Ferrari Dino set for comeback
Iconic name set to return as small V6 twin-turbo coupe. Won’t be a cheap ‘entry-level’ FerrariFerrari’s chairman, Sergio Marchionne, has confirmed the Italian sportscar-maker has plans to reintroduce an entry-level coupe called the Dino.
When asked if Ferrari would ever revive the famous Dino name that was used as a sub-brand to produce entry-level Ferraris between the 1960s and 1970s, Marchionne said it was “not a question of if but when”.
The outspoken chairman, who also heads up the Fiat Chrysler Automobile (FCA) empire, ruled out using ‘Dino’ as a sub-brand name and said any model carrying the famous name would not be used to push-up volumes.
Speaking to British magazine, Autocar, Marchionne said: “We may produce a 500 horsepower Ferrari but it will not be a cheap Ferrari. The brand is unique and needs to be protected. I would always rather build 500 fewer cars than the market demands rather than 500 more. We must not mess with customer expectations of Ferrari as an exclusive brand.”
These remarks suggest that when launched, the Dino could sit alongside rather than below the entry-level California T model and priced around $400,000 when it arrives here.
Some pundits have even suggested the Dino could be the name used for the all-new replacement for the California that’s pencilled in for 2018. If so, that could see the folding hardtop sports car replaced by something radically different, like an Aston Martin V8 Vantage or McLaren 570S rival.
In any case, the success of the California-concept with wealthy buyers in emerging markets makes this less likely and Marchionne stressed in the interview that any replacement for the beautiful mid-engined Ferrari must be done right. “It is so important to get it right. And it would be a wrong association to make the Dino just a cheaper Ferrari.”
Marchionne also let slip that Ferrari had already the feasibility of a V6 Ferrari and the results had been “positive”, paving the way for the Dino to receive a modified, more powerful version of the 301kW/550Nm 3.0-litre V6 that powers the Maserati Ghibli.
The downsized turbo donk will also help Ferrari and the entire FCA group meet mandatory industry-wide CO2 targets.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
