New details on Ferrari’s upcoming small car

Posted Fri Oct 6 2006 8:29 AM by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

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.

MotorAuthority