1983 Ferrari 512 BBi

The first 'Boxer' from Ferrari allowed the prancing horse marque to regain its perch atop the supercar hierarchy, tightening its grasp even further with the arrival of its successor, the 512BB. The Boxer abandoned the company's long-standing practice of denoting a model by the capacity of an individual cylinder and adopted the Dino-type nomenclature where '512' indicates 5 litres/12 cylinders. While the original Boxer's engine displaced 4.4 liters, the newcome's increase brought higher output but more importantly, enabled the 512BB to comply with increasingly stringent emissions targets without loss of performance. Both the bore and stroke were enlarged, the compression ratio was raised, and dry-sump lubrication was adopted. The increase in torque, along with revised gear ratios, made the 512 more tractable.

The styling of the 365 GT4 Berlinetta Boxer was rooted in Pininfarina's 1968 P6 concept and was first shown as a prototype at Turin in 1971. The production version followed in 1973 at the Paris Salon with its 4.4-liter 'flat-12' engine derived from the company's 312 B Grand Prix cr. These 'BB' and its successors were Ferrari's first-ever 12-cylinder, mid-engine road cars.

The Ferrari 512 Berlinetta Boxer was introduced to the public at the 1976 Paris Motor Show. The engine was a longitudinally-mounted 12-cylinder turned 180 degrees and mounted mid-ship. With the Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and dual overhead camshafts, the naturally aspirated engine produced 340 horsepower, capable of propelling the car from zero-to-sixty mph in just 5.6 seconds, and had a top speed of 174 mph. During its production run lasting from 1981 through 1984, only 1007 examples of the Pininfarina-designed Ferrari 512 BBi were produced. The 512 BBi was replaced by the famous and highly successful Testarossa.

The five-liter engine was constructed of lightweight alloy material. Power was sent to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. The brakes were ventilated discs with a vacuum servo-assist. The excellent performance and handling matched the vehicle's exquisite design, drawing attention where ever it went.

Styling updates to the Pininfarina-inspired and Scaglietti-built coachwork were minimal compared to the original Boxer. Among the list of changes adopted by the 512BB were an air-dam spoiler beneath the nose, brake-cooling NACA ducts ahead of the rear wheel arches, four rear lights instead of six, and revised air intake boxes. The slightly wider rear tires were accommodated by the 512's rear growing by just over 25mm. Minor updates to the running gear included stiffer springs/anti-roll bars and altered damping rates. The ventilated disc brakes remained unchanged. Completing the list of minimal updates were those made to the interior, which remained virtually the same as before but with the multi-way adjustable seats in place of the fixed originals.

The 512 became the 512BBi in 1981 with the addition of Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection. The torque increased but power remained unchanged, although there was more available at lower revs. Exposed driving lights were added at the front, and rectangular parking lights were fitted adjacent to the exhausts at the rear. The interior remained comfortable, with leather, full instrumentation, electric window lifts, three-point inertia seat belts, and air conditioning.

The change from carburetors to fuel injection brought about an increase of 20 foot-pounds of torque. Zero to sixty mph was achieved in 5.4 seconds, the standing quarter-mile in 14.2 seconds at 103.5 mph, and its top speed remained at around 175 mph.

The Ferrari 365 GT/4BB achieved a top speed of 175 mph, and although the 512 also achieved a top speed of 175 mph during period road tests, the Maranello company claimed it was capable of 188 mph. Perhaps unlikely to attain this speed, it was still 4 mph slower than the Lamborghini Countach's top speed. Many agree, however, that the Boxer outshined its rival in several other categories such as usability and driveability, and was viewed as the better Grand Tourer. Its engine was a direct descendent of the company's contemporary Formula 1 program which allowed it to be one of the most exciting supercars of its era.

With just over 1000 (1,007) examples of the 512BBi produced from 1981 through 1984 when it was succeeded by the Testarossa, its exclusivity and rarity are guaranteed.

by Daniel Vaughan | Feb 2006