Ferrari appears to be closer than ever to bringing back the Dino nameplate after the automaker’s Far East Hub CEO, Dieter Knechtel, essentially let the cat out of the bag during an appearance at the Australian Grand Prix. Speaking with The Motor Report, Knechtel all but confirmed Ferrari’s plan to offer “another model after the California in the GT segment.”
That was actually Knechtel’s exact quote, which is as strong an indication as anything Maranello has said in the past about the status of a new model that would line up beside the California T as a co-entry-level model, for a lack of a better term. Until now, Ferrari has been coy about the supposedly new sports car but Knechtel’s comments does open the door for all the speculation surrounding the Dino’s return.
Granted, Knechtel didn’t exactly drop a bomb of sorts in actually confirming the new model, but given Ferrari’s recent acceptance of downsized engines and its new-found willingness to use turbochargers in order to abide by stricter emissions regulations, a go-between GT model makes a lot of sense.
What’s still unclear is where this model will sit. Some have said that it would depose the California T as Ferrari’s entry-level model. Reports that it would use a turbocharged V-6 engine back that up since the California already utilizes a turbo V-8 that pumps out 550 horsepower. On the flip side, there are also whispers that the model would actually slot in between the 550-horsepower California T and the 660-horsepower 488 GTB. Either way, both scenarios give Ferrari another “affordable” model to balance out its entire lineup.
Expect to hear more about the status of this “will they or won’t they” Ferrari soon. Everybody seems to have an opinion on it now, including those within Maranello’s brain trust.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
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