Ferrari Mondial

The Ferrari Mondial is a 2+2 coupe automobile produced by Ferrari from 1980 through 1993. It replaced the angular 208/308 GT4. The “Mondial” name came from Ferrari’s history — the famed 500 Mondial race car of the early 1950s. Despite its predecessor being Bertone styled, the Mondial saw Ferrari return to Pininfarina for styling. It was sold as a mid-sized coupe and, eventually, a cabriolet. The Mondial was produced in fairly high numbers for a Ferrari, with more than 6,800 produced in its 13-year run, and is today one of the most affordable Ferrari models.

Mondial 8

The Mondial was introduced as the Mondial 8 in 1980. It was the first Ferrari to depart from the company’s familiar 3-digit naming scheme and was fairly mild-performing (for a Ferrari). It used a mid/rear-mounted Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection V8, shared with the 308 GTBi/GTSi, mounted transversely. The engine was originally used in the 1973 Dino 308 GT4. The chassis was also based on the 308 GT4, but with a 100 mm (3.9 in) longer wheelbase at 2650 mm (104.3 in). The suspension was double wishbones all around.

The Mondial 8 is considered one of the marque’s most reliable, inexpensive to maintain (major service can be performed without removing the entire engine/transmission subframe), and even practical cars due to its 214 hp (160 kW), proven drivetrain, and four seats.

Mondial Quattrovalvole

The first Mondial engine, although a DOHC design, used just two valves per cylinder. The 1982 Quattrovalvole or QV introduced a new 4-valve head. Again, the engine was shared with the contemporary 308 GTB/GTS QV, and produced a more respectable 240 hp (179 kW).

Mondial Cabriolet

A new Cabriolet bodystyle was added for 1983 . Although the styling was very similar to the coupe version, the Cabriolet’s top gave the car a lower look similar to the contemporary Testarossa.

3.2 Mondial

Like the new 328 GTB, the Mondial’s engine grew in both bore and stroke to 3.2 L (3185 cc) for 1985. Output was now 270 hp (201 kW), and the car’s weight distribution was changed enough for the car to classify as a true mid-engine design.

Available in both Coupe and Cabriolet forms, styling was refreshed with painted bumpers and new wheels. The 3.2 also boasted interior updates and later cars sported ABS (1987 onwards). Fuel injection remained the primarily mechanical Bosch K-Jetronic (CIS) with an o2 sensor in the exhaust providing feedback to a simple computer for mixture trimming via a pulse modulated frequency valve that regulated control fuel pressure. Ignition system was Marelli Microplex, with electronic advance control and one distributor per bank of the V8. The 1988 Mondial 3.2 would be the final model year that retained the relatively low maintenance costs of the 308/328 drivetrain, allowing major service items like timing belt and clutch replacement to be performed with the engine/transmission package still in the car.

Mondial t

The final Mondial evolution was 1989’s Mondial t (Coupe and Cabriolet). It was a substantially changed model, “spearhead of a new generation of V8 Ferraris”, according to Road & Track magazine. It was visually different from preceding Mondial models, the most recogniseable being the redesign of the rear air intakes to a smaller, neater rectangular shape. The door-handles were of a visually-different design and, along with the bumpers, became body coloured, whilst a painted black band was added around the bottom of the body.

The “t” called attention to the car’s new engine/transmission layout: the previously-transverse engine was now mounted longitudinally whilst the gearbox remained transverse, thus forming a “t”. This configuration was used by Ferrari’s Formula 1 cars of the 1980s, and would be the standard for the marque’s future mid-engined V8 cars, beginning with the 348, introduced later in the year. That transverse gearbox was a dual-disc clutch design with beveled gears driving the axles on the earlier models, a single clutch and auto-manual or Semi-automatic transmission (termed Valeo – the clutch was actuated automatically without a clutch pedal, by means of a traditional gear lever) were added later. The engine was up to 3.4 L (3405 cc) and 300 hp (224 kW). The 3.4 liter V8 was now controlled by Bosch Motronic DME 2.5 (later DME 2.7) electronic engine management that integrated EFI and ignition control into a single computer unit. Two of these were used in the car: one for each bank of the engine. Engine lubrication was upgraded to a dry-sump system.

The Mondial’s chassis would underpin a new generation of 2-seat Ferraris, right up to the 360, but the 2+2 Mondial would end production just four and a half years later in 1993. The company has not produced a mid-engined 2+2 car since, in fact front-engined V12 456 and the current 612 Scaglietti, are the company’s only 4-seat vehicle offerings.

The Mondial t was home to other Ferrari firsts: It used power brakes and power steering for the first time, and had a 3-position electronically controlled suspension. It also had standard ABS, though other Ferraris had this feature as well.

Considering that Ferrari was making cars such as the Testarossa and F40 at the time, it was perhaps surprising to see that the Mondial t was barely capable of 150mph, whereas the Testarossa was capable of around 190mph and the F40 could reach 200mph and beyond. It was barely faster than much less expensive and exclusive cars such as the BMW 325i, Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, Honda Prelude, Nissan 200SX and Peugeot 405 Mi, but the prestige of the Ferrari badge meant that it was very much a competitor for entry-level supercars such as the BMW 850i, Chevrolet Corvette, Honda NSX, Lotus Esprit and Porsche 911 Carrera. It had the advantage of two (small) rear seats, something that a considerable number of competitors did not have.