348 GTB & GTS In The US

No. But Euro spec cars are becoming eligible for importation, so hopefully we'll finally see some here. I saw an ad for one that was offered for sale here years ago, so at least one apparently somehow made it here but the H series engine was never officially imported.

 

Yes on the lower body, not sure on the engine cover, although I don't think the engine covers were body color on the late non-SS cars. I do know that the Serie Speciales did have the body colored engine covers.

 

I´m the happy owner of a 348 GTB from 1994 ( you can see some pics in Flickr: EDVTEC's Photostream )

First of all, I have to say that GTB / GTS were never available in the USA. At the end of 1993 Ferrari launched the new, improved and more radical, GTB/GTS versions of the all known 348 tb/ts. This new car had a lot of changes compared with the older 348, both on estethical and technical area. The frontgrill was redesigned, some interior parts changed like the steering wheel, and panel doors, but the most important changes were done at the engine:The engine received new air intakes, higher compression ratio (they changed the compression ratio from 10:4/1 to 10:8/1), higher fuel pressure etc. All this together made that the new engine could deliver 320 bhp. Besides this, also the dynamical behaviour of the car improved by a better weight balancing and by an improved suspension.

These are all the 348 versions and how to differentiate them:

- Model: 348 tb (transversale berlinetta). Production cycle : 1989-1993. Chassis numbers: 81617-96679. Built units: 2894. The side and down skirts painted in black, interior door panels with three decorative strikes. There is only one matt black prancing horse in the rear grill. Engine cover painted in black. Several units were aftermarket painted also in the body color. The fake front air intake has fewer grids than the later models and it has no prancing horse on it. The clutch and brake pedals have rubber covers.

- Model: 348 ts. (transversale spider, (it is really a targa)). Production cycle: 1989-1993. Chassis numbers: 81651-96964. Built units: 4228. The side and down skirts painted in black, interior door panels with three decorative strikes. There is only one matt black prancing horse in the rear grill. Engine cover painted in black. Several units were aftermarket painted also in the body color. The fake front air intake has fewer grids than the later models and it has no prancing horse on it. The clutch and brake pedals have rubber covers. The removable roof was always black, but some owners have Paint them in the same body color

- Model: 348 Serie Speciale (only for US market). Production cycle: 1993. Chassis numbers: 92812-95820. Built units: 80 (Only in USA). Side and down skirts were painted in body color, also the engine cover. More noticeable feature is that the rear grill was removed and they have two chromed prancing horses, one in the front fake air intake and another one on the rear grid. It has a different front spoiler. It also has bacquet competition seats.

- Model: 348 Spider. Production cycle: 1993-1995. Chassis numbers: 94504-99947. Built units: 1146. Interior door panels have a new design, flat, with no strikes. Side and down skirts were painted in body color, also the engine cover. Both chromed prancing horses on front and rear grids. Fake front air intake has more grids than previous versions. Clutch and brake pedals are now made of perforated aluminum. There are some changes in suspensions, engine (F119H engine with more power 320 CV, intake manifold has on one half only 2 stripes and it’s taller too, the compression ratio changed from 10:4/1 to 10:8/1., etc…)

- Model: 348 GTB. (Gran Turismo Berlinetta). Production cycle: 1993-1994. Chassis numbers: 96655-99697. Built units: 222. Interior door panels have a new design, flat, with no strikes. Side and down skirts were painted in body color, also the engine cover. Both chromed prancing horses on front and rear grids. Fake front air intake has more grids than previous versions. Clutch and brake pedals are now made of perforated aluminum. There are some changes in suspensions, engine (F119H engine with more power 320 CV, intake manifold has on one half only 2 stripes and it’s taller too, the compression ratio changed from 10:4/1 to 10:8/1., etc.)

- Model: 348 GTS. (Gran Turismo Spider (it is really a targa)). Production cycle: 1993-1994. Chassis numbers: 96824-99197. Built units: 218. Interior door panels have a new design, flat, with no strikes. Removable roof, side and down skirts were painted in body color, also the engine cover. Both chromed prancing horses on front and rear grids. Fake front air intake has more grids than previous versions. Clutch and brake pedals are now made of perforated aluminum. There are some changes in suspensions, engine (F119H engine with more power 320 CV, intake manifold has on one half only 2 stripes and it’s taller too, the compression ratio changed from 10:4/1 to 10:8/1., etc.…)

- Model: 348 GT Competizione (US market only). Production cycle: 1993-1994. Chassis numbers: 96064-99143. Built units: 56. It has different wheel rims, different steering wheel, fire extinguisher, spoilers, cloth bacquet seats, etc.

There were only 13 units exclusively built for Racing versions, out of which only 11 units were 348 GT Competizione (chassis: 84248, 95380, 96064, 96547, 97296, 97933, 98226, 98367, 98676, 99107 y 99143) and 2 more units were 348 GT/C-LM exclusively built for 1994 Le Mans 24h. GP (chasis 97553 and 98997).

Regarding the engines, there are three types:
- F119D with 300 CV for tb/ts and Serie Speciale
- F119G with 295 CV for markets with catalyzed engines.
- F119H with 320 CV from 1993 on only for GTB/GTS/Spider and GT Competizione versions.

 

I dont think 8.844 total producción is a lot ,they made 11thousand some f355 in the dame amount of Year ,i considérate the 348 more a classic and puré car than many news ferraris,irs just my opinión

 

They would have had to recertify the new engine for the GTS/GTB. Even our Spider didn’t get this new engine.

 

Your information on the GT Competizione is incorrect. They were not available in the US. And they are the most radical of the 348s. They had the H engine and suspension upgrades similar to the GTB and S, but also had huge weight reductions (190 kg) with composite bumpers, doors, etc, F40 composite seats, and larger and lightweight speedline split rims, as well as a special exhaust, etc.

 

Unfortunately this happens all the time in the car world; the best models are often not US compliant.

 

I actually read that to mean the US Challenge cars. The use of the term Competizione would be wrong in this case, but replace it with Challenge and it would be correct yes?

 

No. Eduardo has gone a bit wrong towards the end.

Some corrections:

The US-only Serie Speciale came in two numbered series. The first numbered 1 to 100 and the second 1 to 15. As I posted somewhere else on here some years ago, Keith Bluemel has said he was told by the Factory that there were actually only 80 Serie Speciale regardless of the numbering to 100 (and 15) but this must be misinformation (from Ferrari? Who would have thought?) because more than 80 Serie Speciale are known.

The US also got 32 numbered Challenge cars (i.e. 1 to 32). Otherwise most other Challenge cars were road cars with a 'Challenge pack' purchased from Ferrari that included the roll cage, racing seats and so on. I don't know if the US Challenge cars were actually fully assembled as such at the Factory or whether it was done by FNA.

The 348 GTC was effectively to the 348 what the Challenge Stradale was to the 360 or the Scuderia to the 430. 50 numbered cars not sold to the US.

The 348 GT Competizione (not to be confused with the 348 GTC) was the racing version of the 348 (for Le Mans etc.)

Jonathan

 

They are both known as the GT Competizione, one as the street version the other the race version, which was a Michelotto modified verision of the street version.

 

Sort of. GTC does stand for Gran Turismo Competizione but it only confuses things if you use the same name for two different things! A case in point is above.

The racing GT Competiziones were not modified GTC road cars they started from normal road cars. You can tell that from the chassis numbers if nothing else.

Jonathan

 

I agree, Eduardo's post has many errors.

 

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But th badge on the back of the car says GT Competizione. . I consider the race version Michelotto Competizione.

Yes - you’re right, they were not modified specifically from the road version of the Competizione. What I meant is that they had some similar modifications and were further modified from there. Sorry for the confusion

 

Sorry!!! (info has been taken from book "Original Ferrari V8 by Keith Bluemel" ).

Anyway, we all together can improve and accurate this information.

 

Exactly. There's always something new to be learned.

 

You're quite right, of course. But, to distinguish between two different cars with the same name, generally the road version is referred to as the 348 GTC.

As an aside, I bumped into Keith Bluemel at Brooklands on Saturday. Original Ferrari V8 is an excellent book.

By the way, I should have mentioned above in relation to the 348 GTC that they are numbered x of 50 on the steering wheel but some sources do say 6 cars made. However, I haven't come across one without the numbering on the wheel so I'm not sure if there really were an extra 6 cars.

Jonathan ​

 

My (road version) owner's manual says 348 GT Competizione and as far as I'm aware this is the correct name, although usually abbreviated to GTC by most people. There's definitely some confusion...even Ferrari mixes the road & race versions together, but they are clearly different https://auto.ferrari.com/en_EN/sports-cars-models/past-models/348-gt-competizione/

 

Awesome (and one of the best SS color combos I’ve seen) but it’s not a GTS/GTB as the thread subject is discussing.