I haven’t yet seen the Ferrari movie. I’m sort of in two minds about seeing it too. On the one hand, I do enjoy movies about cars and the stories behind them. I thoroughly enjoyed both Rush and Ford v Ferrari. The latter, introducing the character I’m talking about today and have admired my whole life.
Enzo Ferrari is this mythical larger-than-life character. In Ford v Ferrari you can see the recalcitrant curmudgeon, who stubbornly holds on to full control over his company even when he’s sitting on the bones of his arse. He simply doesn’t tolerate any kind of criticism of his cars or his racing team. His enormous persona inspires his designers and engineers to build the best racecars in the world. Cars that simply destroy the competition. Well until that little incident with Ford, but we’ll gloss over that for now.
Seeing the Ferrari movie would render this god-like character human. I’m not sure if I’m quite ready for that.
it is the correct colour
When it came to his road cars, Enzo maintained his completely autocratic management style. His cars would be built strictly to adhere to his vision. So given that Enzo the dictator never wanted his cars to be red, mid-engined or V8 – it is almost impossible to imagine that this is the very combination that most people today, would consider the quintessential Ferrari. Well at least the one I’m looking at today is a little more in line with Enzo’s ideal in that it is the correct colour. You see, as well as being fiercely proud of his cars, Enzo was also massively attached to his hometown of Modena. The flag of Modena happens to be 2 large squares of colour next to each other – blue and Giallo Modena.
Having been in the extremely fortunate position to have driven a number of mid-engine Ferraris to date, I always love jumping back into a 308. To put things into perspective, if you drive an old Mercedes, and jump into a new Mercedes, it feels like a completely different car! Drive a 993 and 992 back-to-back and other than the basic shape, they are very different cars. However, driving a 488 Ferrari, you can still very much feel the DNA of the old 308 come through. There is a delicacy and nimbleness, an almost crude and rudimentary feel to a mid-ship Ferrari that can’t really be put into words.
All the moto-journo swear words and clichés immediately come to mind. It drives like a go-kart. Handles like it’s on rails. Responds instantly. Honestly, there isn’t really a better way of describing the driving experience though. Yes, obviously the 488 has moved the game forwards by a huge margin. The performance is eye watering, the brakes are incredible and the levels of grip will have you question what you know about the laws of physics. But it still feels very familiar after the 308.
The 308 is probably one of the most iconic Ferrari designs ever. From the sharp pointed nose and its pop-up headlights to the rounded side air intakes and slatted rear deck. Every part of this car was just an absolute masterstroke of design. There isn’t a single angle from which the 308 is anything other than desperately pretty. And you know what? Maybe Enzo had a point – this thing really does look stunning in Yellow!
Ergonomics, being an ‘emerging science’
On the inside, the 308 is very basic, especially compared to its younger siblings. Ergonomics, being an ‘emerging science’ at the time, the layout is not exactly intuitive or logical, but you quickly get used to the quirks. Luckily the 308’s lack of toys and gadgets mean that there are only so many controls that you could possibly be looking for. It really is as though they had a hand full of buttons and controls, threw them at the dashboard and wherever they landed, that’s where they put them.
Oddly enough – I have driven a number of 308’s now and no two have been exactly the same either. Some of them had electric mirror controls hidden under the dashboard. This one has the mirror controls on the centre console – mixed in with the ventilation controls, obviously. Some had rotary knobs for fan speed controls, others have toggle switches or sliders. You really do get the sense that Ferrari was building these cars with whatever parts were left over after they had kitted out the racecars.
Getting in and out is also a process. The windscreen sweeps really far back so not hitting your head against that or the door glass on your way in takes practice. It’s low on the ground and the seat is quite far forward of the door opening. The wide sills further complicate things, along with the offset pedal location and footwell that shallows sharply towards the outside of the car.
But because it’s a Ferrari…
Here’s the thing though. If this were a BMW or Mercedes, these aspects of the car would irritate me. I would be swearing every time I have to fold myself into a pretzel just to get in or out of the cursed thing. I would beat the steering wheel in frustration when the ventilation controls don’t work as I would expect. The fact that the steering wheel is straight ahead but the peddles are almost in the middle of the car would make me want to crash it into the nearest ditch. But because it’s a Ferrari – it makes you giggle and smile.
The fact that it just feels so special and unique makes you forgive all the little period-hilarities. It adds to the experience rather than takes away from it. And then you start the engine…
It barks into life with a puppy-dog enthusiasm. It revs quickly and eagerly. Power is not impressive by today’s standards at all, but there is a linearity and responsiveness to it that a lot of modern engines with their emission-gubbins can never match. Because your hind-end is only 3 inches off the tarmac, it also feels a lot quicker than it really is.
another R5 in the moto-journo cliché jar
Once warmed up, the gated manual is like a bolt-action rifle (oh there goes another R5 in the moto-journo cliché jar). The intake noise from those carburettors and the old-school F1 howl from the exhaust is addictive. Wring it out, then slot it into the next gear and repeat.
Driving around, even at modest speeds, the chassis is constantly talking. Little bumps, vibrations and shimmies tell you exactly what is going on under you. It feels alive! Never 100% settled, yet still perfectly stable at the same time. It really is a trick that Ferrari can pull off much better than any other manufacturer I’ve had the pleasure of sampling. Grip levels are good and you can have some serious fun in the corners, because it inspires confidence, and it wants to be driven.
I want one
Would I have one? Well at R1.3M, this little 308 comes dangerously close in price to some heavy hitters, like the 360 Modena or some serious Porsche 911’s. Of those, I would still prefer the 360 Modena over the Porsches, because it still has the same DNA as the 308 in the way it feels to drive. However, to get to the point where you are really exploiting what the car has to offer, the 360 has to have built up a fairly big lick of speed! The 308 can dance like a racecar at 60kph, making that indescribable feeling much more accessible. In every measurable way the 360 would be a better car, but the 308 is just such fun to drive. So, in short. Yes. I want one. Badly.
