motor

mv · 04-12-2005, 11:00 AM

4.2 litre , front mounted 400BHP V8, £85k [$160k], AMV8 direct rival. Rumoured to be codenamed Project California.

Scans needed.

saadie · 04-12-2005, 11:20 AM

the pics dont work :roll:

TT · 04-12-2005, 11:28 AM

Again this "cheap" Ferrai discussion.. the Dino was nothing else if not the car before the 308, wich was before the 328 and so on untill the 430.. so the "new Dino" should be the car coming after the 430..

If Ferrari would launch a new and cheaper entry level car, it would be the first time they have something like that

nejcdolinsek · 04-12-2005, 11:55 AM

I really doubt that this is gonna happen, simply because Ferrari is at peak productive capacity as it is... they can't produce more! And I doubt they're gonna enlarge their factory...

Thanks for the scan!

Etit: And why would they want to make an "affordable" Ferrari, when the current (and very expensive) F430 already has over a 3 year waiting list... this "new Dino" thing doesn't make any sense.

komotar · 04-12-2005, 11:59 AM

My heart is saying go for it.

My head is saying don't do it.

Stay out of the 911, AMV8 war.

Don't go making "cheap" cars.

Ferrari is exclusive, don't bring it to the people. You will ruin part of it's mistery and it will certainly loose part of it's "hard to get" factor, that Ferraris have always had.

|Nuno| · 04-12-2005, 12:14 PM

You know what? This doesn't make any sense. See:

"The California is based on conventional steel monocoque chassis, although it uses a transaxle transmission located on the back axle. With the engine mounted well back in the nose, the combination gives a near perfect front/rear weight distribution.
Insiders expect the California to use a modified version of today's 400 BHP 4.2 V8 Maser engine , which would confirm the California's position below the F430 in the Ferrari line up, with it's 490 4.3 V8."

Sure, the Maserati Coupe was aborted but that doesn't mean it'll be re-badged as a Ferrari; in fact, if it was aborted then it must not have been a good car, and if it wasn't a good car for Maserati why should it be to Ferrari?!

Then there's the production problem as nejcdolinsek pointed out...

"...The California is based on conventional steel monocoque chassis, although it uses a transaxle transmission located on the back axle. With the engine mounted well back in the nose, the combination gives a near perfect front/rear weight distribution..."

And this is what makes doubt the veracity of the article.

I mean, why would Ferrari take a step backwards in terms of chassis construction?! It's already hard to beat the 911 with Aluminium chassis and mid mounted engines, let alone with this...

Besides, this would kill Maserati. I don't think FIAT are that stupid...

If a entry level model ever happens, I think it'll be a complete new project, not a recycled Maserati...

On the other hand, this would increase the chances of me getting a Ferrari...

racer_f50 · 04-12-2005, 01:22 PM

hate to say it, but that's one ugly concept

i have to agree with others that this probly wouldn't happen. it doesn't even fit the criteria for being a Dino (mid-engined like the previous 2). if it does happen, then they should at least reconsider the styling a bit, especially in the front.

SFDMALEX · 04-12-2005, 01:46 PM

This is bullshit. For one the Dino was never a cheap car. The Dino was what the F430 is, and the 355 and the 348 was. It was NEVER A CHEAP CAR!

So why would Ferrari release a new entry level model when the just released an entry level model the F430 which has waiting lists for the next few years.

This article is just >

bmagni · 04-12-2005, 01:49 PM

i really dont think so too, why would they produce an entry car, if the one out there is the 430, why make a slower car ?
just to sell more ?? not really...
to compete with other car producers ??? maybe but no...
i guess its just bogus info to sell the mag and the car theyre launching next is the new maranello

yg60m · 04-12-2005, 02:11 PM

Bullshit IMO, If they wanted to make a "smaller" car they would developp a Maserati as they want to expend it

numerouno · 04-13-2005, 01:54 AM

Originally Posted by yg60m

Bullshit IMO, If they wanted to make a "smaller" car they would developp a Maserati as they want to expend it

Right yann, Masers play the role of cheap Ferraris but I guess these rumors are fed by the possibility of their separation from Ferrari.
However Ferrari should not be so stupid as to do this. @least i hope they will re-badge it if they're gonna make it so that the prancing horse badge's charisma won't become so ordinar like porsche's

666fast · 04-13-2005, 02:11 AM

What world do you guys live on that $160k is cheap?

I can't see much from the pics, but from what I can see, I like.

stradale · 04-13-2005, 05:07 AM

^^^ I agree, except for the wheels it looks good IMO.

TT and SFDMALEX, have you forgotten about the 206 and 246 Dinos? The 308 (and 208) GT4 wasn't the only Dino. The 206 and 246 are V6 engined cars that were definitely cheaper and had less power than the rest of the model range. But more importantly, has their existance hurt Ferrari one bit? Not at all, the Dinos are fully part of the Ferrari myth and very much sought after these days.

Ferrari has even gone further than this in the past. The ASA 1000 was truly the small accessible Ferrari, hence its nickname "Ferrarina".

If these rumours are true I have no problem with it. How anyone can belittle a 4.2 litre V8 Ferrari with give or take 400 hp is beyond me. Has the 360 been forgotten that soon? It's the same amount of power! And don't think it will just be a "recycled Maserati" as Nuno said. Ferrari knows better than that. The engine that Maserati uses was largely developed with the help of Ferrari engineers in the first place and if this powerplant is going to be used for this 'Dino' you can count on it that it'll be heavily revised. Even the F430 engine is based on the same 4.2 Maserati V8, has been heavily reworked and I don't hear anyone complaining about that.

The only problems I see if this goes through is
- production capacity as other before me have already stated.
- exclusivity of the brand. Many people believed Ferrari's production numbers for the 360 and now the F430 are already too high. There are areas on this planet where a 360 is a common sight. Personally I don't think it will be as bad as some portray it, because to me it looks like Ferrari is still regarded as very special and very exclusive with 99.9% of the world's population. And I refer to the Dino once more.

SilviaEvo · 04-13-2005, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by komotar

My heart is saying go for it.

My head is saying don't do it.

Stay out of the 911, AMV8 war.

Don't go making "cheap" cars.

Ferrari is exclusive, don't bring it to the people. You will ruin part of it's mistery and it will certainly loose part of it's "hard to get" factor, that Ferraris have always had.

exactly what i think! dont go making cheap Ferrari's. the old 246 Dino didnt have the Ferrari badge for a reason

|Nuno| · 04-13-2005, 07:50 AM

Originally Posted by stradale

And don't think it will just be a "recycled Maserati" as Nuno said.

Dude, you got it wrong.

Read my post:

If a entry level model ever happens, I think it'll be a complete new project, not a recycled Maserati...

What I meant is that the article gives the idea of a recycled Maserati, which would never happen, hence my big doubts about its veracity.

-----------

@ dani: I agree with most of your post, but you can't compare the 911 CS to the F430. You have to compare the Turbo vs. the F430.

While the 996 had 420 hp, the 997 is supposed to have 490. A 70 hp increase...

The non turbo 911 is a whole different matter. Since there was no real competition, they didn't need to increase power substantially.

However, since Aston introduced the V8 and there are rumours of other brands wanting to "attack" the 911, that could change in the next 911 generation...