These are so ugly.  The US versions were even uglier with their brick like bumpers.  The front view is okay but the rear 3/4 view is very strange.

 

5.  Ferrari 365 California

Ferrari 365 GT

 

I'm kind of torn on this one.  It looks interesting from the front but it wasn't a very good car.  The back looks okay but Ferrari did almost nothing to strengthen the chassis after they cut the roof off a 365.  I remember reading an article saying that the doors would not close properly after driving down a rough road.  It was very poorly engineered.

 

So, what do you all think?  Leave your comments below.

Comments (69 total)
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The Scuderia 16M Spyder is one of my top 5 rankings. F355 massively agree with you. Saw a 250 Series 2 Cabriolet in the Kensington Ferrari showroom and I was in love with it, incredible beauty. I'd replace the 575 SA with the California if it was me. Styling aside, it seems very accessable as a car
Posted:  09/26/2012 10:11:52
 
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And Great idea of using peoples pictures!
Posted:  09/26/2012 09:22:21
 
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I loved this article, but I found it too much of an opinion. IMO I dont think that there is any bad Ferraris.

Great Work!
Posted:  09/26/2012 09:21:30
 2 likes
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My best five would be the 355, Daytona, 458, Enzo, and the 599 GTO.
Posted:  09/26/2012 08:06:42
 
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I agree as well, nice article! I love how you used pictures from the website instead of from somewhere else.
Posted:  09/26/2012 06:24:57
 
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my 5 best would've been enzo, F40, F50, 458, 250 GTO but to go with your top and last, i would agree with everything there (although i'm not really a fan of the 355 or 575)

great job (and idea)for an article!!!
Posted:  09/26/2012 06:16:08
 
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the 5 worst are (FF-mondial, 612 scagliettiā€,California,and Ferrari 400i/412)
the best ferrari are(F40,enzo,512TR,GTO,458)
Posted:  09/26/2012 05:36:19
 
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i think the 156 p330 288 GTO 512TR 575M those are some of my favorites of course i really like the California too it has really grown on me just hate it when owners specced it out with the lightweight wheels.
Posted:  09/26/2012 03:09:14
 
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Nice post, Andrew. I do agree with your 5 worst and best.

Out of curiosity: what is your take or rank on the Ferrari Enzo and the 458 Italia?
Posted:  09/26/2012 02:57:07
 
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