Why did Ferrari ditch the twins?

[macaroni]

Another stupid question from Macaroni, but does anyone have any idea why Ferrari replaced the Maserati twin turbo V8 with their own 4.2l V8 for the 4200?

Was it cost, or complexity (turbos/chains/belts) or just professional pride?

Answers on a postcard to...

 

[Contigo]

More than likely it was dropped to get away from the "Biturbo" era and reputation and also to put their mark on the car. Ferrari's at that time and are still mainly about the NA experience. Did you know that the 4200 lump was actually a Maserati engine with Ferrari input and then later used (with slight differences - flat plane crank and tweaking) on the F430?

 

[mjheathcote]

Reliability for the US market.

 

[alfatwo]

They couldn't get the old 3200 twin turbo motor to pass the then latest Euro emmision regs,they did try with the last few cars
but it was all over by then....

Now 12 years on the 4200 engine is old hat too!

Dave

 

[Andyk]

Would say emission and reliability......Back then the reputation the BI Turbo had was not great so would imagine they wanted to distance the marque from those days and start a new.....it worked as well....

 

[philw696]

Interesting stuff chaps everything today has turbos stuck on for low emissions and the emission print outs for both my V 8's are spotlessly clean.

 

[macaroni]

Thanks, all makes sense and ironic that there will be a new twin turbo V8 to power the latest QP and Ferrari California.

Seems Maserati had it right all along!

 

[Contigo]

Cannot beat Forced Induction imo....

 

[zagatoes30]

Forced induction how to squeeze a quart into a pint pot, love it

 

[conaero]

The 3200 engine is an incarnation of the old BiTurbo era, one that Maserati did not want to resurrect on the US market.

The 4200 engine is built quite cheaply, its cost is considerably lower than that of the 3.2V8 plus there was the issues with the crank and the aged emissions issues so that sort of killed it.

Shame, could have been a great engine with a bit of a rethink.

 

[Contigo]

I agree nothing to do with emissions imo but more of a move away from the pretty awful Biturbo era reputation under DeTomaso. The Ferrari?Maserati engines have been pretty good though to be fair.....

 

[conaero]

I agree nothing to do with emissions imo but more of a move away from the pretty awful Biturbo era reputation under DeTomaso. The Ferrari?Maserati engines have been pretty good though to be fair.....

They have Phil, just some issues with oil/water pumps.

I suppose they are also detuned compared with the Ferrari variants so that can only add to the lower stress/reliability.

 

[EnzoMC]

More than likely it was dropped to get away from the "Biturbo" era and reputation and also to put their mark on the car. Ferrari's at that time and are still mainly about the NA experience. Did you know that the 4200 lump was actually a Maserati engine with Ferrari input and then later used (with slight differences - flat plane crank and tweaking) on the F430?

alway thought these were Ferrari engines, telling people it had the 430 engine, so what should happen is the 430 guys should be saying this has the 4200/Gransport engine

the F430 engine sounds high pitch (like most ferrari's) great sound, were the 4200/Gransport has a lower pitch - I see member trying to get the sound released from these engines but could be missing your point, maybe need to look at the crank and other tweaks.

 

[Chrisbassett]

It seems to be the induction system and the flat-plane crank that give the 430 it's own sound compared to the 4200. I prefer the Maserati sound.

 

[Contigo]

alway thought these were Ferrari engines, telling people it had the 430 engine, so what should happen is the 430 guys should be saying this has the 4200/Gransport engine

the F430 engine sounds high pitch (like most ferrari's) great sound, were the 4200/Gransport has a lower pitch - I see member trying to get the sound released from these engines but could be missing your point, maybe need to look at the crank and other tweaks.

So yes exactly that Ferrari used the Maserati engine and took it from the 4200, made it flat plane crank, added a little of their Maranello touch and placed it into their F430.

 

[Contigo]

I'm glad I corrected Evo mag as they had it down as sharing an engine with the 360! Tut tut