Why FI For Ferrari and Not Others?

I'd step back from saying the Bosch K-Jetronic is "crap". It really is horses for courses. It was the right technical progression from Webers. It's a hugely reliable mechanical injection system. I think it was in a 911 first in the early 70s. Maybe that was the prompt for Ferrari.

 

As long as the Engine tuning engineers can/could find a set of jets/venturies/pumps that would pass emissions, why NOT stay with carbs?

But in the end, it was carbs holding power back to 80 HP/litre levels, and when second generation EFI came around this poped up to 90HP/L (early 348) 95HP/L (late 348) and then 108HP/L (355).

 

Because Ferrari by this time was all about technical advancement a la F1. And Porsche were well in the lead. Remember how crazy people were for injection in the 80s? Carbs were as fashionable as flares and long hair, with good reason. My Golf (Rabbit) GTi Mk2 was perfect.

 

By the late 70s, it was very difficult to get carb cars to pass emissions. To do so, motors had to be hugely "detuned" and in real life, ran like crap when burdened with emissions controls.

Dave

 

Bosch mechanical CIS.
VW went with Bosch CIS on its Rabbit in 1977, and was so good at the time that they could pass emissions without a catalytic converter up into I believe 1980. The 75-76 carburetor rabbits had converters. The emission standards got more stringent in the 80s and VW was forced to run converters. So at the time the Bosch system was the way to go. I think most of the European cars of that era had Bosch injection.



Ago

 

As an aside, Ferrari seems to be the only one of the companies mentioned in that thread that didn't go bankrupt.

I would guess that Ferrari followed Porsche (injection starting in 1973 or so), while Maserati and Lambo just didn't have the money and limped on with carbs. IIRC they were both both out by Chrysler - possible cash infusion there may have enabled them to modernize?

 

Bear in mind mandatory emissions in Europe came later than Calif. Switzerland was first but it wasn't until well into the early 90s that we had to have cats in the UK. So at least in Europe, FI was a technical progression first and foremost. Maser FI came in with the de Tomasso era on later Biturbos. I had a carb Biturbo from the mid 80s. By the later 80s they were FI.

 

I think this has a lot to do with it. Modernzation costs money and neither Lambo nor Maserati had very much of it at the time. Then again, Lambo tends to lag anyway. How long did they make due with a 5 speed trans in the Diablo when everybody else (and I mean everybody, even Camaros starting in 1993) had a 6 speed? Into the late 90s if Im not mistaken?

 

Look at Alfa Romeo with its Spica Injection. I don't think it is too loved. It least the Bosch CIS is common. Also did all the years of Lambos get imported without going Grey market?