[Esteban]

Originally Posted by ///MPhatic

Topaz Blue Metallic E46 M3 - Brembo GT BBK & BBS LMs

European Auto Source

My favorite BMW and that is a great example of one.

[Llarry]

In 1973, Ferrari introduced its first V-8-powered road car: the 308 GT4. The 308 GT4 was innovative in several areas -- mid-engine and with small rear seats. The car was badged Dino, not Ferrari, but was manufactured by Ferrari and sold at Ferrari dealers. The styling was by Bertone, not the traditional Pininfarina.

The engine was a 2,926cc V-8, having the same bore and stroke as the Ferrari 4.4-liter V-12 engines of the period. In Europe, the output was quoted as 250 hp; 240 hp in the USA. Emissions regulations were starting to be felt and output dropped to 205 hp in US engines with catalytic converters.

Alloy wheels were fitted from the beginning and the tires were generally Michelin XWX 205/70VR-14s.

In late 1976, the 308 GT4 began to be badged as a Ferrari. Owners of earlier cars sometimes took matters into their own hands.

There were also similar cars manufactured for the Italian market with 2-liter V-8s of 180 hp.

The total number built was 2,826 308 GT4s and 840 208 GT4s.

[Llarry]

The innovative 308 GT4 was followed by another mid-engine V-8 2+2 in 1980: The Ferrari Mondial. This time Pininfarina did the styling honors and it was not bad looking, although a mid-engine 2+2 will never have that "long hood" look that was a Ferrari tradition.

The Mondial had a 100 mm (4 inch) wheelbase stretch over the 308 GT4 to provide more room but the rear seat was still a bit tight. There was a luggage compartment behind the engine, but it tended to get warm; not a place to store chocolate.

The Mondial was introduced as Ferrari adopted the Michelin TRX metric tire system and used 220/55VR-390 tires in front and 240/55VR-390 tires in the rear. It had an unusually long model run (1980 to 1993) and later adopted 16-inch wheels with 205/55R-16 front and 225/55R-16 rear tires. Late models got anti-lock braking systems.

The engine evolved along with the 2-seat V-8 models produced at the same time, The initial model Mondial 8 put out just 205 hp, making it one of slowest Ferraris ever. In 1982 it got the 4-valve engine with a bump to 230 hp. In 1985 the engine was enlarged to 3.2 liters and made 260 hp. Finally in 1988, the Mondial t was enlarged to 3.4 liters and gave 300 hp.

About 6,000 Mondials of all types were sold over the long model run. Today, they are often the least expensive used Ferraris available.

[JJ 911SC]

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[Pauly Wauly]

Originally Posted by JJ 911SC

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The Peugeot 205 T16 was an amazing rally car!
I remember when it was winning almost everything in the mid to late 80s.

[Llarry]

I will admit to not generally being a fan of Mercedes-Benz but were I a billionaire and had a car collection, I would give serious consideration to adding a 1955-58 Mercedes-Benz 300Sc cabriolet or roadster to my collection. The 300Sc was also available as a coupe. Just 200 cars -- of all three body types -- were made during the production run. I would think a 300Sc would compete well with a Rolls, but with improved driving dynamics. And the 300Sc just exudes old world charm.

3-liter straight six with 175 hp.

Also, it would pair well with my (imaginary) 300SL roadster of slightly later vintage.

[Llarry]

I've jumped around quite a bit on the Ferrari postings -- from late to early, from sporting to luxury, etc.

I've covered almost all of the classic era front-engine V-12s, so let me concentrate on finishing off that genre.

As recounted earlier, Ferrari finally broke the 3-liter barrier with the introduction of the 275GTB berlinetta and the 275GTS spider in 1964. Two years later, they were ready for the next step; on the sporting side, that led to the introduction of the dual overhead cam six-carb 275GTB4.
On the more relaxed side, they introduced a coupe and spider using the same 4-liter V-12 as the 2+2. These models were the 330GTC and 330GTS -- as with practically all Ferraris of the era, they were very handsome cars and had excellent performance, if not quite the urgency of the 275GTB4.

The styling was evolutionary from the previous 275GTS. There was plenty of power from the 4.0 V-12: 300 hp.

598 330GTCs were sold and 100 330GTSs went out the door.

After a mere two years, Ferrari once again upped the ante: This time the displacement went to 4.4 liters and the power went to 320 hp. But the 365GTC and the 365GTS stayed in production for just a year: 168 coupes and just 20 spiders were built. By this time the legendary 365GTB4 Daytona -- in many ways the ultimate front-engine V-12 of the classic era -- had made its debut. I'll discuss the Daytona separately.

All the photos are of 330 models; the later 365 cars were almost identical.

[Llarry]

For lots of folks, the term "1970s Ferrari V-12" brings to mind the fabulous Ferrari 365GTB4 Daytona. At introduction in late 1968, it was the fastest and most expensive Ferrari ever. Automotive magazine road tests soon confirmed the factory's claimed top speed of 174 miles per hour.

The Daytona shared engine dimensions with the plain 365s but featured dual overhead cams and six Weber carbs. The output was 352 hp at 7500 rpm.

A year after the 365GTB4's debut, a spider version was offered. These ended up being much rarer than the berlinettas. The production totals through 1973 were 1,284 coupes and 122 spiders. The rarity of the spider led to a phenomenon where perfectly good coupes had their tops cut off and were converted to spiders. I think those days are long gone -- hopefully all concerned appreciate both cars now.

Those who drive the Daytona for the first time are generally shocked by amount of steering effort. The other thing that can be said about this supercar is that many of our current-era BMWs will easily blow the doors off a Daytona whether in a straight line or a curvy road. Such is progress...

[Llarry]

As the 1970s began, increasingly strict emissions and safety regulations in the USA caused Ferrari to stop selling V-12 models in the States. The Daytona was basically the swan song for the marque as Ferrari concentrated its US marketing efforts on V-8 models.

There was one final V-12 model introduced in 1970: The 364GTC4 had a DOHC 4.4 liter engine like the Daytona, but with reduced power of 320 hp. It was essentially a replacement for the 330/365GTC and was sold for just two years, with 500 leaving the factory.

[NWH83]

Spotted this full carbon Senna during the Sonoma Raceway/Sears point Fanatec GT World Challenge:

[Llarry]

Ferrari's first PHEV: the 296GTB and 296GTS in berlinetta and spider forms introduced in 2022.

3.0 liter twin turbo V-6 of 654 hp, supplemented by electric motor for a total of 819 hp (!) Curb weight of the coupe is just 3,240 pounds, or 3,530 pounds according to Car and Driver magazine. Some other interesting specs: 0 to 60 in 2.4 seconds, 0 to 100 in 4.7 seconds, top speed 205 mph (per Ferrari). Oh, and EPA fuel economy 16 city, 22 highway.

296 GTB $338,255
296 GTS $367,189

And those prices include maintenance for seven years/unlimited mileage. That's the good news. The bad news: Those Ferrari shields on the fenders are $1,856 options. Auto-dimming mirrors $1,350. Log floor mats also $1,350. I could go on but you get the drift...

I think the shape is reminiscent of the 250LM racer of the 1960s.

Update: It appears that the 296 has replaced the mid-engine turbo V-8 F8 Tributo as of this year, bringing to an end a half-century of Ferrari mid-engine V-8s that started with the 308GT4.

[Llarry]

After the era of the Daytona and the 365GTC4, the first of the Ferrari 12-cylinder cars that was forbidden for the USA was the Berlinetta Boxer, which used a completely new horizontally opposed flat-12 boxer engine of 4.4 liters mounted amidships. Horsepower went up to 380.

The Boxer is not as practical as the Daytona before it but was a sensation in its own time. The clutch and steering are heavy, but the latter lightens up with speed.

Predictably, some Americans found their way around the government regulations and managed to federalize Euro cars. Of course, these cars are now old enough to be imported to the USA.

387 365 GT4 BBs were produced from 1973 to 1976 and the car was replaced by the similar but improved 512 Berlinetta Boxer with 4.9 liter flat-12.

[Llarry]

1949 Volkswagen Convertible by Hebmuller. Very rare.

[Llarry]

Originally Posted by Llarry

387 365 GT4 BBs were produced from 1973 to 1976 and the car was replaced by the similar but improved 512 Berlinetta Boxer with 4.9 liter flat-12.

The 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer was replaced by the Ferrari 512 introduced in 1976. The 512BB remained off-limits to Americans. Unusually, the power output dropped slightly to 360 hp, although the usable torque increased. And now the designation system of displacement per cylinder was replaced by approximate total displacement with a "12" for the flat-12, following the pattern of the V-8 cars.

929 512BBs were built from 1981 to 1984, when it was replaced by the 512BBi with fuel injection. Some 1,007 512BBi cars were built from 1981 to 1984. The 512BBi would be succeeded by the Testarossa with its dramatic new styling.

[Llarry]

While the more sporting Ferraris adopted a mid-engine layout, the large 2+2 cars retained the front V-12 in ever-larger size. The same basic car was produced from 1972 to 1989 in the following versions:
-- 365GTB4 2+2 1972 to 1976 with 521 built
-- 400 1976 to 1979 in with 4.8-liter V-12 in two variants: the 400GT with 5-speed manual transmission and the 400A fitted with a General Motors-sourced three-speed automatic transmission. 147 400GTs were built and 355 400As were built. The 400 was the luxury Ferrari but the sales of so many automatics horrified some hard-core Ferraristas, but Ferrari was giving the customers what they wanted.
-- 400i with fuel injection from 1979 to 1984; 1,305 were built and the automatic sales were nearly twice that of the manual cars.
-- 412i with enlarged 4.9 engine from 1985 to 1989. 576 cars were built and the manuals showed a slight resurgence but were still outnumbered by automatic versions. Late models had ABS. Metric-sized Michelin TRX 240/55R-415 tires were fitted to late 400I cars as well as the 412i. Many subsequent owners have refitted non-TRX tires as the years have gone by.

[Llarry]

In 1984, Ferrari ventured into turbocharging with a special model manufactured in limited numbers: The 288GTO. Resurrecting the GTO designation from more than twenty years earlier helped make the 288GTO a special car. So did the limited production run: 272 cars.

The car was designed on a modified 308GTB platform. The engine was a 2,855-cc turbo 32 valve V-8 and put out 400 hp, as opposed to 230 hp in the regular 308.

[Lady Jane]

Originally Posted by Llarry

(Apologies for the R&T road test being crooked... several tries resulted in the same poor result.)

When you open your picture on your system, ( Windows 10?) you just need to go to the adjustment feature and slide the ruler left or right. Too easy.

[murderspice]

Originally Posted by Llarry

The 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer was replaced by the Ferrari 512 introduced in 1976. The 512BB remained off-limited to Americans. Unusually, the power output dropped slightly to 360 hp, although the usable torque increased. And now the designation system of displacement per cylinder was replaced by approximate total displacement with a "12" for the flat-12, following the pattern of the V-8 cars.

929 512BBs were built from 1981 to 1984, when it was replaced by the 512BBi with fuel injection. Some 1,007 512BBi cars were built from 1981 to 1984. The 512BBi would be succeeded by the Testarossa with its dramatic new styling.

List price $38k
Price as tested $85k lololol

[Llarry]

In 1984, Ferrari replaced the 512BBi with the new Testarossa, which featured a 50 mm (or two inch) wheelbase stretch and dramatic new styling. At introduction, the Testarossa was the world's fastest production car (see R&T road test). Furthermore, Ferrari decided to federalize the car and make it available in the USA, which created quite a buzz.

The TR, like the Berlinetta Boxers before it, was available in coupe form accommodating two. But Ferrari built several open versions for special customers and the aftermarket added more spiders.

Initially, the car came with Michelin TRX metric tires but shortly was converted to inch sizes.

Like the front-engine V-12 2+2s, the Testarossa evolved over a period of years in three iterations:
-- Testarossa 1984-1991 with 380 hp (7,177 built)
-- 512TR 1991-94 with 422 hp (2,280 built)
-- F512M 1994-1996 with 434 hp (501 built)

[Lady Jane]

A completely restored 1953 Corvette prototype in Bermuda Green. Going on the auction block for a cool $1.5-$2 millions.

[floridaorange]

^Love that interior - so cool!

[Llarry]

A couple of years before the last Testarossas came off the line, Ferrari debuted a new front engine V-12 2+2 car: the 456GT. As with the 412i before it, the new 456 was available with either manual (now 6-speed) or automatic transmissions. The engine was now 5.5 liters (456 cc per cylinder x 12) and the output rose to a respectable 436 hp. The wheelbase was actually reduced in this model. I will admit to some personal prejudice as I think the 456 is particularly beautiful.

From 1993 to 1997, 1,951 456GTs were sold. Interestingly, the manual-automatic mix changed and now the manuals outsold the autos almost four to one.

In 1998, a 456M was introduced; for once there was no increase in power, but a carbon fiber hood was introduced, and a host of smaller changes were made. Over 1,300 cars were sold from 1998 to 2003.