So: Ferrari V6 or Ferrari V8? In an interesting rebuttal of an old myth about Enzo Ferrari, Hagerty’s Jason Cammisa pronounces a revelation.
However, the end of the “revelation” — just the last couple minutes of the video — has a side-by-side comparison of the sound made by the engines of the Dino 246 vs. that of the 308 as Cammisa takes each one along the same twisty mountain road.
As Longtime Readers know, I have a soft spot for the wonderful and curvy Dino 246 GT, the most beautiful car ever made:
…compared to a rather sour opinion of its successor, the flat-planed and wedgy Dino 308 GT4, which isn’t close to being beautiful:
However: after listening to the two engines close together… I admit to a certain degree of confusion, because the V8 of the latter sounds absolutely glorious.
Put on some headphones, crank up the volume and see if you agree with me.
And yes: a pox on whoever at Ferrari decided to do away with the manual gearbox.
Not sure what you intended but the link takes me to the story of some wizard who managed to stuff a full size Hemi into a Bug Eye Sprite. How is that even possible??? and still have drivetrain room left for a transmission and a differential. Must be black magic.
In any case, for Ferrari engine notes I’m always going to vote for the sound produced by a small displacement Columbo V 12.
… and I don’t understand people who insist on listening to how an engine sounds when it’s being revved without a load. an engine always sounds better when under a load at full throttle than it does sitting still in a parking lot. Thats why tunnels are so popular.
Sorry, I’ll fix the link…
PJ O’Rourke loved the 308 GTS: https://www.caranddriver.com/features/a15142347/ferrari-reinvents-manifest-destiny-pj-orourke-and-a-ferrari-308gts-archived-feature/
a pox on whoever at Ferrari decided to do away with the manual gearbox….
They probably got tired of reading the criticism of the gated shifter by automotive writers who weren’t smart enough to ensure the trans was warmed properly, and failed at coordinating the components of a proper “fast shift” in going from 1st to 2nd through that dog-leg.
Not being an “automotive writer”, I too struggled a little with the Dino’s stick shift, which I always thought should have been about an inch shorter than it was.
The problem was that I had recently driven a Ford Capri (don’t laugh) and its little short-throw stick was a joy to use, up or down. My thought then and now was that if FORD could get it right (on a cheap car, even), why couldn’t Ferrari?
An important point here is when you refer to a Ford Capri, you are not referring to the doll buggy sold in the United States.
Grazie molto, and I suspect the video was worth your while, Kim.
The quote from Enzo was quite the heart-breaker though.
And the sounds of the v6 and the v8 at the end, both cars being thrashed as they should be, was glorious!