Last and Final Mondial...

4SEATER

The 't' called attention to the car's new engine/transmission layout: the previously transverse engine mounted longitudinally while the gearbox remained transverse, thus forming a 't'. The 't' suffix was also homage to the first use of a transverse transmission by Ferrari in the highly successful Ferrari 312T,[15] driven by F1 World Champion Niki Lauda. By adopting this layout, a longer engine could be mounted lower in the chassis, improving handling dramatically. The 't' configuration was used by Ferrari's Formula One cars of the 1980s, and would be the standard for the marque's future midengine V8 cars, beginning with the 348, introduced later in the year. The transverse manual gearbox fitted with a Limited Slip Differential with a twinplate clutch design with bevel gears driving the wheels. Later in production, an electromechanicalactuated clutchless manual transmission, termed Valeo, was available as an option; where the driver would change gear using a traditional Hpattern gearshift, but the clutch was automatically actuated through electronic equipment, eliminating the need for a manuallyoperated clutch pedal



RETRO CAR REVIEW'S & ROAD TEST'S