The 360 from what I've heard and seen (i know, just hear a kid out)is a very lightweight and well balanced car. It will grip around some corners, and can be EASILY powerslided, and all the while the controls are easily putting the car where you want it to. Around some sharp corners it will grip, but the slightest steering turn or throttle can turn it into a GT3/M3 powerslide, its very well balanced, because it never seems oversteery? or slight understeer like turbo. Its straight line speed is quite good to say the least. The 3.6 V8 is a great sounding engine, but very loud (good) and very untorquey, it really needs to be revved hard to get the performance out of it. The controls are all light, steering especially so, lighter than the 996 turbo, but has great feedback and makes the car have pinpoint accuracy while turning. The car overall is built questionably though, and some examples with high mileages seem to rattle and squeak. For me this is a big no no in a car. SO you really have to love the 360 to put these quirks out of your head. Overall, a fast car, a fun car, an involving car, and most important, its a Ferrari, babes are guranteed.
Gallardo, well this car simply put is the bridging of the 911T and the 360. Whereas the turbo is a well built solid 4wd grippy car, and the 360 is a oversteering light and fun car, the Gallardo is the gap between. Its very well built, German quality obviously, and its a much more tighter car than the 360M. The 911T with its shorter gearing and huge mid range pull seems very quick and its engine is never stressed to the limit to access its performance, unlike 360M which can feel like a bike engine at times
The Gallardo has the best of both, it revs to near 8000rpm to produce its 500hp, and has a decent 510Nm in the midranges. While the 911 will feel quick or very quick in the mid ranges, the Gallardo with its questionable gearing feels as quick but slightly lacking in some gears/revs. For example 62 is achieved in 1st gear, while 90 in second, and the rest of the 4 gears are divided over a speed of 100mph. Goodness knows the performance this car could have achieved with 911T gearing (as in very short 1st gear and equally spaced ratios ro provide ample pull throughout all speed ranges). Throttle response is instantaneous as it is with the other cars but the handling is the best part. I don't need to stress the importance of 7.52 on the Nordschliefe.
The thing is, with ESP off, the Gallardo and like all 4wd lambos can be tempted to oversteer. And this is great sometimes, but slightly disconcerting at others. You see with the Turbo and its 4wd and wider tyres, its just grips and goes, no fuss, no mess. With the 360 you get a very manageable and oversteering car which is fun to say the least but just has that grip at times that you need to get you on track. The Gallardo on the otherhand, does and at times, does not have the same grip and poise of the turbo through corners, and when you get oversteer on a 4wd car, its slightly worrying, just a small quirk that will probably be never encountered on normal roads. Th steering of the Gallardo is accurate but lacks feedback like the turbo and the 360, blame the Audi development here, for me feedback steering is most important in a supercar.
As a summary, The Gallardo gies you the best choice and the best specs. You have hugely torquey engine with a refined but at times "playful" noise, with good handling and soild build quality. A perfect car BUT you will miss the direct and light responses of the 360 which needs to be revved and revved hard to get 400bhp, but which I think is still slightly better than the Turbo which is very quiet but well built, its just grips and goes, sometimes this is VERY effective but slightly boring?
I dare say..
Ride wise, adn practicality, they're all the same, 996 has slightly smoother ride than the others, but they're all firm and rewarding. The 360M is least practical because of NVH. The turbo is too sedate, while the Lambo is the best of both worlds, quiet and torquey when you just want to cruise, and savage in an Audi way
when you want it to. The thing is, when you buy any of the three here, what are you going to worry about,insurance, fuel consumption or practicality? NO. The most important aspect is feel and the feeling you just want to drive all day one Sunday morning. And personally, it has to look the part, IMO, one word... Ferrari
For me personally, the Gallardo is not hugely faster than the 996 with 450hp powerkit. Its is however miles faster and better built than the Modena. I find the 911 too sedate and too sophisticated? Its very effective and a good chocie but with the 997 coming lets reserve final judgement until then.. The 360 is left behind largely due to the engine and build quality for me otherwise its just perfect. It has the handling, the noise, the badge, the looks. This is why I love the Monza, it should address all the problems with a bigger V8 and better handling and quality. A Ferrari will always be a Ferrari, and for some it stirs emotions more than the "German built" Lambo and the all too familiar 911.
My choice couldn't be more naive:
420 Monza.
Feel free to comment, and don't forget thats my fun car choice, I have no problems with an AMG as my daily driver.
What do you guys think?