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101 Cars: Ferrari Dino 246 GTS
My, What Lovely Bulges You Have
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SPEED Staff  |  Posted August 11, 2008   Charlotte, NC
The Ferrari Dino (Photo: Barrett-Jackson.com)

If you’ve never sat in the cockpit of a Dino 246GTS, or the solid-roofed 246GT, for that matter, and looked at the road between two front fenders that can only be described as voluptuous, well, it’s a sensation only made more sensual by lighting off its light-alloy DOHC V-6. It’s not a V-12, of course, but three two-barrel Webers atop the transverse engine spinning at 7,800 rpm just inches behind your shoulders do have a language all their own. The Dino—never officially called a Ferrari—was Modena’s anti-Porsche, but the pop-top Dino cost half again more than a similarly lidded Porsche Targa, and it was lighter, lower, and better balanced than the tail-heavy German. Fast, supple, and rigid, the definition of “driving under the influence” could contain references to the Dino. In a perverse way it was practical, with a roomy interior and a usable trunk. But it was still the intoxicating driving experience, low to the road, light at the helm, and quick of foot, that set the 246GTS apart from lesser cars. That, and those luscious front fenders.

Specifications
Engine: 2.4-liter DOHC V-6
Horsepower: 195
0–60 mph: 8.0 seconds
Top Speed: 141 miles per hour
Price New: $15,225
Value Now: $70,000 to $95,000 (convertible)
Ferrari Dino Photos



Claim to Fame

Ferrari’s first mid-engined road car, even if not badged as a Ferrari.


Soundtrack

“Betcha By Golly, Wow!” by the Stylistics


Perfect Passenger

Bellbottoms. Definitely bellbottoms.


Behind the Wheel
Ferrari built enough for the Dino to be available to anyone who wants one, but be careful of inexpensive examples. They cost as much to repair as “real” Ferraris..


Did You Know?

The 246GT went on sale in 1969, joined by the 246GTS, identical but for roof, in 1972. Both were on sale through 1974...


The Perfect Drive
A curving mountain road, a soft summer morning . . . and 2,418 screaming cubic Italian centimeters...



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