Does the "0" on some models have any meaning? IE 550, 360, etc...

fleshes out to three digits

 

It stands for 550 deciliters.

 

5.5 liters = 550 deciliters

I was kidding

55 doesn't sound cool. We have an E55, stupid name. 550 by Ferrari's marketing standards does.

 

deci only goes up by 10,
5.5 L = 55 DeciLiters

Now Centiliters is where it's at

I know I'm a smart ass

 

LOL. How then, do you explain the "La Ferrari" ?

 

I said by their standards, not anyone with a brain.

 

I don't think Ferrari has a hard and fast rule on nomenclature or at least they don't stick to it. Some are strictly engine displacement like the 360 and 430 but others like the 288 and 512TR are displacement and cyclinders even though the 512 is more 4.9 than it is 5.0L. Yes I too am a smart arse.

 

The F355 stood for 3.5 liters and 5 valves per cylinder.

The 360 stands for 3.6 liters and no valves per cylinder.

 

It's the number of cubic CCs per cylinder.
No, it's the displacement followed by the number of cylinders.
No,it's the displacement followed by the number of valves.
No, it's the displacement followed by a zero.
No, its F followed by the anniversary year.
No, its a name that Luca liked.
No, its F followed by the number of cylinders.

A foolish consistency, it seems, is the hobgoblin of small minds.

 

It's just not Ferrari. From the top of my head: BMW 320i and 328i are both 2.0 liters. Modern Mercedes C/E/etc. 63 AMGs are all 6.2 liters.

Never try to find logic for these car model names, you'll have a headache in no time

 

Depends on which 328. My E92 328 is a three litre.
But then again so is the 335.

 

I am talking about the current generation F3x cars.

 

I realized that. BMW has used the 328 model designation since the thirties at least.
If you can't rely on the Germans to be logically consistent it seems a stretch to ask it of the Italians.

 

From the beginning into the sixties Ferrari had been quite consistent with the name refering to the capacity of one cylinder. Then the Dino came along and that used the engine displacement plus number of cylinders nomenclature. Soon that system was used for the Ferraris as wel. And then came Montezemolo and everything went pear shaped!

 

From the coming generation of Ferraris onwards, the zero in the model names, will just be to honor the new boss Marchionne...

 

Actually the nice thing is that Italians can adapt... And ALL Ferrari names have a meaning (well, apart from Mondial maybe), though lately they change naming logic with every other new car.



Meanwhile the Germans stick to their long standing, über rational displacement-based naming conventions... That have been stripped of any meaning by the modern combination of marketing and engine downsizing, and are reduced to a ranking system inherited from the past.

E.g. the latest 63 AMGs have 5.5 liter engines... But they can't be renamed 55s because the client would perceive that as a demotion. Duh

 

And how did the 300SEL 3.5, 300SEL 6.3, 280SEL 3.5 280 SEL 4.5 etc etc fit into that uber rationality? It was as uninspired as the Ferrari system and they got caught by their own inflexibility and lack of imagination.

 

The original Mondial was at least in keeping with Europa and America model names.

Maserati and Volkswagen both used wind names. Lamborghini, bull fighting references.
Lancia originally used the Greek alphabet.

 

K..308, 3.0l 8 cylinder. 328, 3.2l 8 cylinder. 348, 3.4l 8 cylinder.

Then you have 355. 3.5l, 5 valves per cylinder.

360, 3.60 liters. No cylinder numbering. 368 sounds awful. 438 sounds awful.

Four five eight, sounds nice. Almost exotic.

It's a name and marketing game. It must roll off the tounge smoothly.

 

Mondial translates to World, which is precisely the market it was intended for.

 

Are you sure about that? I've always thought BMW are just about the only guys that are consistent here; "Series-capacity." That may be followed by something else, "L" for limo (or long?), "C" for coupe and similar, but a 535 for example is a 3.5L five series and so on.

For sure, it *used* to be that way.

Merc OTOH I gave never understood, and I tried once upon a time! I don't even get their series numbers, let alone what's going on within those!

Cheers,
Ian

 

FYI, 530d, 535d and M550d are all 3.0 liter diesel BMW's.. So they are not consistent any more!