Friday 6 October 2006

There seems to be no end to rumours of Ferrari building a small car to take on the likes of the Aston Martin V8 Vantage and Porsche 911. The new car, possibly carrying the Dino nameplate, will be priced under $150,000 and will boost Ferrari’s annual production well beyond its current rate, something purists fear will dilute the brand’s exclusivity.

Our previous report suggested that the new car would feature a folding metal roof and this latest rendering sourced from Autobild/Huckfeldt seems to support the rumour. Platform sharing with Maserati is a likely option with the Dino utilising design work shared with the upcoming Coupe and Spyder replacements.

Previous reports have stated that the Dino will be a 2+2 seater, but this rendering clearly shows a strict 2 seater. Under the new sheet metal, the car will follow a front-engined rear drive layout with a 4.2L V8 as the powerplant of choice, although there’s talk of a small capacity V6 engine also on the cards. Look for a conventional steel monocoque chassis with the engine placed well behind the front-axle for improved weight distribution.

Dino Lives
Is a Maserati-based Ferrari two-seater in the wings?

By GREG KABLE

AutoWeek | Published 10/17/06, 9:23 am et

Despite denials from general manager Amedeo Felisa that such a project even exists, Ferrari appears to be well down the road to introducing an entry-level model Porsche 911 competitor carrying the illustrious Dino name.

According to high-ranking insiders at parent company Fiat in Turin, the new Ferrari is very much alive and in the early stage of development in partnership with Maserati. Sources say crude prototypes exist, but the car likely won’t be introduced before 2009.

Supplier sources say Ferrari is gearing up to build some 4000 Dinos annually. Rumor has it the car was designed by Pininfarina with input from former Ferrari design boss Frank Stephenson, who now heads Fiat’s Centro Stile operation.

The starting point for the entry-level Ferrari is a front-engine platform under development by Maserati for its upcoming Coupe replacement due in early 2007. Known internally under the codename M139, its rear-wheel-drive underpinnings are related to those in the Maserati Quattroporte, but they receive their own tighter wheelbase and track widths to give the new Ferrari more compact dimensions.

To keep weight down, the body is built with carbon fiber and aluminum. Sources suggest the Alfa Romeo 8C is serving as a pattern for the new Ferrari, most notably in the area of body construction and materials.

Secrecy surrounds the body style; early claims had Maranello considering a folding-hardtop arrangement, but it now appears the Dino may be offered in coupe guise only to keep the car’s weight in check.

Unlike the original 206 Dino and its more illustrious predecessor, the 246, the coming Dino is likely to go without V6 power. Instead, the car will run a 4.0-liter variant of Maserati’s highly versatile V8 producing about 400 hp.

Ferrari’s decision to base the Dino on a Maserati mechanical package seems to contradict the company’s no-compromise engineering mantra. However, the two carmakers are already closely linked in other business areas. The 4.3-liter, 490-hp V8 engine used in the 430 Modena, for example, is closely related to the 4.2-liter, 400-hp unit found in the Quattroporte. Ferrari Enzo provided the basis for the Maserati MC12. There are also plans, unfulfilled at this stage, to drop the 612 Scaglietti’s 5.5-liter, 540-hp V12 engine into the engine bay of a new range-topping Quattroporte model to create a Mercedes-Benz S-Class rival.

One more linkage? Ferrari may choose Maserati’s heavily refurbished factory in Modena to build its modern-day Dino. Given the high percentage of Maserati parts in the Dino, it would appear a highly cost-effective alternative. AutoWeek sources also contend that Ferrari is in talks with Pininfarina as a possible production partner.