1989 Ferrari Mondial T

The Mondial 8 represented many 'firsts' for Ferrari, including their first effort at building a car suitable for markets throughout the world. Mondial means 'world and was named to honor Ferrari's four-cylinder racers of the early 1950s. Its 3.0-liter quad-cam V8 engine was sourced from the 308GT4 but installed in a lengthened version of its chassis, with the five-speed transaxle and running gear remaining much the same. It offered ride quality and comfort in an elegant package that was capable of reaching speeds in excess of 140 mph. The Pininfarina-styled Mondial offered considerably more room than previous Ferrari 2+2 models, and it was the first Ferrari to depart from the company's familiar three-digit naming scheme. It was sold as a mid-sized coupe and, eventually, a cabriolet.

The interior was luxurious with British Connolly leather and a leather rimmed steering wheel that was adjustable for reach and rake, a first for Ferrari. Standard equipment included air-conditioning, central door locking, remote control mirrors, and a power antenna. All examples bound for the United States market required an optional power sunroof.

The car was not built as a monocoque in a conventional way, but instead, the steel outer body was produced by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti and clothed a lightweight steel box-section space frame. The Mondial was the first Ferrari where the entire engine/gearbox/rear suspension assembly was mounted on a detachable steel sub-frame. This allowed for easier removal of the engine for a major rebuild or cylinder head removal.

Styling features included a rather short nose, a long rear section, and hidden headlights. There were full-width groves that traversed the grill section and grilled air intakes stood to the rear of the doors.

The quartet of carburetors was replaced with Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection in 1981, and a year later, the Mondial received a new engine and model designation, 'Quattrovalvole,' or 'Qv.' With the substitution of four-valves per head, the 'Qv' produced 230 horsepower. Displacement grew to 3.2 liters for 1985, and further enlarged in 1989, this time to 3.4 liters, with the 300 horsepower transmitted to the road via a transversal (transverse) five-speed gearbox developed using experience of this transmission arrangement gained in Formula 1. The revised engine/gearbox layout lowered the drivetrain by five inches which improved handling and eased servicing since the twin-disc clutch was now mounted at the rear of the car. The Mondial 't' featured two other Ferrari 'firsts' including the cockpit-adjustable ride quality control (soft, hard, or medium) and the power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering. Both air conditioning and anti-lock brakes were standard equipment, with the A.C. system offering separate adjustments for the driver and passenger. The instrument panel was redesigned with five round gauges positioned in front of the driver.

The Mondial t had a top speed of 158 miles per hour and a zero-to-sixty mph time of about 6.5 seconds. The new Bosch Motronic 2.2 fuel injection took advantage of the 10.4:1 engine compression and 95 octane no-lead fuel. The front fenders were no longer flared and the bodyside air intakes had a less diagonal shape at the rear. The sloping nose retained the horizontal vents and pop-up rectangular headlights, and the rear continued to carry four round tail lamps and four exhaust pipes. The flush door handles were now body-colored.

Ferrari built 703 examples of the Mondial 8 from 1980 through 1982, followed by 1,774 examples of the QV built from 1983 to 1985 (including 629 cabriolets and 1,145 coupes). The Mondial 3.2 was built from 1986 to 1988 with 987 coupes and 810 cabriolets built. Mondial t production began in 1988 and continued through 1993, with 858 coupes and 1,017 cabriolets produced.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2021