Interesting old article on Boxer

There is no way the 365 Boxer had only 300 horsepower. The Daytona engine with the same displacement and carburation had 352 and the detuned 365 GTC4 had 320. In his book, "Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer" Mel Nichols interviewed Ferrari engineers (Dr. Ing. de Angelis and Dr. Eng. Bellei) and they did disclose to him that the 380 hp claimed for the 365 Boxer was the level they achieved on an early prototype car. They stated that the production car was detuned to 360 DIN, which translates to 344 SAE net, the level quoted in the owner's manual. 365 Boxers are more difficult to get off the line than the 512s but here are some numbers that indicate its true power:

Mel Nichols own test:

0 to 60 in 5.3 seconds
0 to 100 in 11.3 sec.

Motor & Classic Cars Oct. 1975 test:

0 to 60 in 6.5 sec.
0 to 100 in 13.5 sec.

In the Nov. 1975 issue of this magazine (M & CC), Paul Frere tested another 365 Boxer and mentioned that he obtained figures 1 second better than the month earlier test, which he attributed to a "more vigorous clutch."

A comparison of 60 to 100 mph times may be more meaningful. Road & Track had the following:

June 1975 test of 365 Boxer:

60 to 100 in 7.6 sec. (this was for a car that had a slipping clutch and for which they were only revving to 7000 rpm)

March 1978 test of 512 Boxer:

60 to 100 mph in 7.7 sec.

There are many variables that can influence test performance, of course, but there is no way the 365 Boxer has only 300 hp. I have owned both a 512 BBi and a 365 Boxer. In my opinion, the 365 has at least as much power as the 512 but it comes at the upper level of the rev. range.

 

From the Road & Track Sept. 1984 top ten "World's Fastest Cars" issue.

512BB

Top Speed:176.2 MPH
0-60: 5.1 seconds
0-100: 12.2 sec.
1/4 mile- sec/mph: 13.5/100.5

It came in second place, after a Ruf Turbo Porsche (186.2mph).

Other cars tested: Jag XJ-S HE, BMW M635CSi, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 928S, Lambo Countach and Aston Martin Vantage

 

As a matter of interest, the issue of Supercar Classic you have, does it have a picture of a BB512i in the article?? I am interested in UK magazines which feature the Boxer, as several have pictures of my actual car, as it was the Maranello demonstrator, i ahve already obtained a copy of The Car issue 6 and also found a full size wall poster of the boxer which is my car, pretty cool really, and interesting to have in its history file.
Steve

 

The article in question shows only a red 365GT4BB, registered as JJH 574N. According to the text, it was originally owned by the Sultan of Brunei, then obtained by Nick Gill, who owned it at the time the article was written.

 

Remember that horsepower is mostly a function of torque and rpms. The 365 BB revs to 7700 rpm with a power peak at 7200 rpm, while the 512BBi only revs to 6800/7000 rpm with a power peak at 6000/6200 rpm. Relative to the carbed 512BB, the 365 has 34 mm chokes while the 512 only had 32 mm, allowing for better high rpm breathing. The difference in compression is only .4 which is negligble. The Daytona also revs to 7700 rpm with a power peak similar to the 365 Boxer's at 7500 rpm so the output of their motors can't be too different. Relative to top speed, Road & Track actually achieved 175 mph from its 365 BB test and Paul Frere achieved 173 mph.

Relative to the reason for the increase in engine displacement from 4.4 liters to 4.9, Mel Nichols' book (Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer) quotes Ferrari lead engineer Dr. Bellei as saying the following: "We were faced with having to update the engine for pollution and noise regulations, and we felt we would lose too much performance by merely amending the 4.4 litre engine. So we decided to increase the capacity to 4942 cc by increasing the bore and stroke from 81 by 71 mm to 82 by 78 mm. Because of the increased size, the new engine had to run at lower maximum rpm than the old engine and we did therefore lose some power-although we gained in torque."

I have not only driven the 365 and 512, but I have actually owned both of these cars for years at a time. The 512 BBi feels faster in most of the driving conditions you will be in due to its greater torque level but the 365 feels faster if you wind it up to redline. For another view on the characteristics of the difference Boxer models, visit Michael Sheehan's website (www.ferraris-online.com) and read his article entitled "Which Boxer for You?" Michael has driven all of these cars extensively and can relate real experience.

Now after all of this writing, I am going to go out into the garage and fire up the 365 Boxer for an eventual trip to redline!