A brief testament to the beauty of the Mondial....

I went by Gullwing in NYC today to look at a couple of cars they have for sale, and was surprised to find nearly 40 Ferrari's from various decades all packed in side by side. There were 250 GTE's, a 250 PF, a Testarossa, and 365 GTB/4, 550's, a 575, 330 GT 2+2, 330 GTC, a 365 GTC, a couple of 365 GTC/4's, many 308's, 512 BB's, several 246 and 308 Dino's and more....and one 3.2 Mondial Cabriolet.

After checking out the cars I was there to look at (I'll let you all guess which ones ...)I spent a lot of time walking around looking at all of the other cars on offer. I have to say, while all insanely beautiful, I thought the Mondial really looked among the best (and it wasn't even the greatest example). I was very proud to be a Mondial owner in the midst of such great company. They really are beautiful cars.

 

There is a beauty to the Ferrari 3.2 Mondial that can only be seen in person.

It's very subtle. The lines are graceful. The truly beautiful shape and balanced proportions of the 3.2 Mondial become evident when the sun sits low in the horizon and the soft light bounces off the body.

That is why all the 1986 marketing brochures & factory photos of the 3.2 Mondial are in black and white. It wasn’t because that was cool at the time. They were trying to capture the light rolling off the body so you could see the form better.

It did not work. You must see it in person.

 

I can only agree...

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looks good in silver

 

They are also superb driving cars, I absolutely love driving Mondials.

 

+1

Just glad some people disagree about the styling - makes the car actually attainable for less well-heeled but no less *true* enthusiasts.

Alexey Vasiliev's Mondial 8
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While not for me, I always thought the Mondial was a great looking Ferrari. Don't understand the haters.

 

I've always respected opinions about aesthetics (or lack thereof.) I'm one of the few in the small minority that always hated (even as a kid) the general shape of the 911 (gasp) - so I am very much in the school of 'eye of the beholder'

What really gets under my skin though, is when internet know-it-alls repeat outright falsehoods such as:

1) The Mondial was the 'entry-level' Ferrari that was priced significantly lower than other models to follow up the Dino brand - in fact, it was MUCH more expensive than then the 308/328.
2) That it handles very poorly (it was universally judged the best handling Ferrari EVER when it came out in 1980 by ALL journalists, and trust me I know - I have every single article available for scrutiny)
3) That it is slow (click the link and compare it to the competition at the time)
4) That all of them cost significantly more to maintain than other Ferrari of the epoch (sigh)
5) That the 8,qv,3.2 "need an engine out"
6) That is has a different lower powered engine from the 308/328/348
7) That the 'non-functional' side strakes should be removed. (can't blame kids these days when almost all hood scoops, vents, intakes are truly 'fake')
8) That it 'copied' the Toyota MR2 and Fiero (guess Maranello has a time machine)
The styling of the Ferrari Mondial Coupe indeed of most Ferraris is best described as timeless; the Pininfarina penned lines still look fresh after eleven years and have influenced the design of sports cars from Detroit to Tokyo.
John Davis
-MotorWeek
9) Unsuccessful model - One of the most successful models in Ferrari history, selling over 6,000 examples
10) Don't understand there were 7 distinct variations and regurgitate the original 2 bad articles about straight line speed in 1980 with a car that had a broken shifter for goodness sakes.

But, I should be grateful. It was these urban myths and wide misconceptions that allowed me to get my car for $27,000 5 years ago.
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Thanks for this thread Dave. I agree, the Mondial is a beautiful car, and certainly not appreciated enough. I prefer the look of the coupe over the cabriolet, but, as the old saying goes, wouldn't kick either one out of my bed, errr garage.

 

I'm a coupe guy as well, but the Cabriolet (even with paint scratches and a torn passenger headrest) looked really great.

And of course, your Dino is a beauty as well!

 

I too prefer the coupe over the cab, but the aesthetics are minor. With the top up, the cab mimics the shape of the coupe, so the difference to me is minor.

I think the styling was good in its day, not revolutionary. But as a consequence it has held up well over time. While newer cars are so busy, the Pininfarina design still looks crisp to me.

Only other comment is about the Mondial being slow. When it first came out, it was a bit underpowered. Remember, it used the same running gear as the 3x8, which was a good 200-300 pounds lighter. So it would be slower than its two seat cousin. And the weight was a hindrance more in the U.S., where "fast" is measured in straight line speed from a dead stop, i.e 0-60 mph, 1/4 mile, etc. Once moving, the car has plenty of power and makes good use of its gearing. The looks of the car promised more speed than the 8 valve motor produced.

But that was addressed with the QV and by the 3.2, the car given good power (260). Of course the t is an even 300 hp and even by today's standards, is not a slow car. It is still a car that needs some revs to appreciate it, it is not a torque monster like most U.S. focused vehicles.

Regards,
Jerry

 

I just wished that journalists would also point out why it was underpowered and not judge the car in a vacuum without context. Ferrari had to abide by strict EPA regulations at this time. The same rules that forced the creation if the 308gtsi (16.1 1/4 Road and Track 81') These stringent rules is what yielded 10-second 0-60 Ford Mustangs, 15.9 1/4 mile Corvettes, and 16.2 1/4 mile Porsches.

Is the 8 fast compared to previous offerings? By no means do I claim that; but I would hope these 'journalists' would give context and judge a car by its contemporaries - when was the last time you read about that 'slow' Lamborghini Urraco or 'slow' Maserati Marek (that had the same US choking equipment?)

The Mondial had a rough start from the gate, and it only snowballed as the latest armchair journalist rushed to meet their deadline...hmm what would be a good article? Got it! "The slow Ferrari" that should get the readers flipping. "The slow Maserati" title just didn't have the same panache.

Akin to an article Title - "Corvette - the slowest* GM sports car of all time*"

*1980

Too bad the Mondial articles don't have that asterisk huh?


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I've scoured the earth for Formal Road Tests of the Mondial 8. Here is one from a European UK magazine

The is what they had to say:
"The Mondial (8) I drove covered the 1/4 mile in a little over 15.25 seconds....Naturally the car available on your shores will be noticably slower...due to your rather amusing potato in the tailpipe methods of pollution control"

This is all silly in the year 2018 when my Van can 'smoke' many Ferrari. The only reason I mention it is to illuminate what I consider very unfair and one-sided judgment on the car early on. Nobody exactly mentions the 308GTSI or 2.0 litter Ferrari Italian tax specials in those 'slowest' of retrospectives, nor is outright speed seem to be much of a concern for other classic Ferrari, yet when you're talking about the Mondial - speed uber alles is suddenly in play.

Say it's ugly all day long - you won't hear any protest from me, but to single it out specifically as extraordinary slow in the context of the era, well that's another thing altogether.

 

I can tell you by first hand experience that a 1980 308 GTSi is slow as a slug. And since I was already long of driving age in 1980, I also know it is not the car's fault. You allow a bunch of lame brain lawyers to make the law, and the 308 GTSi is what you get. And despite the 308 being slow, it is still a hoot to drive. All of this applies to the Mondial as well.

 

Did he put 3.2 bumpers on that 8 ? I should do that to mine! (If he did) that looks great!

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I believe you, 16 1/4 miles are nothing to get excited about. What's funny though is the US spec-EPA gutted Mondial 8 represents only roughly 5% of all Mondial in existence. Talk about using a limited example to assess the other 6,000 cars in reality.

What the hell am I doing, I need to shut myself up, paying only 'ridiculous' prices instead of 'stupid' prices' for spare parts has been a godsend.

As I said - if these false beliefs didn't exist broadly - I would not have been blessed to acquire one for peanuts - C'est la vie - Viva La Mondial!

 

No, just colour coded, which doesn’t always work in all colours, but I think that looks really smart. The 348 wheels are a nice upgrade (I am biased as I’ve the same), but the rears appear to be on backwards.

There are lots of good road tests for the 8, q.v. and onwards in the gold portfolio collection series. Nice as they include gt4 and 308s too. Interesting to see mondial competition in different markets.

I think there are some very balanced views, but the mondial is something of a marmite car (as we’d say in the UK).

I think a key problem is people, not always owners, focussed on straight line stats, and not handling. Much of the latter being beyond the skills of many drivers. So chassis dynamics, using the full rev range and shifting (after the obligatory warm up;-)), were often lost on people when a vette, XJS or RX7 were faster on paper on a straight.

That said, even Maranello UK (our FNA) and Janspeed teamed up to do low pressure single turbos for 308s - for a 30-40hp boost. So I think that the quest for more power is not just a modern retrospective.

When I picked mine up in 2003, I struggled to keep up with my mate in his Ford Mondeo — but he was a qualified track instructor LOL. But as I turned down the Miami vice theme from the tape deck to hear the engine, even my intermittent alternator light , erratic (knee) heater and stuttering drivers window did nothing to deter my huge grin!


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It's a great look and I do have to remove my bumpers to do some other work to the car.....hmmmm!
I often watch the MP4 vs 458 that 5th gear did and at the end they say, " the McLaren, on paper, is better, BUT it's about how the car makes you feel when you drive it. And there is clearly only one winner. The Ferrari." I'm no expert by any means, I'm just a self employed mechanic with a lifetime of Ferrari passion, but when a friend of yours calls after you take delivery of your 8, and he says he wants to trade you his 430 for the day, that's special.

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Absolutely, I drove my first 911 at 16 as a part time petrol pump attendant and car washer - nearly totalled it in less than 30 yards - but it was not any sort of great moving experience. The ergonomics were terrible, I remember the pedals feeling like one was vertical and the others horizontal with an offset seating position that was far more bizarre than anything I subsequently sat in.

The mondial is not without challenges, but I think the handling is fantastic. It’s also a very useable space and holds its shape far better than many other 2+2s with less room. I don’t think it photographs well though from some angles, and different colours really change how it looks. Having got out of long journeys relaxed and refreshed, it is also a very pleasant space to be in.


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Correction, not even as high as 5%

Including the many parted 8s more like only 2 PERCENT!

Only 147 Mondial 8s that Uncle Sam forced bannanas in the tailpipes.

I remember someone did a Dyno on a US spec and it was more like 180ish HP instead of the 215 our European brothers got. Hopefully people can remove that crazy emmisions stuff.

Bottom line is that configuration represents only ~2% of all Mondials. I hope this fact gives perspective.

 

Well said Paul.

Viva Mondial!
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What I was getting at above, although you said it a lot better! In the U.S., it is about straight line speed, and mostly from a dead stop. Back in the day no one cared about passing speeds or handling. That has come into better focus today, even as all cars have so much power that it is unusable.

Today, we have 300 hp mini vans, 700 hp Jeeps, 800 hp Dodge Demons. The new ZR1 has 755 hp, a 105 hp bump from the "old" model. 0-60 drops from a ridiculous 2.95 seconds (rear wheel drive) to 2.85 seconds. At that point who cares?

The Mondials have plenty of power. I would rather drive a "slow" car fast than a fast car slow!

Regards,
Jerry

 

For your viewing enjoyment -

Every single actual 0-60 comment or test of the Mondial 8 from 1980-1982

Enjoy!

 

9.3 and 9.4 is not exactly fast, but my favorite is 9.9 "with 2 people and luggage aboard". I am sure no one paid attention to the explanation.

To put times into perspective, 10 seconds was what my old 2004 5 speed hybrid Honda insight could do with its 70 hp! Problem is the Insight is not intended to go fast and didn't look fast, but got great mpg's and held plenty of stuff in the rear with its hatchback design. The Ferrari on the other hand looked like it should be a whole lot faster, so I think the press was less forgiving. And given the Euro times, clearly the emissions controls choked the engine, something Ferrari either didn't care about or take into consideration with the heavier Mondial........

Regards,
Jerry

 

I always say I never knew I wanted a Mondial until I drove one. They truly are great driving cars. I generally found that the people who put them down were going on the opinions that they have read as my question to them was always the same have you ever driven a Mondial to which the answer was always no.