Would be really nice to get a written comparison between the two. Especially because you said, that your expectations on the Mondial were exceeded. I think the Mondial is still suffering of it's early bad reviews although it is such a blast to drive and some may even say that the Mondial is not worthy that Ferrari badge.
I’ve always thought the Mondial was a good looking car especially in QV guise. Everyone seems to bag them, and I’m sure those who do just haven’t driven one. I’d never driven a Mondial until I bought my car and couldn’t understand the bad press as soon as I drove it. What’s not to like? Unassisted steering with great road feel, the click clack when changing gears, a mid engine V8 that loves to rev, a spacious cabin and styling that really is unique. And it’s huge fun at speeds where I won’t lose my license. The 575 is basically a muscle car in a Brioni suit. Incredible power, too fast really with all speed limits we have. Beautiful interior, comfortable GT car with excellent air conditioning. Perfect for really long trips. The two cars are literally like chalk and cheese. Horses for courses etc
Greg I agree with your comments on the Mondial. I always say I never knew I wanted a Mondial till I drove one. I have also found when other car ‘enthusiasts’ put down the Mondial I usually ask if they have ever driven one and the answer was always no and then they would reply well I read this about them in a magazine or saw mention of them in a t.v. show. I say drive one and form your own opinion.
I recently bought a 348 Berlinetta and I still like my Mondial coupe better. In fact other than the 964 turbo I used to have it is my all time best purchase.
Parked it in the driveway today. Caused quite a stir in the neighborhood. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Good turn out at the Huntington Beach Concours d’Elegance. Mine was the only Mondial. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Honestly, all of that negative feedback came from the first version Mondial 8 and was pretty much deserved. The Mondial 8 was severely down on power just due to bad luck timing on emissions -- the fuel injection, head design, and reduced compression to meet emissions standards made it legit slow (even though the prior carb-version of the same engine produced good power). I still remember when the first read test came out (can't remember R&T or C&D magazine), I thought the Mondial 8 was beautiful, but 0-60 was something like 9.5 seconds. The Mondial 8 was $64k, when a 930 Turbo (5.4 secs 0-60) was $38k. So it was pretty impossible to get excited about. The Mondial 8 also had some fairly significant electrical issues. The QV fixed the performance and electrical problems,and the 3.2 and t's performed even better, but the 8 was pretty slow. Sometimes 0-60 in a magazine doesn't mean that much in real life, butI test drove a Mondial 8 when I first started looking for one, and I just did not enjoy it. It made all the right sounds, but just did not go. My Mondial 3.2 I still rank as one of my favorite cars, and the only car I loved more and more the longer I owned it, so I love these cars, but the 8 deserved the negative reputation. The good news is that the reputation from the 8 has made all the other models mega bargains. I've yet to meet anyone who owned Mondial that didn't love it. The problem with the 8 (shared with the 308GTS/Bi) is there is also no easy way to make it perform better --- apparently the head design limits the power you can get out of it.
Great post!!! The Mondial 8 came out the same time as the 180hp "Cali Vette." It's like if folks reviewed that model and assumed *every* Vette was like that.
Thanks. I am just playing with different mods to see how they would look. They're all reversible though if I ever decide to go back to stock. It's all good.
The internet can be a confusing place... Image Unavailable, Please Login The Mondial can be best car you've ever owned (like me) or the worst. It all depends on what the prospective owner wants.
I think the Mondial is "the best car you've ever owned" for many who have actually owned one. And the Mondial is only "the worst car you've never owned" for the multitudes whose entire "knowledge" of Ferrari consists of reading the Internet
Well said, especially when "Hot Cars" posts two articles (at the same time) - one that loves the Mondial and one that hates on it.
Great discussions but back to the pic of the day Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Roma Ferrari Dealership, just had to stop by Image Unavailable, Please Login Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
