oh good....I was starting to wonder if you were a bit dumb. True though, best way to get confirmation is to ask.
Interesting article....recently dated....note the comments at the end. It wasn't me! Archive: 1973 Ferrari 246 GT Dino review
Great post. I always enjoyed Mel Nichol's writing but looking back on it, he's very typical of the fawning reports written about every Ferrari a journalist could get their hands on. "You soon learn not to overdrive the Dino. By that I mean using full-power in second or third, which will kick the tail out savagely". OLIO. As if a 246 has enough grunt to break traction in 3rd gear. All the opposite lock heroics in his story probably occurred in the bar afterwards.
I was more concerned that he nearly ruined someone else's car ..... but it's his writings that made me love Ferrari even more .... his write up on the 250GTO was an epicpiece of prose
Yes! That particular article made me lust for a Dino as a teenager. When I finally got my hands on one, I figured there must be something wrong with it as it felt so gutless
30 years ago I had a dice never to be repeated, my 2.4 911S with a 246 up the Putty road, then they were still a quick car.
I'm not arguing with that, but they're a "wind it up and keep it fizzing" car rather than having brutal acceleration, as the Nichols story wants people to believe. The ample oversteer is a result of limited grip from period XWX's, not power sliding. In fact I have never witnessed anyone power slide a 246. I drove a very nice 246 (Kate's car) in the 2014 McKay rally over some of the endless twisty roads we used in NTGG. At what I would describe as medium pace, the tail was stepping out all the time. It was fun for a while but eventually got tedious and I was happy to get back in the 365GT4, which is a car that feels "planted" and actually does have the grunt to punt the tail out if you need it.
Sounds like there's something seriously wrong with Kate's car. They are definitely not taily (relatively)
I daresay the tyres were more than a little out of date. It is an otherwise pristine car, which she loves beyond belief I ran XWX's on my 246 and I found it had brilliant turn in (much better than my steel 308) but was looser at the rear. Unlike the 308, it was reasonably easy to catch. In several years of track days, I only spun the 246 once.
Clearly you can't make up your mind again. In 1977 when I was 3yo I drove a demo 308GT4 from Lowes and my Dino 246GT. The GT4 was definitely more taily than the 246. I drove GT4 on a very familiar piece of road at the time at speeds that were normal in the 246 and got very sideways very unexpectedly. Of course the GT4 had a bit more grunt, but not enough to make me "wow" Sadly I didn't get to drive a GTB at the same time.
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