Which Car Handles better?

2 seater vs 4 seater.

I went with the 4 seater for exactly the same reasons (got 2 kids now, though at the time, I only had one). But, one thing you should know: The reality is, there have only been a handful of times when I have had more than 2 people in the car. Usually, its just me alone, or me and my daughter or son (daughter is 4, my son is 1.5), or me and the wife (kids at home with the babysitter). I have occasionally taken a couple of coworkers (yes I had 4 adults in the car!!), and so it has come in handy, but it wasn't often. I probably could have gotten away with a 2 seater if I had wanted one (I prefer the GT4 anyway- I must be really warped).

Dom

 

I have 3 kids, and due to my wife's back problems, I need to look after them all weekend.

So we're always in the Mondial. Annoys people at the parks and play areas when they see 3 kids getting out of a Ferrari, and they're stuck in MPVs

Plus, with a small tweak, the 2+2 Mondial becomes a 2+3 - means you don't miss out on the Ferrari fun when the whole family needs to go somewhere.

Raised a few eyebrows when I forgot to take out the kid seats and took it on the track, though

Cheers,
TOM
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Tom,
That pic of your kids in the back of the Mondial is wonderful! Great stuff!! I showed it to my wife so she understands that I'm not totally nuts wanting to take our daughter everywhere in the back of the Mondial. What is holding in the child seat?

LNR,
GREAT shot of Dom's GT4! WOW!

It's interesting, I have heard the rumor that the GT4 handles better than the GTB passed around often, but a while back I came across a R&T road test written by Paul Friere (am I spelling that right?) from when the GTB was first introduced and he said the handling was much improved over the GT4. So, take that for what it's worth. I have never driven a GT4 and I'm not being down on the GT4 because I love them and if my wife would let me, I would buy one.

I do own a '77 GTB and a Mondial QV. Both are outrageously fun to drive. I was very pleasantly surprised how great the handling of the Mondial is. You can really throw that thing around! I mean, the 308 is probably a little more sure-footed, but you expect that in a 308. The Mondial is more of a sporty family car, so it comes as a surprise how much you can really DRIVE that thing!

My GTB has 16" wheels and sticky tires. It holds the road like nothing I have ever driven. It's traction goes beyond my limits for testing it. The Mondial has 348 wheels on it because I didn't want to replace the TRX tires (too much money). With those wheels (and P-zeros), its traction is also incredible. The chassis of the Mondial is REALLY great. I can't explain it...it's just a great car to drive. But the QV is heavy for its HP and not as fast as a 308. I'll bet the 3.2 is really great to drive.

The difference between the GT4 and the Mondial is everyday use is that the back seats on the Mondial are a bit more useful since there is more space. The price you pay is that the Mondial is several hundred pounds heavier than the GT4. I would imagine that the GT4 handles better than the Mondial.

Birdman

 

Great to see tomkranz's mondial used as intended. (they put seats in the back for a reason you know)!!

I've got a '78 euro GT4 and I'd say I take my 4 yr old twin boys out in it once a month or so (along with the wife). Makes a nice change form the boring estate car we have for general use.

Personally, I think the styling of the GT4 just gets better every year. They were a "poor mans Ferrari" for quite a time which is unfair, I needed a 2+2 so I'm glad the prices havn't taken off yet.

When I started looking for an F-car, I narrowed the search down to the GT4 or a Mondial QV and drove or went in a few of each. I don't think a QV is any slower than a GT4, and it turns in very well. This is no compromise!

Of course the 2 seater 308 is the glamour model, but in the UK you will pay at least 50% more for one over a GT4 or Mondial, and it may be a lower powered 2 valve injected car.

I feel the answer may be a 3.2 Mondial. 270hp (UK) and all the space you need. This would be considerably quicker than both the above cars..... however, that's the logical answer, my heart will say GT4 each time.

Good luck in your search.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

LNR- Great photo, and thanks for sending me the hi-res version.

Birdman- I have a book at home that is a collection of old magazine articles about the 308 series cars. I will have to see if I can find that article by Paul Frere. Could the handling be due to bigger tires on the GTB vs the GT4 (I think the original GT4's came with 14x6.5" rims, whearas the GTB's came with the 14x7 front and 14x8 rear?

From the numbers I posted above, the weights and HP figures for the 308 series cars are pretty close. Except for the wheels, I think the other suspension components are the same for the 308 cars. It seems like the only real difference between the cars is wheelbase.

Anyway, all of this is really theoretical. The truth is, my driving skills will probably never be able to take full advantage of the limits available on any of these cars. All of them are great cars. Just drive them often and take good care of them, and they will make you happy.

Dom

 

None of the 3 are really going to handle that well compared to other things out there, but the lightest one with the lowest and most balanced point of the c.g. will be the best. I would guess that's the 308 even though it's way heavy for it's HP for applications where handling is 95% of the game, like autocross.

On a big track, I'd guess the GT4 would be the best as it has the power and a well balanced layout, although a 3.2 Mondial or a T should well smoke it.

Ken

 

Hi Dom,
I'm with you...my skills as a driver are probably not good enough to evaluate, so I am stuck with quoting Paul Friere! So the long and the short of it is that either car handles great, and I'm not going to split hairs about it. It's just that I have heard from many people that the GT4 handles better than the GTB, and I'm not sure that isn't just a rumor started by a GT4 nut! Being a GTB owner, I'm sticking up for the GTB!

Anyway, I have no idea what tires/wheels were on the cars when Paul Friere evaluated them. I believe that the early GTBs had optional wheels with 14x6.5" (same width at all corners) being standard and 14x7.5 (at all corners) being optional, but most cars ended up being delivered with the 14x7.5" wheels. (I have a nice set stacked up in the garage gathering dust!)

The 7" front and 8" rear widths didn't arrive until the QV when they went to 16" wheels. I have no idea what the widths were in the metric wheel days.

Birdman

 

We've been dancing around the most important point: tires. Todays tires are miles beyond what was on these cars when they came out. Put NOS tires on a 308 and a modern tire and it won't even be close. So you can't use contemporary road tests to compare cars of different eras at all.

Ken

 

I've certainly noticed the handling on my Mondial got a lot better after fitting 17" wheels and new rubber. Not only were the TRXs expensive and rare, but they were pretty nasty compared to even a cheap modern tyre.

The handling was good before, but yes - newer rims and rubber make it outstanding

Birdman: I've had the centre squab and armrest removed, and a 4 point racing harnes fitted. Lower half of the harness uses the existing seatbelt mount points, and the top half is attached to the solid thick bulkhead that runs along the back of the car below the rear window.

It's a very solid fit, and the 4 point harness is a way better idea with a child seat than the crappy lap belt most cars seem to have.

Cheers,
TOM
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

There is one option that I'm all for that hasn't been mentioned yet.

Collect all three.

 

Judge,
Well, you better talk Spicy into a GT4 then!! (It's kinda lambo-like...)

Ken,
You are right. Modern tires are amazing. The difference in cornering speeds between my 308 with 14 and 16" wheels and good tires was nothing short of fantastic. But, when the GT4 and GTB were compared back in the day, they were wearing the tires of the time, and were equally hindered as such.

Tom,
Very clever to put in a 4 point harness and pull that arm rest!! Nice!

Birdman

 

Love the McLaren Back seat version in the Mondial.
Thought about doing that alone for my first daughter to give her and us more leg room?