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408 the Ferrari engineering concept

Discussion in 'Ferrari Discussion (not model specific)' started by JeremyJon, Aug 24, 2012.

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  1. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

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    #1 JeremyJon, Aug 24, 2012
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    this model has been mentioned only a few times in the forum, this article is of the 408 and details it's design, cool stuff!
    at the time new 328 and Testarossa were coming off the assembly line, and the 408 could have been a giant leap forward, it included an wheel drive layout, and a bonded aluminum chassis :cool:

    article from R&T december 1988
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  2. Flash G

    Flash G Three Time F1 World Champ
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    #2 Flash G, Aug 24, 2012
    The chassis looks like what you would find on the Lotus Elise.
     
  3. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

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    #3 JeremyJon, Aug 24, 2012
    very close isn't it ...but i dont think they used extruded sections, sheets of aluminum bonded and riveted, and the crossmembers are (were) cast magnesium ...imagine if a version of this came out ahead of the NSX (and 348/355)?
     
  4. greg328

    greg328 F1 Rookie

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    #4 greg328, Aug 24, 2012
    Shame they couldn't combine attractiveness with the new technology..

    Greg
     
  5. fluque

    fluque Formula 3

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    #5 fluque, Aug 24, 2012
    We should be thankful that styling didn't make the market :)
     
  6. of2worlds

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    #6 of2worlds, Aug 24, 2012
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  7. of2worlds

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    #7 of2worlds, Aug 24, 2012
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  8. merstheman

    merstheman F1 Rookie

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    #8 merstheman, Aug 24, 2012
    Have you ever seen a Toyota MR2?

    ;)
     
  9. of2worlds

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    #9 of2worlds, Aug 24, 2012
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  10. Ferraripilot

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    #10 Ferraripilot, Aug 24, 2012
    Acura NSX anyone?
     
  11. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

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    #11 JeremyJon, Aug 24, 2012
    remember the NSX came out in 1990, this article was 1988

    the styling wasn't important to them at that point, the 408 was an engineering mule remember, the next production car to be introduced and come out after this time was the 348 and that looked just fine ...imagine if Ferrari had made the 348 based on that lightweight aluminum chassis ...they could have leap froged the NSX before it even came out!
     
  12. 4rePhill

    4rePhill F1 Veteran

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    #12 4rePhill, Aug 24, 2012
    Exactly what My first thought was - especially looking at the red 408!
     
  13. pappy.72

    pappy.72 Formula Junior

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    #13 pappy.72, Aug 24, 2012
    Honda was first with the design and Pininfarina was just rehashing their own designs.

    "Honda commissioned Pininfarina to design the Honda HP-X in 1984. The HP-X stood for Honda Pininfarina Xperimental. The Pininfarina Company has continued to provide styling consultancy services to numerous manufactures over the years. The styling on the Honda HP-X got the ball rolling as far as styling was concerned for the NSX."
     
  14. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

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    #14 JeremyJon, Aug 24, 2012
    i'm quite sure the 408 was being designed and worked on by 1984 if not earlier, since they allowed it displayed in 1987 ...i don't think the 408 was a styling exercise so much as an engineering exercise

     
  15. tr0768

    tr0768 Formula Junior

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    #15 tr0768, Aug 24, 2012
    Looks to me like a Subaru XT6. Same era and same basic design. They both share the flat back wedge shape. The wedge first came from the Triumph Tr7. The 80's were not kind to automotive design.

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  16. Dizengoff

    Dizengoff Formula Junior

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    #16 Dizengoff, Aug 24, 2012
    +1, exactly what I was thinking.
     
  17. Four7EightBHP

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    #17 Four7EightBHP, Aug 25, 2012
    I have that article and followed the possibility of a 408 for some time. The engineering, regardless of the outward appearance, was intriguing.
     
  18. LightGuy

    LightGuy Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #18 LightGuy, Aug 25, 2012
    Last edited: Aug 25, 2012
    Ken Okuyama designed the NSX (and Enzo AND Napolis's P4/5).
    He did join Pininfarina after the NSX design.
    Pinin was where the 408 came from previously.
    So many of the designs, designers, and design houses intertwine and who can say where the original style to this car came from.
    One idea evolved into the next.
    What can be said is that Honda ( Acura ) stepped up to the plate and built a mass production aluminum sports car
    Not in an exercise but in a real world product. The 360 was Ferrari's answer 9 years later.
    Ferrari had first shot.
     
  19. JeremyJon

    JeremyJon F1 Veteran

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    #19 JeremyJon, Aug 25, 2012
    all true
    to be fair the 408 and NSX are both aluminum, but built differently, the 408 explored a bonded monocoque using sheet aluminim and cast magnesium sub frames for suspension, where the NSX was a more typical uni-body, but stamped and welded together in aluminum rather than steel ....i appreaciate both designs ....being that the 408 was part of Ferrari's development learning curve, they likely felt it was technology not quite ready for production, which is to bad, imagine if they had come out with a bonded aluminum chassis 348/355, what a screamer it would have been with the same power output! :)
     

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