The Ferrari 3.2 Mondial

Table of Contents:

Ferrari 3.2 Mondial – Key Details

The Ultimate Guide to the Ferrari 3.2 Mondial

MONDIAL 3.2 – THE MONDIAL SWEET SPOT?

Five years after the original Mondial 8 and 3 years after the upgraded Mondial QV, a new version of Ferrari’s diminutive V8 GT car emerged. With the new-for-1985 3.2 Mondial, power had been upped once again, thanks to the larger V8, now displacing 3.2 litres. Essentially just a bored and stroked version of the 3.0 from the QV, the 3.2’s engine now produced 270 bhp, a not insignificant upgrade over the rather weak 214 managed by the Mondial 8. Torque was rated at 304 Nm. Ferrari made sure to pay attention to more than just the engine this time, though.

Let’s start with the car’s new styling that put the Mondial in line with other offerings from Ferrari, like the new 1985 328. The biggest changes are the 3.2 Mondial’s body-coloured bumpers, updated alloy wheels, and freshened interior. The new front grille integrated the lights and radiator grille into one assembly, much like the unit from the 328. While still a 5-spoke design, the new wheels used a convex layout in order to make room for ABS brakes, which would become standard in 1987. What the 3.2 retained was the original Mondial’s excellently balanced handling, flexible 2+2 layout, and 5-speed synchromesh transmission.

Like the Mondial 8 and QV before it, the 3.2 retained the unique rear sub-frame design that allowed for the engine, rear suspension, and transmission to be removed all at once for ease of maintenance. This is one of the reasons the 3.2 Mondial has proven to be such a popular model; a great combination of power and low running costs.  As production ended in 1988, a total of 1,988 Mondial 3.2s were made. Ferrari resumed production the following year with the Mondial T version of the car, which included many great improvements but failed to retain the relatively simple maintenance of the 3.2.

Ferrari 3.2 Mondial – Photo Gallery

Ferrari 3.2 Mondial – Technical Specifications

Ferrari 3.2 Mondial – Registry & Videos

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