FERRARI

The 328 is more an evolution of the 308 than a new car. However, the technical and stylistic changes are very interesting and convincing. A new name means a new look. The front and rear bumpers of the 328 are more wraparound than those of the Ferrari 308. In particular, the front bumpers are modelled on those of the Ferrari Testarossa, which appeared in 1984. When the Mondial received its new 3.2-litre V8 engine, it also got this new front bumper. The roof spoiler has become more widespread, and the wheels are still 5-spoke with a lighter design. The engine bonnet is the same as that of the U.S. versions, with a more airy design. The cabin has also been redesigned. Only the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel remains unchanged. The upholstery has been completely redesigned, and the centre console divided into 2 parts.

In September 1985, the 328 took over from the 308. The 308 line was to fade away on the back of a success that Maranello had never before enjoyed. In ten years, the Ferrari 308s had tripled Maranello’s annual production. The 328 was to confirm this mastery… Once again, this success was mainly due to the market on the other side of the Atlantic, mainly California, which appreciated the GTSs, an American market that digested 2/3 of production…

The Italian market is also changing. Although the car is now called just GTB and GTS Turbo, the Italian technicians are now relying on a Japanese IHI turbo. No less than 254 bhp at 6,500 rpm are available, as well as 33.5 mkg of torque at 4,100 rpm, i.e. more torque available lower down than on a 328 GTB!

The Italian market is also changing. Although the car is now called just GTB and GTS Turbo, the Italian technicians are now relying on a Japanese IHI turbo. No less than 254 bhp at 6,500 rpm are available, as well as 33.5 mkg of torque at 4,100 rpm, i.e. more torque available lower down than on a 328 GTS!

Celebrating 40 years of passion for the brand created by Enzo Ferrari, the F40 is the ultimate achievement of the road-legal sports car concept. Light and powerful, it has been designed as a true racing car. Queen of the asphalt, its sole ambition is to be the best sports car in the world. A year after the official launch of his F40, Enzo Ferrari left his human and industrial adventure forever. What followed was a wave of madness the likes of which the motoring world had never seen before. All the Ferraris were snapped up at gold prices by collectors and speculators alike, who saw the end of 1988 as the event that would turn the world of supercars upside down. Among the most coveted cars was the F40, not least because it was the last masterpiece signed by the hand of the master. Some F40s are even sold for up to five times the price paid, before they have even been delivered! Given the success of the demand, particularly on the American market, Ferrari increased production of the F40 from the planned 400 cars to more than 1,000.

Still designed by Pininfarina, the Mondial’s design has evolved over time in a series of small changes. The biggest change came with the Mondial 3.2, which inherited squarer front and rear fascias. This brings them into line with the Ferrari Testarossa in terms of styling. Gone are the big black plastic bumpers of questionable elegance. While the aluminium wheels remain identical in design (still 5-spoke with 5 studs), they are no longer fitted with Michelin TRX tyres. The exterior door handles are now partially painted in body colour, and the side air intakes are smaller and squarer. At the rear, the small ‘Mondia t’ monogram identifies a ‘T’ from the other models in the Mondial saga for the uninitiated.

The Mondial T represents a revolution under the bonnet. Whereas the old V8 engine was transverse, it is now longitudinal. On the other hand, it’s the gearbox that becomes transverse, giving the Mondial its ‘T’ shape. It’s a nod to the Ferrari F1 cars of the 1970s, the 312 T, which scored many successes in the hands of Niki Lauda and Clay Reggazonni. Since the engine capacity has been increased, the all-aluminium block is new, with 3,405 cm3 and 32 valves. The mechanical layout has made it possible to lower the centre of gravity as much as possible (the new gearbox layout has made it possible to lower the engine by 13 cm).

In 1990, a year after the death of Enzo Ferrari, the brand’s management offered the public a replacement for the Ferrari 328 berlinetta, the entry-level model from Maranello. A link between past and present, the bodywork of the Ferrari 348, once again designed by Pininfarina, combines tradition and homogeneity. While the technical contribution of the Fiat group is more present than ever, the 348 cannot hide the sporting genes that are characteristic of Maranello productions. But its hasty development and premature launch meant that it was unable to hold its own against increasingly aggressive competition, such as the fabulous Honda NSX and the Porsche 911 type 964.

The profile of the Ferrari 348 is reminiscent of the 328 it replaces, but also of the Testarosa, with its flanks pierced by long side stripes and its rear lights covered by a grille. The latter, moreover, are a break with tradition, as their design is rectangular rather than round. As for the front, with its retractable headlights, it seems to be imitating both the F40 and the Testarossa. A patchwork of the brand’s strong design elements, the Ferrari 348 nonetheless has a personality all its own, and one that is always seductive. Its compact, streamlined berlinette silhouette inspires strength. Available as a strict coupé (TB) or with a targa roof (TS) as always!

A symbol of an era and a generation, the Ferrari Testarossa was a well-born car, and for many, a car that was difficult to improve. But thanks to the talent of the engine manufacturers at Maranello and the genius of the Pininfarina styling centre, it was given a new lease of life under the name Ferrari 512 TR… The aims of the project were simple: improved performance and roadholding, as well as compliance with the strictest pollution and safety standards. Despite having many elements in common with the Testarossa, particularly the bodywork, the Ferrari 512 TR can almost be considered a new car. Restylings are so rare and so profound at Maranello that they almost always justify a change of name, which rather subtly takes up the famous number 512 and TR for Testa Rossa, of course.