Auto Car | 1990 Ferrari Mondial Convertible | In 1974, Sergio Pininfarina was disappointed his company did not have the opportunity to design the 308 GT4. In 1980, his patience was rewarded with the debut of Ferrari’s new 2+2, the Mondial 8.
This was a return from Bertone’s origami lines to Ferrari-traditional Pininfarina curves. The name, meanwhile, referenced Ferrari’s four-cylinder mid-1950s sports-racing cars.
Underpinnings closely mirrored those of the GT4, with a sturdy tubular steel chassis, independent suspension, transversely mounted 3.0-liter V-8, and five-speed gearbox. In two notable changes, the wheelbase was lengthened some 4 inches (100mm) for better interior packaging and space, and a separate subframe carried the engine and transmission. This latter item allowed the drivetrain to be unbolted and removed more quickly for easier servicing.
Despite these advances and the more-familiar styling themes, reviews of Ferrari’s latest 2+2 were mixed.
In England, CAR magazine said the “Mondial 8 -- superbly blending dynamic ability with masterful body design, clever electronics and Porsche-like build quality -- is proof positive Maranello is reaching bright new heights.”
In America, response was muted, mostly because of the car’s performance. Motor Trend saw “just a tad over 130 mph” and needed 8.2 seconds to hit 60 mph. Car and Driver’s test example was more than a second slower to 60. “The Mondial 8 will barely get out of its own way,” C&D lamented, adding, “It’s not much fun to drive either.”
Such observations echoed a rift in the Ferrari world. It started with the angular GT4, and as U.S. Ferraris got slower and slower, many established owners began to insist that a “real” Ferrari must have a 12-cylinder engine. In this view, it didn’t matter that the V-8 models brought new blood to the marque. They didn’t go or sound like a 12-cylinder Ferrari, and they were built of cheaper materials. Mondial 8’s lackluster performance and cost-saving plastic trim only strengthened the argument and undoubtedly hurt sales; just over 700 were built in 21/2 years.
Ferrari responded in August 1982 by installing its new quattrovalvole (four valve) V-8. The change injected real snap into the Mondial’s performance.
Motor ran the four-valve Mondial to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and to 100 mph in 16.2; its two-valve test car needed 8.5 and 25 seconds, respectively. “Quattrovalvole has effected a miracle cure,” the British magazine noted, “and Ferrari’s mid-engine trio (of V-8s) are back running strongly in the supercar league where they belong.”
Source : auto.howstuffworks.com
This was a return from Bertone’s origami lines to Ferrari-traditional Pininfarina curves. The name, meanwhile, referenced Ferrari’s four-cylinder mid-1950s sports-racing cars.
Underpinnings closely mirrored those of the GT4, with a sturdy tubular steel chassis, independent suspension, transversely mounted 3.0-liter V-8, and five-speed gearbox. In two notable changes, the wheelbase was lengthened some 4 inches (100mm) for better interior packaging and space, and a separate subframe carried the engine and transmission. This latter item allowed the drivetrain to be unbolted and removed more quickly for easier servicing.
Despite these advances and the more-familiar styling themes, reviews of Ferrari’s latest 2+2 were mixed.
In England, CAR magazine said the “Mondial 8 -- superbly blending dynamic ability with masterful body design, clever electronics and Porsche-like build quality -- is proof positive Maranello is reaching bright new heights.”
In America, response was muted, mostly because of the car’s performance. Motor Trend saw “just a tad over 130 mph” and needed 8.2 seconds to hit 60 mph. Car and Driver’s test example was more than a second slower to 60. “The Mondial 8 will barely get out of its own way,” C&D lamented, adding, “It’s not much fun to drive either.”
Such observations echoed a rift in the Ferrari world. It started with the angular GT4, and as U.S. Ferraris got slower and slower, many established owners began to insist that a “real” Ferrari must have a 12-cylinder engine. In this view, it didn’t matter that the V-8 models brought new blood to the marque. They didn’t go or sound like a 12-cylinder Ferrari, and they were built of cheaper materials. Mondial 8’s lackluster performance and cost-saving plastic trim only strengthened the argument and undoubtedly hurt sales; just over 700 were built in 21/2 years.
Ferrari responded in August 1982 by installing its new quattrovalvole (four valve) V-8. The change injected real snap into the Mondial’s performance.
Motor ran the four-valve Mondial to 60 mph in 6.4 seconds and to 100 mph in 16.2; its two-valve test car needed 8.5 and 25 seconds, respectively. “Quattrovalvole has effected a miracle cure,” the British magazine noted, “and Ferrari’s mid-engine trio (of V-8s) are back running strongly in the supercar league where they belong.”
Source : auto.howstuffworks.com
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