1986 Ferrari 3.2 Mondial

With the Mondial, Ferrari returned to Pininfarina as its choice of styling house, and it was initially offered as a mid-sized coupe, eventually joined by a Cabriolet. It was derived from the 308GT4 of 1973, which was the only production Ferrari not to have been penned by Pininfarina but by Bertone. Introduced at the Geneva Auto Show in March of 1980, the Mondial was essentially a 308GT4 but with Pininfarina styling and a longer wheelbase and designed as a more practical and 'usable' model with seating for four and the performance of a mid-range Ferrari. This configuration was meant to appeal to a wider audience than their traditionally more focused two-seaters. The bodywork was not built as a monocoque, instead, its steel outer body was produced by the Italian coachbuilder Carrozzeria Scaglietti of Modena and clothed a lightweight steel box-section space frame. The Mondial was Ferrari's first production automobile to mount the engine, gearbox, and rear suspension assembly on a detachable steel sub-frame, making maintenance and engine removal much easier.

The cabriolet joined the eight-cylinder Mondial coupe in 1983, marking the first true convertible Ferrari since the Daytona spider. Maranello engineers had managed to fit 2+2 seating, a convertible top, and a mid-engine drivetrain within a compact 104-inch wheelbase.

The Mondial was built alongside the 328 and 348 line and shared its sibling's mechanical systems but installed in a slightly larger 2+2 body. Ferrari's new '2+2' used the 308GT4's 3-liter quad-cam V8 engine, five-speed transaxle, and all-round independent suspension. Air conditioning, central locking, remote control mirrors, power brakes, automatic climate control, fully adjustable suspension, and power radio antenna were all standard features. They featured more electronic accessories than any Ferrari before it and were a showcase of new technology throughout its production. The Pininfarina styling had larger doors and a back seat with adequate headroom. An extra luggage boot was placed behind the mid-mounted engine and claimed enough space for a bag of golf clubs. All Mondial vehicles received a tan Connelly leather interior.

The Mondial was Ferrari's first attempt at producing a 'world car' model and, to comply with increasingly stringent emission requirements of so many export markets, the 3.8-liter engine had to be fuel-injected. Although the engine was cleaner, it did have a loss of power and torque. Some of the loss was restored with the introduction of the Quattrovalvole (4-valve) engine which became an option from the 1982 model year onwards. In 1985, the 2.9-liter engine displacement was enlarged to 3.2-liters and gained a newly configured Marelli Multiplex electronic injection system. These changes resulted in a boost of power to 230 bhp from the transverse-mounted four-cam 'Quattrovalve' V-8 powerplant.

The Mondial 8 was in production from 1980 to 1982 with 703 examples built. The Mondial QV was built from 1983 to 1985 with 1,145 coupes and 629 cabriolets produced. The Mondial 3.2 followed in 1986 and remained in production until 1988 with 987 coupes and 810 cabriolets. The final edition of the Mondial t was built from 1988 to 1993 with 858 coupes and 1,017 cabriolets. The Mondial proved to be one of Maranello's most successful vehicles.

by Dan Vaughan

The Pininfarina-designed Mondial 8 was debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in 1980 as a replacement for the 308 models. It used the same 2927cc quad-cam V8 mounted transversely behind the seats. The US version produced 205 bhp while the other versions produced 214 bhp. The transmission was borrowed from their F1 efforts and featured a transverse-mounted gearbox that lowered the drive-line by five inches.

This was the first Ferrari with power-assisted rack-and-pinion steerings. Air-conditioning was standard with climate control for both the driver and passenger.

The Mondial 3.2 was produced from 1985 through 1988 with power coming for a V8 engine having a larger bore and stroke and displacing a total of 3.2-liters. Horsepower rose to 270 and the weight distribution was optimized adding to the car's performance and its mid-engine persona. Other changes were minor, such as painted bumpers and new wheels. In 1987, anti-lock brakes became standard, improving not only the vehicle's performance but also its safety. On the inside, Ferrari gave it a few modern updates and changes.

In 1989, the Ferrari Mondial t was introduced. The 't' referenced a new transversely mounted gearbox, which allowed the engine to be positioned lower, improving weight distribution and handling. The engine had also received modifications. Instead of mounting the engine transversely, as was done in the prior Mondial, the engine now sat longitudinally in the chassis. Its bore and stroke were enlarged giving it a displacement of 3405 cc. The 3.4 liter V8 was capable of producing between 270 through 300 horsepower, depending on the configuration. The Euro-specs did not have to comply with as-strict emission standards and were capable of producing greater horsepower. Top speed was achieved at 156 mph with zero-to-sixty taking just 5.6 seconds.

Minor visual changes accompanied the mechanical changes for the Mondial t. Rectangular engine air intakes could now be found on the rear wings. The seats, dash, and center console were modernized.

In 1993, Ferrari offered a Valeo transmission which allowed the driver to manually change gears without the use of a clutch. Though the Valeo system was revolutionary and worked extremely well, only a few Mondial t's opted for this option. By 1997 the F1-style transmissions superseded the Valeo system.

During the production lifespan of the Mondial t, the cabriolet versions proved to be more popular with over 1000 examples being produced. Around 840 Coupes were constructed.

by Dan Vaughan