More details on new Dino from Ferrari
What we wouldn't give to have a somewhat more affordable new Ferrari available in dealerships today. Something at maybe half the current price of an F430. Something that can get by with only 300 hp. Something that is lighter and more nimble but still has the style and visceral appeal of the legendary marque from Maranello. Something like a modern day Ferrari Dino. Mid-engine, smaller high-revving V-8, sexy bodywork. We've speculated a bit about it in the past and have offered up reasons why Ferrari should build it, even suggested platforms and design parameters, but so far no response from Luca.
(additional info and an alternative design concept after the jump)
[Source: AutoBild via Motor Authority]
Although we have heard the project is dead (if it was ever indeed being seriously considered), it never hurts to dream. And rumors persist. The latest AutoBild, in fact, has a cover illustration of a possible direction this project might head if it indeed gets greenlighted. Looks more like a BMW Z4 or scaled down 599 than what we might have hoped for, but anything new on this front is a good sign.
This particular rendering looks to be a front-engined 2 seater, likely with a folding metal roof, but a mid-engine platform to go up against the Boxster/Cayman and Elise/Exige would be more to our liking. Although the AutoBild shot isn't particularly beautiful, a front-engined Dino could work, and might be possible on the Alfa 8C platform as well. And if that beauty doesn't stir your soul, I hate to break it to you, but you are dead my friend.
Likely based on the new 8C/Maserati Coupe platform, the 4.2 liter V-8 would be the most logical powerplant, but a high-revving new V-6 might find its way into the engine bay as well. Nice, but we'd still prefer something closer to what Dutch designer Michiel van den Brink has offered. He is the designer who recently brought us the GTO concept based on either a Maranello or Fiorano platform, that we drooled over a week or so ago.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
rwdmtparkingonly 5:04PM (10/06/2006)
"What we wouldn't give to have a somewhat more affordable new Ferrari available in dealerships today." - Really, what would you give; I'm sure Ferrari would like to know. $80,000? $100,000?
Right now Ferrari is underproducing the F430 so much that there are waiting lists and huge dealer markups (oops, I mean market adjustments). I would be shocked if they would suddenly switch from underproducing that car to producing something cheaper.
Anyway, what are Maserati and the upward reaching Alfa Romeo brands for if they plan to take down Ferrari?
Luckily the cayman/boxster and Elise already cover this segment perfectly, from luxury touring car to stoic track car, and for much less than a “cheap” Ferrari would cost.
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fordman 5:05PM (10/06/2006)
I really like the red picture more than the black.
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johnny 5:08PM (10/06/2006)
I hope its a hightech V6 like the Dino was at the time.
Ferrari use my example:
2.0 liter V6 TOHC 36 valve 294hp@8700 176lb-ft @ 6000
TOHC means tripple over head cam. 36 valves means 1 cam handles 2 valves. Now thats an engine!
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Max50 5:10PM (10/06/2006)
The red does look better. This car should weigh around 2800 lbs. It must have a V6 I agree. NSX had a v6 and went 0-60 in 4.8 secs. An advanced V6 here should put the time at 4.3 seconds
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Jerz1980 5:13PM (10/06/2006)
If you took both emblems off the cars and gave it to people, they would guess the red one is a Ferrari by far. The black looks like another car.
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Sasha 5:14PM (10/06/2006)
I hear you, that black picture looks totally cliched and boring...that red car, on the other hand, just screams sex. It looks like it would be fun to drive in the real world, small and powerfully built, like a 5'6" sailor who would break your neck faster than you could start to say "yo momma...". That car really grabbed me, it would be nice if it got built under some name.
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manicdepresent 5:15PM (10/06/2006)
V6 all the way!!!!! or Flat 6. Ferrari had Flat 6 in the testarrosa before they know how to make them. Porsche and subaru do them all the time too.
Flat 6 should make the hood low too.
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Aki 5:22PM (10/06/2006)
This is great. Im drooling.
I sooooo want a good engine to round out the package.
That a wiered engine you designed there #3 but its workable I think.
Also, red all the way.
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Matt W. 5:26PM (10/06/2006)
Max50: You just killed the project. I don't think Ferrari would be too happy to admit that they finally built a car that's "better" than the NSX (albeit by only 20hp) for roughly the same price in ONLY 18 YEARS.
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rwdmtparkingonly 5:30PM (10/06/2006)
The black car looks much better than the red car; the black car recalls the multimillion dollar bespoke Pininfarina 612 P4/5 (http://www.autoblog.com/2006/09/29/paris-motor-show-ferrari-612-p4-5-photos/), while the red car, as Frank said, looks like a Z4 (not a good thing).
It would be bad for the brand for Ferrari to make anything less than a V8; I'm not sure why so many people want a Ferrari V6 or flat-6 to be put in production. If you have the money get a Porsche Cayman S; if you don't then it's not a big deal.
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Max50 5:32PM (10/06/2006)
#9
Its not that simple. First of all the Ferrari would be lighter most likely. Second of all engines and drivetrains are more efficient. A porsche Cayman S is the same weight as the 911 of 1995. Both have similar power but Cayman S is faster. I just hope there is no V10 or V12 or even the 4.2 V8. I want a small engine to make the car nimble. The S2000 goes 0-60 in 5.4 secs and weighs 2800. This car with 300 horses should be fine.
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Waltzeselter 5:36PM (10/06/2006)
make it Red. Make it high revving high feature V6. Let Ferrari showcase the limit of its technology. 36 Valves?? sure. Sounds good. Make a redline of 10,000 RPM. Not hard to doo. Forula one is 18,000. There is 8,000 room to make it reliable and pass emmisions.
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Bill Maher is an Idiot 5:49PM (10/06/2006)
Details on new Ferrari...
You just admitted no plans were around. It's just speculation. Bring some news!
Underproducing the F430...a lot of K. Feds out there. Besides being butt ugly, the F430 is overpriced. The F430 is descended from the original Dino--hard to believe how something so beautiful spawned something that looks like a catfish on wheels. That Dino photoshop of a topless midget Fiorino doesn't raise my hopes for a new entry-level Ferrari to take on the Vantage and 996.
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Drew 5:55PM (10/06/2006)
The F430 is ugly (and so is the 612 and the 599...wow), but it's a outstanding sports car with terrific acceleration, a smooth ride, and luxuries. It is worth $200,000 like a lot of them go for here in LA? No, not even close. The F40 wasn't pretty. The '80s GTO wasn't beautifully curved. But they were still good cars.
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Mike 7:06PM (10/06/2006)
#12 F1 uses pneumatic valve actuation and those engines are motorcycle-like oversquare. So no 10,000 rpm is not that easy.
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Claud 6:55PM (10/06/2006)
If they produce the above rendering I think it's great.............I still love the little 246 Spyder....Nice car......
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Spaceweasel 7:03PM (10/06/2006)
The original was one of the best looking cars ever put on the road. While I'd love to see the prancing horse put a new one on the road, remember that it was their concerns about going down market that created the Dino badge in the first place.
Make it achingly beautiful, or I'll just spend half as much on a Cayman.
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pd 7:13PM (10/06/2006)
#1 got it right, FERRARI repeatedly said they not move down market, why would they, to sabotage 430 sales. #7 got it wrong NO FLAT 6 in the TESTAROSSA it was a FLAT 12.
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Tiago do Vale 8:07PM (10/06/2006)
The red looks vulgar, and the black refined...
I guess that's why we that comment here don't drive ferraris?
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MikeW 8:45PM (10/06/2006)
johnny you wouldn't need 3 camshafts to actuate 6 valves per cylinder. If anything Ferrari they would go to the 'oval' shaped pistons with two spark plugs.
http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1979pistonengine/photo/02.html
Honda should not have shot so high with the NR500/NR7500 by going 8 valves per cylinder.
You do realize that 294hp@8700rpm is 177.5 ft-lbs. More torque than peak torque. So you better revise those number to a realistic 250hp@9,000 & 160ft-lbs@7500
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