{"id":202283,"date":"2016-04-17T15:16:32","date_gmt":"2016-04-17T15:16:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.supercars.net\/blog\/?p=202283"},"modified":"2024-11-23T17:26:25","modified_gmt":"2024-11-23T17:26:25","slug":"1973%e2%86%921976-ferrari-365-gt4-bb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.supercars.net\/blog\/1973%e2%86%921976-ferrari-365-gt4-bb\/","title":{"rendered":"1973 – 1976 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ferrari 365 GT4 BB<\/h1>\n

1973 – 1976 Ferrari 365 GT4 BB<\/h2>\n
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The Boxer Berlinetta marked a big change for Ferrari because the company moved a horizontally opposed engine layout for its new flagship car (thus the Berlinetta Boxer name).<\/a>\u00a0It wasn’t just the engine design that was different either. For the first time Ferrari put the engine behind the driver. Ferrari’s V12 berlinetta cars always had the engine in the front, but with cars like the Lamborghini Miura<\/a> and Countach<\/a> capturing buyers attention, it was clear that Ferrari’s top model had to go the mid-engined route.<\/p>\n

The move to a \ufb02at-12 was partly dictated by packaging considerations. Mindful that a longitudinal engine with the gearbox behind would add inches to the wheelbase and\/or steal cabin space, Ferrari had decided that the BB should have its transmission placed below the engine. This would allow a shorter wheelbase and a roomier cabin. It also pretty much dictated a \u2019\ufb02at\u2019 engine to keep the centre of gravity reasonably low, though it still put substantial mass in a sub-optimal position as far as handling was concerned.<\/p>\n

The first of Ferrari’s Berlinetta Boxer is the 365 GT4. The car was <\/span>first shown at the 1971 Turin Motor Show and production began in 1973. <\/span>Only 387 examples of the 365 GT4 BB were made until it was replaced outright with the 512 in 1976<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Most of the magazines and press at the time loved the clean Pininfarina design and were shocked by the strong performance. Acceleration was strong, with the sprint to 60 mph over in 5.4 seconds. Handling and overall dynamics were class leading at the time. When tested by Road & Track in 1975, they hit 175 mph and declared it \u201cthe fastest road car we\u2019ve ever tested.\u201d<\/p>\n

Initial excitement waned a little as stories of the 365 GT4\/ BB<\/a> having a wild and unpredictable side, especially at the limit. If you backed off the throttle mid-turn, the mass of the engine wanted to keep going, causing the tail to snap round and the car to spin (aka old 911-style).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The original 365 (named for the capacity of each cylinder, and sharing bore and stroke dimensions with the outgoing Daytona) is arguably the purest and \u2014 some say \u2014 the happiest of the Berlinetta Boxers to rev. It\u2019s also the rarest, with just 387 built. Its 4390cc \ufb02at\u201412 with triple twin-choke Weber 4O IF3s produced a claimed 344 bhp and 302 lb\/ft, and it\u2019s easily distinguished from behind by its triple rear lights (and triple exhaust tailpipes) at each corner.<\/p>\n

Ferrari 365 GT4 BB Videos<\/h2>\n