Ferrari Dino 246GT History and Specification
Putting the engine behind the driver was the winning trend in racing in the early 1960s. Ferrari experienced the advantages of the design first hand, winning the 1961 Grand Prix champion-ship with the 156 F1, and, two years later fielding the first midengine car to win LeMans, the 250 P.
So it was that Sergio Pininfarina and a number of Ferrari dealers began pushing Enzo to make a midengine road car.
“He kept insisting it was too dangerous,” the effervescent coachbuilder recalled. “While he felt it was fine for racing and professional drivers, he was against making midengine sports cars for customers. He was afraid of the safety, of building a car that was too dangerous.”
Ferrari finally relented in 1965. “When Mr. Ferrari finally said yes, he said, ‘Okay, you make it not with a Ferrari, but with a Dino,’” Pininfarina said. That meant the car would use a six-cylinder engine instead of one of Ferrari’s more-powerful V-12s. “In his mind, less powerful meant less danger for the customers,” Pininfarina explained. “And therefore I had the permission to develop the Dino.” The name memorialized Enzo’s son, Dino, who had died in 1956.
The Dino 206 S prototype made its debut at the Paris Auto Show in October 1965. It was built on the 206 SP race-car chassis and had a longitudinally mounted 2.0-liter V-6. The car was so well-received that a year later, at the Turin Show, a second Dino 206 S prototype was displayed. Known as the Dino Berlinetta GT, it also had a longitudinal V-6, but styling was smoother and incorporated attractive covered headlights.
A final production prototype was shown at 1967’s Turin Show. It looked almost identical to the Dino Berlinetta GT, but the engine was mounted transversely, directly atop the gearbox and differential, between the driver’s compartment and the rear axle. Fiat in Turin built the 2.0-liter V-6, which would also be used it in its prestige model, the front-engine Dino coupe and spyder.
The 206 Dino GT went into production in 1968. It boasted a top speed over 140 mph, incredibly balanced handling, and a design among the postwar era’s most beautiful. It was an instant hit with press and public alike.
“The Dino 206 GT is a wonderful car ... an engineering masterpiece,” said America’s Sports Car Graphic.England’s CAR seconded the opinion, noting “(T)he 206GT Dino stands out as one of the most advanced grand touring cars of our time.”
Typical of Ferrari’s almost-constant model updates -- and likely also in response to Porsche increasing the size of the engine in its 911 -- Maranello followed the 206 GT in 1969 with the Ferrari Dino 246 GT. It looked identical to the 206 save the addition of a Cavallino rampante on the fuel-filler door.
That it is nearly impossible to visually differentiate a Ferrari Dino 246 GT from a 206 is a tribute to Pininfarina and his men, for the cars had different wheelbases. To increase cabin room, wheelbase increased to 92.1 inches (2340mm) from 89.7 (2280mm). Coachwork was more durable steel in place of the 206’s aluminum. And the V-6 jumped to 2.4-liters (hence the 246 name), and horsepower increased by 15 to 195.
The longer wheelbase and more-powerful engine made a good thing even better. “Of all the mid-engine cars of which I have had the experience (of testing) the [Ferrari Dino 246 GT] stands head and shoulders above the rest ... ,” Dennis Jenkinson wrote in Motor Sport. “(O)nce you have experienced it, it makes all front-engined or rear-engined cars obsolete.”
Minute updates and refinements created three 246 GT series: type L, type M, and type E. The 246’s biggest change came with the March 1972 Geneva Auto Show introduction of the 246 GTS, which featured a one-piece removable targa top panel.
By the time assembly of the Ferrari Dino 246 GT and GTS ceased in 1974, production, including the 206 GT, totaled nearly 4,000. Ferrari’s first midengine road car had become its best-selling series up to that time.
| General information |
| Model: | Ferrari Dino 246 GT |
| Year: | 1969 |
| Rating: | 56 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other cars |
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| Main features, safety and ecconomy |
| Engine size: | 2419 ccm (147.61 cubic inches) |
| Fuel type: | Gasoline |
| Seats: | 2 |
| Drive: | Rear wheels |
| Transmission: | Manual, 5-speed |
| Engine and transmission |
| Engine location: | Middle |
| Displacement: | 2419 ccm (147.61 cubic inches) |
| Engine type: | V6 |
| Max power: | 196.00 PS (144 kW or 193 HP) at 7600 Rev. per min. |
| Max torque: | 225.00 Nm (22.9 kgf-m or 166.0 ft.lbs) at 5500 Rev. per min. |
| Compression: | 9.0:1 |
| Bore x stroke: | 92.5 x 60.0 mm (3.6 x 2.4 inches) |
| Fuel system: | Carburettor |
| Valves per cylinder: | 2 |
| Lubrication system: | Wet sump |
| Cooling system: | Liquid |
| Gearbox: | Manual, 5-speed |
| Speed and acceleration |
| Top speed: | 235.0 km/h (146.0 mph) |
| 0-60 miles: | 7.1 seconds |
| Power/weight ratio: | 0.1815 PS/kg |
| Exterior and interior |
| Chassis type: | Coupe |
| Max no. of doors: | 2 |
| Passenger space: | 4050 litres (1,070 gallons) |
| Steering, brakes and tires |
| Turn circle: | 13 m (519.7 inches) |
| Brake details: | Antiblocking system (ABS) |
| Front tire dimensions: | 205/70-VR14 |
| Rear tire dimensions: | 250-TR/59 |
| Dimensions and weight |
| Weight: | 1080 kg (2,381.0 pounds) |
| Overall length: | 4240 mm (166.9 inches) |
| Overall width: | 1710 mm (67.3 inches) |
| Overall height: | 1140 mm (44.9 inches) |
| Ground clearance: | 130 mm (5.1 inches) |
| Wheelbase: | 2290 mm (90.2 inches) |
| Fuel capacity: | 65.0 litres (17.17 gallons) |
| Other specifications |
| Country of origin: | Italy |
