Ferrari is about front engine 12 cylinder cars

I have hear that Ferrari is all about 12 cylinder cars forever. They make far fewer 12's than 8's so they are more rare with fewer numbers. Why is it that you can buy an older 12 cheaper than a 8 of the same year. The 12 cost more new, is the cherished model but the 8 holds up better. I would like that explained to me.

 

The 8's are in many cases more sport-focused both visually and viscerally - and so more "Ferrari" more of the time?

 

maintenance costs on the 12's tend to scare used buyers off. some of the 8 cylinder models have a sportier image than some of the 12 cylinder ones, and attract the buyers looking for a statement car, or the stereotypical modern ferrari experience.

the 12's tend to be aimed at a different demographic - older, wealthier, more conservative, more reserved. this demographic is less likely to buy used, so the value decline for regular production 12's is greater.

 

As a kid Ferrari always meant 12 cyl. cars with beautifully designed bodies that didn't look like anything else. As I grew older we never really saw the 8 cyl. cars as "real" Ferraris. Quite possibly the reason was the first Dino cars weren't really considered Ferraris by the auto writers and "car guys" of the day. I have always had that attitude with them and have only owned one 8 cyl. car. The rest have been 12s and the latest is a 12. I agree that the 8s are really nice cars, quite exotic, flashy, fast etc. etc. But to me a Ferrari is still 12 cylinders, classic design and effortless acceleration. And the sound is terrific!!!

 

It's also not strictly true. I checked ebay. The '84 400i has a higher buy-it-now than the '84 308 and the '84 mondial.

They're different market segments. The front engine 12s tend to be gran tourers, the mid engines are more about the twisties.

Angular momentum. The front engine/rear gearboxes have good weight distribution, but it's spread out, so the car doesn't rotate as briskly.

For some drivers, that's a good thing, in that the front engines don't go into a snap spin as easily as the mids.

Enzo always resisted selling a mid-engine for the street, as he felt it'd be too much for the "average" driver to handle.
It was when they started selling the Dinos with the smaller engines that they convinced him that the reduced power would keep people out of trouble.

That's why it's mostly the 6 and 8 cyl cars that are mid-mill.
(Other than the TR and BB.)

 

As an aside, the notion that a certain model is not a real Ferrari for one reason or another is the most absurd thing ever and frankly it reveals an uneducated view about the history of the company. Though the 12 cylinder is the quentasential engine, thankfully Enzo did whatever it took to make a winning race car or high performing street car.

How about the V10 F1 race cars, are those not real Ferraris? How about the F40 with a V8 TT, was that not a real Ferrari? How about the 500 Mondial race car with a 4 cylinder engine for goodness sakes? Please, give me a freakin' break.

If you ever hear someone say such and such is not a real Ferrari tell them to crack open a book about the company's history because they don't know what they are talking about. That or their views on things is so calcified they should apply for a job with the British Royal Society.

-F

 

I personally value V-8 Ferraris more for their overall lighter weight and more nimble handling relative to their 12 cylinder same-period counterparts. But then, I may be in the minority since I also would prefer to drive a lighter weight, better handling 914-6 than a same-period 911.

 

I agree. I guess because I grew up in the '70s/'80s (and a bit more recently), Ferraris were all about mid-engined V8s. They didn't even bother to make a 12-cylinder model for the us for more than a decade, and their F1 cars don't use them anymore.

Now I think it's mostly a marketing thing -- front engine allows golf clubs in the boot, and a V12 is unnnecessary given modern engine technologies but justifies a price point.

 

The part about the 12 is a good view point I didn't think of. It may just be the demographic.