motor

Mers · 09-12-2004, 06:32 PM

I was thinking today, what if Ferrari made a new Mondial, or a mondial-type car?

If you think about it, nowadays, Ferrari's models are aiming only at the top market (911TT owners and over)... And it's been proven that the 30K roadster market is a wide one (think Boxter, Z4 and SLK)..

Now just think about it,, If Ferrari made a little roadster, a bit more expensive maybe, for the 30K public, wouldn't it be a good idea? Maybe they could badge it 'mondial' or maybe something new (due to the bad reputation of the name)... then put a V6 or maybe even a V8 engine?

What do u guys think?

Sachmo12345 · 09-12-2004, 07:38 PM

it would taint the name if too many people had them

Mers · 09-12-2004, 08:43 PM

it would taint the name if too many people had them

good point...
sell it as a maser perhaps?

SFDMALEX · 09-12-2004, 09:41 PM

No no and no. Converstation is over.

PATo355 · 09-12-2004, 10:09 PM

Originally Posted by Mers

it would taint the name if too many people had them

good point...
sell it as a maser perhaps?

You can buy the Maser 4200 for Carrera money

HeilSvenska · 09-12-2004, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by Sachmo12345

it would taint the name if too many people had them

some people already believe that 360 is doing exactly that. Mondial isn't worth reviving. BUT, I would like to see a Ferrari engineered sub-$60,000 sports car badged as a whole new brand, to go against Boxter.

urban_hero · 09-13-2004, 09:59 AM

They Already do that, they are called Maserati's! lol
No, for that sort of money you would get no quality at all and it would tarnish the name.

RC45 · 09-13-2004, 10:33 AM

Besides - in it's day, the Mondial wasn't that cheap.

stradale · 09-13-2004, 11:22 AM

What the Mondial was all about was that it was a V8 2+2 midengined car. Like RC already pointed out it wasn't a cheap Ferrari, as suggested in the first post.

Like most people, I'm not in favour of a smaller, cheaper Ferrari as Ferrari already produces too many roadcars at present to see to it that they remain exclusive and special.

Although I don't think there's enough room in the model range below the 612 Scaglietti it would be very interesting to see what Ferrari's modern take of a V8 2+2 midengined (rear midengined in this case, not front midengined like the 612) would look like.

Last remark: It wouldn't be a first for Ferrari, to design a significantly smaller car. Ferrari tried it in the sixties. The ASA 1000, nicknamed 'Ferrarina', was a small 1032 cc 4 cylinder car, designed by Bertone. Chassis and engine were built by Ferrari, but the car was not produced at Maranello. A little over 100 were built as the project never was succesful. Beautiful little car though.

Ford Capri 2.8i · 09-13-2004, 12:10 PM

I dont think successful this sort of proyect, once porsche tried already with the 924, and it didnt make any success; in addition, ferrari has got another problem, that maserati is supposed and aimed to be the cheap ferrari in order to compete against the 911 carrera 2, and any other sporty cars around 300 bhp, and as a result ferrari would find out the maserati as its rival.....anyway....regardless the profitability of the proyect , id welcome if ferrari launched a cheaper car as long as it maintains the ferrari performances, and mostly, the driving sensation that someone is driving a ferrari

Neutrino · 09-13-2004, 02:29 PM

What about a cheaper smaller brother of the F430 like the new Aston AMV8 is to the DB9. It could use the old 360 Modena engine as a hands me down, and maybe they could even revive the name Dino. Perhaps call it 360 Dino and price it around 100K USD.

HeilSvenska · 09-13-2004, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by Neutrino

What about a cheaper smaller brother of the F430 like the new Aston AMV8 is to the DB9. It could use the old 360 Modena engine as a hands me down, and maybe they could even revive the name Dino. Perhaps call it 360 Dino and price it around 100K USD.

......It's F430's job to rival AMV8...and DB9...so, no. And the Dino name will NEVER be revived because it's too personal. It's Enzo's heart in the Dino...which was never badged as a Ferrari, but as its own. If it may be named the Luca or Montezemolo, I'm all for that.

Neutrino · 09-13-2004, 08:56 PM

Originally Posted by HeilSvenska

Originally Posted by Neutrino

What about a cheaper smaller brother of the F430 like the new Aston AMV8 is to the DB9. It could use the old 360 Modena engine as a hands me down, and maybe they could even revive the name Dino. Perhaps call it 360 Dino and price it around 100K USD.

......It's F430's job to rival AMV8...and DB9...so, no. And the Dino name will NEVER be revived because it's too personal. It's Enzo's heart in the Dino...which was never badged as a Ferrari, but as its own. If it may be named the Luca or Montezemolo, I'm all for that.

Well the F430 might be a competitor for the DB9 pricewise; however it will be significantly more expensive than the AMV8 whose price target is rumored to be below 100K USD.

So this is why I though of a smaller cheaper version of the F430, a mid engine ferrari even more affordable in the spirit of the Dino 246 GTS. It doesn't have to be named Dino, but it would be nice to have a remake of one of the greatest Ferraris.

HeilSvenska · 09-13-2004, 09:25 PM

You know what? 308 really didn't deserve its name.

And sub-$100,000 Ferrari is a really bad idea when it has Maserati.

Neutrino · 09-13-2004, 09:40 PM

Originally Posted by HeilSvenska

You know what? 308 really didn't deserve its name.

And sub-$100,000 Ferrari is a really bad idea when it has Maserati.

This is why i was careful to specify the number 246 in my post since I'm not a big fan of the 308 Dino either. Of course there was also the 206 Dino which deserved the name easily.

And i was thinking more of a ~110K Ferrari not below 100K. At that price it should be still quite exclusive without stepping too much on Maserati's or F430's turf pricewise.