Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer

Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer
Manufacturer Ferrari
Production 1973–1984
2,323 produced
Assembly Maranello, Italy
Predecessor Ferrari 365 GTB/4
Successor Ferrari Testarossa
Class Sports car
Body style Berlinetta
Layout RMR layout
Transmission 5-speed manual
365 GT4 BB
Production 1973–1976
387 produced
Engine 4.4 L V12
BB 512
Production 1976–1981
929 produced
Engine 5.0 L V12
BB 512i
Production 1981–1984
1,007 produced
Engine 5.0 L FI V12

A Ferrari Berlinetta Boxer is one of a series of cars produced by Ferrari in Italy between 1973 and 1984. They used a mid-mounted flat-12 (180° V12, not actually a true boxer) engine, replacing the FR layout Daytona, and were succeeded in the Ferrari stable by the Testarossa. It was designed by Leonardo Fioravanti.

Production of the BB was a major step for Enzo Ferrari. He felt that a mid-engined road car would be too difficult for his buyers to handle, and it took many years for his engineers to convince him to adopt the layout. This attitude began to change as the marque lost its racing dominance in the late 1950s to mid-engined competitors. The mid-engined 4-, 6-, and 8-cylinder Dino racing cars were the result, and Ferrari later allowed for the production Dino road cars to use the layout as well. The company also moved its V12 engines to the rear with its P and LM racing cars, but the Daytona was launched with its engine in front. It was not until 1971 that a mid-engined 12-cylinder road car would appear.

No BB was ever originally sold in North America, as Enzo did not believe it to be worth the cost of federalizing. However, third parties made conversions, and quite a few of them are now in the United States.

Contents

365 GT4 BB

The first "Boxer" was the 365 GT4 BB shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show. Designed to rival the Lamborghini Miura, it was finally released for sale in 1973 at the Paris Motor Show. 387 were built, with 88 in right-hand drive (of which 58 for the UK market), making it the rarest of all Berlinetta Boxers. The Pininfarina-designed body followed the P6 show car with popup headlights.

Though it shared its numerical designation with the Daytona, the Boxer was radically different. It was a mid-engined car like the Dino, and the now flat-12 engine was mounted longitudinally rather than transversely (as it was mounted in the Dino; the Daytona was a conventional front-engine, logitudinal design). Horse Power @ 344 was also slightly lower than the Daytona.

The engine shared its internal dimensions with the V12 from the Daytona, but was spread out to 180° as on Ferrari's 1970 Formula One car and was mounted above a five-speed manual transmission. One major difference in this engine was its use of timing belts rather than chains.

512 BB

The 365 GT4/BB was updated as the BB 512 in 1976, resurrecting the name of the earlier Ferrari 512 racer. The engine was larger at 4942cc, had an increased compression ratio of 9.2:1,Horse Power was slightly up to 360 and a new dual plate clutch to handle the added power, torque and ease the pedal effort. Dry sump lubrication was used to prevent oil starvation in hard cornering due to revised rear suspension, wider wheels and wider rear tires. External differentiators included a new front spoiler, wider rear tires, added NACA side air vents ducting air to the brakes, four tail pipes and four tail lights (instead of six).

929 BB 512 models were produced.

512i BB

The Bosch K-Jetronic CIS fuel injected BB 512i introduced in 1981 was the last of the series. The fuel injected motor produced cleaner emissions and offered a better balance of performance and daily-driver temperament.

External differentiators from the BB 512 besides badging include a change to metric sized wheels and the Michelin TRX metric tire system, small white running lights in the nose, and red rear fog lamps outboard of the exhaust pipes in the rear valance.

1,007 BB 512i models were produced.

Specifications and performance

Measurements are notoriously variable, inaccurate, and definitionally vague even from Ferrari-issued sources of the same period. For example, the workshop manual documents maximum speed (typically speed at redline) whereas the owner's manual documents «attainable» speed which appears to be speed at maximum HP per RPM not exceeding redline; for the 512 and 512i, this is likely not the maximum speed. Also, the workshop manual does not consistently distinguish measurements between the carbureted (512) and injected (512i) engines except with respect to the fuel delivery system, even though it is common knowledge that differences exist.

Owner's Manuals 365 512 512i
Power 344 hp (257 kW) @ 7200 rpm 360 hp (268 kW) @ 7000 rpm 340 hp (254 kW) @ 6000 rpm
Torque 302 lb·ft (409 N·m) @ 3900 rpm 333 lb·ft (451 N·m) @ 4600 rpm 333 lb·ft (451 N·m) @ 4200 rpm
Redline 7000 rpm 7000 rpm 6600 rpm
Attainable speed 188 mph (303 km/h) @ 7000 rpm 188 mph (303 km/h) @ 6200 rpm 160 mph (260 km/h) @ 6000 rpm
0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) 5.4 secs 5.4 secs n/a
Dry weight 1,235 kg (2,723 lb) 1,596 kg (3,519 lb) n/a
Kerb weight n/a n/a 1,580 kg (3,483 lb)
Workshop Manual 365 512 & 512i
Power 344 hp (257 kW) @7200 rpm 360 hp (268 kW) @6200 rpm
Torque 41.7 kg·m (409 N·m; 302 lb·ft) @ 3900 rpm 46 kg·m (450 N·m; 330 lb·ft) @ 4600 rpm
Redline 7000 rpm 6600 rpm
Maximum speed 302 km/h (188 mph) 303 km/h (188 mph)
0–100 km/h (0-62 mph) 5.4 secs 5.4 secs
Dry weight 1,235 kg (2,723 lb) 1,515 kg (3,340 lb)
Kerb weight n/a n/a

References

Type 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
FR/FMR/4WD Luxury Coupe 250GT 330GT 365GT 365GTC/4 GT4 2+2 400 400i 412 456 456 M 612 FF
Grand Tourer California
Super Grand Tourer 250 275 365 GTB/4 Daytona 550 Maranello 575M 599 Fiorano
America 330 365
V12 Supercar 250 GTO 599 GTO
RMR V8 / V6 Dino 206 Dino 246 GT 308GTB 308i 308 QV 328 348 360 458 Italia
246 GTS 308 GTS 208 208 Turbo GTB/GTS Turbo F355 F430
2+2 Dino GT4 Mondial 8 Mondial QV 3.2 Mondial Mondial t
flat-12 365BB 512 BB 512 BBi Testarossa 512TR F512M
Supercar 250 LM 288 GTO F40 F50 Enzo Ferrari