As long as it is done well, and costs over $100K, everything will be fine.

So while we’re dreaming:

Imagine they start by basically taking an F430 and cutting everything in half: half the engine, half the weight, half the price (or something like that). If taken literally, assuming they recycle as many F430 components as possible (engine and suspension bits), it might even help to save on production costs!

…so you’d have a 2.15 litre, 16 valve, DOHC 4 cylinder engine with VVT (made from half an F430 engine) good for about 245 horsepower…

…ditch the e-diff, keep the suspension simple but of high quality to save on weight and complexity (f1-style pushrod suspension would help with compactness as well, aside from being super-trick) – or just recycle the F430 suspension for all I care…

…plus carbon fibre everything except the engine and suspension control arms (which would be aluminum), , no driver aids except for maybe ABS and a 1-mode stability control system (for insurance purposes – to keep ppl from crashing them left, right and centre)

…manual transmission only…

…and no creature conforts *at all* except for some well designed racing bucket seats with 5 point harnesses and a removable carbon fibre top so that the thing would at least be useable as a daily driver for the hardcore owner in theory…

…and top it off with the piece-de-resistance: a modern, quick-spooling, intercooled, ball bearing turbo with ceramic blades, in the spirit of the F40 (the F40 was the last turbocharged Ferarri road car after all)…boosting the power from 245 up to, say, 345

…giving the world an Elise-killing Ferrari F20, or F210 Dino, track demon for comfortably under $100k

Sure it’d be a toy, but a nearly-affordable one…and besides, how many ppl spend twice as much on a Ferrari as a ‘toy’ anyways? Just that more people would be able to play…

….now if only someone would appoint me to the FIAT board, I’d get right to work

Wow 1c3d0g what well thought out and eloquent input you have to offer.
The 430 is not a “POS” by any stretch of the imagination and the Dino would not be either. The Gallardo is an amazing machine but that doesn’t take away any from the Ferrari. As a matter of fact, they’re both great cars and I’d take either in a heartbeat.
It is obvious that you’ve never driven either, let alone owned one. If you had, I’m sure you’d be capable of something somewhat higher than sub-high school level babbel.
Next time you have something to say, please be sure it’s intelligent.

Ferrari SUV: Why the hell not? Porsche has had good success with the Cayman. The collector snobs might turn up their noses, but most of them don’t deserve these cars in anyway.

hp44, I thought of Ferrari as the one who used space age technologies to make their cars feel like nothing else you could buy. I always thought of Porsche (track versions) and Lotus as the raw and simple performance types. Didn’t Ferrari say that even the clumsiest driver could go around the Ferrari test track just a second or so slower than the Ferrari test drivers in the F430?

Ever since these rumours started I’ve been saying Ferrari should build a hot hatch.

I also happen to like the idea of them building an Elise competitor. In fact, they could build an Elise-esque machine and move it “upmarket.” Obviously it couldn’t really be more luxurious, but it could be “better.” Somehow, I dunno… it’d be a Ferrari, which would be more expensive than the Lotus and that would be what’s important. The only problem I can really see with this is I don’t know if it could be a real volume car, which is what I think they’re looking for. Because I’m not sure that a real large market for this kind of car (and for the kind of money Ferrari would be looking to get for a car like this) actually exists.

A hot hatch, on the other hand, I think has a huge market, even at over 100k. There are already Audis, BMWs, and even VWs in the segment commanding half of that. I think the Ferrari badge alone is worth the other half.

/no

I’m thinking of something more along the lines of the Lotus 340R as opposed to the Elise itself though, something of similar weight (if not lighter) but with, say 280-300hp on tap, perhaps from a 6 cylinder version of the F430’s V8 (the original Dino was also a 6).

They could build (and sell) as many of these things as they want to without damaging their brand image; even if they build 50,000 of them each one would serve as a rolling advertisement for Ferarri’s performance pedigree and focus on performance and engineering, plus seeing Ferraris on tracks everywhere wouldn’t hurt either. And enthusiasts and the motoring media would continually drool over the thing for years, meaning more endless free PR.

An extra benefit would be that it’s not a very crowded segment so the car wouldn’t constantly be threatened by obsolescense.

Alternatively, if they build a fast boulevard cruiser they’re going after a market that is already pretty saturated with lesser brands (Porsche, Aston Martin, BMW, Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Lexus etc.) and controlled by a fickle, decadent target audience that will only become less impressed each and every time they see a Dino on the streets. Plus the Nissan GTR, Lexus LF-A, Corvette et. all could very possibly kill this car in terms or performance and handling for less or similar money, which won’t make Ferarri look very attractive either. Think mortal as opposed to divine.

Would the Dino sell? Probably, at least at first. But in the long run it would likely be seen as an also-ran from the get-go, since it would likely not be allowed to compete with the F430 in terms of performance in a market where some competitors already come close. A nice car for sure but one which will ultimately end up killing off some of that classic “otherworldly” Ferrari mystique simply by not being very ’special’ apart from the badge itself.

I will say this. That first photo, the photoshopped pic of a supposed Dino, looks good. Somewhat looks like a Crossfire, but I still like it. Fine, maybe I’ll save up a few shillings and pick one up myself and make this a self fulfilling prophecy.