Retro-Comparo, Round 2:

Ferrari 360 Modena

Vs.

Porsche 911 Turbo (996)

In this series we take a contemporary look at two classic rivals. The Porsche 911 has been an enduring icon of sports vehicles and a top contender for the hearts, minds, and wallets of would be buyers. We look back at some of those other contenders, explore what made them stand out at the time, and view them based on what they can offer today in terms of experience, style, and value. For comparison purposes the prices and specifications listed are from the model years of the pictured examples, along with performance numbers taken from the manufacturers press releases where possible.  

For this second edition we compare the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Porsche 996 Turbo - THE iconic sports cars at the turn of the millennium.

Swabia takes on Emilia-Romagna 

Recognizable the world over as watershed moments for their respective manufacturers, we ask how have these two titans of the European automotive industry held up in the last 25 years? Let’s take a look.

When they ruled the showroom:

360 Modena Price New (starting) : $153,500 The 360 was the least expensive offering from the Italian maker at the time. Powered by a 395 HP 3.6l V8 engine, it howled to its 8500 RPM limit with a banshee’s wail, offering a naturally aspirated driving experience that is still talked about to this day. 0-60 was claimed at 4.5 seconds and top speed at 183 MPH. Its aluminum chassis was significantly lighter than its predecessor, bringing the curb weight to a very respectable 3,424 lbs.

911 Turbo Price New (starting) : $116,818 The 996 was a complete departure from everything that had come from Stuttgart before. Though technically introduced for the 1998 model year, it was certainly a big part of Porsche’s launch into the new millennium. The liquid-cooled engine was nearly all new for the turbo, save for the split case of the engine block. Horsepower was rated at 414, with a claimed top speed of 189 MPH. Curb weight stood at  3,395 lbs.

What the Press Said

360 Modena “So unexpected. So exuberant. So sexy.” So said Car and Driver in a year 2000 test directly comparing these two and an Aston Martin DB7. The Ferrari was firmly placed first in that test, with editors praising the engine note and the feel of the cockpit compared to Ferraris of old. While not quite living up to the power promise of the Turbo, the engine was a high RPM screamer, delivering a performance that was anything but slow. The 360 took first overall in that test. Perhaps not surprising with the highest sticker price. Despite being nearly a second slower to 60, it won high marks for its sheer theater, and a personality that was unmistakably Ferrari. ~Chef’s kiss~

911 Turbo In that same Y2k comparison test, C&D wrote “Next time the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty comes up for review, this Porsche needs to be on the table.” Its performance was unmatched at the time, offering a complete package of comfort and mild manners when you want them, and absolutely ballistic performance when you needed it. That it outperformed the Ferrari on paper and in the real world, while costing nearly 40 grand less was just icing on the cake. Porsche had launched themselves into the new millennium with gusto, proving that they were looking to the future with performance and technology.

There is no doubt that the motoring press was absolutely smitten by both of these cars when they launched. For each manufacturer, they represented a step into a new era. For Ferrari, it was moving away from the steel chassis and good-but-not-great engines, into an era of all-aluminum everything and a penchant for sky-high redlines that would continue right to the very death of Maranello’s NA V8. 

For Porsche, a complete departure for what was taken as Teutonic gospel. Gone were the days of the air-cooled tradition, replaced by a layout that was both familiar and yet completely new. The twin-turbo performance was undeniable, and despite what some purists at the time would have you believe, the Mezger platform continued to build upon the traditions of old, delivering a new benchmark of performance. 

Now That They’re old classic

360 Modena Expect to pay (thousands USD): Coupes: $80-150 Convertibles: $80-150 The longest running tradition related to the prancing horse is the fastidious pedantry of its owners club. There exists a fanatical standard expected of each and every owner to treasure and coddle their car to preserve its quality.  The comment sections of many a classified section or auction will see a chorus of fellow owners lamenting the poor quality of a car cover pictured, or the fact that it had an oil change at an independent instead of the dealership one time in 2012, both facts that surely mean an example is condemned to promptly burst into flames at the next turn of the ignition.  Despite this litany of non-issues, the real deciding factor in the value of an F360 today, is the transmission. The automated sequential manual (known as the F1) has not aged as well as the rest of the car. There exists a three tiered system of pricing for otherwise like for like examples. Expect to pay nearly double for a factory equipped manual over a similar condition F1, with aftermarket converted options selling for about halfway in between.  Beyond that, prices exponentially increase with lower miles, fewer owners, and rarer options.

911 Turbo Expect to pay (thousands USD): Coupes: $60-120 Convertibles: $45-70 Much like the Ferrari, the big value split on the 996 Turbo remains the transmission. The 996 was offered in a six speed manual, and a five speed ‘Porsche’ Tiptronic automatic. Unlike the sequential manual of the Ferrari, the Tiptronic remains in technical favour being a traditional torque converter driven slush box. It is a good gearbox, appealing to many current buyers but the collectors, as always, deeply prefer that third pedal.  While both the 996 turbo and the 360 prefer coupes over convertibles, value wise, the division is more stark with the turbo. The 996 generation was a major technical leap forward when it came to chassis engineering, but there is no denying the extra wobble of that rearward lump when you cut half the support (roof) off. It could also be that the engineering of a drop top to cover the 2+2 seat turbo is a little more taxing on the chassis than the strictly 2 seater 360, it could also be that Ferrari buyers are far more eager to be seen in the driver’s seat. We’ll leave it to the reader to decide.

A Value Proposition

There is no denying that the millennium brought a significant revolution to a sports car industry that had lagged on incremental evolution alone for decades. Those same fearsome computers that threatened to tick over and destroy everything, for the first time really allowed manufacturers to design completely new vehicles with modern materials, designs, and technology, with far fewer compromises along the way. It wasn’t just Porsche and Ferrari, the list includes Lamborghini, BMW, Mercedes, Lotus, etc. Almost every manufacturer used the millennium to lean into new tech, styling, safety, comfort, and performance. 

Driving a vehicle from this era in 2025, it's easy and intuitive to understand what a high point it was. The very best Hydraulic steering, combined with powerful engines that would start every time. Futuristic styling of the day looks wonderfully retro now. The 360 and the 996 Turbo represented the very best of the future. Compared to the models before they were faster, safer, daily drivable, and still full of character. 

More specifically, which of these two better represents the time? 

The 360 in many ways leans even further back to a bygone era. The five valve, naturally aspirated eight cylinder really represented the most advanced iteration of the most classic Ferrari formula. As striking as the leap forward between the 355 and the 360 was, they are peas in the pod when compared to any of the unrecognizable Ferrari offerings today. With some front end tweaks and a good alignment, you have a sports car that is incredibly sharp, with a visceral rewarding soundtrack, and plenty of performance. All wrapped up in a beautifully dated time capsule of a world looking forward to the future. 

The 996 turbo leans forward in an opposite way. Walk into any dealership and attempt to buy a brand new turbo and you’ll be handed a brochure of impossible numbers, drawn out of a familiar formula: AWD, rear engined, and a similarly sized twin turbo flat six. Where the 360 is unrecognizable to any contemporary Ferrari, the 996 Turbo stands instead as a genesis of the modern Porsche. Driving a 996 today leaves you part of an exclusive club, the owner of the most ambitiously styled 911 ever made. Zuffenhausen’s cold feet after the critical reception of the 996 by the purists has been long understood, and long understood to have led to more restrained styling for the 997 and beyond. 

In many ways the 360 is the safe choice, the 996 the bold, an inversion of the decision of the day between the practical German and the eccentric Italian. In many other ways, the tradition of the 360 at the time is more desirable today in the wake of what we lost, and the 996 turbo instead the best example of the formula at the beginning of the end.