Educate, Verb. The advanced development of, especially by teaching The Mondial is a great Ferrari. It truly has merits that other sportcars cannot approach. The Mondial t (as the last version of the series) truly exhibits the Ferrari heritage that the prancing horse insignia deserves. I put this short fact sheet together on the t series Mondial to help explain to some why it is very special. Ferrari Mondial t 1989 was the first year for the T series Mondial. The t stood for transverse as the transmission is transversely positioned in the chassis - yet the engine is mounted longitudinally near the center of the chassis. Ferraris successful F1 study in mass location is the reasoning behind the transverse gearbox configuration. No other Mondial version has this configuration. The t engine was set very low in the semi tubular chassis. So low that the engine must implement a dry sump lubrication system similar to racing cars - as there is little room for a conventional low oil pan. Mounting the engine this low in the chassis has a direct & positive effect on handling & performance. The dry sump is also a performance enhancement as it controls oil windage therefore aiding in horsepower production. In 1989 Mondial t engine displacement grew to 3.4 liters producing 300 Horsepower. While 300 HP may not be a staggering number when compared to many Ferraris, when compared to the earlier Mondial series, this is quite an additional boost. Performance is strong for the Mondial t. Zero to sixty MPH = 5.5 seconds Standing ¼ mile with the 5 speed can be achieved in 13.8 seconds @ 105 MPH. Top speed is redline limited at approximately 165 MPH. The Mondial t is a rarity. Limited versions were sent to the states. For example: Records indicate that only forty two 1989 Mondial t coupes were delivered to the USA. The Mondial t is factory equipped with a cockpit adjustable electronic suspension system. The driver may choose from soft settings to firm settings. The shocks in all for corners will be adjusted to suit the drivers preferences via a flip of a switch. The Mondial t series has 3-point seat belts in the front & in the rear. The interior command center was updated to reflect the full Ferrari model range with attractive corporate gauge cluster & center console. Power assisted steering and anti-lock brakes were standard equipment for the Mondial t in 1989 but the spare tire was optional. Window stickers often exceeded $100,000.00 in 1989 for this model. A clutch-less Valeo transmission was available on the Mondial t series. These while rare, can be very desirable. The side mounted air intake grills were esthetically changed for the Mondial t. The dimensions were reduced and the lines were more conservative. They are functional as the drivers side unit directs air into the intake, the passenger side to an oil cooler. Door handles were painted body color to add to the overall update. The Mondial t series was one of the last models that Enzo Ferrari himself directed the production of. Mondial production included the Mondial 8 (a transversely mounted 3.0 liter V8) - The Mondial 3.2 (a transversely mounted 3.2 liter V8) and the Mondial t (a longitudinally mounted dry sump 3.4 liter V8). Image Unavailable, Please Login
Depending on who(m) you believe, the initial 348/Mondial t's (1989) that used the Motronic 2.5 only generated ~ 295HP, and also had other problems. The move to 2.7 in mid-90 brought the car back up to 300hp and reduced the problems of the 2.5
I actually took my car to the dyno to get a real power number on it, no need to guess with today's technology available. It worked out to 306 HP at the crank. So... This Motronics 2.5 is a winner. In reality, 2.5 is absolutely no determent at all. It has essentially the same workings as the 2.7 version, with only slightly less diagnostic capability. It has not effected performance of this 3.4, I can tell you that. Of course, you can (as you say) believe whom you would like. But... I am certified on Motronic, and I find that the 2.5 version is excellent for this application. If your diagnostic ability is limited, then the 2.7 version is a tad more user friendly. Either way, the Mondial t is the car for me.
One minor addition....the Mondial 8 was introduced in 1980 as a 2 valve per cylinder engine and was upgraded in 1983 to a 4 valve (quattrovalvole or "QV") engine which took the Mondial 8 from 205 HP to 230 HP. Birdman
Some 308s had dry sump lubrication more than a decade earlier. Mondial QVs has 3-point seat belts front and rear. What is a "command center"; the dash & console with parts-bin dials perhaps? ABS appeared on the 3.2 The random redesign of the rectangular air intakes no longer horizontally mirrored the window lines as they elegantly did in the original design. The 3.2 also had body coloured door handles. In other words the "t" was a development of the earlier cars, which is normal, not exceptional nor unexpected.
Beautiful car and thank you for the education. Much appreciated. 300 HP is a lot, even in todays terms (prior the HP wars by all manufacturers). I would like to know what the weight of the Mondial T is that you have. I would be interested in the hp/weight ratio. If they are so rare, would the Mondial T be the most sought after mondial? Also what kind of numbers are they fetching nowadays (Mondial T manual)? Thanks
hello, interested in the mondial, question for u.s spec 1990+ owners. how inconvienent are the motorized seatbelts? the configuration seems very distracting for front passengers. not to mention the rear seats. thanks, joe
You bet, thank you. Weight is over 3000 lbs. However it is balanced well. The car never feels heavy on the track or the road. 3150 was the last magazine test spec I noted. Rare yes, sought after... As far as Mondials go, I would assume so. I see asking prices for the "t" in the $40's quite commonly. Now & then a $50,000 example pops up on the market as well. Your a tough one to please 'eh, but thank you. I am quite pleased with the make. I must take a moment & say though, that just the "t" engine and transmission layout alone exceeds "exceptional." Not to mention the differences in how the car drives & performs. A would never expect another Mondial owner to be so critical, but then again... Good call! That should be noted. Have a great day.
Very interesting thread. The owners manual for our '89 t coupe says 300 hp but I haven't actually tested it. While certainly not the most powerful of Ferraris, what is available is quite sufficient for spirited and fun driving. I don't pretend to be overly smart about the 2.5 versus the 2.7 systems but, from what I've read and heard, the principal difference does appear to be the diagnostic feature. We have had the car for 9 months and have had absolutely no mechanical or electrical issues. When I started my search for a Ferrari the Mondial was not on the horizon. I started taking a harder look when I learned of this car. The more I looked the more it grew on me and, when it came time to make a decision, there was really no other choice to make. While certainly not a perfect car, for us it has turned out to be the perfect Ferrari. Re numbers of later t's, my memory is not all it should be and I don't have access to the magazines at work, but I seem to recall an article in a past issue Forza which said that t coupes were only brought into the US in '89 and '90 - the rest being cabrios. However, I could be mistaken on that and will check again when I get a chance. When we were at the factory last October, we asked about production numbers for our model. We were told that a total of 42 US spec '89 t coupes were produced. It would be interesting to learn how many have survived and where they are today. Regards, John
The only people who like the Valo are the mechanics at an authorized Ferrari dealer. They are not reliable and no one knows how to fix them except a select few. And you can finance a year of college for the privilege. The sideways mounted engine should be suprior from a balance standpoint; the cg is more focused. The transverse mount is cheaper to do and likely the reason they did it. There is a reason the T has held it's value to almost the same as a 348 (unlike the Mondial 8, QV and 3.2 to their respective two seat cousins); they are indeed wonderful cars! Ken
I believe (convertible anyway) the Mondial t weighs in the neighborhood of ~3700 pounds. It ain't no featherweight. Regarding the Motronic 2.5 vs 2.7, I can't remember all the details, but every mechanic groans when you mention 2.5 as being problematic. One mechanic showed me nearly $20k in receipts (all covered under warranty by a Ferrari dealer) related to the Motronic 2.5 As a side note, the Ferrari Idea PPG, a one off Mondial, was the first Ferrari to carry the 3.4 litre engine. It was a pace car for the Indy 500. Ugly as sin, but historical nonetheless.
Holy moly! I remember that car... PPG did several makes, and one of the wild concepts was indeed that Ferrari. It escapes me that it was a Mondial, but now that you mention it, I am sure you are correct. The actual Indy 500 pace car was an American car, but I do remember the full "PPG support staff" in several other imported and domestic makes at all of the "Indy Car" events doing a pre-show in Jr. "pace cars.". I think all of the drivers were women who raced in another series. That's a blast from the past! Hey John, nice post. I would love to hear if that '89 - '90 coupe bit is indeed the fact. I would not doubt it.
Wow. A quick search revealed these! It was 1987... Oh boy is she shapely Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Thank you for the prompt reply. Much appreciated. 40s and 50s, not bad for such a low production car. Thanks again for the lessons,
According to Bluemel's book, there were 1875 't's produced by Ferrari from 1989 to 1993. Its pretty remarkable that less than 3% of them wound up in the USA. that's like 10 a year. I wonder if there was that little market demand for them in the US or if they were almost deliberately not marketed here for some reason. This is all, of course, assuming that the 42 in the US quote is really on the money. Maybe it was 420?
Keep in mind that the 42 is only a "1989 coupe" USA production number. I think the USA got a major supply of cabriolets from '89 - '93. Perhaps even half of the production! I have heard the 42 as a real '89 coupe production number from several sources by the way. The T coupes are pretty limited. I know of only seven or eight '89-up T coupes on this sight.
any u.s. 1990-1993 mondial owners out there? in the market for a early 90's 8 cyl. ferrari. i love the mondals styling, but the up-side-down motorized seat belts look uncomfortable at best. any thoughts? joe
Uncomfortable, unsafe (never tight) and a complete engineering disaster. When my 92 was totaled, I specificaly looked for a non-motorized T replacement. (BTW, all 89 and most 90 T Cab only had 2 point belts in the rear. I replaced mine with 4 pointers for the kids...) - TCab
At 6'3", your F-car options are pretty limited. I also love the 2+1 seating (at 6'3", that seat behind you is either for storage or Gary Coleman) so I can take my kids on short trips about town. Depite having "only" 300 ponies, it is clearly a car that you can still get in trouble with. I don't even use 5th gear as that is a certainty to attract CHP attention. The handling in the winding canyon roads of Southern California is outstanding. I've had a 300zx (previous version) and an Audi S4, and the handling and balance in corners don't even compare. I can easily take 40mph corners at 90mph with little or no drama.(comparitively, the Audi felt out-of-sorts around 70 mph) I thoroughly enjoy my Mondial t.
