Slide of
2017 not only marks 70 years of Ferrari road cars, but also 50 years of Ferrari making cars with engines in the middle.
Time to take a good look at all of them.
- Slide of
Dino 206 GT (1967)
The first ever Ferrari with its engine behind the driver rather than in front, the Dino was also the first to feature just six cylinders; all road cars had a V12 before then. Just 152 of these 206 GTs were built, all fixed-heads, with aluminium bodyshells.
- Slide of
Dino 246 GT (1969)
As with its predecessor, the 246 GT wasn’t badged a Ferrari; it carried Dino branding instead. In place of the previous 1986cc engine was a much torquier 2418cc unit. The bodyshell was now made of steel and from 1972 there was a targa-roofed version available, the 246 GTS. Between 1969 and 1974, 3,761 Dinos were sold, so it was a big success for Ferrari.
- Slide of
Ferrari 308 GT4 (1973)
One of the few runts of the Ferrari litter, the 308 GT4 2+2 was the first road car from Maranello with a V8. Styled by Bertone the GT4 isn’t as graceful as the usual Pininfarina-designed offerings but it’s still great to drive and remains one of the most accessible Ferraris. A 170bhp 208 GT4 came in 1975 as a tax-break model for the Italian market, with a 1,990cc V8 in place of the usual 255bhp 2,926cc version.
- Slide of
Ferrari 365 GT4 BB (1973)
Still one of the most beautiful cars ever built, the original Boxer was known as the 365 GT4 and featured a 4.4-litre flat-12. Ferrari’s first car to feature a mid-mounted 12-cylinder engine, the 365 Boxer was first shown in prototype form in 1971 and went into production in 1973. With 380bhp it was capable of a claimed 188mph.
- Slide of
Ferrari 308 GTB/GTS (1975)
Mechanically identical to the GT4, the two-seater fixed-head 308 GTB was designed by Pininfarina. With 12,000 examples sold the model would be Ferrari’s biggest-seller to date; a targa-topped 308 GTS arrived in 1977 then fuel injection was adopted in 1980. A turbocharged 2.0-litre 208 GTB went on sale in Italy in 1982 when the Quattrovalvole also made its debut, with four-valve heads.
- Slide of
Ferrari 512 Boxer (1976)
Three years after it first went on sale the 365 GT4 BB was given a capacity increase so it now sported a 4943cc flat-12, rated at 360bhp. Initially this was fed by a quartet of Weber carburettors but from 1981 this switched to Bosch fuel injection and in the process the power was cut to 340bhp – although the car was still claimed to be capable of 188mph.
- Slide of
Ferrari Mondial (1980)
One of the least-loved Ferraris of all time, and now the entry-level model for aspiring Prancing Horse owners on a budget, the Mondial was always going to look awkward with its 2+2 configuration and an engine in the middle. The 308 GT4’s replacement got four-valve heads in 1982, a cabriolet arrived in 1983 then two years later came the final flourish: the Mondial T with a longitudinally mounted V8 in place of the previous transverse item.
- Slide of
Ferrari 288 GTO (1984)
Think Group B and you think Ford RS200 or Audi S1 tackling crazy terrain at high speed. But this was Ferrari’s contender for the ill-fated series. Its twin-turbo 2855cc V8 generated 394bhp and it could do 190mph; the 272 examples built are now incredibly sought after - one sold at Pebble Beach in 2016 for US$2.4 million (£1.8 million).
- Slide of
Ferrari Testarossa (1984)
After the svelte designs for which Ferrari had become famous, the brutal Testarossa was an abrupt departure. With its massively wide rear and those in-your-face cooling strakes down each side, the Boxer replacement certainly had presence. With its 390bhp 4,943cc flat-12, the Testarossa could sprint from 0-60mph in 5.8 seconds on its way to a 181mph top speed.
- Slide of
Ferrari 328 GTB/GTS (1985)
A decade after it arrived, the 308 GTB and GTS were treated to a bigger engine and a design refresh to become the 328. Intriguingly, while 1,345 examples of the 328 GTB were sold, more than four times as many open-topped cars (6,068) were delivered. In 1986 a Turbo version was introduced for the Italian market, still with the same 1,991cc engine as in the 208 but now the car was known simply as the GTB and GTS Turbo.
- Slide of
Ferrari F40 (1987)
When Ferrari built a car to celebrate its 40th birthday it didn’t hold back. Even now the F40 is one of the most extreme cars ever created, with its array of scoops, slats, ducts and spoilers – along with its twin-turbo 2,936cc V8. With 478bhp this was the first Ferrari road car that could top the double ton – it was rated at 201mph.
- Slide of
Ferrari 348 TB/TS (1989)
Only recently has the 348 come in from the cold. When new its driving experience and design were seen as not quite worthy of the Prancing Horse, but with these cars now seen as classics rather than something to be driven in anger, values have risen as buyers scramble to get inside any Ferrari, no matter what it is. And if we’re honest, it’s not bad to drive and quick enough with its 300bhp V8 capable of taking it to 170mph.
- Slide of
Ferrari F355 (1994)
The first car to be fitted with Ferrari’s F1 paddleshift gearbox, the F355 was far prettier than the 348 that it replaced. It was also the first Ferrari road car with five valves per cylinder and the first with a flat underside. Buyers could choose between a fixed-head coupé, a targa edition (the GTS) and a full convertible (the spider).
- Slide of
Ferrari F512 M (1994)
The last hurrah for the Testarossa, the F512 M replaced the 512 TR in 1994. While the structure was carried over unchanged there were major revisions for the exterior design while the mechanicals were overhauled too, so there was now 440bhp on tap – hardly a massive increase over the previous iteration’s 428bhp.
- Slide of
Ferrari F50 (1995)
Ferrari was always going to struggle to come up with something that could eclipse the F40 and sure enough, the F50 seemed rather soft in comparison. But the F50 is far rarer with just 349 being built compared with the F40’s 1,315. With its 513bhp normally aspirated 4.7-litre V12 the F50 is a very different animal to drive but it’s no less impressive, with its carbon fibre monocoque construction.
- Slide of
Ferrari 360M (1999)
With each new generation of mid-engined V8 two-seater, Ferrari had seen a steady increase in sales. The 328 sold 7,412 units, while 8,844 examples of the 348 were sold. F355 sales stood at over 9,000 so the fact that more than 16,000 360Ms were shifted shows just what a success it was. Honed in the wind tunnel and with aluminium construction throughout for the first time ever, the 360M was light and slippery – and it was quite brilliant to drive as a result.
- Slide of
Ferrari Enzo (2002)
The F50’s successor was the closest thing to a road-going Formula One car yet to roll through the Maranello factory gates. It was designed with one aim in mind – to be the fastest Ferrari ever and its design reflected that, along with its mechanical specification. The 5,998cc V12 put out 660bhp, the top speed was 217mph and it could do 0-62mph in just 3.6 seconds.
- Slide of
Ferrari F430 (2004)
It may have looked like little more than a facelifted 360 Modena, but the F430 was much more than that. For starters there was an all-new V8 (now displacing 4308cc and rated at 483bhp) while it was the first road car to be fitted with an electronically controlled differential. As with its predecessor, buyers could choose between fixed-head and spider editions.
- Slide of
Ferrari 458 Italia (2009)
The F430 was an impressive machine, but what Ferrari did next was scarcely credible; it created a car that represented a step change over the F430. Or as we said at the time: “It can hold its own in handling terms with some of the best-handling cars we’ve ever driven, notably the Lotus Evora and Noble M600, while its performance is at a level that matches, and in many cases beats, hyper-expensive and hyper-exclusive supercars from not that long ago”.
- Slide of
Ferrari 488 GTB
To the casual observer the 488 looks little different from the 458, but Ferrari raised the bar significantly, yet again, with a car that featured a turbocharged V8. We were bowled over by it: “Ferrari’s greatest achievement with the 488 GTB is not simply how fast it goes. Nor is it how it has integrated turbochargers onto its mid-mounted V8 yet retained far more character than any other manufacturer that has tried artificially aspirating its engines. Nor is it that it has given the 488 all the track poise and ability of the 458 Speciale that went before it."
"No, the feat is how all of the above have been melded into what is undoubtedly today’s greatest supercar”. - Slide of
Ferrari LaFerrari
Nobody has created more bull’s eyes than Ferrari – its roster of duffers is astonishingly spartan. Despite this, we were blown away by just how good the LaFerrari is – so it’s a shame that just 500 were built (plus another 209 Apertas). Our verdict? “LaFerrari is a more than worthy successor to the Enzo. Indeed, it makes the old-timer feel gruesomely under-achieving in most respects, and is also a much easier, far sweeter car to drive in the process”.
Close
